"A few torn ACLs later, those plans are in disarray. The Chiefs aren't in the bracket at all. The Packers are here, but they're walking wounded as a 7-seed. So this year, because my preseason pick is officially impossible, I'm freeing myself to make a new Super Bowl prediction. The chance of me picking all 13 games correctly is zero point zero percent, but maybe we can learn something along the way."
"It's still fun to go through the bracket to suss out how the playoffs might go, though, and so that's why we're here today. And while there have been years when the conference brackets seemed like parades to the Super Bowl for the top seeds, this is a wide-open season. The Broncos and Seahawks have plenty of skeptics. The top-ranked team in the NFC in ESPN's Football Power Index -- the Rams -- is the fifth seed."
Preseason expectations were disrupted by multiple torn ACLs, leaving initial plans in disarray. The Chiefs failed to reach the bracket, while the Packers entered as an injury-riddled 7-seed. Preseason picks became impossible, prompting new Super Bowl predictions and a focus on how matchups and team changes matter entering the postseason. Key questions revolve around mismatches between team performance and public perception, exploitable weaknesses, and the likelihood of prior-game results repeating. The playoff field feels flatter and more open than usual. The Broncos and Seahawks face skepticism, the Rams sit as a low seed despite high FPI ranking, and the Bills are a sixth seed.
Read at ESPN.com
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