If the Playoffs Started Today – NFL Week 5

By John in NFL, Patriots ⋅ October 9, 2012 at 7:48pm ⋅ Post a comment

Falcons vs Texans: Week 5's prediction for the Super Bowl

After Week 5, there have been plenty of highlights. The Saints finally won. The Cardinals finally lost. The AFC North is once again a power division. All NFC West teams are somehow above .500. Everyone except the Browns has won. Everyone except the Texans and Falcons has lost. The standings are undergoing changes, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Tuesday, October 9:

NFC

#1 Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta looks nearly unbeatable right now, despite some close games. Their two closest victories have been at home, but those were to some good offenses. Having won three one-possession games already, Atlanta knows how to win close. And trying to go for a blowout win against this team will likely lead to multiple mistakes.

#2 Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are a big surprise team this season at 4-1, already having a victory against San Francisco under their belt. Their defense has been excellent this year, and they’re 3-0 at home. And they’re still relatively under the radar, which only helps their chances more.

#3 Arizona Cardinals vs #6 San Francisco 49ers

The Cardinals‘ first loss was a 17-3 performance in St. Louis, while San Francisco put up 45 points against Buffalo. With San Francisco’s league-leading defense and Arizona’s unstable quarterback situation, look for San Francisco to come through on the road.

#4 Philadelphia Eagles vs #5 Chicago Bears

Despite having a pretty good defense, Philadelphia has a very poor offense. Chicago is excellent on both sides of the ball. Philadelphia just isn’t built to stop Chicago at this juncture.

AFC

#1 Houston Texans

The Texans have quickly become the class of the AFC. Excellent on both sides of the ball, Baltimore may be their biggest threat in the AFC, and the Ravens are known for being best at home.

#2 Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens, after some great offensive performances, showed they can win defensive battles (9-6 in Kansas City). The Ravens are continuing this year where they left off last year, proving they can hang with any team no matter how the game is played.

#3 San Diego Chargers vs #6 Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh may be .500, but their only tough-to-swallow loss was against 1-3 Oakland. The Chargers aren’t perfect, but they have been able to reclaim competitiveness in the AFC West. But Pittsburgh is unbeaten at home and winless on the road. This looks like it could be one of those games determined by who has the ball last.

#4 New England Patriots vs #5 Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is a good team at 3-2, but they struggle with defense at times, which should be a hint as to what the Pats can do to them. And they were destroyed in Baltimore in Week 1. On the big stage against teams that can completely dominate at least one side of the ball, Cincinnati doesn’t exactly fare too well.

What Might Change Next Week:

They may be hosting, but the Chargers will still need to be very careful against Peyton Manning to avoid losing the division lead (and with Pittsburgh looming, their playoff spot altogether).

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL Playoffs, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers