NFC Division Champions: Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans, and San Francisco
AFC Division Champions: Baltimore, Indianapolis, New England, San Diego

NFC Wildcards: Atlanta, Minnesota
AFC Wildcards: Houston, NY Jets

I didn’t save my final standings, but they’re no surprise. Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay will be picking early in the 2011 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints repeat as Super Bowl Champions in an overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens in Dallas.

So I got a lot wrong. I only got half the NFC teams right, and 4 of 6 AFC teams right. The seeding is all messed up. But hey, who really expected the Cowboys to make the playoffs? Who thought the Titans and Steelers would tank half their seasons? (On a side note, have you noticed that the last two Steelers teams to win the Super Bowl ended up missing the playoffs the following year? They’re the exception to the rule, lately… with both the Cardinals and Seahawks making the playoffs following a Super Bowl loss. DUN-DUN-DUN!)

If you want to see my original prediction, click here, and if you want to see a zoomed in version of the actual playoffs bracket, click here.

Yep. There they are. I went game by game, week by week, and picked who I thought would win each game. (Actually, I wrote this post last week). It didn’t take as long as it sounds. Anyway, I can’t wait for a star quarterback (Tom Brady?) or running back (Reggie Bush?) to go down and completely ruin my predictions. Or maybe a rookie coach turns out better than I thought (Tampa Bay, Detroit, St. Louis, San Francisco- you hear me?). Maybe Wade Phillips surprises everybody and coaches Dallas to the playoffs. When I did these, I didn’t expect that Carolina would end up ahead of Atlanta (a team I would’ve put in the playoffs). The only thing I took into consideration was the recent trend that the Super Bowl loser has made the playoffs the following year. Then again, Pittsburgh kind of stole this last one, so maybe Arizona pulls a Seattle and makes it.

In addition to my final standings predictions, I’m posting my playoffs predictions (which are likely based solely on emotion and wishful thinking than anything legitimate), as well. Enjoy. Tear apart. Cry. Rejoice. Whatever.

Anyway. By week three we’ll all realize how completely wrong I am. Maybe that’s why I picked New Orleans. Go Saints!

As I’ve mentioned before, I renounced my support of the Denver Broncos as my second favorite team in the NFL.  The New Orleans Saints come first overall, and my second favorite must come from the AFC.  I put it to a vote among my friends, and you have spoken.  While I hoped that the final contest would be between Pittsburgh and Miami, it was ultimately a showdown between Tennessee and Kansas City.  Fewer of you voted in the finals; I assume it is because your team didn’t make it.  Nonetheless, the choice was made.

For the 2009-2010 season, I will root for the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.  I recognize that I will probably not enjoy a winning season with the Chiefs.  But anything can happen, and either way, I’m used to losing as a Saints fan.  Here’s to a good NFL Draft next weekend… go Saints… and, uh, go Chiefs?

This is a showdown between two former Texas teams: the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans.  The Texans moved to Kansas City after only four years in Dallas, and the Oilers moved to Nashville after a long (illustrious) history in Houston.

Kansas City is the greatest rival of my former AFC favorite, the Denver Broncos.  Tennessee doesn’t really have a strong rivalry, although cases could be made for the Jaguars, Ravens, and Colts.  Kansas City is in the midst of rebuilding primarily with a group of players I don’t like (especially their quarterbacks).  Tennessee has head coach Jeff Fischer, the longest-tenured coach in the league (and one of my favorite).  Kansas City has a strong history of smash mouth defensive football.  The Oilers and Titans have had two of my favorite quarterbacks ever (Warren Moon and Steve McNair), and one I really like (Kerry Collins).

Alright, that’s the rundown.  It’s all in your hands now.  Let the battle of the relocated begin!

But here we are.  The final four have been chosen.  Miami squeaked it out over Jacksonville, while Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Kansas City dominated their first round opponents.  (Honestly, this might be the first time Kansas City has dominated anybody in a pretty long time, right?)

So each AFC division has its representative.  East versus South; North versus West.  Vote now in the comments.  Who makes the final throwdown?  The title game goes live on Thursday, April 9, 2009.

Because I was raised along the Gulf Coast, my favorite NFL team is the New Orleans Saints.  I’ll be a fan of the Saints until Tom Benson relocates them to San Antonio or Los Angeles, at which point I will lump them into the same category with the Raiders and Rams as “a team I will never, ever root for, and perhaps wish nothing less than financial disaster.”

That said, as a lifelong Saints fan, I’ve grown to accept that it’s a good idea to have another favorite team.  While this team is of lesser importance than the Saints, it is a strong second.  And it must be in the AFC.  For years I’ve rooted for the Denver Broncos.  After the firing of Mike Shanahan, the hiring of New England clone Josh McDaniels, and the “Cutler-Coach Debacle,” I’ve renounced my support for the team.  I am now in search of a new AFC team to call my own.  I considered the Bills because they play outdoors in wicked weather, then they signed Terrell Owens.  That was the end of that.  I narrowed the field to eight teams.  It wasn’t easy.  The Colts missed the cut because I don’t like their uniforms.

So here we are.  I’ve ruled out west coast teams because I have an east coast bias.  For the most part I considered team tradition, location, uniforms, and proximity to me (soon to be my hometown of Mobile, Alabama).  Since you, the seven people who read this blog, are spread around the country, I’m asking for your input.  Leave your final four in the comments and next week, we’ll select the next round.  You have until Tuesday, April 7, 2009 to make your choices.  Help me out!