For most of the season I had no idea who was the best team in the AFC.  You could have made an argument for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Although look what happened when they relied on Ben Roethlisberger and his one good ankle.  At one point you could have said it was the Houston Texans, but injuries caught up with them and their rookie quarterback showed he’s still a rookie. Looking at this years AFC Championship game it was down to the two best teams.  Baltimore needed to have a great game from QB Joe Flacco and they did just as the 1st quarter came to an end. As soon as the Ravens intercepted Patriots QB Tom Brady for the first time a spark was lit on the Ravens offense.  RB Ray Rice did not have a great game, but Flacco was carrying them to near victory.  The Patriots did not play their best game offensively, but their defense played their best game of the entire year.  A bit of luck was involved with the Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missing, what looked to be for him at least, a 32 yard field goal to take the game to overtime.  But before that happened the Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore knocked the ball out of Ravens WR Lee Evans hands a split second before his second foot came down in the endzone.  That was the game winner for Baltimore which turned out to be the play of the game for New England.  Either way the Patriots know now that their defense isn’t the worst in the NFL after this performance.  But they will need QB Tom Brady to be on his A game if they are to win another Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. New England Patriots (13-3)

Ravens – 15th

Patriots – 2nd

Ravens – 3rd

Patriots – 31st

The word redemption comes to mind for both Baltimore and New England.  The Ravens are looking to finally get back to the Super Bowl.  A game that has eluded them for a long time.  They have always had a great defense, but they haven’t had the best of luck on offense.  This is the time for QB Joe Flacco to finally prove all of his doubters wrong.  He has the skill set and the right receivers around him to live up to that potential.  Ravens S Ed Reed was being honest when saying that Flacco was ‘rattled’ in their contest against Houston.  He will have to play his best game of his career if the Ravens are to beat the Patriots.  

The word revenge seems to describe Patriots QB Tom Brady in these playoffs.  Don’t think that he hasn’t forgotten about the last time he played the Ravens in the playoffs.  New England were the favorites that year and were upset at home by the Ravens.  In order for that to not happen again, the Patriots need to take advantage of their biggest strength and that’s their tight ends.  Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez must involved early and often for the Patriots to get ahead of the Ravens.  I don’t expect the Patriots to get a big lead, but they will be hard to stop if Gronkowski and Hernandez get going.

Matchup to watch for: Ravens QB Joe Flacco vs. Patriots Defense

New York Giants (9-7) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

Giants – 8th

49ers – 26th

Giants – 27th

49ers – 4th

This game is bringing back so many memories of the great clashes between these two teams back in their hay-day.  Now they meet up again for the chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  The Giants boast a dangerous passing game which can lull a defense to sleep.  QB Eli Manning is capable of picking apart the 49ers defense, but he must get a great performance out of RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Ahmad Bradshaw.  Both Jacobs and Bradshaw didn’t do so well against the Packers the week before.  San Francisco doesn’t like to allow the opposing teams running game to get going.  So it is imperative that the Giants get it established if they are to win another road game.

It has been a surreal ride for the 49ers this year.  With having to learn a new system under a new coaching staff they have been the talk of the NFL playoffs right now.  We all know what the Niners have to do on defense to win.  But on offense they will have to repeat what they did to the New Orleans Saints.  QB Alex Smith took a giant leap forward in his playmaking ability last week.  He will have to find TE Vernon Davis and WR Michael Crabtree for the Niners to score.  They are still a run first team with RB Frank Gore, but the Saints knew that and did a good job of stopping Gore.  The Giants will look to do the same thing, but they must take notice with Alex Smith and look for him to win the game for the Niners again.

Matchup to watch for: Giants Defense vs. 49ers QB Alex Smith

Patriots over Ravens

49ers over Giants

Could it be the start of something special?  Come back to me in February and ask me that question again.  For now it is bringing back great memories of great 49ers victories in the playoffs.  What we witnessed this past Saturday was one of a kind.  The Niners defense was doing exactly what they needed to do early in the game and that was cause Saints QB Drew Brees to turnover the ball.  The Saints ended up turning the ball over 5 times in the game.  But as with any great offense they couldn’t be kept quiet for an entire game.  The Saints were still in the game going right into the 4th quarter when RB Darren Sproles and TE Jimmy Graham began to show their worth in the Saints passing attack.  Yet the 49ers weren’t going to go down without a fight of their own.  They answered both of the Saints go ahead touchdowns in the 4th quarter with touchdowns of their own.  QB Alex Smith and TE Vernon Davis have been through some tough times in San Francisco.  Both of them together showed that they belong in the conversation in these playoffs with their fantastic playoff performances.  Time will tell if they will be competing for a Super Bowl, but for now they are on top of the world.

