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Predicting the Outcome of the Entire 2017 NFL Playoffs
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The 2017 NFL Playoffs are set to begin following Week 17 of the regular season. What will happen this postseason, and which teams will meet in Super Bowl LI?
A few months ago, 32 teams embarked on a journey in search of football glory. Now, only 12 teams remain in the hunt as we’re set to get the 2017 NFL Playoffs under way. It’s been a crazy 17 weeks of action, and the next month is sure to bring even more twists and turns.
So what can we expect to happen during the upcoming NFL postseason? No one knows for sure, but I’m going to do my best to predict the eventual outcome.
It’s not going to be easy, and the odds lean very heavily against me. It’s hard enough predicting who will win a given game, let alone determining what three rounds of playoff action and 60 minutes of greatness in Houston will yield. We all know it’s nearly impossible, but that won’t deter me from giving it a shot.
While 12 teams are still alive, only a few truly possess the talent needed to go the distance. When February 5 arrives, though, only one team will earn the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and call themselves NFL champs.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at my predictions for the entire 2017 NFL Playoffs.
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Seeding for 2017 NFL Playoffs
Following Sunday’s action, here is the final seeding for the 2017 NFL Playoffs.
AFC
No. 1 seed: 14-2 New England Patriots (home-field advantage)
No. 2 seed: 12-4 Kansas City Chiefs (first-round bye)
No. 3 seed: 11-5 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 4 seed: 9-7 Houston Texans
No. 5 seed: 12-4 Oakland Raiders
No. 6 seed: 10-6 Miami Dolphins
NFC
No. 1 seed: 13-3 Dallas Cowboys (home-field advantage)
No. 2 seed: 11-5 Atlanta Falcons (first-round bye)
No. 3 seed: 10-5-1 Seattle Seahawks
No. 4 seed: 10-6 Green Bay Packers
No. 5 seed: 11-5 New York Giants
No. 6 seed: 9-7 Detroit Lions
The AFC fell into place pretty much how we expected, with the road to the Super Bowl going through New England. However, it was a bit surprising to see the Raiders drop the AFC West title in the final week. The Chiefs were on their tails all season long, and came up with the clutch Week 17 win to give themselves the division crown. It doesn’t bode well for Oakland, especially with how inept the offense looked without Derek Carr.
As for the NFC, it was like a game of musical chairs in the final week. The Falcons secured the other first-round bye, while the Seahawks narrowly avoided a drop to the fourth seed. Green Bay dashed the Lions’ hopes of bringing their first NFC North title to Detroit since 1993. The Giants had already punched their ticket to the postseason, but played spoiler against the Washington Redskins.
It was a surprisingly eventful final week of the regular season, giving us hope that the 2017 NFL Playoffs will be all the more memorable.
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Miami Dolphins (6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3)
We saw this matchup earlier in 2016, and the Dolphins walked away with a surprise victory. I can assure you there won’t be a repeat of that performance. At this moment, the Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The offense is on fire, and the defense has shown significant improvement down the stretch. Especially with all of its offensive stars healthy, Pittsburgh should have little trouble moving the ball.
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As for the Dolphins, they’ve been struggling a bit as of late. After cruising through the middle of their schedule, injuries have hampered them in recent weeks. I was already a bit skeptical of their ability to compete with the true contenders, as they’ve had one of the easiest roads to the postseason of any playoff team this year.
What really makes me believe Pittsburgh will get the win, though, is their running game. Le’Veon Bell is simply unstoppable when healthy, and he’s facing off against the Dolphins 30th-ranked run defense. It’s a bad matchup for a Miami team that I believe is a bit overrated.
The Dolphins will do some damage on the scoreboard, but not having Ryan Tannehill (probably) will hurt. Between the limited talents of Matt Moore and Miami’s pitiful run defense, the Steelers should be able to squeeze out a win and move on to the next round.
Prediction: Steelers over Dolphins
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Oakland Raiders (5) at Houston Texans (4)
Injuries can make or break a contender. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they suffered a bad one when Derek Carr broke his leg in Week 16, leaving Oakland without a proven starter at quarterback. As a result, they choked away the AFC West title and now have to go on the road to battle the Texans as a Wild Card team.
Thankfully, I don’t think it’ll be a death sentence for Oakland—at least not yet.
Despite the loss of Carr, the Raiders are still an excellent club. There’s plenty of talent on the offensive end, and the defense can dominate at times. Realistically, this one will come down to their playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.
The Texans have fielded an ugly offense this year. Whether Brock Osweiler or Tom Savage has been under center, the Houston offense hasn’t been able to get going very often. That’ll leave it up to the Oakland defense to secure the win on Wild Card weekend.
Whether it’s Matt McGloin or Connor Cook under center, the Raiders should be able to pull this one off. They haven’t come this far to lose to arguably the worst playoff team of the 2016 campaign. Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin and the Oakland defense will force the Texans’ quarterbacks into enough mistakes to secure the win on the road.
Prediction: Raiders over Texans
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Detroit Lions (6) at Seattle Seahawks (3)
When you take a good look at both of these teams, it’s easy to guess that this could be anyone’s game. Neither team has a ton of momentum going into the playoffs, and both have their flaws.
