* – Wildcard berth
Atlanta finishes ahead of Carolina because of divisional record.
Chicago finishes ahead of Detroit because of strength of victory.
Pittsburgh gets the No. 3 seed over Kansas City because of a head-to-head victory.
NFC East |
Record |
NFC North |
Record |
NFC South |
Record |
NFC West |
Record |
11-5 |
14-2 |
10-6 |
9-7 |
||||
9-7 |
11-5 |
10-6 |
8-8 |
||||
9-7 |
11-5 |
9-7 |
5-11 |
||||
8-8 |
5-11 |
5-11 |
4-12 |
AFC East |
Record |
AFC North |
Record |
AFC South |
Record |
AFC West |
Record |
13-3 |
10-6 |
12-4 |
10-6 |
||||
11-5 |
9-7 |
8-8 |
8-8 |
||||
6-10 |
7-9 |
5-11 |
8-8 |
||||
3-13 |
2-14 |
1-15 |
5-11 |
2012 NFL Regular Season Results
Home team in CAPS
These were used to determine my projected records above when I compiled my 2012 NFL Season Previews individually.
Week 1:
Wednesday, Sept. 5
GIANTS 31, Cowboys 24
Sunday, Sept. 9
BEARS 23, Colts 17
Eagles 31, BROWNS 13
BUCCANEERS 23, Panthers 20
Steelers 27, BRONCOS 24
CARDINALS 24, Seahawks 17
CHIEFS 27, Falcons 13
Bills 24, JETS 20
LIONS 34, Rams 10
PACKERS 31, 49ers 17
SAINTS 34, Redskins 27
TEXANS 26, Dolphins 3
Patriots 30, TITANS 27
VIKINGS 17, Jaguars 10
Monday, Sept. 10
RAVENS 23, Bengals 20
RAIDERS 26, Chargers 23
Week 2:
Thursday, Sept. 13
PACKERS 30, Bears 20
Sunday, Sept. 16
Lions 27, 49ERS 16
BENGALS 20, Browns 17
BILLS 23, Chiefs 20
CHARGERS 27, Titans 23
COLTS 19, Vikings 13
Raiders 25, DOLPHINS 17
Ravens 24, EAGLES 19
GIANTS 34, Buccaneers 27
Texans 23, JAGUARS 6
PANTHERS 27, Saints 24
PATRIOTS 29, Cardinals 23
Redskins 27, RAMS 13
Cowboys 26, SEAHAWKS 20
STEELERS 20, Jets 3
Monday, Sept. 17
FALCONS 31, Broncos 24
Week 3:
Thursday, Sept. 20
PANTHERS 34, Giants 20
Sunday, Sept. 23
Rams 20, BEARS 19
Texans 31, BRONCOS 20
Bills 24, BROWNS 16
CARDINALS 20, Eagles 17
Falcons 28, CHARGERS 24
COLTS 17, Jaguars 13
Buccaneers 27, COWBOYS 23
DOLPHINS 13, Jets 3
Steelers 27, RAIDERS 10
RAVENS 26, Patriots 25
REDSKINS 24, Bengals 20
SAINTS 24, Chiefs 17
Lions 31, TITANS 24
49ers 17, VIKINGS 13
Monday, Sept. 24
Packers 37, SEAHAWKS 17
Week 4:
Thursday, Sept. 27
RAVENS 34, Browns 10
Sunday, Sept. 30
BILLS 42, Patriots 28
BRONCOS 30, Raiders 17
BUCCANEERS 22, Redskins 20
CARDINALS 21, Dolphins 15
CHIEFS 20, Chargers 17
Giants 31, EAGLES 20
FALCONS 30, Panthers 27
Bengals 16, JAGUARS 15
49ers 24, JETS 16
LIONS 35, Vikings 17
PACKERS 33, Saints 30
RAMS 16, Seahawks 10
TEXANS 30, Titans 14
Monday, Oct. 1
COWBOYS 23, Bears 20
Week 5:
Thursday, Oct. 4
Cardinals 24, RAMS 21
Sunday, Oct. 7
49ERS 20, Bills 19
BENGALS 26, Dolphins 16
