Alright, so I wasn't exactly on target with my Wild Card Predictions, nor was I so willing to go about posting the second part of it. I can assure you though, that this time I've decided to jumble them all together, so we can have a good idea of how I see this weekend's games occurring.
After a weekend of blowouts, humiliating losses (looking right in your eyes, Atlanta), and a dramatic conclusion the likes of which ~90% of the planet didn't see coming, you would think that it would be difficult to choose who I think is going to punch their ticket to the AFC/NFC Conference Championships, right? Not so much. In fact, it was much easier to think this week of who I believe is moving on, than it was the previous week.
Whether or not that it translates to actual success in picking games, is left to be determined.
New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers
4:30 PM ET, FOX
Lettuce be honest: not too many people believed that the San Francisco 49ers would come close to a playoff berth before the 2011 NFL regular season started, much less hosting a playoff game. If you had told somebody that they would earn themselves a bye to the Divisional Round though? They'd probably tell you to go jump off a cliff. Well, the 49ers in fact did all of that in this 2011 season, and they've earned it. The #1 rush defense in the league didn't give up a rushing touchdown until Week 16, and only allowed 2 on the entire season. That's not to say however that they can't withstand an aerial attack, as their ballhawking defense is near the top in the turnover and interception departments as well. They may have two of the best defensive players in the league in Patrick Willis and Justin Smith, my pick for Defensive Player of the Year, and several unknown players to most of the country in All-Pro NaVorro Bowman, rookie Aldon Smith and defensive end Ray MacDonald. The 49er defense is formidable, and for a team that is rich in tradition in its offense, needless to say the culture's changed out in the Bay Area.
The big, bad New Orleans Saints will be coming into 'Frisco this Saturday, and boy are they hot. The Saints have scored 40+ points in each of their last 4 games, and Drew Brees has been white hot as of late as well. It's no secret that when the Saint are rolling, their unquestioned and unabashed leader is at the forefront of the discussion. The MVP talk has circulated, the team keeps on winning, and it's almost absurd to pick against them now, right? Not so much. I believe in San Francisco and what they do both defensively and surprisingly enough, offensively. Frank Gore is finally on a winning team, and he's been the strength of their offense the entire season and should continue to be so on Saturday afternoon. The ball control offense should keep the Saints red-hot offense on the sidelines and not up to their usual scoring at will ways. Expect David Akers to have a long day of kicking field goals due to the fact that the 49ers have been stonewalled in the red zone all season, but I don't look for that to be a factor in whether they win, or whether they lose. Niners move to their first NFC Conference Championship appearance in 14 years.
New Orleans 21 San Francisco 24
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots8:00 PM ET, CBS
In case you've been living under a rock the last couple of months, Tebowmania has been runnin' wild all over the country, and the National Football League has not been spared in its path either. Tim Tebow has proved to be a polarizing figure among the population, sports analysts, pundits, religious figures, and comedians. Few things can be called into question in this run that the Denver Broncos have had, and one of those, of course, is the ability as a quarterback that Tim Tebow possesses. Against the #1 pass defense in the league last week though, (albeit a banged up, and hurting secondary) Tebow threw for 316 yards (hello religious nuts) and was in fact the reason that the Broncos pulled off the stunning victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (I'll give credit where credit is due to Demaryius Thomas however. Fantastic run after the catch).
The stingy Broncos defense looked to be back in their playmaking form last week after forcing an already-hurting Ben Roethlisberger to be incredibly uncomfortable in the pocket and forced a couple of interceptions and turnovers out of their offense. They'll be the key in this matchup against Brady and the Patriot offense. Tom Brady. ..well, what else is there really to say? "The January Assassin" has looked shaky the last couple of years ever since losing in Super Bowl XLII (Patriots have lost their last 2 playoff games to the Ravens in 2010, and the Jets in 2011), I don't expect him to be afraid to test the Broncos' secondary which is fielding two inexperienced safeties if Brian Dawkins cannot go on Saturday night, and might be prone to a fierce aerial attack featuring All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski and slippery slot receiver Wes Welker. The Patriots' defense may be incredibly porous statistically (no word on whether or not they are absorbent and yellow), but they rank near the top half of the league in turnovers and interceptions. They are the X-Factor in my opinion to a Patriots victory if the Patriots want to make it to their 6th AFC Title game appearance in the last 10 years. Tebowmania may be runnin' wild, it might be Miller Time in Denver...but, the Patriots can't lose a fourth consecutive playoff game, can they...?
Denver 28 New England 34
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
1:00 PM ET, CBS
The Houston Texans shocked me last week and blew out the Cincinnati Bengals in their very first playoff game in franchise history in their hometown confines of Reliant Stadium. Nice job, Houston, and now after this game, you're handsomely rewarded with a trip to Charm City, Mobtown, The City of Firsts, Monument City, or to put it more bluntly, Ravenstown, and greeted by none other than the Baltimore Ravens, who have been clamoring for this moment since the 2006-07 season. B'more fans would like to forget what occurred that year, so I'll spare them of the details. If you're a Ravens fan, and you just so happen to be reading this, I don't even need to say what occurred that year. The Texans pose a formidable threat to the Ravens with their prolific rush attack of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Their defense is nothing to mess with either. Even with the absence of Mario Williams, arguably their best defensive player, the Texans have managed to let new stars shine through, such as rookies J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed, free agent acquisition Johnathan Joseph, and stud inside linebacker Brian Cushing. 3rd string quarterback T.J. Yates has been everything that the Texans' could have asked for, and Andre Johnson finally had his moment in the spotlight last week. But even with all that said, and even with the feel-good story coming out of H-Town this year, what with all the injuries that the Texans have been plagued with all season, the late season gaffe to the at the time winless Colts, it's Baltimore's time. There's no more Steelers to give them anguish, there's hardly any more excuses left to make. It's put up, or shut up for the Ravens this weekend, and I think they stand up to the challenge and punch it in the mouth.
Houston 14 Baltimore 26
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
4:30 PM ET, FOX
Ever since their instant classic in Week 13 of the NFL season, the comparisons were drawn to 2007-08. The Giants and Patriots met that year, and the Patriots were "lucky" to come out of Giants Stadium with a win, 38-35. The Packers beat the Giants in Week 13, 38-35. The Patriots at the time were undefeated, and of course, went on to lose to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, ending their undefeated run. The Packers were undefeated at the time, and escaped from MetLife Stadium with a win, keeping their dreams of an undefeated season alive. Sadly for Green Bay, they would lose to Kansas City a few weeks later, halting them from going for a perfect season. Now, the comparisons are still drawing toward the 2008 NFL Playoffs, but of a different animal.
Everybody remembers the Freezer Bowl, when the Giants defeated the Packers in Overtime, advancing to the Super Bowl. Now the stage is set as a once-again white-hot Giants team, fresh off of three consecutive victories against the Jets, Cowboys, and Falcons, rumbles into Green Bay and into Lambeau Field. However, in my opinion, I don't see that as a relevant spectrum to look into. Yes, the Giants are hot. Yes, their pass rush is phenomenal. Yes, Eli Manning is playing at an elite level and is finally getting the respect that he so rightfully deserved acclaiming years ago. But, these two teams are strongly different from the teams that met in the NFC Championship Game four years ago. Aaron Rodgers has been playing out of his mind since last year, right around this time, and the Green Bay Packers have been a mean, green, killing machine for the last calendar year. Sorry, Giants fans, but I don't see that ending.
New York 23 Green Bay 35
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