Super Bowl
NFC championship matchup: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is becoming the runaway favorite for home field advantage in the playoffs while the Falcons might be the hottest team in the league. This could turn into a pretty epic shootout. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman on one side. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten on the other. The two defenses are well-coached but just may not have the manpower to keep up in this one.
AFC championship matchup: Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots
The young gun against the old gun. It seems almost fitting that the Raiders would see their first Super Bowl appearance in 14 years against the team that started their downfall with the infamous Tuck Rule game in 2001. Derek Carr vs. Tom Brady. Can Oakland slay the ghosts of their past or will Foxborough claim another conference championship victim for the Patriots machine? That would be a fun game to watch either way.
Super Bowl matchup: Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots
History shows it’s never a good thing when playoff teams have to lean on rookies to get them to a Super Bowl. That is why the Cowboys will fall. As for Oakland, they just don’t have the defense to handle Brady while the Patriots will find a scheme effective enough to at least limit Derek Carr. That sets up a fascinating matchup between Atlanta and New England. Dan Quinn is no stranger to the Patriots. He faced them in the Super Bowl two years ago as defensive coordinator in Seattle. Will that experience and the Falcons offense be enough?
Winner: Patriots
With Peyton Manning out of the way, the rest of the AFC doesn’t look like they can stop New England. Meanwhile most of the NFC team, including Atlanta have flaws that the Patriots can exploit. It’s for those reasons that Belichick and Brady cement themselves in all-time history with a fifth Super Bowl title.