Now that I have thoroughly analyzed the upcoming college football season, it is time for me to publish my fourth annual NFL preseason football guide. Much like my college preview, I have gone through and analyzed every NFL team’s regular season and postseason, as well as selected my disappointment and surprise teams and upsets to watch out for.
Here are my predictions for this year’s playoffs. Please read the AFC and NFC regular season predictions entry to see how each team ended up with the seed they have below.
AFC Playoffs
| Wildcard Playoffs (winners in bold) | |
| 2 | Cleveland (11-6) |
| 7 | Baltimore (10-7) |
| 3 | Kansas City (10-7) |
| 6 | Pittsburgh (11-6) |
| 4 | Houston (10-7) |
| 5 | Buffalo (11-6) |
| Divisional Playoffs (winners in bold) | |
| 1 | Miami (12-5) |
| 5 | Buffalo (11-6) |
| 2 | Cleveland (11-6) |
| 3 | Kansas City (10-7) |
| Conference Championship Game (winners in bold) | |
| 1 | Miami (12-5) |
| 3 | Kansas City (10-7) |
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NFC Playoffs
| Wildcard Playoffs (predicted winners in bold) | |
| 2 | Dallas (12-5) |
| 7 | Seattle (10-7) |
| 3 | Detroit (11-6) |
| 6 | Atlanta (10-7) |
| 4 | New Orleans (10-7) |
| 5 | Philadelphia (11-6) |
| Divisional Playoffs (predicted winners in bold) | |
| 1 | San Francisco (13-4) |
| 5 | Philadelphia (11-6) |
| 2 | Dallas (12-5) |
| 3 | Detroit (11-6) |
| Conference Championship Game (predicted winner in bold) | |
| 1 | San Francisco (13-4) |
| 2 | Dallas (12-5) |
Super Bowl LIX (predicted winner in bold)
| 1 | San Francisco (13-4) |
| 1 | Miami (12-5) |
The 49ers continue to defy the conventional wisdom of the modern NFL by being a perennial Super Bowl contender without having elite quarterback play. They are able to succeed despite starting a former “Mr. Irrelevant” at the most important position on the field because they are really good everywhere else, both offensively and defensively. It is very reminiscent of Nick Saban’s Alabama teams in the early 2010’s that dominated college football, despite playing quarterbacks that weren’t particularly good. This season, the 49ers return a league-leading 9 Pro Bowlers, and I am predicting that this is the year, San Francisco finally hoists their franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy since 1995.
Ramblings of the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist 