stevo's 2019 nfl predictions: the playoffs

"Every time when I look in the mirror?
All these lines on my face getting clearer?
The past is gone!  It went by, like dusk to dawn.
Isn't that the way -- everybody's got their dues in life to pay?

I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes.
I know everybody sins --
But you got to lose to know, how to win.

Half my life is books and written pages;
Live and learn, from fools and from sages.
You know it's true --
All the feelings come back to you!

Sing with me!
Sing for the year!
Sing for the laughter!
Sing for the tears!

Sing with me!
If just for today!
Then maybe tomorrow?
The good Lord will take you away ...

... (one epic buildup) ...

Dream on!  Dream on!
Dream on!  Dream until your dreams come true!

Dream on!  Dream on!
Dream on!  Dream until your dreams come true!

Yeah, dream on!  Dream on!
Dream on!  Dream on!

Dream on!  Dream on!
Dream on!  Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Well, sing with me!  Sing for the years!
Sing for the laughter!  Sing for the tears!
Sing with me -- if just for today!
'Cause maybe tomorrow?  The good Lord'll take you away!

Sing with me!  Sing for the years!
Sing for the laughter!  Sing for the tears!
Sing with me -- if just for today!
'Cause maybe tomorrow?  The good Lord'll take you away ..."

-- "Dream On" by Aerosmith.

--------------------

Here are your 2019 NFL Season Predictions, broken down into five parts:

Part I: The Last Place Finishers
Part II: The Third Place Finishers
Part III: The Wild Card Contenders
Part IV: The Division Winners
Part V: The Postseason

Also, this is your Week One Power Poll.  As always, 32 is typical New York Jets bad, 1 is typical New England Patriots good.

Enjoy.

--------------------

Wild Card Games.

* 6 Buffalo Bills 21, at 3 Houston Texans 34.
(Saturday, January 4, 2020, 3:30pm CT (ABC / ESPN)).

A deceptively sneaky-good playoff opener, if only because the Bills have the defense to at least contain the Texans offense.  In the end, too much Deshaun Watson, too much JJ Watt, and too much noise in the finest facility I've ever attended a NFL game in.  (Seriously -- NRG Reliant is still as gorgeous and awesome today, as it was when I first stepped foot in there fifteen years ago.  Especially compared to that decrepit "Eighth Wonder of the World" next door.)

* 5 San Francisco 49ers 17, at 4 Dallas Cowboys 27.
(Saturday, January 4, 2020, 7pm CT (NBC)).

Yes please.  Do you realize these two haven't met in the postseason since the 1994 NFC Title Game?  That's ridiculous.  This needs to happen.  Here's hoping it will.

* 6 Green Bay Packers 31, at 3 Chicago Bears 30.
(Sunday, January 5, 2020, noon CT (FOX)).

It can't possibly be worse than the season opener.

* 5 Pittsburgh Steelers 24, at 4 New England Patriots 27 (OT).
(Sunday, January 5, 2020, 3:30pm CT (CBS)).

Another matchup we don't get nearly enough of, come January.  Also, no matter who wins this, it sets up one epic, awesome, "grab the popcorn!" Divisional Round game next week for said winner.

Divisional Round Games.

* 6 Green Bay Packers 34, at 1 Atlanta "Shane" Falcons 24.
(Saturday, January 11, 2020, 3:30pm CT (NBC)).

So ... I'll go there.  Is Dan Quinn the new 1990s 49ers head coach?  The dude who wins 10 games every year, gets his team to the playoffs every year, and every year faces a "win in the playoffs or you're fired" ultimatum?  I never thought it was fair to George Seifert, I never thought it was fair to Steve Mariucci either.  Although in defense of Eddie DeBartolo, if I had the talent of those 1990s 49ers squads, I'd settle for nothing less than a NFC Title Game appearance every year as well. 

If he is the new 1990s 49ers head coach, this game might seal his fate -- a non-competitive loss to an inferior team at home.

