Every year, we on the PFT staff offers our predictions for how the upcoming season will unfold. Every year, many of you tell us we’re idiots, primarily because we don’t have your favorite team in the playoffs.
One person who can’t be called an idiot is Josh Alper, who last year correctly predicted that the Seahawks would beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
Alper got that one right, but we all got plenty of predictions wrong: Notably, not a single one of us had the Panthers in the playoffs, even though they ended up winning the NFC South. And five of us had the Texans in the playoffs, even though they ended up earning the first overall pick. (Alper was the only member of the staff who didn’t have the Texans in the playoffs. He’s good at this. As you’re about to see, that’s good news for Saints fans.)
Feel free to tell us in the comments that we’re idiots, but remember this: Last year, not a single one of the 139 comments on our preseason predictions post disagreed with all of us leaving the Panthers out of the playoffs. And the only comments mentioning the Texans were criticizing Alper for leaving them out.
Josh Alper
AFC
Seeds: 1. Patriots; 2. Broncos; 3. Colts; 4. Steelers; 5. Chargers; 6. Bengals.
Wild card round: Bengals over Colts; Steelers over Chargers.
Divisional round: Patriots over Bengals; Broncos over Steelers.
Conference championship: Patriots over Broncos.
NFC
Seeds: 1. Seahawks; 2. Saints; 3. Eagles; 4. Packers; 5. Bears; 6. Buccaneers.
Wild card round: Eagles over Buccaneers; Packers over Bears.
Divisional round: Saints over Eagles; Packers over Seahawks.
Conference championship: Saints over Packers.
Super Bowl: Saints over Patriots.
Curtis Crabtree
AFC
Seeds: 1. Broncos; 2. Bengals; 3. Patriots; 4. Colts; 5. Steelers; 6. Jaguars.
Wild card round: Patriots over Jaguars; Steelers over Colts.
Divisional round: Steelers over Broncos; Patriots over Bengals.
Conference championship: Patriots over Steelers.
NFC
Seeds: 1. Saints; 2. Seahawks; 3. Packers; 4. Eagles; 5. Lions; 6. Cardinals.
Wild card round: Packers over Cardinals; Eagles over Lions.
Divisional round: Saints over Eagles; Seahawks over Packers.
Conference championship: Seahawks over Saints.
Super Bowl: Seahawks over Patriots.
Mike Florio
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Colts; 3. Broncos; 4. Steelers; 5. Chargers; 6. Ravens.
Wild card round: Broncos over Ravens, Steelers over Chargers.
Divisional round: Patriots over Steelers, Broncos over Colts.
Conference championship: Patriots over Broncos.
NFC
1. Seahawks; 2. Eagles; 3. Saints; 4. Packers; 5. Bears; 6. Buccaneers.
Wild card round: Saints over Bucs, Packers over Bears.
Divisional round: Saints over Eagles, Seahawks over Packers.
Conference championship: Seahawks over Saints.
Super Bowl: Seahawks over Patriots.
Darin Gantt
AFC
Seeds: 1. Broncos; 2. Patriots; 3. Colts; 4. Ravens; 5. Jaguars; 6. Chargers.
Wild card round: Colts over Chargers, Ravens over Jaguars.
Divisional round: Broncos over Ravens, Colts over Patriots.
Conference Championship: Broncos over Colts.
NFC
Seeds: 1. Eagles; 2. Seahawks; 3. Packers; 4. Saints; 5. Bears; 6. Falcons.
Wild card round: Packers over Falcons, Saints over Bears.
Divisional round: Eagles over Saints, Seahawks over Packers.
Conference championship: Eagles over Seahawks.
Super Bowl: Broncos over Eagles.
Michael David Smith
AFC
Seeds: 1. Broncos; 2. Patriots; 3. Bengals; 4. Colts; 5. Dolphins; 6. Texans.
Wild card round: Bengals over Texans; Colts over Dolphins.
Divisional round: Broncos over Colts; Patriots over Bengals.
Conference championship: Broncos over Patriots.
NFC
Seeds: 1. Seahawks; 2. Saints; 3. Packers; 4. Eagles; 5. Giants; 6. Cowboys.
Wild card round: Packers over Cowboys; Eagles over Giants.
Divisional round: Packers over Saints; Eagles over Seahawks.
Conference championship: Packers over Eagles.
Super Bowl: Packers over Broncos.
Mike Wilkening
AFC
Seeds: 1. Bengals; 2. Broncos; 3. Patriots; 4. Colts; 5. Chargers; 6. Jets.
Wild card round: Patriots over Jets; Chargers over Colts.
Divisional round: Bengals over Chargers; Broncos over Patriots.
Conference championship: Bengals over Broncos.
NFC
Seeds: 1. Packers; 2. Seahawks; 3. Saints; 4. Eagles; 5. 49ers; 6. Vikings.
Wild card round: Saints over Vikings; 49ers over Eagles.
Divisional round: Packers over 49ers; Seahawks over Saints.
Conference championship: Packers over Seahawks.
Super Bowl: Bengals over Packers.