Our PFF staffers made their Super Bowl picks, and seven teams were chosen as winners. Here they are, with an explanation of why they'll win for each. (Note, they are listed in order based on the number of notes they received.)
1. Green Bay Packers
This pick starts at the top. Aaron Rodgers, our No. 1-graded quarterback a year ago, makes any team in the league a playoff contender, and any team with a modicum of talent a Super Bowl contender. Even without star WR Jordy Nelson (torn ACL), they’ve amassed an offense that had more players grade within the top five at their position in 2014 than any other. The defense has been their downfall since winning the Super Bowl XLV, but there is reason to believe the secondary is getting closer to the level of that 2010 team that led the NFL in allowed passer rating. After grading average as a rookie, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has looked far more comfortable in Year 2 and could give the Packers the playmaker on the back end they really need. –Mike Renner
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks were a play away from hoisting the Lombardi for the second year in a row last year, despite Russell Wilson having a relatively disappointing season as a passer. I don't think that'll be the case for Wilson two years in a row, especially with the addition of Jimmy Graham, who averaged 1.87 yards from the slot a year ago, third-highest among tight ends. They still have a top defense, and it has the potential to be even better this year if edge rusher Frank Clark, who had seven total pressures and dominated against the run this preseason, can convert August success into a stellar rookie campaign, to join the group of great talents they already have on that unit. –Gordon McGuinness
3. Denver Broncos
The key for Denver to reach and win the Super Bowl is to trust its ground game to take more of a leading role in key games, and in Gary Kubiak I think they now have a head coach who will do that. In C.J. Anderson they have our highest-graded running back from Week 10 onwards last season (+19.2), and by adding Evan Mathis they now have a very good interior offensive line to help clear the way in Kubiak’s zone scheme. Throw in Von Miller’s ferocious pass rush (73 pressures last season) and quality coverage from Chris Harris Jr. and co. on the back end, and you have the recipe for a Super Bowl-winning team — and that’s without mentioning a certain Peyton Manning, who is still one of our top 10 QBs. –Ben Stockwell
4. New England Patriots
While the Patriots’ secondary may be a weak point for them this season (CB Malcolm Butler had an awful game against the Steelers in Week 1), they have enough strength elsewhere to more than make up for it. New additions DE Jabaal Sheard and DE Trey Flowers (+56.4 overall grade last year, second-highest among all NCAA edge defenders) will make huge contributions along the defensive line, giving the Patriots their best pass rush of the PFF era. On offense, with newly added TE Scott Chandler drawing more coverage, PFF’s No. 1 TE Rob Gronkowki (2.53 yards per route run in 2014, highest among TEs) will have his best season since 2011. Faced with the most scrutiny since the 2007 season, QB Tom Brady and the Patriots will respond in a similar way, and cap it off with a fifth Super Bowl victory. –Bryson Vesnaver
5. Indianapolis Colts
The biggest reason the Colts are a Super Bowl contender is Andrew Luck, who, despite not ranking as high in our QB ratings as some might like him to be, due to his at times inconsistent play, he is still clearly on the rise as an NFL QB and is as prolific a deep passer as you’ll find (he had 289 more yards than any other quarterback last season on passes over 20 yards). The O-line is a concern, as is the defense, which is why a return to pre-torn Achilles form for Robert Mathis, who was our No. 7 pass-rusher among 3-4 OLBs in 2013, is essential. If he and Trent Cole, who ranked No. 9 in pass-rushing at the position last season, can make this defense a league-average unit, the Colts should once again be in the AFC title mix because of Luck and their dynamic passing game. –Michael Mountford
6. Detroit Lions
The Lions may have lost superstar DT Ndamukong Suh to the Miami Dolphins, but the remaining defensive components will be enough to bring Lions fans the glory. DE Ezekiel Ansah generated the second-best pass rushing productivity among 4-3 DEs last season, and the combination of CBs Rashean Mathis and Darius Slay provide Detroit with one of the better secondaries in the NFL. On offense, QB Matthew Stafford is coming off a down 2014 season in our grades, but ranked No. 7 among QBs in 2013 and should be able to bounce back with a full season of the WR duo of Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, who both produced yards per route totals within the NFL's top 15 (2.29 and 2.13, respectively). The difference-maker on offense will be the addition of RB Ameer Abdullah, who will give the Lions the breakaway threat they have sorely lacked in previous seasons. –-Wes Huber
7. San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are a great dark-horse Super Bowl pick this year. QB Philip Rivers has had two quiet seasons of great play, ranking eighth overall among QBs in 2014 and third overall in 2013. The addition of first-round rookie RB Melvin Gordon, who of our highest-graded college running backs last year, has fans hopeful the passing attack can be balanced with a reliable run game that has been missing the past few seasons. Possibly the biggest boon to the Chargers this year will be OLB Melvin Ingram, who had a +4.3 pass-rush grade this preseason and has looked very explosive off the edge. He could be the missing piece for a solid defense that has been sorely missing an edge rusher. —Bobby Slowik
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