1. Baltimore Ravens– They continue to roll. Eight wins in a row. With the Patriots losing to the Houston Texans last Sunday night, the Ravens jumped right into the top spot of the AFC Playoffs for the time being. The good teams can win football games in a variety of ways. From the blowouts to the nail biters. The pressure is on them to continue to win. If that happens, the road to Miami, Florida in the AFC will travel through Baltimore come January. Before we jump too far ahead, the Ravens have a showdown with the Buffalo Bills today in a big AFC tilt.
2. New Orleans Saints– They became the first team this season to clinch a division title with their win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving. The Saints are a tough team to beat when they have everything clicking for them. Although the NFC South is theirs once again, there’s still something to play for. That’s home-field advantage throughout the entire NFC playoffs. I continuously stress about the importance of the one seed. You get the week off in the first round and teams travel to you. You don’t leave home. They welcome the 49ers to town for a big-time battle in the NFC.
3. Seattle Seahawks– Monday night was a game they truly had to grind out against the Vikings. The only thing that worries me about them is their defense. They aren’t as strong on that side of the ball as they’ve been in years past. Russell Wilson continues to show why he’s an MVP candidate. At 10-2, the Seahawks reclaimed the lead of the NFC West with the 49ers losing in Baltimore just last week. Anytime the Seahawks are down, I don’t count them out. That’s how good they’ve been all year long.
4. San Francisco 49ers– They aren’t afraid of anyone. That’s what I admire about them. I love how they punched Green Bay in the mouth a few weeks ago. Last weekend in Baltimore, they gave the Ravens all they could handle. You want to know how things change so quickly in the NFL? Entering the game in Baltimore last week, the Niners were in first place. They lost; Seattle won. The Niners went from the two seed in the NFC to the fifth seed all within a day. Big game today in New Orleans for them.
5. New England Patriots– I won’t write them off. Many did that last year and look what happened. Again, the Patriots are 10-2 because of their special teams and defense. Even if the playoffs started today, they’d have another first-round bye. Last week was a problem in Houston. They just couldn’t get anything going. The offense was flat once again. The defense struggled to contain Deshaun Watson. It’s time for the Chiefs this afternoon.
