NFL Divisional Playoffs

After an exciting first week in the playoffs we are left with only division winners.Without the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals there will be no wild-card Super Bowl winner in 2012. With some great match-ups this weekend we should see just as much excitement as last week.

Houston Texans (10-6) at Baltimore Ravens (12-4): Coming off a win in their first ever playoff game the Texans are determined to keep moving through the playoffs but the Ravens will be alot harder to beat than the Cincinnati Bengals. With two of the top defenses in the NFL alot of people are expecting a low scoring game but with two of the best running backs in the league we could see a ground battle. The Ravens running back, Ray Rice, ran for 1,364 yards on 291 carries, while the Texans running back, Arian Foster, ran for 1,224 yards on 278 carries. Houston also has a dynamic runner coming off the bench in Ben Tate. Tate compiled 942 rushing yards on 175 carries this season as the back-up. With evenly ranked defenses and two top running games this could come down to the passing game. While the Texans are ranked 15th, while the Ravens rank 18th, in passing yards a game the Ravens still have a major advantage in the passing game. The reason Houston is ranked higher is due to the yardage thrown while quarterback Matt Schaub was healthy. While back-up T.J. Yates has been good he has yet to face a defense like the Ravens. If the Texans want to win this Yates will need to shuttle off shorter passes and try to open a gap of weakness in the Ravens defense. The Ravens will need to stop the running game like they do almost every game and force turnovers. Advantage easily goes to the Ravens who beat Houston 29-14 with Houston's starting quarterback in.

Denver Broncos (8-8) at New England Patriots (13-3): After a stunning 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime last week the Broncos made a shocking upset to eliminate the Pittsburgh Steelers from the playoffs. If the Broncos put up 29 points against possibly the best defense in the NFL there's no telling what they can put up against one of the worst defenses in the league. The Patriots are ranked 31st in passing yards allowed and 17th in rushing yards allowed, but with a high powered offense it will be hard for the Broncos defense to keep this game in control and low scoring. When these teams faced earlier in the season the Patriots blew out the Broncos 41-23. The Broncos defense will have to allow alot less than 41 points in this game if they plan on moving to the AFC Championship. The biggest differences between a quarterback match-up in playoff history is taking place in this game. Superstar Tom Brady will be taking on the comeback kid Tim Tebow. It's hard to believe a player with horrible stats can be such a great leader and lead his team to win games in the 4th quarter but Tebow has done just this, and for those who still believe Tebow isn't the reason they are winning, look at his 4th quarter stats and compare them to the best quarterbacks in the NFL. If the Patriots put up over 35 points its hard to see the Broncos being able to compete, but if the Broncos defense can hold the Patriots to 21 points or less than we might be seeing Tebow in the AFC championship. Advantage still goes to the Patriots.

New York Giants (9-7) at Green Bay Packers (15-1): With two horrible defenses, each in the top 5 for passing yards and both in the bottom 5 for rushing yards this game is sure to be decided through the air. While Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls the Giants are also in the hunt to get Eli Manning his 2nd ring. With a win last week against the Falcons the Giants are moving towards possibly the best team in the NFL. The Giants are used to being underdogs thought, and its not the first time they have been doubted and huge underdogs against unbelievable teams. With running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and bruiser Brandon Jacobs the Giants have the edge in the running game while the Packers get the edge in the passing game. This game will come down to which defense can stop the pass. The advantage goes to the 15-1 Packers.

New Orleans Saints (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers (13-3): It's defense vs offense in this game. The saying is offense wins games and defense wins championships, this will show us which is better to have. While the Saints are making history with quarterback Drew Brees they have been the top passing offense in the NFL and the 6th ranked rushing team. The weakness of the Saints is their defense, ranking 30th in passing yards allowed and 12th in rushing yards allowed. The 49ers are the opposite, with having a 29th ranked passing offense and 8th ranked running defense the Saints defense wont be too challenged, yet with the 16th ranked passing defense and best rushing defense in the league the Saints will be challenged on offense. The 49ers rushing defense did not allow a single touchdown in their first 14 games, which is an NFL record and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 36 games. With running back Frank Gore, the 49ers can move the ball as good as anyone on the ground and will need his help this weekend. For the 49ers to win this game they will need to take advantage of the Saints weak passing defense and create some points. The Saints just need to have Drew Brees and his receivers play at a high level. This game is so close I refuse to give a favored team, we will let game time decide that.