[Cactus Jack]

Liked Detroit and Baltimore or Buffalo making it to the Super Bowl coming into the season.

NFC:
As King Kong said, Detroit is pretty banged up but finds a way to keep winning. It doesn't seem sustainable to play this well despite so many injuries to key players piling up, so I think their luck will run out. If not Detroit, the obvious pick in the NFC is Philadelphia.

I'm not sold on Minnesota because Darnold is so prone to having terrible games. Green Bay is always interesting, but they haven't beaten anyone good this season-- if you don't believe me, go through their schedule and give me their biggest win. Tampa Bay and Los Angeles don't have a body of work that makes you confident in picking them to win more than a game or two. Washington is interesting but I don't think you can trust a rookie QB at this point in the season, much less one on a team as terrible as they were last season.


AFC:
We thought Kansas City was going to get beat in the Wild Card Round last season, now they're a favorite (of the refs and networks at least). Can't count them out and it's huge for them to have Buffalo and Baltimore on the other side of the bracket, but I think someone gets them.

Buffalo takes care of the ball really well and will be at home, so I think that this is the year they get back to the Super Bowl. Baltimore has had a tendency to play down to their competition this season, and while they have some bad losses (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas), no one has blown them out.


Wild Card:

Bills over Broncos--
Denver won't be bothered by the weather and will keep it close for awhile.

Ravens over Steelers--
B'more should cover the spread and put this one away shortly after the half, if not sooner.

Texans over Chargers--
Bolts are as banged up at RB as Houston is at WR (Diggs & Dell); picking an upset here on the hope that the Texans' D is able to carry them at home. Really going with my heart and not my head on this one.

Eagles over Packers--
Dangerous to pick against the Packers, who keep proving people wrong early in the playoffs, but this one just feels different.

Buccaneers over Commanders--
I'll buck the trendy upset pick here.

Rams over Vikings--
Looks like this is picking up steam as an upset pick after the Vikings looked so bad in prime time. Think it will be close either way.


From there, I'd have chalk conference championships with Philadelphia at Detroit and Buffalo at Kansas City. Will go with Philadelphia and Buffalo in the Super Bowl, but only because the Lions are so banged up. If Kansas City advances, I'll be rooting against them against almost any opponent (like those not named Pittsburgh).