* 3 Houston Texans 38, at 2 Kansas City Chiefs 49.
(Saturday, January 11, 2020, 7pm CT (CBS)).

The first of what I pray is many, many playoff matchups between Deshaun and Patrick.  Let's hope for a day full of snow and little to no wind, ala the Colts playoff game last year.

* 4 New England Patriots 31, at 1 Cleveland Browns 23.
(Sunday, January 12, 2020, 2pm CT (CBS)).

Ooh boy!  Belichick returns to Cleveland!  The Browns host a playoff game!  Baker Mayfield vs Tom Brady, with a spot in the AFC Title Game on the line!  In the end, I trust Bill Belichick far more than I trust Freddie Kitchens.  That, and I believe that when a dynasty dies, it should die to a worthy successor.

* 4 Dallas Cowboys 31, at 2 Los Angeles Rams 20.
(Sunday, January 12, 2020, 5:30pm CT (FOX)).

I'll say it -- the better team wins.  Also, this is without question -- (allard baird voice) without question! -- the best Cowboys team since I lived there twenty plus years ago.  And just like the 1995, 1996 Cowboys?  The weakest link is the one wearing the headset.

Conference Championship Games.

* 4 New England Patriots 31, at 2 Kansas City Chiefs 37 (OT).
(Sunday, January 19, 2020, 2pm CT (CBS)).

If revenge is a dish best served cold ... then let's hope it's not as cold as it was last January 20th.  Because in the words of the (apparently) immortal Ric Flair: "to be the man?  You gotta beat the man!  WOO!"

And that's what this season is about here in Kansas City: unfinished business.  It's about rectifying the outrageous wrong Dee Ford's offside brain fart was.  It's about righting the wrong of the outcome of the coin flip to start overtime.  It's about the Chiefs joining those people (2005, 2013, 2015), the Colts (2006), the Ravens (2009, 2012), and the Jets (2010), as the only teams to beat Belichick's Patriots in the AFC postseason.  It's about stopping their Super Bowl appearance streak at three, and beginning our streak.

Seriously, when I think Patriots, this comes to mind.  It's time to end their run.  It's time to send them packing to the retirement home, where they can act like spoiled toddlers that sh*t their pants over every other team's defeat -- you know, like the 1972 Dolphins do every year.

I refuse to say it's our time, because #2012royals ... but yeah.  It's Chiefs time. 

Lamar's Trophy is coming home.

* 6 Green Bay Packers 31, at 4 Dallas Cowboys 35.
(Sunday, January 19, 2020, 5:40pm (FOX)).

Every one of us raised on this sport in the late 1980s / early to mid 1990s (hey, that's me!) will probably nut if this matchup occurs.  Even post-Favre and post-Triplets, they've already given us two playoff classics in this decade (the 2014 Dez Bryant "non-catch" Divisional Round game; the 2016 38-31 Divisional Round game that saw four scores inside the last four minutes ... including two 50 plus yard field goals inside of a minute to play).

Which gives us ...

Super Bowl LIV.

* 2 Kansas City Chiefs 38, 4 Dallas Cowboys 27.
(Sunday, February 2, 2020, 5:20pm CT (FOX)).

And thus, the lyrics to this post finally reach the point.

We've waited our whole lives for this, Chiefs fans.

Sing with me.
Sing for the years.
Sing for the laughter.
Sing for the tears.

Sing with me,
If just for today.
And maybe tomorrow?
The Good Lord'll take us away.

Starting today?  And every day until about 9pm on February 2nd?  It's dream on!  (Or, as I used to say, "season f*cking on!")

Because come 9pm February 2nd?  We begin planning the biggest party this town has ever seen.  And considering one out of every three people in the metropolitan area descended on Union Station for the Royals victory parade ... sweet Jesus.  Can you even imagine what the Crossroads and Union Hill are gonna look like when the Lombardi comes driving down Grand Boulevard next February? 

I can't wait to see the image become reality ...