The new guard prevails: Windy City Gridiron picks the 2020 NFL Playoffs

A battle of fresh and young versus dated and experienced takes center stage this January.

The Bears may be sitting at home twiddling their thumbs this winter, but that doesn’t mean the NFL’s elite don’t have anything to play for. This upcoming Wild Card Weekend serves as the spark to the fuse of the 2020 Playoffs. The next month should be filled with intrigue, excitement, and perhaps symbolism of what’s in store for a league in flux. Any number of core questions define the leaders of the postseason field.

Can MVP favorite Lamar Jackson further cement his status as a highlight reel legend with a Super Bowl victory in Miami? And are the heavily favored Ravens equipped enough to take advantage of somewhat lacking competition?

Is the Patriots’ dynasty finally, mercifully on its last legs? Or has it merely hit another overgrown (if expected) speed bump?

How will Andy Reid’s Chiefs fare with perhaps the most complete team from top to bottom he has ever taken into the second season? Will the narratives around another failure center unfairly on Patrick Mahomes? (Yes. Whoops, sorry.)

Are the Saints due for a February breakout after one of the more consistent runs of playoff heartbreak in recent memory? Or is Drew Brees forever destined to be the Hall of Fame quarterback who could only get it done once?

Have the Packers filled in the myriad number of gaping potholes that have plagued their organization since a championship to start last decade? Or is an aged Aaron Rodgers, surrounded by an overachieving team, grasping at straws while leading a 13-win paper tiger?

The next five weeks will have the definitive answer to some of these prompts, and subjective pandering with hollow feel-good themes established to most of the rest. The only objective conclusion to be made is that the coming ride will be anything but an exhilarating adventure.

Windy City Gridiron’s staff picks for the 2020 NFL playoffs.

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Robert Zeglinski

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Seahawks over Eagles

AFC Wild Card:

Texans over Bills

Titans over Patriots

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

Seahawks over 49ers

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Titans

Chiefs over Texans

Championship Game(s):

Saints over Seahawks

Chiefs over Ravens

Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs over Saints

MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

After their cornerstone went down with what seemed to be a catastrophic knee injury, the Chiefs flew under the radar. The Ravens stole the spotlight, rightfully, while Kansas City slowly gathered its strength and groove. Now the best quarterback to enter professional football in years, Mahomes, is surrounded by the best and most balanced team the Chiefs have ever fielded. They have speed everywhere. They have a coach who has been there and done that and done it again. And they have a quarterback that will cover up any and all shortcomings. By the Football Gods, he will.

The real Super Bowl will be remembered as the AFC Championship Game after Mahomes and Co. dismantle Drew Brees’ and Sean Payton’s last shot at a title. Len Dawson and Hank Stram would be proud, grinning from ear to ear.

Lester Wiltfong Jr.

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Seahawks over Eagles

AFC Wild Card:

Texans over Bills

Patriots over Titans

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

49ers over Seahawks

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Texans

Chiefs over Patriots

Championship Game(s):

Saints over 49ers

Chiefs over Ravens

Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs over Saints

MVP: Tyrann Mathieu

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Andy Reid finally gets his Super Bowl to validate him as one of the best coaches in the history of the game. In an odd twist for the offensive genius, it’ll be his defense that pushes his team to victory.

Sam Householder

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Seahawks over Eagles

AFC Wild Card:

Bills over Texans

Patriots over Titans

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

49ers over Seahawks

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Bills

Chiefs over Patriots

Championship Game(s):

49ers over Saints

Ravens over Chiefs

Super Bowl LIV: Ravens over 49ers

MVP: Lamar Jackson

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Do you really care what I think? It’s going to be wrong anyway, but the last time I correctly predicted a Super Bowl, it was Ravens-49ers with the Ravens winning in 2012. The Ravens have gone wire-to-wire as the best team in the NFL. I think a magical season that ends with them hoisting the trophy is in store. Their rushing attack leads to an off-season of pundits saying, “Well, actually, maybe the running game is back and passing doesn’t matter. It’s a rushing league again.” Those people will be wrong.

Bill Zimmerman

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Seahawks over Eagles

AFC Wild Card:

Titans over Patriots

Bills over Texans

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

Seahawks over Niners

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Titans

Chiefs over Bills

Championship Game(s):

Saints over Seahawks

Ravens over Chiefs

Super Bowl LIV: Saints over Ravens

MVP: Drew Brees

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes, quarterbacks get storybook endings (see John Elway). In a season where Drew Brees takes ownership of every major career passing statistic, he finishes his career with a Super Bowl MVP and a second Super Bowl championship. After beating Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Lamar Jackson on his way to a title, he cements his greatness among all-time great quarterbacks and rides off into the sunset.

Erik Duerrwaechter

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Eagles over Seahawks

AFC Wild Card:

Bills over Texans

Patriots over Titans

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

49ers over Eagles

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Titans

Patriots over Chiefs

Championship Game(s):

Saints over 49ers

Ravens over Patriots

Super Bowl LIV: Saints over Ravens

MVP: Drew Brees

Drew Brees is looking for one more Super Bowl before he rides off into the sunset and retires. And, the Saints have proven they can win any game in any way imaginable. I think this will be the best Super Bowl we see for a long time.

Ken Mitchell

NFC Wild Card:

Saints over Vikings

Seahawks over Eagles

AFC Wild Card:

Texans over Bills

Titans over Patriots

NFC Divisional Round:

Saints over Packers

49ers over Seahawks

AFC Divisional Round:

Ravens over Titans

Chiefs over Texans

Championship Game(s):

49ers over Saints

Chiefs over Ravens

Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs over 49ers

MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Robert knows January is the notorious month of uttered promises people make that they never keep. He’s looking forward to every promised Northeastern United States “revenge tour” falling apart as such.

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WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Bill Zimmerman; Like us on Facebook.

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