PFT: Gap between officials, NFL at $70 million

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I?ve delayed as long as possible the annual PFT Super Bowl picks, in large part because I have been changing my mind every day.

Since the season starts tomorrow, I can delay it no longer. ?(Yeah, I know I could milk it for another day, but I promised the powers-that-be that it would be posted today.)

History tells us that the Super Bowl opponents usually consist of one team everyone expected to be there, and one team that no one took seriously. ?That happened last year, when the Pats made it from the AFC (four of the five PFT writers picked them to make it ? and of course I was the only one who didn?t) and the Giants made it from the NFC (no one from PFT saw that one coming, and few if any non-Giants fans elsewhere did).

So here?s the writer-by-writer prediction of the playoff seeds and playoff tree and Super Bowl outcome. ?Mine?s last because that gave me as much time as possible to change my mind. ?Again.

Josh Alper

AFC

Seeds: ?1. Patriots;?2. Texans;?3. Ravens;?4. Chiefs;?5. Steelers;?6. Titans.

Wild card round: Ravens over Titans, Steelers over Chiefs.

Divisional round: Pats over Steelers, Texans over Ravens.

Conference championship: Patriots over Texans.

NFC

Seeds: ?1. 49ers;?2. Packers;?3. Falcons;?4. Giants;?5. Bears;?6. Eagles.

Wild card round: Bears over Giants, Eagles over Falcons.

Divisional round: Packers over Eagles, Bears over 49ers.

Conference championship: Packers over Bears.

Super Bowl: Patriots over Packers.

Darin Gantt

AFC

Seeds: ?1. Texans;?2. Ravens;?3. Patriots;?4. Broncos;?5. Steelers;?6. Bills.

Wild-card round: Patriots over Bills, Broncos over Steelers.

Divisional round: Ravens over Patriots, Broncos over Texans.

Conference Championship: Ravens over Broncos.

NFC

Seeds: ?1. Packers;?2. Falcons;?3. Giants;?4. Seahawks;?5. Cowboys;?6. Lions.

Wild-card round: Giants over Lions, Seahawks over Cowboys.

Divisional round: Packers over Seahawks, Falcons over Giants.

Conference championship: Packers over Falcons.

Super Bowl: Packers over Ravens.

Evan Silva

AFC

Seeds:?1. Patriots;?2. Steelers;?3. Texans;?4. Chiefs;?5. Ravens;?6. Broncos.

Wild card round: Texans over Broncos, Chiefs over Ravens.

Divisional round: Patriots over Chiefs, Texans over Steelers.

Conference championship: Patriots over Texans.

NFC

Seeds:?1. Packers;?2. Giants;?3. Saints;?4. 49ers;?5. Eagles;?6. Lions.

Wild card round: Lions over Saints, Eagles over 49ers.

Divisional round: Packers over Lions, Eagles over Giants.

Conference championship: Packers over Eagles.

Super Bowl: Packers over Patriots.

Michael David Smith

AFC

Seeds:?1. Patriots;?2. Ravens;?3. Texans;?4. Broncos;?5. Chargers;?6. Steelers.

Wild card round: Texans over Steelers, Broncos over Chargers.

Divisional round: Patriots over Broncos, Ravens over Texans.

Conference Championship: Patriots over Ravens.

NFC

Seeds: ?1. Packers;?2. Giants;?3. Panthers;?4. 49ers;?5. Bears;?6. Falcons.

Wild card round: Panthers over Falcons, 49ers over Bears.

Divisional round: Packers over 49ers, Panthers over Giants.

Conference Championship: Packers over Panthers.

Super Bowl: Packers over Patriots.

Florio

AFC

Seeds: ?1. ?Patriots; 2. Broncos; 3. ?Ravens; 4. Titans; 5. ?Bengals; 6. ?Chiefs.

Wild card round: ?Ravens over Chiefs, Bengals over Titans.

Divisional round: ?Patriots over Bengals, Broncos over Ravens.

Conference Championship: ?Patriots over Broncos.

NFC

Seeds: ?1. ?Packers; 2. ?Giants; 3. ?Falcons; 4. ?49ers; 5. ?Saints; 6. ?Eagles.

Wild card round: ?Eagles over Falcons, Saints over 49ers.

Divisional round: ?Eagles over Packers, Giants over Saints.

Conference Championship: ?Giants over Eagles.

Super Bowl: ?Giants over Patriots.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/04/source-gap-between-nfl-officials-is-as-much-as-70-million/related/

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