These are the picks for the 2004 season. Bold represents the team selected to win. Games in red represent the Upset of the Week. At the bottom, The weekly and overall records for the season appear at the bottom. These picks are based purely on winners and losers with no consideration from the spread. The spread is only used to determine upsets for the Upset of the Week.
If you believe what analyst are complaining about, the NFL playoff format is flawed. They want to scrap the NFC/AFC brackets and just seed the best teams from 1 to 12 because no team under .500 deserves to be in the playoffs. Heck, even 8-8 teams shouldn't have the opportunity to play for the championship.
Personally, I don't see what wrong with the playoffs as-is, but there's nothing wrong with imagining what if. The first part is the seeding. As of right now, Pittsburgh, as the team with the best record, would get one of the byes for the first round. The usual tie-breakers would determine who between Philadelphia and New England would be the second seed. If the usual tie-breakers can't determine the higher seed, then a computer formula (the SBCE - Super Bowl Championship Equation) would break the tie. Factors include exposure, projected national ratings, and controversey. Thanks to towelgate, Philadelphia secures the other bye as the league buys time for Eagles receiver Terrell Owens to get healthy. That being said, the pairings go as:
10. Denver at 3. New England; 9. Buffalo at 4. Indianapolis; 8. N.Y. Jets at 5. San Diego; 7. Green Bay at 6. Atlanta
Division winners get higher rankings, which explains why Green Bay is ranked higher than New York. All that's left is to play the games:
The Patriots handily defeat the Broncos, even though Pats QB Tom Brady throws a career high five interceptions. He's surpassed by Denver quarterback Jake Plummer throwing seven in three quarters of play before being benched.
Despite running back Willis McGahee rushing for a NFL record 345 yards for the Bills, it isn't enough as Indy passer Peyton Manning throws eleven touchdowns as the Colts advance.
Believing that the San Diego fans don't deserve the privledge of his best, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington plays a dud of a game, literally handing the victory to the Chargers.
It's the biggest upset in Atlanta playoff history as G.B. knocks off the Falcons by riding the arm and legs of QB Brett Favre. He throws for two touches and runs for three more while gaining 123 yards by way of foot.
Round two is:
7. Green Bay at 1. Pittsburgh; 5. San Diego at 2. Philadelphia; 4. Indianapolis at 3. New England
The magic carpet ride ends for Favre and the Pack. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger gets credit for the win as the Steelers run 75 times and pass three, with Roethlisberger completing one pass for six yards and a first down.
Without Owens, the Eagles can't keep pace with the high-powered Chargers offense. The good news is Philly fans don't have to wait until the championship to be disappointed, resulting in a decrease in the Eagles fans suicide rate.
Defense wins championships, but offense can win playoff games. Manning finally edges the Patriots by constantly going after receiver-turned-corner Troy Brown, connecting on three TDs to Brown's assignment.
Round three only has three teams, and there's no such things as three-way games in the NFL. To Solve this problem, the slimmest loser in the first round, Atlanta, gets a second chance. The pairings go as follows:
6. Atlanta at 1. Pittsburgh; 5. San Diego at 4. Indianapolis
The Falcons used a lifeline to get this far and use their second to squeeze by the Steelers. The key was their newest multi-millionare, quarterback Michael Vick. He covered his jersey in $1,000 bundles so Pittsburgh defenders reached for the dough and not Vick.
Beat us once, shame on us. Beat us twice, well, we're shamed even more. But S.D. has pride, and also a good memory. Familiar with how the Colts play, the Chargers stiffle the potent Indy offense by holding the receivers within the rules.
Super Bowl XXXIX: Atlanta vs San Diego
And the winner is...oh, like it matters at this point. See? Ultimately, it's still an NFC team vs. and AFC team. More to the point, the playoffs are unpredictable. No one thought Carolina would had reached last year's Super Bowl as a Wild Card team. Years ago, the Falcons went into the Metrodome and beat a near flawless 15-1 Minnesota Vikings team thanks to a Gary Anderson missed field goal in overtime, his first and only miss of his season. Philly isn't the clear favorite because they'll play without Owens in the playoffs. The air of invincibility doesn't surround the Patriots thanks to their loss in Miami. And can a rookie quarterback lead his team to a championship for the first time in league history?
Everyone thinks they have a better way of doing things. Even if only the top teams are in the playoffs, there still will be some blowouts and surprising results. There will be exciting games in both conferences. Believe that.
Some of the excitement will be taken out of this week as teams that have secured playoff positioning will rest key players for the second season. This week is as important as the previous 16 to me so I'm not relaxing.
