NFC Playoff Prediction: 2016

We looked at the AFC playoffs last week. The NFC seeding process wasn’t complete until the final gun sounded Sunday night in Detroit. Now that we’ve got the entire picture, we can take a stab at predicting this mess too.

Here’s who, in reverse order, I suspect has the best chance of emerging from the NFC.

Rank	Seed	Team	Explanation
6	6	Detroit Lions	If you’d asked me around Thanksgiving, I’d have given the Lions a chance of winning a game. Pretty much since then – and definitely since Matt Stafford hurt his hand – the Lions have been on a slide. Solid one year improvement for this team, but Detroit’s days in the postseason this year are going to be short.
5	5	New York Giants	The problem here is less the team than the draw. New York travels to Green Bay this weekend where they play the red-hot Packers. The Giants have won in the postseason at Lambeau Field before but I don’t see it happening this week.
4	3	Seattle Seahawks	I really like the Seahawks, but this is a case of too many injuries. Two in particular really hurt. Earl Thomas is possibly the best safety in the game, but he’s watching from the bench. Tyler Lockett was just getting up to speed from earlier injuries when his leg snapped. At full strength, Seattle is still as good as anyone in the league. Down these fellows, not so much.
3	1	Dallas Cowboys	I like Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have as much firepower as anyone in the league. But asking a rookie to go into the playoffs and win is different from the regular season. And this defense will prove vulnerable when Prescott makes some mistakes.
2	2	Atlanta Falcons	I was not a believer in Atlanta at the beginning of the season. A few things have changed my mind. First, the offense has convinced me it can score from anywhere on anyone. Second, the defense has shown some signs of improvement the second-half of the season. Finally, I think coach Dan Quinn is the real deal. Would not be at all surprised to see this team lose in the Super Bowl.
1	4	Green Bay Packers	This script has played out before, hasn’t it? The 2010 Packers were 8-6 and on the brink of missing the playoffs. They didn’t lose again. This bunch was 4-6 when Aaron Rodgers said it could run the table. It did. And I could see the momentum carrying through just like it did six years ago. The defense is vulnerable and injuries will hurt, but Rodgers is an X-Factor.