In fact, the Seahawks haven’t looked great in recent weeks. They’ve limped their way into the playoffs, and a large part of their success this season can be credited to the pitiful competition they’ve faced in the NFC West. Then again, it’s not like the Lions have looked much better lately.
The Lions are riding a three-game losing streak and watched the NFC North crown slip from their grasp in Week 17. Now with the final Wild Card spot, they’re faced with a sticky situation of taking on the Seahawks at home. In case you weren’t aware, Seattle is 7-1 this year at CenturyLink Field.
I’m predicting this will be a tight contest, with the winner likely being decided in the final minutes of the game. It’s how most of the Lions’ games have been this season, and how the Seahawks have finished many of their recent outings.
In the end, I have to give it to Seattle. With the 12th Man behind them, they’ll make just enough plays on offense to stay one step ahead of the Lions. A timely interception in the final minutes of the game will cement the Seahawks as winners in the Wild Card round.
Prediction: Seahawks over Lions
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New York Giants (5) at Green Bay Packers (4)
I’d like to think this will be a good game, but I just don’t see it happening. The Packers have way too much momentum right now, and having the home crowd at their backs won’t make life any easier for the Giants.
More importantly, though, is the fact that Green Bay simply can’t be stopped at this moment. No matter what opposing teams throw at them, the Packers are finding ways to make big plays and light up the scoreboard. Aaron Rodgers has returned to his normal self, and is carving up opposing secondaries in the process.
Sure, there’s plenty to like about this New York team. Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants offense can definitely do some damage. As for the defense, they’ve become quite adept at creating turnovers and giving opposing coordinators headaches. A matchup with the Packers, though, will be a reality check of sorts.
When you also consider the fact that Green Bay’s defense has gotten a lot better down the stretch, I just don’t think the Giants are ready to compete with that. They’ll give it their best, but it won’t be enough to stay alive in their hunt for another Lombardi Trophy. When all is said and done, the Packers shouldn’t have too much trouble winning this one.
Prediction: Packers over Giants
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Oakland Raiders (5) at New England Patriots (1)
If Carr was healthy, I think this would be a must-watch showdown between two AFC powerhouses. Unfortunately, the injury to the Raiders’ gunslinger will come back to haunt them eventually. It didn’t in the Wild Card round, but it will against the Patriots.
It’s going to take a huge effort from the Oakland offense to overcome Tom Brady and Co. While I like McGloin as a decent NFL backup quarterback, I don’t necessarily think he’s capable of winning a shootout. I can assure you Cook isn’t, either.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have been pretty close to unstoppable in recent weeks. They’ve run up the score against quality teams, and find themselves in an easy matchup against the regular season’s 27th-ranked defense. Put simply, the Raiders defense has had a tough time keeping opposing offenses out of the end zone all year long.
I’m sorry, but a McGloin-led offense can’t compete with that.
Oakland will put up a valiant effort, but the production potential isn’t there with Carr out. The defense will make some plays and we should still see the ball move through the air for Oakland. In the end, though, New England is too talented throughout the roster to be beaten by a backup.
Prediction: Patriots over Raiders
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Pittsburgh Steelers (3) at Kansas City Chiefs (2)
A lot has changed since Week 4, when the Steelers picked apart the Chiefs. The Kansas City defense has improved tenfold, but the Pittsburgh offense has also undergone some maturation and appears to be firing on all cylinders. I foresee this one being a shootout with the way these teams have been playing. When the dust settles, though, I see the Steelers walking away victorious.
The offense has been relentless down the stretch with Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown all healthy. The defense also stepped up at the end of the regular season, putting on a clinic on how to bend but not break. Just ask the Steelers’ seven-game winning streak to end the year.
Now I won’t overlook the Chiefs. The offense is capable of putting up points in a hurry, but is somewhat inconsistent—it shows up one week and disappears the next. Alex Smith always finds ways to put Kansas City in position to win, but will need a huge game to keep pace with Roethlisberger and his band of playmakers.
Both teams will create sparks, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chiefs defense create a couple of turnovers. However, in the end, I think the Steelers’ superior firepower on offense will be enough to earn the win.
Prediction: Steelers over Chiefs
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Green Bay Packers (4) at Dallas Cowboys (1)
It’s been fun watching this Cowboys team riding their rookies to a top seed in the NFC. Unfortunately, I think the ride will end in their first playoff game.
This is a great Dallas team, but two of their top offensive players are rookies. Playing on a stage like this against a gritty, experienced Packers team is no walk in the park. This is going to be a physical, unrelenting game that will test the wills of both Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
Honestly, I just don’t think they’re ready to get the job done. The Packers are rolling right now, while the Cowboys have shown some weakness in recent weeks. With all of that pressure mounting on their young stars, it’s going to be too much for Dallas—even at home.
The Green Bay defense will put the heat on Prescott, forcing him to make a couple of key mistakes. Elliott should have a tough day against the Packers eighth-ranked run defense, which will only put more pressure on Prescott to carry the team. When that happens to young guns, things tend to go poorly.
