Quick Snaps: My Postseason Predictions

To follow up on my initial win-loss predictions before we get too far into the season so as to preserve my veil of ignorance, here are my postseason predictions for the 2012-13 NFL season.  Given that I'm already 0 - 1 for the year, a grain of salt might do the body good, but you never know.  Fun fact: usually at least 5-6 teams who made the playoffs during the previous year do not repeat.  I've shuffled the cards with four teams to keep things interesting:

AFC Playoffs

Seeding
1. (bye) New England Patriots
Things are looking up for a team that has a deep bench and a schedule personifying Snuggles the Bear.

2. (bye) Houston Texans 
Balance and health will help this team maintain a comfortable seat near the top of the AFC.

3. Kansas City Chiefs 
When people are done fawning over Peyton Manning's past and see the Chiefs step up in a weak division, they'll already have it locked up.

4. Cincinnati Bengals 
Provided Andy Dalton can steer clear of a sophomore slump with a little help from his banged up defensive rivals, the Bengals will edge their way atop the AFC North.

5. Baltimore Ravens
I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens and Bengals switch places when the dust settles, but Flacco & co. will have to prove themselves more consistently productive first.

6. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are an upset pick of sorts, but they can make a run if they put all of the pieces together early and take some key divisional wins.

Wild Card Round
Chiefs over Bills, Ravens over Bengals

Divisional Round
Ravens over Patriots, Texans over Chiefs

AFC Championship
Ravens over Texans - The tenacity of a team with a closing window of opportunity in its current era will see the Ravens through the more talent-balanced but inexperienced Texans... just like last time.

NFC Playoffs

Seeding
1. (bye) Green Bay Packers
Starting right where they left off, the Packers will be nearly unstoppable as long as Aaron Rodgers is under center.

2. (bye) New York Giants
The bad news: the Giants already had a rough opening week.  The good news: they play best with their backs against the wall... I hope.

3. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta takes back the NFC South division crown with an offense firing on all cylinders.

4. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers maintain dominance in their fledgling division, but they don't get quite as many breaks in the schedule or turnover ratio this time around.

5. Philadelphia Eagles
Philly meets expectations after a little more time oiling its talent machine with full OTAs.  If Michael Vick can stay healthy, they could easily surpass the G-Men.

6. Chicago Bears
The Bears pick up the NFC North stock that the Lions are selling while keeping Brandon Marshall out of the court system in the process.

Wild Card Round
Bears over Falcons, 49ers over Eagles

Divisional Round
Packers over Bears, Giants over 49ers

NFC Championship
Packers over Giants - The Giants have a way of squeezing every last ounce out of their potential in the playoffs and especially on the road.  Still, I can't see Green Bay letting the postseason slip away prematurely this time around.

The 2013 Super Bowl
Packers over Ravens - If given these two teams, I'd really, really, really want to see the Ravens take it all one last time in the Ray Lewis era, and they could.  But that all depends on whether or not Baltimore's offense can keep pace with Aaron Rodgers for 60 minutes, and I'm thinking not.