NFL Divisional Round Preview

After a lot of thought, I have finally made my predicitions for this weekends NFL Divisional Round games. I know I said I'd post this a few days ago but these match-ups had me thinking & it took me a while to get into it. Last week gained us a new logo in the NFL, they may still be called the Broncos but they show love to their QB with the new logo.

Last week I was 3 of 4 on my predictions & I accurately predicted what went down in Denver. The Denver game was the only thriller of last week, the New Orleans-Detroit game was a close 2nd but it got out of hand late. So with Denver, Houston, New Orleans & the New York Giants advancing, let's talk about who they'll be playing in the 2nd round of the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs. Without further adieu, let's start with the AFC.


Let's start with the game that has everyone talking ever since last Sunday after a crazy OT win, I'm talking about the Denver Tebows...I mean Broncos against the New England Bradys...I mean Patriots. All the buzz in this game has been around the Quarterbacks: Tebow & Brady. Tim Tebow has captured a lot of attention in the national media ever since he became a starter but he's no stranger to that having dealt with similar attention (to a lesser extent) while at the University of Florida. He leads the Broncos the same way he did the Gators, with a heart & determination to win. On the other side of this game we have the man who's been here many times before, Tom Brady. Brady didn't win any National Titles in college but he makes up for it & more with those 3 Super Bowl rings. I have a feeling that if Denver moves the ball in a similar or better fashion then they did last week against the defense that according to Bart Scott "Can't stop a nose bleed", they shouldn't have a problem going to the AFC Championship game. The Patriots may have won in the regular season but sometimes in rematches things don't go the same, just ask LSU about Alabama. I like Denver by 1 score in this game. We'll have to see if I'm right tonight at 8 PM ET on CBS.


The other game in the AFC features the Texans against the Ravens. Last week the Texans made an impressive playoff debut by defeating the Bengals 31-10. This week they face a tougher opponent in the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens look to repeat their Week 6 29-14 win over Houston. I think TJ Yates will make this game closer then Matt Schaub did back in October. This is one of those games where if one side isn't producing, the game could get out of hand quick. I like Baltimore in this game because the Ravens have been my AFC pick since the Jets were eliminated, no disrespect to my friends who live in the Houston area. We'll have to wait til Sunday at 1 PM ET on CBS to see how this one turns out.



Over in the NFC, first we have the New Orleans Saints going out to the Stick to face the San Francisco 49ers. Unlike the other 3 match-ups this weekend this game is not a rematch & should be a good one. If the 49ers D is able to step up against Drew Brees then this should be a good one. Another thing for San Francisco that needs to work is the offense, Alex Smith needs to be on his A-Game to hang with Drew Brees'  highly explosive pass game. This one could be like the Baltimore game in terms of getting ugly, very quickly. Overall i like the 49ers in this one in a close on, possibly an OT game. Kickoff for this one is Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on FOX.


Last but not least we have the rematch that's getting more attention then Tim Tebow (in the NY Metro area anyway), I'm talking about the New York Giants against the Green Bay Packers. If the regular season is any indication to what this game will be like, then we're in store for a classic on the Frozen Tundra. The Giants, their fans & the media have compared this run that Big Blue is on to their run in the 2007-08. To me the Giants are a scarier team then they were a few years ago because of their ELIte QB, Eli Manning. I've witnessed that when this team is down that their not out & that Manning and Victor Cruz are game changers. I have a feeling that whoever wins this game may be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come February. With the momentum the Giants have, it's no surprise I'm gonna pick them but you can't overlook how scary the Packers can be as well. They're the defending Super Bowl Champions and won't go down without a fight. They have without a doubt the best QB in football and a loaded offense. If they can beat the Giants then I think that they will reclaim the Trophy that has their legendary former coach's name on it. I think we have another playoff OT thriller in store for us from Big Blue and the Cheese Heads. Look for a great one Sunday at 4:30 PM ET on FOX.

I'll be back next week with my NFL Conference Championship Round preview & some other things.
STAY TUNED!