Packers 45, COLTS 17
Bears 20, JAGUARS 10
CHIEFS 16, Ravens 13
GIANTS 27, Browns 20
PANTHERS 31, Seahawks 17
PATRIOTS 45, Broncos 31
Falcons 31, REDSKINS 24
SAINTS 42, Chargers 34
STEELERS 28, Eagles 16
Titans 24, VIKINGS 20
Monday, Oct. 8
Texans 27, JETS 17
Week 6:
Thursday, Oct. 11
TITANS 23, Steelers 20
Sunday, Oct. 14
Giants 23, 49ERS 20
BROWNS 13, Bengals 9
Chiefs 20, BUCCANEERS 17
CARDINALS 16, Bills 13
Rams 13, DOLPHINS 12
EAGLES 30, Lions 27
FALCONS 35, Raiders 13
JETS 20, Colts 17
RAVENS 19, Cowboys 16
REDSKINS 27, Vikings 23
Patriots 38, SEAHAWKS 12
Packers 27, TEXANS 24
Monday, Oct. 15
Broncos 27, CHARGERS 24
Week 7:
Thursday, Oct. 18
49ERS 30, Seahawks 10
Sunday, Oct. 21
BENGALS 24, Steelers 21
BILLS 25, Titans 17
Saints 34, BUCCANEERS 21
COLTS 24, Browns 20
GIANTS 23, Redskins 10
PANTHERS 32, Cowboys 25
PATRIOTS 27, Jets 17
RAIDERS 16, Jaguars 6
Packers 44, RAMS 20
Cardinals 31, VIKINGS 24
TEXANS 26, Ravens 16
Monday, Oct. 22
BEARS 23, Lions 20
Week 8:
Thursday, Oct. 25
VIKINGS 35, Buccaneers 14
Sunday, Oct. 28
BEARS 24, Panthers 16
BRONCOS 34, Saints 31
Chargers 23, BROWNS 20
CHIEFS 24, Raiders 17
Giants 27, COWBOYS 24
EAGLES 26, Falcons 20
JETS 27, Dolphins 24
LIONS 33, Seahawks 13
PACKERS 27, Jaguars 17
Patriots 37, RAMS 17
STEELERS 17, Redskins 7
TITANS 28, Colts 21
Monday, Oct. 29
CARDINALS 23, 49ers 16
Week 9:
Thursday, Nov. 1
CHARGERS 27, Chiefs 20
Sunday, Nov. 4
Broncos 20, BENGALS 17
Ravens 20, BROWNS 13
COLTS 26, Dolphins 17
Cowboys 34, FALCONS 30
GIANTS 24, Steelers 23
Lions 24, JAGUARS 9
PACKERS 34, Cardinals 17
RAIDERS 24, Buccaneers 20
Panthers 36, REDSKINS 33
SEAHAWKS 24, Vikings 10
TEXANS 27, Bills 23
Bears 13, TITANS 10
Monday, Nov. 5
SAINTS 31, Eagles 24
Week 10:
Thursday, Nov. 8
JAGUARS 23, Colts 16
Sunday, Nov. 11
49ERS 23, Rams 8
BEARS 20, Texans 19
Giants 31, BENGALS 9
Chargers 39, BUCCANEERS 13
Titans 17, DOLPHINS 10
EAGLES 27, Cowboys 20
PANTHERS 26, Broncos 24
PATRIOTS 38, Bills 27
RAVENS 23, Raiders 3
SAINTS 27, Falcons 23
SEAHAWKS 21, Jets 10
VIKINGS 24, Lions 20
Monday, Nov. 12
STEELERS 24, Chiefs 20
Week 11:
Thursday, Nov. 15
BILLS 31, Dolphins 10
Sunday, Nov. 18
Chargers 34, BRONCOS 24
CHIEFS 17, Bengals 12
COWBOYS 44, Browns 10
FALCONS 31, Cardinals 17
LIONS 40, Packers 37
PANTHERS 26, Buccaneers 20
PATRIOTS 38, Colts 31
Saints 27, RAIDERS 23
RAMS 17, Jets 10
Eagles 17, REDSKINS 16
STEELERS 20, Ravens 17
TEXANS 24, Jaguars 0
Monday, Nov. 19
Bears 16, 49ERS 13
Week 12:
Happy Thanksgiving
LIONS 34, Texans 24
COWBOYS 26, Redskins 16
Patriots 41, JETS 14
