Every year before the season begins I post my regular season predicted final standings, along with my picks for which teams will advance to the post-season and Super Bowl predictions. As you can see if you check out my 2012 predictions I whiffed on quite a few, but did manage to correctly identify the Baltimore Ravens as the Super Bowl Champions (albeit against Green Bay, not San Francisco).

 

Let's see what my (cracked?) crystal ball has pegged for the 2013 NFL season:

 

 

AFC Playoff teams: Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis

NFC Playoff teams: Atlanta, San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit

 

AFC Championship Game: New England at Denver

AFC Champion: Denver

 

NFC Championship Game: Green Bay at Atlanta

NFC Champion: Atlanta

 

Super Bowl XVLIII: Denver vs. Atlanta

 

In a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIII, Peyton Manning goes for a second Super Bowl ring against up and coming Matt Ryan. This is a game that could really go either way and I expect it would go back and forth with several lead changes. The Falcons and Tony Gonzalez will do their best to finally bring a Super Bowl Championship to Atlanta, but John Elway brought in the craft veteran Manning specifically to get the Broncos back to being the World Champions. I can't see any more fitting scenario than it happening against the team Denver beat to get their last Super Bowl victory back in February, 1999. In that game, John Elway led the Broncos to a 34-19 victory and Elway was named the game's MVP. The final score will be closer this time around, but history will repeat itself and led by Peyton Manning (who will be named Super 48 MVP) the Denver Broncos will bring the Championship back to Denver.

Final score: Denver 37, Atlanta 34

Super Bowl XLVIII Champions: Denver Broncos  

 

There you have it, on record: my 2013 NFL and Super Bowl 48 predictions. I'm sure I'll look back at this in January and wonder what rock struck me, but as it is, here and now, this is how I see it playing out.