Now I didn’t predict a blowout in New England.  But I didn’t expect a dominant performance from the Patriots on both sides of the field.  QB Tom Brady tied a playoff record with his 6 touchdown passes against Denver.  And the Patriots defense actually looked like they weren’t the worst defense in the NFL. Even the Patriots backup TE Aaron Hernandez was able to run the ball for over 60 yards in that game.  That’s how one sided that game was.  Of course this was a statement game for Tom Brady and at the same time for TE Rob Gronkowski.  He had a record setting season for his position and he is still considered an afterthought in this offense.  Amazing.  Like with the New Orleans Saints, the Patriots still don’t run the ball enough for me to begin to think they can win the whole enchilada.  But if they can do just enough on defense to help lesson the load for their offense they will be in a perfect position to win another Super Bowl.

It’s hard to believe that the Baltimore Ravens haven’t hosted a playoff game since 2006, but it’s true.  They were ready and raring to go right from the start.  But they were exposed at the end of the 1st quarter.  After they were up 17-3 on the Houston Texans, that’s when they became complacent.  The one thing you don’t want to do when you’re up early in a playoff game.  Houston got a big performance from their running back Arian Foster with his 132 yard rushing performance.  Baltimore did just enough on defense to keep the Texans from scoring no more than 13 points, but you’d have to think that if Texans QB T.J. Yates had not turned the ball over 3 times, Houston would be moving on.  Either way the Ravens were at home and it was hard to imagine seeing them lose a home game for the first time this season.  Now they have to win a road playoff game if they want to return to the Super Bowl.  It’s not out of the question for them to do it, but they must avoid complacency if they get an early lead again.

I know, this does look familiar.  It’s not exactly like the 2007 New York Giants team.  That team had to play on the road for the entire playoffs.  This team did host a Wild Card game.  Now for the longest time we thought that no one could beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in the playoffs.  Now it seems that the only team that can beat them is the New York Giants.  Crazy stat time.  Since 1993 the Green Bay Packers have only lost 4 times at home in the playoffs.  The Giants have defeated them twice now. And it wasn’t even close from the start.  Now the Giants weren’t able to establish the running game for most of the game, but they were able to get the big plays.  Example, the hail mary TD pass by QB Eli Manning to WR Hakeem Nicks to end the first half.  That was the game right there.  Green Bay was dumb founded to think that they would try it instead of going for a field goal.  That’s why there were only two defenders for Green Bay in the endzone to cover three Giants wide receivers.  These aren’t the same New York Giants, but they are playing great football when it matters most.  Lets see how the rest of this plays out.

New Orleans Saints (13-3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

Saints – 1st

49ers – 26th

Saints – 24th

49ers – 4th

If you’re expecting the Saints offense to continue their high scoring ways, think again.  The 49ers defense is superb and they’ve been waiting for a true test this season.  New Orleans will have to run the ball effectively if they want to put the Niners away, but that will be difficult to do.  QB Drew Brees will most likely have to throw a lot of screen passes to replace their running game, but how long they can do that is up for debate.  It will be the Saints most daunting task to date if they are to win another Super Bowl.

San Francisco hasn’t been in a playoff game since 2002.  This group of players wants to re-create what was once a dynasty in the bay area.  To do that they’ll have to play lights out on defense. That has been their strong suit this season.  If they can keep Saints QB Drew Brees contained, that will give the Niners offense time to work on the Saints defense.  New Orleans has been successful mainly because they’ve kept their defense off the field for extended periods of time.  That’s where 49ers RB Frank Gore comes in handy.

Matchup to watch for: Saints QB Drew Brees vs. 49ers Defense

Denver Broncos (8-8) vs. New England Patriots (13-3)

Broncos – 23rd

Patriots – 2nd

Broncos – 20th

Patriots – 31st

All the talk will be focused on the quarterbacks in this matchup. Broncos QB Tim Tebow has his doubters and he has proven a lot of them wrong.  He will have to do better this week in a hostile environment.  Their previous matchup was a bit one-sided after the 1st quarter was over.  The one thing that has been said over and over again is that the Broncos must not turn the ball over if they are to beat the Patriots.  New England’s defense is bad, but they look great if they cause turnovers.

This game is just as important for Patriots QB Tom Brady as it is for Broncos QB Tim Tebow.  Brady is actually on a losing streak in the playoffs.  Now that’s not to say that it will continue this year, but he must play his game and not let it get close.  In pressure situations Brady has looked uptight at times.  Now if the Patriots get out to a big lead, there will be no emphasis to continue to pass the ball when you’re up by 3 touchdowns.

Matchup to watch for: Broncos Defense vs. Patriots QB Tom Brady

Houston Texans (10-6) vs. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

Texans – 13th

Ravens – 15th

Texans – 2nd

Ravens – 3rd

This is the classic trap game for the Baltimore Ravens.  Houston has no business winning this game, but with RB Arian Foster on fire from his performance in the Wild Card against Cincinnati, the Texans can win.  Of course like with any rookie quarterback, T.J Yates has to be the perfect complement.  He has WR Andre Johnson and TE Owen Daniels to throw the ball too at crucial moments in the game.  But they will need Foster to be even better and their defense to stop Ravens RB Ray Rice.

