2015 NFL Playoff Predictions: New Teams Crush Old Favorites

By Dan Salem | Aug 27, 2015

Only twelve teams will make the NFL Playoffs, but with so many strong offseasons, who will succeed at the highest level? Time to make some picks! 2015 NFL Playoff Predictions. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

The season is nearly upon us. Tensions are high; excitement is palpable. It’s time to run through the 2015 NFL Playoff predictions, division by division.

Starting with the AFC, my playoff plate looks like this:

New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
Baltimore Ravens – wildcard
Denver Broncos – wildcard

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To me, there is an obvious top five to the conference. The Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Ravens and Broncos are all healthy bets to make the postseason. Cincinnati will have something to say about that out of the AFC North, but Pittsburgh and Baltimore are slightly better.

Although I think the Broncos will comfortably make the playoffs, I actually like Kansas City as a surprise division winner. The Chiefs offense should be much improved, and their defense should be stout once again. Meanwhile, Denver has major offensive-line questions, not to mention the health of Peyton Manning.

Teams like Buffalo, Miami, Oakland, etc. may be much improved this year, but it’s a hard top six to crack.

The NFC is a tougher conference to sparse out. Here is my playoff picture:

Philadelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons
Seattle Seahawks
Detroit Lions – wildcard
Minnesota Vikings – wildcard

Oct 6, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end

Luke Willson

(82) runs after a catch with Indianapolis Colts free safety

Delano Howell

(26) in pursuit during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

You could talk me into the NFC North being the best division in football this season. Green Bay is a no-brainer playoff pick; its division foes may also be the best crop of wildcard teams in the conference.

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I see drop-offs from Dallas, Arizona and San Francisco this year. That leaves the door open for North dominance, especially considering the potential improvement of the young Minnesota players on both sides of the ball.

Elsewhere, Seattle and Philadelphia are almost default division winners while Atlanta is a coin-toss champion. I love the potential of the Falcons offense but don’t feel great about picking them over any of the other three teams there. The assumption goes that Atlanta’s offense is the best pure unit in the division. If that’s the case, I like the Falcons’ chances.

DAN:

I don’t know what happened, but where’s the excitement for playoff predictions? I love picking winners, and in 2015 the number of teams gunning for wildcard berths is huge.

I’ll start in the AFC, where outside of the top three, we seem to disagree immensely.

New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins – wildcard
New York Jets – wildcard

I only see a top three in the AFC this season. The Patriots, Colts, and Steelers all have dominating offenses and should secure playoff spots, if not division titles. Everyone else is significantly more even.

The Broncos and Chiefs will be neck and neck for the division, but I like Denver to squeak out the win and knock Kansas City from the playoffs. As for the wildcard berths, a resurgence in the AFC East is too much for the remainder of the AFC.

Baltimore and Buffalo will look good early, but ultimately fall to superior division opponents. This is the season the Dolphins get over their 8-8 hump, winning the extra game or two they need for postseason play. Same goes for the New York Jets, who ride the back of their running game and newfound passing attack straight into the playoffs.

Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughn (10) throws under pressure in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

We seem to agree much more in the NFC, where the top remains nearly unchanged from a season ago.

Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons
Seattle Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings – wildcard
Philadelphia Eagles – wildcard

Unlike you, I think the Cowboys continue their success of last year. I like them to win a top-heavy NFC East division. The Packers and Seahawks are solid picks for winning their divisions, and the Falcons bounce back to overtake the Panthers and Saints in the South.

In terms of our wildcard teams, I too like the Vikings to take a significant step forward this season. Ultimately, this leaves the Lions, Cardinals, and Rams on the outside looking in. Philadelphia is still strong this season, and secures the final wildcard berth.

Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.

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