July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Seattle will play for title
Line Drives
It’s time to return to battle.
There’s nothing better than office banter, especially when different teams are represented. It’s even more enjoyable when you can include other people in the fun.
Tuesday, managing editor Ray Cooney and I duked it out while predicting our NFL division winners. I’d like to think mine are more correct — although Ray would say otherwise — and it sparked some intrigue from readers.
But now it is time to stand by our picks as Ray and I correctly predict the playoffs and Super Bowl winner. Let me take that back — I will correctly predict the playoffs; Ray just thinks he will.
Since I deferred Tuesday’s column to Ray and let him begin our predictions, I will start the discussion on the wild card winners.
NFC wild cards
Chris: I knew the two wild card spots were going to be teams from the North and West divisions but deciding which team would win the division and which would earn a wild card berth were the toughest.
Well, except for the NFC North. Since Detroit was my (bold) prediction to win the North, that leaves me with Green Bay to take the wild card spot. My second wild card team will be Seattle since they didn’t get my nod as winners in the West.
Ray: The NFC is tough. There is no team that would completely shock me if it made the playoffs. (St. Louis, Arizona and Carolina would surprise me a little, but not much.) My somewhat bold picks of Chicago and Tampa Bay to win division titles have left me with a dilemma. I now have to keep San Francisco, Green Bay or Atlanta out of my playoff picture. That could be a problem. But I’ll say the Packers come up short while the 49ers and Falcons reach the postseason.
AFC wild cards
Ray: The AFC is difficult, but for a different reason. I’m having trouble finding teams in which I have confidence. I could appease the local fans by picking the Colts, but that’s no fun. Instead, I’ll go with Baltimore for one wild card. I’m not hugely confident in the team, but coach John Harbaugh is one of the best around. For my other pick, it’s time to take a big risk. Every year there is one team that comes out of nowhere to make the playoffs. I say that team will be the E.J. Manuel-led Buffalo Bills.
Chris: I’m going to have to agree with you on the Baltimore pick, but I’ve already made a pick on a limb so I must say you’re wrong with Buffalo. Manuel will put up numbers, I’m sure, but in his sophomore season Andrew Luck will lead the Colts back to the playoffs. Whether or not Indianapolis gets out of the wild card round will be discussed later.
Wild-card round
Chris: In the AFC, I have third seed Houston defeating sixth seed Indianapolis, and fifth-seeded Baltimore defeating Cincinnati. On the NFC side I have both wild card teams defeating the division winners, in Green Bay as a sixth seed beating third-seeded Philadelphia, and fifth seed Seattle defeating my homer Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Ray: Buffalo was a nice surprise pick, but the sixth-seeded Bills will lose to the division-rival Patriots in the opening round. No. 5 seed Baltimore will avenge its loss in the division by beating the Bengals. In the NFC, Matt Ryan has to go outside, to Soldier Field, in January, and the Falcons lose to Chicago. San Francisco will end Tampa Bay’s surprise season.
Divisional round
Ray: This is when things get interesting. In the NFC, I’ll take Robert Griffin III and Washington to top Chicago in the nation’s capital and Seattle to top division rival San Francisco in a battle of what might be the two best teams in the league. In the AFC, Houston finally breaks through and advances to championship game with a win over Baltimore while Peyton Manning leads Denver past Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Chris: It seems as if we have the same four AFC teams in this round, however different seeds. Baltimore will fall to Brady and the top-seeded Patriots, while Manning will lead the Broncos over the Texans for a Brady-Manning showdown. The NFC is where we differ, as I have the 49ers winning the battle of the bays over the Packers, and Seattle beating the Falcons indoors in the Georgia Dome.
Championship games
Chris: The Patriots and 49ers will play in their second consecutive championship game, but only one will move on. Brady will win the fight against Manning and the Broncos, while Seattle will beat division rival San Francisco for a berth in the Super Bowl.
Ray: Chris has a lot of confidence in a team that lost almost all of its receiving options in the offseason. I’ll take Wes Welker’s new home rather than his old as Denver beats Houston to get to the Super Bowl. However, in the NFC, I have to agree. I like the Seahawks and their 12th man to defeat Washington to earn a chance to play for the title.
Super Bowl
Ray: My thought all along has been the Seahawks. But am I really taking Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson over John Fox and Peyton Manning. I just can’t do it. Denver 23, Seattle 20.
Chris: While Ray has Seattle losing in the Super Bowl, I disagree. Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll over Tom Brady and company, 31-17.
••••••••••
Ray tried to say I was incorrect with my picks on Tuesday. He can’t be more wrong today than he was then.
But all we can do now is stand by our picks and hope they pan out.
