If I remember correctly, way back in September I predicted that the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts would be playing in this year’s Super Bowl.
  One out of two (so far) ain’t bad.
  For a while it looked like I was going to be shut out. Early on the Colts looked ordinary. That’s something they haven’t look in many, many years, and era otherwise known as Pre-Peyton.
  A quick side-note here: How good is Peyton Manning in front of a camera? I don’t mean on the field, I’m talking his television commercials. Have you seen his latest commercial for a certain credit card company? The one where hotel employees are being kind of rude to him and he keeps shrugging it off and enjoying life? Let me tell you something, if he woke up tomorrow and couldn’t throw an out pattern on the money 25 yards down the field he would have a great career as an actor.
  I mean it. Peyton Manning is Tom Hanks in shoulder pads. Peyton Hanks; Tom Manning, that’s who he is. Think about some of Tom Hanks most famous roles. Now think of Payton Manning in Hanks’ place. Pretty easy transition if you ask me. Forest Gump? Peyton could do that. Peyton stranded on a deserted island with a volleyball for a friend? Sure, why not? Peyton as the honoree at a whacky bachelor party? Peyton as a cop paired with a big drooling dog? He could totally play those roles.
  Peyton in a dress disguised as a woman so that he can live in a women’s-only apartment complex? Maybe not so much, even the best actors have their limits.
  So anyway the Colts are still alive for me. The Cowboys, on the other hand, made a fool out of me and many other analysts out there. Less than a year after a Super Bowl win by the super star-less Giants, I decided to go with the team that had the most talent on paper. What I didn’t take into account was that the Cowboys probably also had the most time logged in therapists’ offices. I forgot one simple rule: Personalities don’t win titles, teams do. Ask the Giants, or San Antonio Spurs, or those early Patriots’ teams.
  This year’s playoffs are all set, obviously; Giants, Panthers, Vikings, Cardinals, Eagles and Falcons in the NFC, Dolphins, Titans, Steelers, Chargers, Ravens and Colts in the AFC. With only 12 teams left, the odds for me to get something right have lowered. And since four teams have been eliminated already (I’m writing this last Friday) my odds should be even better, at least that’s what I figure.
  I’ll start with this weekend’s (last weekend’s) games. In the NFC we have Atlanta at Arizona. You would think the Cardinals would have a few advantages, they’re at home (in other words not in the snow) and the Falcons have a rookie quarterback. But the Falcons also have the best running back in the league that no one knows about, good old what’s his name. Look for that dude there to have a big game and for Atlanta to get the win.
  Philadelphia took on Minnesota in the Metrodome. The Eagles were as good as eliminated after their surprising tie with the Bengals (surprising especially to Donovan McNabb). Now they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league. The Vikings are very shaky at quarterback, but as long as he can hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson, Minnesota should be okay.
  The first AFC game is/was the Colts at the Chargers. Speaking of good as gone, did anybody expect the Chargers to still be around? Thank the Broncos for that Houdini trick. The Colts have won eight in a row or something like that. Tom Hanks — I mean Peyton Manning — is playing at his peek, as is the Indy defense. The Chargers have as much talent as any team, but they’ve underachieved all year. But they’re still dangerous. I’m picking for the elimination of my final Super Bowl team and going with San Diego.
  Then we had Baltimore traveling to Miami. The Dolphins are like the high school kid in the movies who comes out of nowhere to go from zero to hero. The Ravens are like the town bully who always beats those kinds of kids up. I think the Ravens win this one.
  If my math is right (the lowest surviving seed plays at the highest, right?) the AFC would be the Chargers at the Titans and the Ravens at the Steelers. The NFC would have the Falcons at the Giants and the Vikings at the Panthers. Let’s just assume that this is true. That’s a big assumption considering my history, I know, but humor me for a couple more minutes.
  We’ll wrap up the AFC first. Can you call the Chargers a Cinderella story with all that talent on their roster? I can, Chargers over the Titans in an upset. Meanwhile, the Ravens and Steelers meet for the third time. In a close game between two teams that don’t like each other, I’ll go with the Steelers.
  The Cinderella story ends in the AFC championship game, Steelers to the Super Bowl.
  I say the fairy tale season for the Falcons also ends as the Giants take them out in the semifinals. And the Panthers are too tough at home for the Vikings. And in a great rematch from a couple of weeks ago, I’ll pick the Giants, but only because they’re at home.
  That leaves the Giants against the Steelers in the Super Bowl. They played a great game earlier in the season. A battle of two historic NFL teams.
  I’m going to hate myself for doing this, and I’ll probably be putting a hex on my favorite team, but I’ll take the Giants to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
  Stay tuned for further revisions.