Sunday, Nov. 25
BEARS 27, Vikings 13
BENGALS 17, Raiders 10
BROWNS 10, Steelers 6
Falcons 28, BUCCANEERS 16
CARDINALS 33, Rams 13
CHARGERS 30, Ravens 20
CHIEFS 17, Broncos 9
Bills 30, COLTS 27
DOLPHINS 26, Seahawks 16
Titans 15, JAGUARS 13
Packers 38, GIANTS 31
SAINTS 31, 49ers 13
Monday, Nov. 26
EAGLES 19, Panthers 17
Week 13:
Thursday, Nov. 29
FALCONS 20, Saints 17
Sunday, Dec. 2
BEARS 27, Seahawks 20
BILLS 20, Jaguars 10
BRONCOS 31, Buccaneers 10
Bengals 24, CHARGERS 21
Panthers 23, CHIEFS 17
COWBOYS 21, Eagles 16
Patriots 30, DOLPHINS 23
JETS 23, Cardinals 16
LIONS 34, Colts 20
PACKERS 52, Vikings 24
RAIDERS 27, Browns 16
RAVENS 17, Steelers 14
49ers 17, RAMS 3
TITANS 23, Texans 20
Monday, Dec. 3
REDSKINS 24, Giants 17
Week 14:
Thursday, Dec. 6
Broncos 23, RAIDERS 20
Sunday, Dec. 9
49ERS 20, Dolphins 0
Cowboys 25, BENGALS 20
BILLS 30, Rams 11
Chiefs 26, BROWNS 3
Eagles 36, BUCCANEERS 17
COLTS 34, Titans 24
GIANTS 30, Saints 17
Jets 16, JAGUARS 13
PACKERS 33, Lions 27
PANTHERS 28, Falcons 24
REDSKINS 24, Ravens 17
SEAHAWKS 24, Cardinals 20
STEELERS 23, Chargers 16
VIKINGS 19, Bears 16
Monday, Dec. 10
Texans 31, PATRIOTS 27
Week 15:
Thursday, Dec. 13
EAGLES 41, Bengals 17
Sunday, Dec. 16
BEARS 32, Packers 29
BILLS 17, Seahawks 14
Redskins 31, BROWNS 17
CARDINALS 26, Lions 24
CHARGERS 27, Panthers 24
COWBOYS 24, Steelers 23
DOLPHINS 10, Jaguars 3
FALCONS 26, Giants 19
PATRIOTS 28, 49ers 14
Chiefs 24, RAIDERS 9
Vikings 20, RAMS 17
RAVENS 20, Broncos 17
Buccaneers 27, SAINTS 26
TEXANS 23, Colts 20
Monday, Dec. 17
TITANS 20, Jets 13
Week 16:
Saturday, Dec. 22
LIONS 29, Falcons 23
Sunday, Dec. 23
BRONCOS 36, Browns 13
BUCCANEERS 23, Rams 20
Bears 17, CARDINALS 16
CHIEFS 31, Colts 16
COWBOYS 24, Saints 20
Bills 20, DOLPHINS 19
Patriots 30, JAGUARS 17
JETS 17, Chargers 14
PACKERS 37, Titans 17
PANTHERS 31, Raiders 10
Giants 26, RAVENS 20
Redskins 27, EAGLES 24
SEAHAWKS 17, 49ers 16
STEELERS 24, Bengals 10
TEXANS 31, Vikings 13
Week 17:
Sunday, Dec. 30
49ERS 22, Cardinals 15
BENGALS 23, Ravens 21
Jets 17, BILLS 10
BRONCOS 20, Chiefs 17
CHARGERS 38, Raiders 20
Texans 28, COLTS 21
FALCONS 38, Buccaneers 24
Eagles 17, GIANTS 13
LIONS 29, Bears 20
PATRIOTS 44, Dolphins 10
REDSKINS 23, Cowboys 17
SAINTS 33, Panthers 19
SEAHAWKS 24, Rams 17
STEELERS 27, Browns 0
TITANS 23, Jaguars 16
Packers 27, VIKINGS 24
2012 NFL Playoff Predictions – Wildcard Round
6. Detroit Lions (11-5) at 3. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
The Falcons choke every year. There’s no way they beat the Lions. Right?
