NFL Predictions 2011

The Super Bowl was excellent, but now that the big game is over, we have no football until August (at the earliest). After looking at a great deal of history from playoffs and Super Bowls past, I can accurately predict the next NFL season. First up, division winners:

NFC South - New Orleans Saints (12-4)
NFC East - Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
NFC West - St. Louis Rams (9-7)
NFC North - Green Bay Packers (11-5)

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
AFC East - New York Jets (12-4)
AFC West - San Diego Chargers (10-6)
AFC North - Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

Here's the recipe for a division winner (if you don't believe me, go look at the recent history):
1) Good quarterback
2) Decent record the previous year, but rarely the division winner the year prior
3) Hovering around the .500 mark the year before - don't pick the Lions to win the north

Reasons? Quarterback is obvious. Most important position in the game. The record from the year before is more important than most people realize. Division winners end up facing the other division winners, beating each other up for the next season. But teams that float under the radar (i.e. Dallas Cowboys 2010) will end up facing third place teams from other divisions. Talented teams that underperformed the year before can be a scary thing. Don't look for the Eagles to be very good next year. The teams to watch will be the Giants (disappointing end to the season) and the Cowboys (got on a roll at the end and finished with a 6-10 record, so they will get a cupcake schedule for a team that is very deep).

Knowing all of this, here are the list of potential Super Bowl teams for next year. I can guarantee the next Super Bowl winner will come from this list of teams.
Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Texans (probably won't make the playoffs, but they fit the criteria for Super Bowl contenders), Cowboys, Packers, Saints.

Here's what the 2011 Playoffs will look like:

First Round:
NFC
Falcons win at Rams
Giants lose at Cowboys

AFC
Steelers lose at Jets
Patriots win at Chargers

Second Round:
NFC
Falcons win at Saints
Cowboys win at Packers

AFC
Patriots win at Colts
Jets lose at Ravens

Conference Champions:
NFC
Falcons lose at Cowboys

AFC
Patriots win at Ravens

Super Bowl matchup 2011-12: COWBOYS VS PATRIOTS