Baltimore needs Ray Rice to win, but they also need QB Joe Flacco to be their franchise quarterback.  He has shown that he can win in the playoffs before, but this year is his time to shine.  If he can’t do it this year than the Ravens will have to start over.  He has a healthy Anquan Boldin to throw to, but rookie WR Torrey Smith must be that deep threat that the Ravens have missed.  All the pressure is on Flacco to perform.  The Ravens defense must be able to stop RB Arian Foster too.

Matchup to watch for: Texans RB Arian Foster vs. Ravens Defense

New York Giants (9-7) vs. Green Bay Packers (15-1)

Giants – 8th

Packers – 3rd

Giants – 27th

Packers – 32nd

The Giants are riding high right now.  Everyone is expecting them to make the Green Bay Packers have to play from behind.  Now the Giants need to have RB Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw run through gaping holes at the line for that to happen.  That will make QB Eli Manning’s job a lot easier.  WR Victor Cruz was an after thought against Atlanta, but he will find openings in the Packers defense.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been the topic of conversation in these playoffs.  But he will be if the Giants pass rush doesn’t get to him.  If he has time to throw, the Packers will pick apart the Giants secondary with WR Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and TE Jermichael Finley to catch passes.  Green Bay’s running game will be better suited to show up at this time as well.  Just like last year they were able to make a run at the Super Bowl because of RB James Starks.

Matchup to watch for: Giants Defense vs. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

He’s back.  All the questions and opinions were focused on who would finish the game as Denver’s quarterback.  Well, my thought process was simple.  If the game was close, Tim Tebow would be the quarterback.  Of course if Tebow played like he was during the end of the season I wouldn’t hesitate in yanking him.  But he ended up playing the best game of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Now I was wondering why the Steelers kept putting 9 guys in the box on defense when Tebow was converting on the deep passes.  It was basically the same scheme the New York Jets tried on the Broncos earlier in the season and it failed miserably.  Pittsburgh’s defense is better than that.  They had a lot of injuries on defense as well.  Both before and during the game. But that’s no excuse for not changing your gameplan on the fly. To their credit Denver was keeping the Steelers honest by trying to run the ball, but they weren’t going to abandon throwing the ball down the field.  After all it was working.  The last play to end the game in overtime will make Tim Tebow the talk of the town for the rest of these playoffs and into next year.

Aside from the boneheaded decision making from the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff, the New York Giants needed no help in dismantling them.  It was a one sided affair the entire game.  What made the Giants win even more lopsided was the fact that they were able to run the ball effectively for the entire game.  RB Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw were unstoppable.  And the blocks in front of them were setup perfectly.  This is what makes the Giants the best team in football.  They control the game at the line of scrimmage.  While the offense was running the ball, the defensive line was getting after Falcons QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner the entire game.  Atlanta had no answer in stopping the pass rush and couldn’t create holes for Turner.  This will be a good first test for the defending champion Green Bay Packers.  If the Giants dethrone them it will come as no surprise to me.

You better believe that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t like seeing the Houston Texans winning their first playoff game when his team has only two playoff victories since 1996.  Houston had the perfect gameplan.  Rookie QB T.J Yates wasn’t the first, second or third option on offense.  It was RB Arian Foster who was the first, second and third option on offense.  The Cincinnati Bengals defense knew they had to stop Foster, but had no answer for him.  The Texans defense was superb in thwarting Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton.  The game could have gone either way going into halftime.  That is until Dalton was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by Texans rookie DE J.J. Watt who returned it for a go-ahead touchdown.  That was essentially the ball game for Houston as the Bengals were shutout the entire second half. Going forward the Texans have all the confidence in the world. Aside from the Denver Broncos they are the true underdogs in the entire NFL playoff picture.  Baltimore had better not give them an inch of life next weekend.

This game was closer than the score indicates.  The Detroit Lions had all the momentum going into halftime.  But their defense realized that they couldn’t keep it up for an entire game and let the Saints walk all over them by scoring 35 points in the second half. It wasn’t fair.  Saints QB Drew Brees picked them apart.  For the second consecutive game the Lions pass defense couldn’t put any pressure on the quarterback and were torched through the air. Remember Green Bay Packers backup QB Matt Flynn threw for 6 TD passes during the last game of the season.  Brees could have done the same, but he settled for 3 TD and 466 yards passing. Detroit didn’t commit a lot of penalties, but the life was taken out of them when they came out of the locker room for the second half. New Orleans would like to have a repeat performance on offense in San Francisco, but they should expect a tougher matchup with the 49ers defense causing the most turnovers during the regular season.