* – Division Winner

+ – Wild Card Winner

AFC

1. New England Patriots*

2. Pittsburgh Steelers*

3. Oakland Raiders*

4. Tennessee Titans*

5. Cincinnati Bengals+

6. Denver Broncos+

NFC

1. Atlanta Falcons*

2. Green Bay Packers*

3. Dallas Cowboys*

4. Seattle Seahawks*

5. New York Giants+

6. Minnesota Vikings+

Wild Card

Raiders over Broncos

Bengals over Titans

Cowboys over Vikings

Seahawks over Giants

Divisional Round

Patriots over Bengals

Raiders over Steelers

Falcons over Seahawks

Cowboys over Packers

Championship Round

Raiders over Patriots

Falcons over Cowboys

Super Bowl 52

Raiders over Falcons

In a rare moment for myself, I have last years losing team making it back to the Super Bowl the next year. Albeit, losing it again to a different team this time around.

Atlanta is at the top of the NFC right now and with the way that offense is structured, there aren’t many teams that can stop them in their own conference. Matt Ryan will surely be in the conversation for another MVP award and Julio Jones could be in that conversation as well with the numbers he can potentially put up in any given season.

Why do I have them losing to the Oakland Raiders? Well, last year if Derek Carr hadn’t suffered a broken leg just before the end of the season, I believe they would have had a decent chance of defeating the New England Patriots in the next round. This year I have both of them matching up in the AFC title game. That game alone would be the Super Bowl for Raiders’ fans.

I’m not pegging the Raiders Super Bowl aspirations on the addition of Marshawn Lynch. He will help, but he won’t be what he was for Seattle in their run. Having a healthy Derek Carr is Oakland’s key to winning this year and I believe he will be.

Their defense isn’t among the best in the league, but with a stout secondary they could matchup with the best passing teams in the league. Doing just enough in rushing the passer gets you by in some cases and Khalil Mack is more than capable of single handedly disrupting an opposing quarterback’s timing.

Final score: Oakland 31 – Atlanta 27