Well… I like to look at it this way. Matt Ryan has lost in the playoffs three times. The first was against an underrated Cardinals team that had a great homefield advantage. There was too much pressure on Ryan anyway, who was favored on the road. Atlanta has then lost its previous two postseason contests against the teams that would go on to win the whole thing (Packers, Giants). So maybe the Falcons’ opponents were just that good.
This game will be a different story. The Lions, owning the better record, will be expected to win at the Georgia Dome even though their franchise has just one playoff victory in its existence. That’ll be too much pressure on the younger quarterback, which will allow Ryan to secure his first playoff victory.
Falcons 24, Lions 20
5. Chicago Bears (11-5) at 4. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
I can already see it: The Bears are -6, maybe -7 over the Cardinals despite being the lower seed and the road team. The public is betting the hell out of Chicago. “How are the Cardinals going to beat the Bears?” clueless ESPN analysts will ask. “Arizona stinks! They’re only in the playoffs because the NFC West sucks!” most casual football fans will exclaim.
But not me. Arizona is a ridiculously tough place to play. The Cardinals have a really good defense, while no one on the Bears will be able to stop Larry Fitzgerald.
This will be my January NFL Pick of the Month – and I’ll be eight units richer by the time this game is over.
Cardinals 23, Bears 17
6. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Awesome. I love these Ravens-Steelers matchups. It always seems to go down to the wire, so it’ll be great to see them battle three times this year.
One of the reasons I have the Ravens finishing at just 9-7 is Terrell Suggs’ partial Achilles tear. It seems like he’ll be ready to play by Thanksgiving, so Baltimore could be stronger by the end of the season. That’s why I’m going to pick Ray Lewis and company to upset the Steelers, though in full disclosure, this was a near toss-up for me. I almost wanted to flip a coin.
Ravens 23, Steelers 20
5. Buffalo Bills (11-5) at 4. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
A Bills-Chiefs playoff matchup? How awesome is that? Both of these teams would be favorites for the Super Bowl if they had strong quarterback play. Alas, it is difficult to trust Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Cassel in the playoffs, though one of them will come out of this contest with a postseason victory.
I’ll give the edge to the Chiefs for two reasons. First, they’re at home, and Arrowhead can be a huge advantage. Second, Fitzpatrick is often banged up down the stretch, so it’s possible that he’ll be nursing some sort of injury heading into this matchup.
Chiefs 17, Bills 12
2012 NFL Playoff Predictions – Divisional Round
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-7) at 1. Green Bay Packers (14-2)
The Cardinals will follow the Seahawks and Broncos as surprise No. 4 seeds to knock off a highly favored No. 5 to advance to the divisional round. But like Seattle and Denver, Arizona will get “blowed out” by super competition on the road. This game won’t be close.
Packers 34, Cardinals 13
3. Atlanta Falcons (10-6) at 2. New York Giants (11-5)
This matchup sounds familiar. Oh yeah, 24-2. I think scoring two points is worse than zero because it shows that your defense is capable of putting more on the scoreboard than the offense.
