Feb 1, 2014; New York, NY, USA; General view of football helmet with the Arizona host committee logo at the Super Bowl XLVIII handoff ceremony at Super Bowl Boulevard on Broadway. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The long road to Glendale, Arizona, the site for Super Bowl XLIX, starts on Thursday in the Pacific Northwest when the Packers head out to Seattle to take on the reigning champions. In what’s become an annual tradition, the Bear Goggles On staff has made their 2014 season predictions for all of the division winners, Wild Card teams and ultimately the Super Bowl winner. A couple of people nailed the Super Bowl champ, so we might actually know what we’re doing.
We’ll have our detailed Bears game-by-game picks up later this week, so we’re spoiling it a little bit by revealing our NFC playoff teams:
The Bears and Packers get all the action in the NFC North, with all but one of our writers predicting at least a playoff berth. No one is buying what the Lions are doing and the Vikings get no love either. Despite not winning the NFC South, the Saints are nearly a unanimous choice to win that division. Only one Lovie Smith disciple has the Bucs coming out of the South.
More from Chicago Bears News
- Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
- How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
- The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
- Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
- 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears
As is the case with the NFC East, it’s a mixed bag. Each team was picked to win the division by at least one different writer. The NFC West is a dog fight between the 49ers and the Seahawks, with no one believing in the Arizona Cardinals or the St Louis Rams. No one like the Carolina Panthers to get back to the postseason, which is a bit of a surprise, while there are a couple of Hard Knocks fans who like the Falcons to have a bounceback season.
By the time the dust settles, everyone has one of the top teams coming out of the conference to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Yes, there are six people who believe the Bears are ready for a Super Bowl run.
Let’s look at who they’ll possibly match up against over on the AFC side.