It is that time of the year when the snow drizzles down on our rooftops, with the fireplace running full-steam, we cherish gifts and (excessive) love underneath our mistletoe, while gradually the NFL reaches its ultimate climax. Final cuts are made, tears are shed over missed opportunities, the playoff picture rises above obscurity as a group of swing-teams fight for that final wildcard berth. In terms of competitiveness, it doesn’t get much better.

In this column I will try to predict the NFL playoff picture, assess quality and calculate intangible factors. Ultimately, I will forecast the Big Game. As always, feel free to discredit my incompetence, or cast your own well-grounded opinion on this subject. It is a hot debate, but try to leave out your own personal preference for a certain team. If any of you get the feeling I am too soft on the Packers, just say so. Don’t you love Rodgers?

WILDCARD GAMES
AFC
Indianapolis Colts – bye
San Diego Chargers – bye
Cincinnati Bengals
New England Patriots
Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens

1 Cincinnati Bengals VS Baltimore Ravens
This one is a beauty pur sang. A stingy firm defense taking on an offensive powerhouse. Ochocinco’s efforts will be decisive. If Chad can avoid extracurricular activities and just focus on the game, he and Palmer will be on the same page. And if they are, what can the Ravens do to overcome this display of chemistry? Flacco might have some tricks up his sleeve, but the sophomore slump has not paid the Ravens any dividend this year. The Bengals can be productive on defense, too. I foresee a Bengal win here, 24-07.

2 Denver Broncos VS New England Patriots
Even though New England has been criticized for its slacking work ethic, they will bounce back with a wildcard win over the Broncos. The Broncos rely heavily on the wheels of Moreno. This opens up the passing lanes for Orton, who is more of a West-coast passer, not your everyday Cowboy gun slinger.
In matter of fact, if Orton gets pressured, he might even become gun shy and afraid to pull the trigger on a defense that has shown some fatal deficiencies and flaws. The status of “unattainable and unbeatable” is no longer a qualification appropriate for the Patriots. If the Broncos can just find that rhythm, while making the patriots offense watch powerlessly from the sidelines, they might have a slim chance. Wouldn’t everyone love to see Brady get destroyed? Surely, but I don’t see it happen here, especially when the Patriots clinch homefield advantage for this game. Patriots win, in a close one: 20-17.

NFC
New Orleans Saints – bye
Minnesota Vikings – bye
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Cardinals
NY Giants

1 Green Bay Packers VS NY Giants
The Packers lost to the Giants two years ago, giving Manning his shot at the title. Manning did not hesitate to turn opportunities into gold on a beautiful 15 yard hook-up with Burress, the man competent at self-inflicting hilarious leg-injuries.
The Packers have not forgotten about that day; on the contrary, Grant and Rodgers will just demolish the Giants, by ripping apart the secondary, while clearing the way for Grant to go over 125 yards rushing and picking up at least a touchdown on one of his many carries. Driver will add some extra mustard to the performance by burning his corner on a deep post route. Packers all the way in this one: 28-10. Lambeau-field gets cold these days, you know.

2 Arizona Cardinals VS Philadelphia Eagles
The Cardinals can be good, very good even, but they will not be able to tone down the high-octane flying eagles, the symbol of dominance and strength. DeSean Jackson and Weaver will combine on an unprecedented effort while McNabb distributes the ball around with pin-point accuracy. The Cardinals will run with Wells and Hightower, but will get frustrated on the ground. Fitzgerald will have a big game, but it won't be enough. The Eagles will send shivers down the spines of Eagle fans all across the nation in this game: will this finally be their year? Eagles defeat the Cardinals, 35-24.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
AFC
1 Indianapolis Colts VS Cincinnati Bengals
Now this one is good. Can Manning come back from a two-week rest to face a Bengal team that has absolutely nothing to lose. After all, who had expected these cat-like men to reclaim partial superiority and the right to exist within the spheres and boundaries of the AFC? No one, probably. Manning will have a slow start, fire some incompletions to Garcon and Wayne. Addai will then provide stimulus to the running game, Manning will get the hot hand and force the secondary on its knees into a position of subjection. Colts will gameplan for Ocho, neutralize the threat and then step up to shut down the running game. Close one, Manning will do what he is paid for to do: 21-14. Colts advance.

