Are Uggs a sensible choice at Disney World?Predictions are hard stuff.  It’s much easier to sit back and make fun of someone else’s.  With that in mind, as a public service to you so that you will have someone to make fun of on this lovely Friday, I thought I would put out my predictions for the playoffs, which are sure to de-rail by late Sunday afternoon.

The AFC for me is pretty easy.  I think the two best teams are in the AFC as we enter the playoffs, and one of them has owned the other in recent matchups by spreading the field and using a quick passing game to reduce the effectiveness of the pass rushing linebackers.  The Patriots have been rolling since a 20-point loss to the Browns and have won eight in a row.  They’ve beat up on good teams, and now everyone has to come through Foxboro.  I think the Steelers will be in New England for the championship game, and I like the Patriots.  One of the great things about sports is that these things are not guaranteed, though, and the past does not always predict the future.

Over in the NFC, I’m working backwards, and taking the team that I think would provide the best matchup against the Patriots in a Super Bowl.  The Packers came close in Foxboro playing without Aaron Rodgers, and have the defensive quality both in pass rushing and covering on the back end to slow New England, and the passing offense to take advantage of the Patriots’ weak link.  Of course, they are the 6th seed, so I’m taking a big risk picking a team that will have to win on the road three times.  We’ve seen it done recently, though.  The Packers, like the Steelers in ’05 and the Giants in ’07, will get a chance to return for a divisional round rematch at a site where they lost in the regular season.

I waffled back and forth on Atlanta and Green Bay, and I think that game (which would be the matchup if Green Bay wins at Philadelphia) would be the one that ultimately sends the NFC representative.  I know the Atlanta fans will think I’m hating, but I can tell you I will personally be rooting for Tony Gonzalez to get to a Super Bowl.

The Packers are likely to break me again, as they have lost close games this year.  They have the defense and the passing game, and have come up short against good teams when they have struggled in short yardage and goal line situations.  If they hit on those, like they did against New York, we saw what kind of dominant performance this team is capable of producing against good competition in a key game.  If not, well, this is going to be a short ride.

WILDCARD ROUND

AFC- #6 New York over #3 Indianapolis

AFC- #4 Kansas City over #5 Baltimore

NFC- #5 New Orleans over #4 Seattle

NFC- #6 Green Bay over #3 Philadelphia

DIVISIONAL ROUND

AFC- #1 New England over #6 New York

AFC- #2 Pittsburgh over #4 Kansas City

NFC- #6 Green Bay over #1 Atlanta

NFC- #2 Chicago over #5 New Orleans

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

AFC- #1 New England over #2 Pittsburgh

NFC- #6 Green Bay over #2 Chicago

SUPER BOWL

New England over Green Bay

[photo via Getty]