Picking up where we left off with win-loss predictions, I'll put my money where my mouth is with all-too-early ill-fated playoff predictions. But first, with kickoff less than 48 hours from now, get your markers ready to circle these 10 NFL games to watch this season!
10 NFL Games to Watch in 2015
1) Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 1Assuming Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota will both start the very first games of their rookie season (which, c’mon Lovie and Ken, this is what America wants!), this opener has enough "narrative" to crush a Smart Car. It’ll probably be sloppy. But there are so many great hype elements at play: a rematch between two quarterbacks who faced off a remarkable two FBS games ago, who have won the last two Heisman Trophies and who went #1 and #2 in the NFL draft. Will this be a Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf-style boom and bust? Will it be a John Elway-Dan Marino both/and? Only September 13th will tell. Let the draft decision hot takes begin with an NFL game sample size of 1!
Between the Fail Mary of 2012 and the Cheeseheads' Total Meltdown of 2015, these NFC heavies have had some very memorable nail-biters in recent years. Outside of the historical story lines, this game is brimming with great matchup questions. Can Aaron Rodgers finally outduel the Legion of Boom in his own backyard? Will Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson continue to confound the Packers defense on the ground? Will Mike McCartney borrow some chill from Pete Carroll without the occasionally terrible decision-making? All I know for sure is that Green Bay has a massive chip on its shoulder after that disastrous whiff in January, and they've had this one circled for a loooong time.
Given my limited optimism for the Saints' prospects in 2015 and/or Chip Kelly's offseason insanity, this might not ultimately deserve to be on the short list. BUT provided that these are two mediocre-to-bad defenses and that Sean Payton and Chip Kelly are some of the top offensive masterminds in the NFL today, this could be a rocket-fueled shootout for the ages. These are the kinds of points-heavy bouts fantasy championships are built on.
Because we’ll never get enough of Ballghazi ever again throughout the entirety of our lives, the hype will be epic when the Patriots face their Deflategate accusers for the first time since that infamous January night in Foxboro. If it’s even possible to put the surrounding dramatics aside, this could be a highly competitive game between two of the AFC’s top brass, provided the Colts finally get their act together against the run. As Andrew Luck continues to ascend in the QB ranks and as Indy has tried to build a more balanced roster, let’s at least hope this will be more competitive than the last time these two teams met anyway. Make no mistake though, this is a flagship stop on the Patriots' vengeance tour 2.0.
5) Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, Week 7
It's quite possible that the Giants won't be as bad and the Cowboys won't be as good as they were last year, so here's hoping for a wild divisional battle between these two teams as they often are. The other reason to get excited about this one? New Madden cover honoree Odell Beckham, Jr. had two of his very best performances against Dallas last season including That Catch, and he’ll be gunning to prove the Madden curse wrong during this big-ticket home game as both teams jockey for position in the crowded NFC East.
Although this conference rivalry of sorts doesn't get nearly the attention that many others on this list do, things tend to get weird when the Chargers and Ravens meet. Last year, the Ravens led for 55 minutes but managed to give up a late touchdown from Philip Rivers to Eddie Royal with seconds left on the clock. Two years ago, it was Baltimore that eked out an improbable win by converting on a 4th-and-29 screen pass with less than two minutes to go - the closest thing to real-life Tecmo football I've ever seen. So given that these should be two pretty good teams in 2015 vying for a playoff spot, expect the unexpected in another photo finish.
7) Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, Week 8
Not knowing how Peyton Manning will hold up by the time we get to the annual Manning-Brady Bowl in November, I'm opting for a different first-ballot Hall of Fame QB duel that happens once in a blue moon this time around. It should be fun to see these two sling it in the thin air of Mile High Stadium and also give the Packers' and Broncos' uneven defenses a chance to buckle down against a good opponent with January in sight.
The Cowboys will return to the scene of the properly-officiated-but-nonetheless-terrible crime where their playoff dreams ended on this "incomplete" pass last season. With 2015-16 playoff implications likely at stake, Dallas will be scrapping for justice and a leg up on what has consistently been one of the best teams in the NFC. That's no small task against the Packers at Lambeau Field so be on the look out for the Cowboys' rebuilt defensive front to get in Aaron Rodgers' Kool-Aid before he makes a fool of that questionable secondary.
9) Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles, Week 15
And now, time for a late-season Gut Check Bowl between two teams that I can't tell are for real or not right now. If the Cardinals and Eagles are every bit as good as they were last season, this matchup could be spectacular - intriguing coaching minds, lots of explosive playmakers in all phases of the game and playoff seeding at play. If not, well, replace this one with Brady-Manning 17.0 and we'll call it a wash.
I'm definitely a fan of the NFL's move to load the final couple weeks of the regular season with divisional games a few years ago. There's lots of potential appointment television to be had in Weeks 16 - 17 this year depending on where the favorites and dark horses land, but one rivalry you can always count on is the Steelers and Ravens. Barring major injuries, Pittsburgh will be at full strength after some early-season suspensions with tremendous offensive firepower. Baltimore ought to have a better counter-punch in its secondary than it did a year ago and a very good offensive line to keep the Steelers in the trenches. Over-under on punches thrown in an inevitably tight game with a division title on the line? I'll spot you three.
Lady Blitz Playoff Predictions
And finally, the playoff predictions I will obsess over and recalibrate multiple times over the next four months. But since you're asking:
AFC Playoffs
Seeding
1. (bye) Indianapolis Colts
Given a cakewalk schedule and Andrew Luck's continued progression with a better surrounding cast, the Colts look primed for a bye week this time around.
2. (bye) New England Patriots
No Brady suspension + more controversy than you can shake a stick at = the Patriots' unbridled wrath this season.
3. Denver Broncos
This all comes down to whether or not Manning has another full healthy season in him. He's proven me wrong on that front for years, so I've got the Broncos picking up roughly where they left off last season.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have more of an uphill battle with Markice Pouncey injured and Martavis Bryant out, but they'll be hard to beat in the crowded AFC North when that offense is back at full speed.
5. Baltimore Ravens
It didn't take the Ravens long to reload after their last Super Bowl appearance - they were one mistake away from making another AFC Championship last year, so don't count them out this time either.
6. San Diego Chargers
Chargers or Chiefs? Chiefs or Chargers? It could be neck-and-neck between those two for the final wild card spot, but I like San Diego's fire power and schedule giving them the edge.
Wild Card Round
Chargers over Broncos, Ravens over Steelers
Divisional Round
Colts over Chargers, Ravens over Patriots
Colts over Ravens - The Colts have inched a little closer to the Super Bowl every season since Chuck Pagano took over. And provided they aren't playing the Patriots, they've got a great shot this year against a quarterback that can turn from Good Flacco to Bad Flacco in the blink of an eye.
Seeding
1. (bye) Green Bay Packers
There are a lot more questions in the NFC than there've been for a few years, but Aaron Rodgers isn't one of them.
2. (bye) Seattle Seahawks
That Week 2 rumble between the Packers and Seahawks could be the difference maker in who hosts whom next January. With Green Bay gunning for revenge, I give them a little edge over Seattle.
3. Dallas Cowboys
It's possible that last season was a fluke for Dallas now that DeMarco Murray is gone, but you won't find a stronger, deeper offensive line in the NFL. These Cowboys are built to last.
4. Atlanta Falcons
With a defensively-minded coach and new talent in the pass rush, Atlanta shores up its biggest weakness from a year ago and seizes an awful division with ease.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Alright, alright - I'm biting on how good the Eagles' scoring machine looked in the preseason despite dumping every offensive star you've ever known. Bonus points for dumping Tebow too.
6. Minnesota Vikings
It's hard not to like this Vikings team, which will be firing on all cylinders with Adrian Peterson returning and a promising young roster with balance. That should give them some edge over the Suh-less Lions.
Wild Card Round
Cowboys over Vikings, Eagles over Falcons
Divisional Round
Packers over Eagles, Cowboys over Seahawks
Packers over Cowboys - You better believe Dez Bryant will be completing the process of the catch if these two teams get a chance to rehash it next January. But with Murray gone to Philadelphia, Eddie Lacy becomes the difference maker in helping the Packers muscle their way back to the Super Bowl for the first time in five years.
Packers over Colts - The winners of Super Bowl I take Super Bowl 50 too? It's almost certainly too perfect to work out that way, but who wouldn't want to see two spectacular quarterbacks go head-to-head in a town where they both have strong ties? In any case, it seems like a cosmic crime that Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a second appearance in the big dance, so I will try to will it so once again.
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