And the Winner Is...

With the NFL playoffs officially underway, it is time to start thinking ahead to the Superbowl. If the regular season has shown us anything it is that the NFL is extremely competitive and any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday with very few exceptions. It's seasons like this that make me glad I don't make a living betting on sports!

The NFC is wide open this year. With the exception of Seattle, I feel that any of the NFC teams could ultimately represent that conference in the Superbowl. Since I have to pick one I'm going to pick the Falcons out of the NFC for three reasons. First, they are a well coached team that does not beat themselves. Second, they play very well at home and since they earned the number one seed they will not have to play a road game until the Superbowl if they make it that far. Third, I believe, as their record indicates, that they are the best team in the NFC this season. Like every team they have weaknesses but I think they overcome those weaknesses and get the job done.

The AFC will come down to two teams. Pittsburgh, and, of course, New England. I'm going to pick Pittsburgh to come out of the AFC. Although New England will be at home and favored, Troy Polamalu is a game changer on defense. What makes New England so tough to beat is that they don't beat themselves. They don't give the ball away, but with a player like Polamalu I look for Pittsbugh to win the turnover battle and ultimately the game.

So it comes down to Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Everything I have seen so far this season indicatess that the AFC is a much stronger conference. If Atlanta is going to win that game they will need to create breaks for themselves similar to what New Orleans did by recovering an onside kick to start the second half last season. I predict that Matt Ryan will have the chance to win the game with a late fourth quarter drive but Pittsburgh's defense will turn the Falcons away. Pittsburgh wins the game 30-24.