At least I know mine will.[[In-content Ad]]
There’s nothing better than office banter, especially when different teams are represented. It’s even more enjoyable when you can include other people in the fun.
Tuesday, managing editor Ray Cooney and I duked it out while predicting our NFL division winners. I’d like to think mine are more correct — although Ray would say otherwise — and it sparked some intrigue from readers.
But now it is time to stand by our picks as Ray and I correctly predict the playoffs and Super Bowl winner. Let me take that back — I will correctly predict the playoffs; Ray just thinks he will.
Since I deferred Tuesday’s column to Ray and let him begin our predictions, I will start the discussion on the wild card winners.
NFC wild cards
Chris: I knew the two wild card spots were going to be teams from the North and West divisions but deciding which team would win the division and which would earn a wild card berth were the toughest.
Well, except for the NFC North. Since Detroit was my (bold) prediction to win the North, that leaves me with Green Bay to take the wild card spot. My second wild card team will be Seattle since they didn’t get my nod as winners in the West.
Ray: The NFC is tough. There is no team that would completely shock me if it made the playoffs. (St. Louis, Arizona and Carolina would surprise me a little, but not much.) My somewhat bold picks of Chicago and Tampa Bay to win division titles have left me with a dilemma. I now have to keep San Francisco, Green Bay or Atlanta out of my playoff picture. That could be a problem. But I’ll say the Packers come up short while the 49ers and Falcons reach the postseason.
AFC wild cards
Ray: The AFC is difficult, but for a different reason. I’m having trouble finding teams in which I have confidence. I could appease the local fans by picking the Colts, but that’s no fun. Instead, I’ll go with Baltimore for one wild card. I’m not hugely confident in the team, but coach John Harbaugh is one of the best around. For my other pick, it’s time to take a big risk. Every year there is one team that comes out of nowhere to make the playoffs. I say that team will be the E.J. Manuel-led Buffalo Bills.
Chris: I’m going to have to agree with you on the Baltimore pick, but I’ve already made a pick on a limb so I must say you’re wrong with Buffalo. Manuel will put up numbers, I’m sure, but in his sophomore season Andrew Luck will lead the Colts back to the playoffs. Whether or not Indianapolis gets out of the wild card round will be discussed later.
Wild-card round
Chris: In the AFC, I have third seed Houston defeating sixth seed Indianapolis, and fifth-seeded Baltimore defeating Cincinnati. On the NFC side I have both wild card teams defeating the division winners, in Green Bay as a sixth seed beating third-seeded Philadelphia, and fifth seed Seattle defeating my homer Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Ray: Buffalo was a nice surprise pick, but the sixth-seeded Bills will lose to the division-rival Patriots in the opening round. No. 5 seed Baltimore will avenge its loss in the division by beating the Bengals. In the NFC, Matt Ryan has to go outside, to Soldier Field, in January, and the Falcons lose to Chicago. San Francisco will end Tampa Bay’s surprise season.
Divisional round
Ray: This is when things get interesting. In the NFC, I’ll take Robert Griffin III and Washington to top Chicago in the nation’s capital and Seattle to top division rival San Francisco in a battle of what might be the two best teams in the league. In the AFC, Houston finally breaks through and advances to championship game with a win over Baltimore while Peyton Manning leads Denver past Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Chris: It seems as if we have the same four AFC teams in this round, however different seeds. Baltimore will fall to Brady and the top-seeded Patriots, while Manning will lead the Broncos over the Texans for a Brady-Manning showdown. The NFC is where we differ, as I have the 49ers winning the battle of the bays over the Packers, and Seattle beating the Falcons indoors in the Georgia Dome.
Championship games
Chris: The Patriots and 49ers will play in their second consecutive championship game, but only one will move on. Brady will win the fight against Manning and the Broncos, while Seattle will beat division rival San Francisco for a berth in the Super Bowl.
Ray: Chris has a lot of confidence in a team that lost almost all of its receiving options in the offseason. I’ll take Wes Welker’s new home rather than his old as Denver beats Houston to get to the Super Bowl. However, in the NFC, I have to agree. I like the Seahawks and their 12th man to defeat Washington to earn a chance to play for the title.
Super Bowl
Ray: My thought all along has been the Seahawks. But am I really taking Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson over John Fox and Peyton Manning. I just can’t do it. Denver 23, Seattle 20.
Chris: While Ray has Seattle losing in the Super Bowl, I disagree. Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll over Tom Brady and company, 31-17.
••••••••••
Ray tried to say I was incorrect with my picks on Tuesday. He can’t be more wrong today than he was then.
But all we can do now is stand by our picks and hope they pan out.
At least I know mine will.[[In-content Ad]]
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