The Playoffs picture NFC North and South - NFL Special
The regular season has drawn to a close and it ended with one huge bang. The National Football Conference North and South both saw some amazing matchups and results clearing a bit of the picture on which franchise has the potential to reach the NFC Championship
and further the Super Bowl.
This week we had the Packers playing wildcard playoffs team Detroit Lions in the North. While the South saw the New Orleans Saints go head to head with Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons take on Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The playoffs will start this week with the Wildcard round starting off on January 7th-8th followed by the divisional round on January 14th-15th.
So which teams from NFC North and South have qualified for the playoffs?
This year the NFC North and South teams have dominated the league and secured four playoffs berths, while one team each from the NFC East and West divisions have made it to the postseason.
The Green Bay Packers have qualified as the number one seed after a brilliant 15-1 regular season and playing some brilliant offensive football. The Packers have a first-week bye in the playoffs, while they have also secured home-field advantage for all
the rest of the games.
The NFC South division champions, New Orleans Saints, ended the regular season 13-3 after a dominant second period of the regular season. With Drew Brees calling the shots, the Saints’ form has grown with each encounter and none of their opponents came close
to matching their offensive acumen. The Saints have one guaranteed game during the playoffs at home.
The Saints are followed by their biggest rivals, Atlanta Falcons, into the playoffs wildcard round. The Falcons ended 10-6, but managed to secure a fifth seed. They will be looking to go one better than last year when they entered the postseason as division
champions, but lost their first match in the division rounds against the Packers.
Last but not least we have Detroit Lions. Qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 1999 with a sixth seed spot, the Lions have become a fiercely competitive side that can beat anyone on their day. Under Coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions are physical
and with one of top performing quarterback of the season, Matthew Stafford, they can create some major upsets.
(Note: San Francisco 49ers from NFC West are 2nd seed while NFC East side New York Giants are 4th seed in this year’s NFC playoffs)
Who is the Favourite to go through to the Conference Championships?
It has to be the Green Bay Packers. A star-studded line-up and with strength in depth other franchises can only dream of, the Packers are the easiest choice to reach the Championship round. With Aaron Rodgers having a MVP season and an offense that is outscoring
the rest of the NFL, the Packers will barring a miracle reach the playoffs with ease. Not only this, the Packers have just lost once this year and with this week’s victory led by a second-string Packers side over Detroit Lions, the Packers are a scary proposition
for any opponent. They are also the favourites to retain the Super Bowl title.
However, New Orleans Saints cannot be discounted from the equation. The Saints, under Drew Brees, are the only side from the NFC South that can challenge the Packers’ dominance. The Saints are a close second behind the Packers in points per game and in the
second half of the season even outperformed the Packers as Drew Brees ran riot.
The Underdogs?
The Falcons and Lions are clear underdogs and it will take some big performances from both teams to be considered to challenge for the lofty heights of the Conference Championships.
Even though Falcons Matt Ryan and Lions Matthew Stafford have had good seasons, their teams’ respective weaknesses in crucial areas will be their biggest concern.
The Lions lack any impetus for the running game and have used the Stafford-pass-to- Johnson routine a lot this season to reach to the playoffs. However, the playoffs will require something different and it remains to be seen if the Lions have the X-factor
to go make further progress.
The Falcons have struggled against some good sides this season. Coach Mike Smith expects that his team will improve in the postseason, but the Falcons have not provided anything that might show that the franchise is ready to face up with the big boys. Their
win against the worst Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week was impressive but to consider that result for their playoff-chances would be an act of idiocy.
The Falcons loss to Saints a week before by a 4 5-16 margin shows that Coach Mike Smith has a lot of work still to do.
Who will face who?
The Detroit Lions will face off against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, January 7th with Atlanta Falcons facing the New York Giants on Saturday, January 8th.
The winners of the two games will go ahead to face the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers in the division round.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.)
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