Every season there are always interesting questions to be answered like: Who’s better: Joe Montana or Tom Brady? Is Walter Payton the best running back of all time? And of course, the always hilarious why didn’t the Seattle Seahawks run the ball?. Don’t worry, LWOPF three for five (three writers, five questions) has got you covered! Join Last Word on Sports Network writers Joe Garcia, Harrison Marcus, and Robbie Stratakos as they make exciting predictions about the 2016 NFL season.
Last Word on Pro Football: The NFL Playoffs
Who’s this year’s biggest Pro Bowl snub?
Harrison Marcus, LWOS Senior Editor: Quarterback Drew Brees. Sure, the New Orleans Saints remain stuck in mediocrity with a 7-9 record yet again, but Brees led the league in passing yards (5,208) and was third in touchdowns (37). The 37-year-old signal caller is still an elite quarterback, and his 2016 campaign was more than deserving of a trip to Orlando for the Pro Bowl.
Robbie Stratakos, LWOS Writer: Defensive tackle Damon Harrison. He led defensive lineman in tackles this year with 86. Also, his elite run stuffing ability helped bolster the New York Giants stellar defense, and led to safety Landon Collins and cornerback Janoris Jenkins‘ success (secondary was tied for second in interceptions). Harrison was arguably the most important player on the Giants defense this season, and it’s asinine that he was left off this year’s Pro Bowl roster.
Joe Garcia, LWOS Writer: Linebacker Sean Lee. Linebacker Luke Kuechly was chosen instead of Lee. All Lee did though was outperform Kuechly – 145 tackles to 102, was picked first team All-Pro (Kuechly didn’t make the cut), played in 15 games (Kuechly 10), and there was also his otherworldly franchise setting 22 tackles in one game record against the Giants this season. Huge mistake.
Any playoff upsets looming?
Harrison: Detroit Lions over Seattle Seahawks. Everyone is overrating the Seahawks’ playoff experience and overreacting to the Lions recent struggles. Quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s gutsiness and competitiveness, and Seattle’s lack of big playmakers (plus wide receiver Tyler Lockett‘s injury) and offensive struggles will be the main factors. Lions pull this off with a Stafford fourth quarter comeback.
Stratakos: Oakland Raiders over Houston Texans . Even without quarterback Derek Carr, Conor Cook has enough around him (wide receiver Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack on defense) to pull off the upset and the Texans might be in a worse predicament – they have one of the worst quarterbacks in the league with Brock Osweiler (15 touchdowns & 16 interceptions, 197 yards/game, and a 59 percent completion percentage).
Garcia: New York Giants over Green Bay Packers. The Giants have beaten Green Bay in Green Bay before. So much for the Lambeau mystique. And while New York’s defensive line (just All-Pro Damon Harrison) isn’t as good those Super Bowl winning ones, their secondary is definitely better – Janoris Jenkins (Pro Bowl), cornerback Eli Apple (solid), Landon Collins (All-Pro). Add to that, Green Bay’s receivers struggle to get open… Yikes.
Who’s the most important person in the NFC playoffs?
Harrison: Quarterback Eli Manning. They have possibly the best defense in the playoffs, and as 2008 and 2012 has shown, they can beat Green Bay in Green Bay and upset the top seeded Dallas Cowboys. But that only happens if Eli is Playoff Eli, and not 2016 Regular Season Eli.
Stratakos: Tight end Jimmy Graham. Seattle has a championship level defense even without safety Earl Thomas. And quarterback Russell Wilson‘s proven he’s dangerous in playoffs by using his arm and legs. But their biggest question mark is can their offense score enough? In other words, can Graham the same player who caught two one-handed touchdowns in a game earlier this season give them enough of a spark to lead them back to the Super Bowl?
Garcia: Quarterback Dak Prescott. Dallas will only go as far as he takes them especially considering they have the most well-rounded NFC team. He’s already beaten the Packers and Lions though, can make-up for a bad game by running back Ezekiel Elliott, and thrives in pressure moments. But outscoring Atlanta, overcoming the Legion of Boom or the Giants stout defense? All question marks.
Who’s the most important person in the AFC playoffs?
Harrison: Head coach Andy Reid. Kansas City has the best shot of stopping New England but only because of Reid. He still doesn’t get enough credit for the Chiefs consistency since he took over in 2013 though. He’s been superb again this year and has the right team ingredients to take it all the way: good defense, an electric returner (Tyreek Hill), a solid running game, and an offense that rarely turns the ball over. Watch out New England.
Stratakos: Quarterback Alex Smith. He has a top five tight end, a solid receiver (Jeremy Maclin), and another playmaker in Tyreek Hill but can he get the ball to them? They can’t win playoff games by having a stout defense, and hoping for a ton of special team touchdowns. If he can do just enough they can upset anyone including the Patriots.
Garcia: Head coach Mike Tomlin. Miami finished third worst in rush yards per game (140.4), and second worst in yards per rush (4.8). Running back Le’Veon Bell! Kansas City Chiefs is missing it’s middle linebacker (Derrick Johnson). Le’Veon Bell! And the Patriots pass rush is so bad, many times they just send two rushers and flood the secondary with the rest of their defense. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger! All Tomlin has to do is make sure he effectively uses his offensive weapons.
Are we really set for Patriots Giants III or is someone else bound for the Super Bowl? And who wins?
Harrison: New England has its easiest Super Bowl road in years – a backup quarterback Miami Dolphins, Raiders, or Texans in the divisional round, then potentially Kansas City in the Conference Championship. As for the NFC, New York doesn’t escape Lambeau or possibly even overcome Dallas’ superstar rookies, but the Falcons beat everyone else. So a Falcons/Patriots Super Bowl with New England routing Atlanta.
Stratakos: Who will be in Super Bowl LI? In the AFC, it’s hard to see anyone knocking off New England especially when they have Brady and home field advantage throughout. The NFC highlighted by Dallas’ elite run game, Atlanta Falcon’s high powered offense, and New York’s defense, may be too much for everyone else. But MVP candidate Matt Ryan, running back Devonta Freeman, and wide receiver Julio Jones will be too much for the Cowboys to keep up or the Giants to slow down. In the Super Bowl though, it’ll come down to who can score more (because both their defenses are mediocre)… New England wins its second championship in three years.
Garcia: Actually, brace yourself for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys Round two. For everything I mentioned in that Who’s Most Important in the AFC paragraph. Dallas on the other hand, has a collective swagger about them. Even after losing to the Giants in that season rematch, which could have gone either way, it felt like they let the game slip away from them. Not like there was no way of them winning it. Anyway, I like the Cowboys over the Steelers again because of Prescott and Elliot, and what defensive end David Irving could possibly bring.
