Per last week’s message about the rest of the NFL season, here is my re-vamped playoff tree. Biggest difference is in the fate of the Eagles, who won twice sans McNabb since I wrote on this topic last. Still, I see Tampa and Oakland in the Super Bowl, with Oakland coming out on top.

Following a long NFL conversation with Josh Schneider this morning, I see good reason to prognosticate on the remaining NFL season as it stands this Monday morning.  Me thinks I smell a feature for Mondays the rest of the year…

Josh contends that there is a “conspiracy” in the NFL, not only to have the NFC playoffs all travel through Green Bay, but also for Brett Favre and the Pack to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in San Diego in January as a “farewell” to Favre, who will announce his retirement shortly thereafter.  I believe Josh to be full of shit, and I’ve told him as much.  Here is how the playoffs will shape up:

As you can see, yesterday’s game will wind up costing the Packers a first-round playoff bye and what would’ve been a home game in Rd 2.  In the AFC, Jay Fiedler back in the lineup and the overall parity in the conference will get the Dolphins a home game in the Divisional Round, but they will choke as usual, and San Diego’s youth will be exposed when the Senior NFL Tour drops by from upstate.  The only thing I’m changing my mind about already is that it will, in fact, end up being OAKLAND that wins the Super Bowl, not Tampa.  The savvy Raiders will find a way to score more than 23 points in that game, putting it out of reach for the O-less Bucs.

So yeah, Super Bowl matchup: Tampa Bay vs. Oakland, Raiders win.

Greatest travesty in the playoffs: Philly’s loss of Donovan McNabb.  With him under center, they had a legitimate shot at winning out for the year, and later winning the conference, but with Koy Detmer @ QB, they will win 3, lose 3, and quickly and silently bow out in the Wild Card round.