Rodgers will be his usual cool and calm self, leading Green Bay down the field time and time again. A couple of big plays in the second half will put this one in the books, sending Cowboys fans everywhere home in utter disappointment.
Prediction: Packers over Cowboys
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Seattle Seahawks (3) at Atlanta Falcons (2)
At the beginning of the season, I thought this Seahawks team could go all the way. They had the talent on both side of the ball, and the experience/coaching to overcome any hurdles that got in their way. As you can probably guess, I no longer feel that way.
The Seahawks have struggled mightily in their final few games, failing to secure the No. 2 seed in the process. They put managed ugly wins against awful teams in two of the last three weeks, and couldn’t come up with the W against the Arizona Cardinals. All in all, it’s been a disappointing season, despite the 10-5-1 finish.
As for the Falcons, they’ve come on strong in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. Their offense is smoking hot right now, and will surely give this Seattle defense all it can handle and then some. Especially with Earl Thomas out of the picture, Matt Ryan and his precision passing are going to put on a clinic against the Legion of Boom.
What really has me leaning towards Atlanta, though, is how average the Seahawks offense has been lately. Russell Wilson is being forced to do it all on his own, and it’s not working with his below-average offensive line. There’s no running game to fall back on, and the passing game is too inconsistent. Seattle will find a way to score some points, but the Falcons will score more.
Prediction: Falcons over Seahawks
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AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers (3) at New England Patriots (1)
What a matchup to determine the AFC champion. An all-out war between two of the conferences’ top annual contenders. If this is how it plays out, you can rest easy knowing there will be plenty of fireworks in this one.
The two teams met earlier in the year, and the Patriots came away with the W. However, the Steelers were without Roethlisberger, instead relying on Landry Jones to lead the offense. Now with their offensive stars healthy, Pittsburgh will be looking for a little revenge. Unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll find it.
All season long, this New England team has looked like a group of guys determined to stick it to the NFL. Even with Brady’s suspension, they ended the year with the best record in the league and are looking to prove they can get the job done regardless of the circumstances. This game will be the perfect opportunity to make that statement.
It will be no cakewalk. The Patriots will struggle to slow Roethlisberger and Co. and the Pittsburgh defense will give Brady trouble. However, with the help of LeGarrette Blount and the New England ground game, I’m predicting the Patriots pull out a hard-earned victory in this one.
Prediction: Patriots over Steelers
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NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers (4) at Atlanta Falcons (2)
I would have never guessed the Falcons would be in this situation back in September. And yet, here I am predicting they’ll make it to the NFC Championship. What’s even crazier is I’m predicting they’ll win it as well.
Sure, the Packers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. Keeping Rodgers from winning games is an extremely difficult task, especially for a defense that hasn’t been all that great this year. However, I’m confident the Falcons can continue to surprise.
Part of it has to do with their high-flying offense, which scored a league-high 33.3 points per game during the regular season. Ryan has had an MVP-type year, and he’s getting plenty of help from his countless offensive weapons.
The other part is Atlanta’s often-overlooked defense. Sure, it finished the regular season ranked 25th in yards allowed per game. The Falcons have had a difficult time slowing opponent’s passing games, especially in an NFC South division that loves airing it out. However, they have a few playmakers on that defense who can come up with the clutch stop or turnover.
Rodgers will push Atlanta to its limit. Ryan will do the same against the Green Bay defense. When the dust settles, though, I have a feeling the Falcons will pull off a miraculous win to advance to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.
Prediction: Falcons over Packers
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots (1) vs Atlanta Falcons (2)
It all comes down to this—60 minutes of madness to determine the NFL’s best team. With a matchup like this, sparks are sure to be flying all game long. We’ve got two of the league’s most explosive offenses and two defenses that leave something to be desired. That sounds like a recipe for plenty of points and an endless highlight reel.
In one corner, we’ve got the Falcons. Their offense has been surreal this season, with Ryan playing out of his mind. A big reason for his success, though, has been the play of his offensive weapons, who have shined bright on a weekly basis. From Devonta Freeman to Julio Jones to Taylor Gabriel, every player on this Atlanta offense is doing their part.
As for the Patriots, they’re obviously a force to be reckoned with. Brady has been playing with a chip on his shoulder, and rightfully so. New England is looking to give the NFL the proverbial middle finger by winning it all despite their quarterback being suspended for four games. Based on what we’ve seen through 16 games, it’s definitely possible.
Both defenses are average at best, with the Patriots doing a better job of limiting opponent’s yards during the regular season. However, we can’t overlook Atlanta’s various playmakers on defense. Vic Beasley is enjoying a breakout season, and will surely look to keep Brady on his heels all game long.
When the clock strikes zero and the confetti begins to fall, it’ll be black and red. The Falcons will secure their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, with Ryan getting the nod as the game’s MVP. It’s a great way for one of the NFL’s most underrated teams to end what’s been a sensational season. As for New England, they come up just short of the team’s second Super Bowl win in three years.
Prediction: Atlanta Falcons win Super Bowl LI
