Contenders or Pretenders?

[obiken]

NFC
Contenders
Seattle
Carolina
GB
Arizona

Pretenders
Minn.
Washington

AFC
Contenders
KC
NE
Denver IF Manning comes back

Pretenders
NY
Cincy
Pitts
Texans

[mykc14]

Man, I don't know about any team in the NFC being a pretender at this point all either have a QB playing exceptionally well (cards, panthers, hawks, skins, rodergs sort of, heck even bridgewater has been playing pretty well), a very talented roster (cards, panthers, hawks, mini), a dominant d (hawks, cards, mini, panthers, even skins), or all 3. The only team I have trouble seeing winning 3 games would be GB. Their D hasn't been good and olive has looked terrible. The X factor, like most years might be health. All the playoff teams seem to be in decent shape, but the cards really might be the most healthy right now.

[Zorn76]

Pretty spot on, Obi.

I don't see Minny or Washington having a very good chance of reaching the SB. The favs are Az and Carolina, followed by us, IMO, when I look at this objectively. Our playoff experience is a Huge x-factor, though. We just desperately need Marshawn back and effective to improve our chances.

Pitt would've been a dangerous team in the AFC, but they Blew it worse than we did yesterday by losing in Baltimore. That went a long way in killing their playoff chances it looks like.

While yesterday was upsetting, I do feel confident about going into GB or (especially) Minny and being able to get a road playoff win. Washington has come on as of late, and they are a good home team, but we match up with them pretty well. Their field is the absolute worst, as we know, so that part of it would be scary in terms of staying healthy for the next round.

[Hawktawk]

NFC
Contenders
Seattle
Carolina
GB
Arizona

Pretenders
Minn. Since being drubbed by Seattle the Vikes went to AZ on a short week. Bridgewater threw for over 300 yards and nearly got the game to overtime. He hasn't lost since including a 49 point beat down of the Giants last night.Check back after the Vikes and GB play for a final analysis.

Washington. Washington is 6-2 at home for the first round. Kirk Cousins has the highest completion percentage in the NFL over 70% and threw 4 TD passes on the road last Thurs to rout the Eagles and clinch the division
The weakest looking playoff team in the conference is Green Bay, not either of the two you mention. There are no pretenders whatsoever in the NFC.

AFC
Contenders
KC
NE
Denver IF Manning comes back. I rather doubt hes coming back now that his HGH supply has been discovered(JK) Seriously though with all the health problems now the guy is going to have to answer steroid questions along with why he threw for 40 yards and 4 picks in his first half back. I think Ostweiiler or bust is where Denver is right now and its not enough to derail them IMO. With that defense they have a shot.Check back at 8:30 PM because they play Cincy

Pretenders
NY This is a dangerous opponent for anyone right now. The defense is sick, the QB is an 11 year vet playing the best he ever has and with Marshall and Decker he has some bad weather targets. The coach is up and coming. Don't sleep on the Jets.They have a huge road game vs the Bills to get in but if they win that they could be formidable in a relatively weak conference.
Cincy This season comes down to AJ McCarron. He did just enough last weekend. If he gets a win against this Denver D and looks good I wouldn't be shocked to see Cincy give him another game or two if Dalton is at all questionable. Face it 4 years of goose eggs in the postseason isn't hard to beat.They have a great defense and excellent skill position players. If the QB can play well whoever that is they could get to the big game.
Pitts-Yeah probably now that they chunked it in Baltimore. If they get in the Steelers are never what Id call a pretender.
Texans

They would come in as division winners with a home game on their 4th QB. Obviously the coach is awesome. The defense is stout with one of the best players in the NFL on it. Weeden is 2-0 with a QBR of 107 in those two games. Stranger things have happened.

Its been such a bizarre year nothing would surprise me honestly.

[mykc14]

Pretty spot on, Obi.

I don't see Minny or Washington having a very good chance of reaching the SB. The favs are Az and Carolina, followed by us, IMO, when I look at this objectively. Our playoff experience is a Huge x-factor, though. We just desperately need Marshawn back and effective to improve our chances.

Pitt would've been a dangerous team in the AFC, but they Blew it worse than we did yesterday by losing in Baltimore. That went a long way in killing their playoff chances it looks like.

While yesterday was upsetting, I do feel confident about going into GB or (especially) Minny and being able to get a road playoff win. Washington has come on as of late, and they are a good home team, but we match up with them pretty well. Their field is the absolute worst, as we know, so that part of it would be scary in terms of staying healthy for the next round.

Don't look past mini. They have a very good D. Remember they took the cards to the wire a few weeks ago on zona.

[RiverDog]

It hasn't been that bizarre of a season. We really haven't had the rags-to-riches team this season that has characterized other more bizarre seasons. Most were playoff participants last season, too. I suppose if a team like Minnesota or Washington in the NFC or Houston or the Jets in the AFC went to the SB you could call it bizarre. Almost all of the preseason favorites are in the dance, including us, the Pats, Broncos, and Packers.

But what was bizarre was this past weekend with all the upsets, not the least of which was the Rams beating us.

[Zorn76]

The Vikings in general and with Bridgewater in particular lack playoff experience.
And that does matter.
Anything can happen, as we all know, but their odds of going making a deep run are lowest, IMO.

[RiverDog]

The Vikings in general and with Bridgewater in particular lack playoff experience.
And that does matter.
Anything can happen, as we all know, but their odds of going making a deep run are lowest, IMO.

You can say the same thing about the Redskins. Cousins doesn't have any playoff experience, either, unless you want to count the last few minutes against us in 2012 when RG3 finally left the game.

[obiken]

I think we could go in and beat anyone (as long as Lynch is healthy) except for the Cards. Hear that HUMAN! Anybody. There are only 2 teams IMHO, that can beat Seattle anytime anywhere, the Pats and the Cards. If we scheme to stop Cam Newton, like a put a spy on him, cover Olsen properly I don't beating the Panthers is that hard, I really don't.
The Skins, I think we make chum out of them.

[RiverDog]

I think we could go in and beat anyone (as long as Lynch is healthy) except for the Cards. Hear that HUMAN! Anybody. There are only 2 teams IMHO, that can beat Seattle anytime anywhere, the Pats and the Cards. If we scheme to stop Cam Newton, like a put a spy on him, cover Olsen properly I don't beating the Panthers is that hard, I really don't.
The Skins, I think we make chum out of them.

We're going to need Okung healthy, too. Bailey got spun around like a turnstile.

[mykc14]

I think we could go in and beat anyone (as long as Lynch is healthy) except for the Cards. Hear that HUMAN! Anybody. There are only 2 teams IMHO, that can beat Seattle anytime anywhere, the Pats and the Cards. If we scheme to stop Cam Newton, like a put a spy on him, cover Olsen properly I don't beating the Panthers is that hard, I really don't.
The Skins, I think we make chum out of them.

Lol, Obi! You said 'hear that human, anybody!' Right after you said we couldn't beat the cards and then you go on to add the patriots to teams we can't beat. That's fine if you don't think we can beat them, I would disagree, but it's just funny you said we could beat anybody while talking about teams we can't beat.

[RiverDog]

Lol, Obi! You said 'hear that human, anybody!' Right after you said we couldn't beat the cards and then you go on to add the patriots to teams we can't beat. That's fine if you don't think we can beat them, I would disagree, but it's just funny you said we could beat anybody while talking about teams we can't beat.

Yea, that's a true Yogi-ism if I've ever seen one. "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded.". But I understand what he's saying.

I do think we can beat anybody... providing some of our key players are healthy. That's one of the differences between this year's squad and teams of the past 2 or three years. We don't have the margin for error like we used to.

[obiken]

Lol, Obi! You said 'hear that human, anybody!' Right after you said we couldn't beat the cards and then you go on to add the patriots to teams we can't beat. That's fine if you don't think we can beat them, I would disagree, but it's just funny you said we could beat anybody while talking about teams we can't beat.

IN the NFC, is what I meant sorry. You guys are totally confusing hope with reality. I really think except for those teams we can beat anyone IF ML comes back, if not NO, we aren't going to get past anyone but the Skins. There is no way RW can face a boatload of 3 and 12's and keep drives alive.
You really think in a huge game we can beat Brady and Gronk?? Sorry I just don't, but that doesn't mean I hope they won't.

[Hawktawk]

If Seattle should happen to make it to Santa Clara and it's a rematch with the cheatriots we will beat them as silly as we did HGH head in 2013. Only if it's us and them will I make that prediction but Seattle isn't going to let it come down to a yard agIn

[mykc14]

You guys are totally confusing hope with reality.

I don't know Obi, not that I have been keeping track or anything, but I think my hope has come true more than your reality in the past 3 seasons. There have been multiple times in each of the past 3 seasons that your reality has foretold doom and gloom for our beloved Hawks. Heck, just this year your reality was that we didn't have a shot to make the playoffs, yet here we are; clinched a playoff spot with 2 games left in the season.

[obiken]

No doubt this year and last I was a faithless bum, I have to own it but I wasn't only one. Lets be honest though, IF we hadn't found an un-drafted rookie in Rawls, what would our record have been. Our OL is still not good. I worry long term about keeping RW up right. River is right, keeping the quality backups you need to win a title gets harder once you win a title.