NFL playoffs running thread (with poll)

The Minnesota loss not withstanding, the Eagles seem to be peaking at the right time. I'm taking them in a very balanced NFC. Denver in the AFC.

Denver over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

 

Percy Harvin's Twitter account declares Percy Harvin ready to kick some ass again.

Percy Harvin ✔ @Percy_Harvin
And to all the haters who tried to kick when I was down ... Can't express how much fuel u added to my fire ....
4:15 PM - 30 Dec 2013

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-12-30/nfl-playoffs-2014-percy-harvin-injury-update-seahawks-bye-week

What this does is totally change the way a team would prepare to play the Seahawks.

Even if he walks out in street clothes, the other team has spent a lot of preparation time and energy thinking the Seahawks have a legit threat in the secondary.

New England would be proud of how the Seahawks have played this.

 

Only 1 team, Arizona, with a winning record didn't make the playoffs.
There were 6 .500 teams, 7 teams with 8 total wins and 12 teams with 7-9 wins.
A crappy year or a boring year for the NFL, or both?

 

What exactly made it a boring and crappy year?

 

I don't know how you could say it was boring. I'd buy crappy, because so many games were decided by mistakes and flat-out brainlock, but that means more unpredictability and excitement.

When the dynasty teams were rolling, it was a lot more predictable. For the 49ers of the 1980s or the Cowboys of the '90s or the early Belichick Patriots, there were only three or four games a year they could possibly lose. The rest were no-doubters from the opening kickoff.

 

I picked the 49ers to get there at the start of the year but now that Seattle has home field, I don't see that happening.

Seattle-Denver, old AFC West hoedown, in the Meadowlands.

 

How many times have we had two teams playing head to head for the same playoff spot on the last day if the season? We had it twice this Sunday.

 

It has happened five of the last six years on the NBC game at least, and I'm pretty sure there have been a few others too.

 

You guys are a tough crowd. I wouldn't think to check the number of .500 teams to decide if this was a shitty season.

The snow weekend, the two head-to-head week 17 matchups, the close games, the incredible endings.... I honestly can't remember a better NFL season. And getting to see it all, commercial free, via the red zone? It was a fantastic experience.

 

And, of course, the Cowboys lost all three, one to each of the other teams in the division.