Chances Are...

With 8 teams left in these so called playoffs, why not run them down? It’s the middle of the week; it seems like the right thing to do. Instead of doing the ‘best teams’ I’ll run down each teams chances to WIN the Super Bowl. (Yep, you guessed it, the #1 and #2 teams will be the two teams I think who are going to play in the Super Bowl!)

8) Seattle Seahawks – In the ‘I’d rather be lucky than good’ theory, the Seahawks might have proved that this past weekend. Romo dropping that ball is one of the biggest ‘bone headed’ plays you’ll ever see. Now the Seahawks have to go to Chicago. And if they win there, then they’ll either have to go to Philly or New Orleans. I don’t like their chances considering their D isn’t that good.

7) Indianapolis Colts – They have to go to Baltimore and then either San Diego or get the Patriots at home. First things first, the good people of Baltimore would like nothing more than to end the Colts as a franchise… and they’ll get their chance this weekend. If the Colts some how win that game, then they’ve got to go to San Diego and try and figure out how to stop LT… or the Patriots come to Indy. And you know what… I like the Pats chances in that game.

6) New Orleans – At some point we all forgot that this is a really young team. And we also forgot that we’re talking about the Saints. This will be the second time the Saints have gone this far in the playoffs (the NFC Division Playoffs). That’s right, the Saints haven’t even made it to a NFC Championship game… and the one time they did make it to the Divisional game they lost. This is a franchise that has done absolutely nothing historically. I know, history is just that in the playoffs, but they’re too young and have too many question marks on defense - I can’t see them getting a much needed stop. Plus, they’re not going to Chicago and beating them. That’s just not happening no matter what the heads say. All that said, I think they’re the team to beat next year in the NFC.

5) San Diego – Two things to remember:
a) Phillip Rivers is going to see things that he’s never seen before this weekend. In a way this will sort of be like Rivers first time he watched a porno flick or something. Belichick is going to be doing things with that defense that Rivers and Marty can’t even dream of. And I don’t see Rivers being able to ‘figure it out’.
b) There are coached by Marty Schottenheimer. Marty finds ways to lose playoff games.

I know they have Tomlinson and he might be able to will the Chargers to victory. But I don’t see it. And if they do win? Then the Colts or Ravens come to San Diego… and the Chargers have whatever the opposite of homefield advantage is. It’s too nice there… too warm… to not mean enough. And the Ravens D… have you seen it recently? Ouch.

4) Philly – Getting out of New Orleans will be hard enough. Then having to go to Chicago will be really hard. I know the Bears go into the playoffs with more questions than answers, but part of that is because the media likes to make things up. Things by no means are perfect with the Bears, but they’re not nearly as bad as the ESPN and Chicago heads like to make it.

And let’s remember, Jeff Garcia is the quaterback here. The Birds do not match up well with the Bears cover two and speed. They don’t have a receiver that could break the Bears backs and they probably don’t have a powerful enough running game to ‘beat up’ the Bears.

Plus the city of Philadelphia is waiting for something bad to happen.

3) New England Patriots – They get it done, that’s for sure. Tom Brady is something else and then some. But I can’t see them beating both the Chargers and Ravens. That’s just too much.

2) Bears – I could probably write 8,000 words on the Bears season. It’s been that crazy. But I think, and call me crazy, that they’re still the most likely team to end up in the Super Bowl from the NFC. I don’t like their chances there, but Seattle isn’t that good and will be on the road (plus early weather reports are calling for snow on Sunday). Then they’ll either get the Saints or Philly. The Saints have a questionable D, in the cold, and will be the further the team had ever advanced in franchise history. Meanwhile, the Eagles, don’t match up well with the Bears cover two. Westbrook is a stud, but he’ll have to run for 175 yards to give the Birds a chance since none of their wide outs should be able to burn the Bears secondary like Steve Smith did last year. I don’t know, I like the Bears chances.

1) Ravens – This team was built for January. They’ve got a little bit of everything. And that D is killer. A trip to San Diego would be tough, as would a visit from the Patriots, but no one is peaking at a better time… and still it’s hard to find the heads on ESPN say much of anything about the Ravens. Baltimore might be the most underrated city in America, and the Ravens might just be the most underrated team in the NFL.