Miami at Baltimore - W
No, the Dolphins aren't trying to add a little spice to their offense by starting Sage Rosenfels at quarterback in the season finale. But Baltimore sure will love the taste of Rosenfels as the Ravens dine on young QB flesh.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo - L
Will this fact hold true? Previous teams that had 12-game winning streaks or longer have all won the Super Bowl. The Steelers hope they are the next team to do so, but not at the expense of team health. They sit key players and sacrifice a game to the Bills.
New Orleans at Carolina - L
Who says N'Orleans' defense is stepping up? I'm not impressed they gave up 43 points combined to Dallas, Tampa Bay, and a Atlanta team playing without quarterback Michael Vick. It's the equivalent of teachers scaling test scores to make the class GPA look better. Don't be fooled. The Saints will fail against the Panthers.
Green Bay at Chicago - W
Since the NFL won't waive the five-year waiting period for the Hall of Fame after the death of former Philadelphia and Green Bay defensive end Reggie White, the Packers honor him with a win over divisional rival, the Bears. White, RIP.
Cleveland at Houston - L
Fresh off their first shutout of the franchise's history, the Texans put an exclamation point on the season, declaring to the league they are no longer door mats. They perform a Houston two-step all over the Browns in a Texans victory.
San Francisco at New England - W
N.E. offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has been very busy lately as he prepares the team for the playoffs while recruiting for his next profession as the Notre Dame head coach. What better recruiting tool is there than running up the score with second tier players against the practice-squad quality 49ers? The sorry Niners can't stop the Patriots.
Cincinnati at Philadelphia - W
Philly hires Dido to sing the opening song for this game. And it's not the National Anthem. She performs her hit, "White Flag" as the Eagles have more important games to get ready for than a meaningless season finale. The Bengals appreciate the gift.
New York Jets at St. Louis - W
Who could blame Rams head coach Mike Martz calling security on tackle Kyle Turley? This is the same guy infamous for tearing off the helmet of an opposing player during a fit of rage on a Sunday night game when he was still playing for New Orleans. It might had been Martz's best coaching decision all year long. He'll make some smart calls as the Rams fend off the Jets.
Detroit at Tennessee - L
Kevin Jones became the first rookie running back to rush for 1,000 yards for Detroit since Barry Sanders. He continues his development with a big game against the Titans, driving the Lions to victory.
Minnesota at Washington - L
This can't be a good omen for the Vikings. Last year their playoff hopes came crashing down with a last-second touchdown pass by Arizona. The common denominator between 'Zona and Washington is color. The Cardinals are a red bird, while Washington is the Redskins. It's only in their heads and the Vikings get it together and hold off Washington.
Tampa Bay at Arizona - W
It's one thing to be called out, but for the head coach to be called out by one of his players is a little disturbing. Defensive end Simeon Rice criticized Jon Gruden, saying former head coach Tony Dungy deserves more of the credit for the team's Super Bowl win than Gruden. Coach Gruden is considering changing his approach to take control of the team. But to move forward, sometimes a step back is needed. A loss to the Cardinals for the Upset of the Week counts as a step back.
Atlanta at Seattle - L
Running back Shawn Alexander became the single season leading rusher in Seahawks history while carrying the team into the playoffs. Now if only they can keep quarterback Matt Hasselback from talking during the coin flip. Seattle will score some, but not enough in a loss to the Falcons.
Indianapolis at Denver - L
It's simple really. All the Broncos have to do is win and they are in the playoffs. Easier said than done, naturally. They won't be able to keep up with the Colts.
Jacksonville at Oakland - W
A little help, please. The 'Ville doesn't control their own destiny to get into the playoffs. With the right combination, they will get in, but the chances do appear slim. They hold up their end of the bargan by defeating the Raiders, then the Jaguars must wait and see what their fate is.
Kansas City at San Diego - L
In this surprising season for S.D., two players set records: Tight end Antonio Gates caught his 13th touchdown, a new high water mark for TEs, and running back LaDanian Tomlinson had a rushing TD in his 12th consecutive game. Whether they add to those numbers is in question. The Chargers will coast, conceeding the win to the Chiefs.
Dallas at New York Giants - L
Kurt Warner isn't satisfied with carrying a clipboard for the Giants. He made it public that he will leave New York because he wants to start elsewhere. He can have that wish along with Arizona's Emmitt Smith playing for a park league because there might not be a team in the league that would sign him as a starter. He should stick to being a counselor to Eli Manning, comforting the rookie after another loss, this time to the Cowboys.
Home | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 |
Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Wild Card | Divisionals | Conference
Championships