2 San Diego Chargers VS New England Patriots
The Patriots dislike the Chargers, and vice-versa. It is not the first time these two meet each other. The Patriots will give it their best, but with Moss getting defeated constantly on the outside, Brady will be forced to throw into Welker’s direction. Wes will have a 15+ catch game, but it won’t be enough to stop Rivers, Gates and Jackson. Rivers will pile up a lot of yards through the air, and Antonio will torch the defense with 10 catches for over 100 yards. Chargers, who really are on a run, have the edge in this one: 23-16.

NFC
1 New Orleans Saints VS Philadelphia Eagles
The Saints are this year’s surprise team. They will try to keep that up in this divisional game, but the Eagles are in the hot-seat. The defense continues to play solidly, while McNabb doesn’t shift down a gear either. He will fire his tight spiral into double or triple coverage, but he will get away with it because of Jackson’s soft hands. Celek will be a perilous threat underneath.
The Saints will overuse Brees’ arm because of a non-existent running game. In a close call, the Saints come up 30 yards short of beating the Eagles, as a utopia explodes in their face leaving behind New Orleans in a discombobulated state of mind. Eagles win, 24-20.

2 Minnesota Vikings VS Green Bay Packers
Oh boy, the rivalry is back. Favre against Rodgers, and because Favre is the man with experience; he will defeat his counterpart. The old wild wild west sheriff will do just enough to take down the deputy sheriff who just got promoted to lead a franchise that is simply not as good as the Nordic men from Minnesota. Favre will send the Green Bay fans back home packing cheese, while Rodgers gets the opportunity to take over the legacy in Green Bay thinking of tools and instruments to make 2011 the year of Packer redemption. Vikings use Peterson, Favre and defense to top packers: 31-20.

NFC AND AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Indianapolis Colts VS San Diego Chargers
Rivers will do anything he can to find the weaknesses in the Colts’ defense, and he will be successful at doing so, but he will be toothless in trying to pump up his defense to go all smash-mouth football on Manning. Peyton will do what he always does: find Wayne, Clark and Garcon to overpower the Lightning Bolts. This game will re-confirm the end of the LT legacy as he will be limited to under 50 yards on at least 20 carries. The Colts will advance to the Superbowl on a score of 24-10.

Minnesota Vikings VS Philadelphia Eagles
As the Vikings prepare for McNabb and Jackson, so will the Eagles come up with a perfect plan to stop Peterson. The running game will not be a factor, forcing Favre into making typical ill-advised Favre-style “this is just called shooting yourself in the foot” passes, probably thrown from the back of his foot. Interceptions will add themselves up to three as the Eagles steamroll the Vikings in a game in which the Eagles could have scored far more points had DeSean not dropped that one long bomb from McNabb at the end of the third Q: 17-14.

SUPERBOWL
Indianapolis Colts VS Philadelphia Eagles
This game will go into overtime and the Colts will come out victorious, leaving a disillusioned Eagle team empty handed after yet another fabulous season. It will make people all around the world re-appreciate Hollywood movies again as everyone wants to see the underdog win it all in the end. The Colts will take the Lombardy Trophy back to Indiana, a state so boring that it really doesn’t deserve any credit. However, in the State of Indiana there really is only one name worth mentioning: MANNING. You can hate him as much as you want, but he is the face of a Colts team that has been dominant throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century. Not only will the Colts win the SB, they will be voted “most successful team” of this decade, just surpassing the Patriots on all poll charts.
The Colts will beat the Eagles (oh boy, how could Jackson drop that big pass again in the second Q, and what if, what if, Jackson had been able to go all the way on that fourth quarter punt… lots of ifs…), 23-20.

So far, my predictions. Don’t hold me accountable if my mind-reading abilities come up short. It is just to get the discussion started.

Five crucial Qs for the playoffs:
-How much will DeSean Jackson’s arrogance come to bother the Eagles?
-What’s the effect of a Brees off-day?
-How will resting Colts starters during the wildcard impact their chemistry?
-Can Romo, if the Cowboys make the playoffs, prevent the “oh-no, not again” in week 1 of the Playoffs?
-How much will redemption "trust me, I can play" factor in for Orton?

Cannot wait for January to be here…Will stop here as my mistletoe is waiting for me…