I think history will repeat itself. I can’t see a dome team like the Falcons winning in the windy Meadowlands. Sorry, Atlanta, you’ll have to secure homefield advantage next time.
Giants 20, Falcons 17
6. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at 1. New England Patriots (13-3)
The theme of the divisional round is revenge. The Cardinals ousted the Packers from the playoffs in January 2010, so Green Bay was able to avenge that defeat. The Falcons, unfortunately, weren’t able to accomplish the same achievement versus the Giants.
It’s no different in the AFC. The Patriots knocked Baltimore out of a potential Super Bowl appearance, though that wouldn’t have been the case if Lee Evans weren’t on the team. He’s not, so maybe the Ravens will prevail this time.
Actually, it has more to do with New England suffering the lingering effects of a Super Bowl appearance; both XLV contestants were slain in their first playoff game this past January.
Ravens 26, Patriots 24
4. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) at 2. Houston Texans (12-4)
There’s no revenge to be had in this contest; just an old-fashioned beatdown. The Chiefs could compete against the Texans, and perhaps even beat them, if they had a stronger quarterback than Matt Cassel. But the Texans will be a powerhouse if Matt Schaub and most of his teammates can stay healthy.
Texans 27, Chiefs 9
2012 NFL Playoff Predictions – Championship Sunday
2. New York Giants (11-5) at 1. Green Bay Packers (14-2)
New York’s stretch run last year was no fluke. Key players returned to the lineup, particularly on the defensive line, which sparked the Giants’ magical Super Bowl journey. If everyone stays healthy, they could easily repeat as Super Bowl champs.
But I don’t like picking teams to repeat. I haven’t done so since 2005. The Packers will be better defensively in 2012, and I’m sure Aaron Rodgers, who always plays with a giant chip on his shoulder, will want revenge for what happened in January.
Packers 31, Giants 27
6. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at 2. Houston Texans (12-4)
The Texans didn’t have a revenge angle in the divisional round, but they definitely do here. They fought Baltimore tough last January, but fell short, thanks to the inadequacies of T.J. Yates.
Things will be much different with Matt Schaub. Now, some of you may complain that there’s no way the Texans will advance this deep into the playoffs because Schaub has choked in the past. While he has, it wouldn’t be any different than Peyton and Eli Manning, who were both accused of doing the same thing before winning the Super Bowl.
Schaub’s problem has always been that he’s had to do everything by himself. He had a horrid defense, so he was asked to score into the 30s every contest. Well, that’s not the case anymore. Wade Phillips has done a tremendous job with the stop unit, so the burden is completely off Schaub. If he stays healthy, Houston will have a great shot at winning the Super Bowl.
Texans 20, Ravens 13
2012 NFL Playoff Predictions – Super Bowl XLVII at New Orleans
Green Bay Packers (14-2) vs. Houston Texans (12-4)
I’m pretty confident with my Super Bowl pick. I’ve surprisingly done quite well with them, predicting three of the six previous Super Bowl participants (Saints in 2009; Packers in 2010; Patriots in 2011). I had New England battling New Orleans last year, though I will admit that I initially slated New England versus Tampa Bay in this spot. I quickly changed that after seeing how dysfunctional the Buccaneers looked in the preseason and hearing things from sources, who told me about some serious internal problems the team was having. So, this selection is not set in stone – check back in very early September – but I think there’s a good chance the Packers and Texans will battle it out in New Orleans.
The best unit in this matchup is Green Bay’s offense, but the worst also happens to be Green Bay’s defense, so both teams should be able to put up at least a moderate point total. The Packers have an edge on special teams too that has to be considered; Randall Cobb is the best returner on the two squads.
The Packers are slightly better overall though, and Aaron Rodgers is the superior quarterback in the matchup. That’s why I’m picking Green Bay to beat Houston in a tight Super Bowl XLVII.
Packers 27, Texans 24
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