NFL Divisional Weekend Predictions

Well, that didn't go so well. After lighting it up last year & going 3-1 in wild card weekend, I only managed to split this year's four games. If I would've followed the simple plan of picking home teams, I would've been tasting sweet victory. Oh well.

Horrible picks aside, this weekend should be tremendous for football fans, as the four most interesting teams that played all advanced. This creates some sizzling match-ups for divisional weekend and darn it, I can't wait!

(Home team in CAPS)

Saints over 49ERS

The 49ers have to be the most over-looked team in the playoffs. Sure, I didn't help with my prediction above, but whatever. SF has a punishing defense, steady running game, brash yet confident coach. They have all the tools of a championship team. They're not exactly loaded on offense but they're just productive enough on that side of the ball to give their defense a chance to close out the game. I've heard people say that eventually, despite all the record-setting offenses we've seen this season, defense has to (and will) win these playoff games. And part of me believes that. Just not this time.

All bets are off when you're playing Drew Brees. The dude is simply playing out of his mind right now. As dominant as the SF D has been, the Saints have so many weapons on offense, it's almost impossible to stop them all. Will Brees have as easy a time w/ SF as he did with Detroit? Of course not. But if NO happens to get up by a touchdown or two, I have to feel confident that Alex Smith can close the gap to pick them. Simply, I do not.

PATRIOTS over Broncos

What a season for Denver. Everyone is going ham over Tebow & the boys after their stunning OT win over defending AFC champs Pittsburgh. Even if you have no horse in this race, you just have to root for a dude like Tebow, who has been critized rather unfairly despite being a respectable field general for most of the year. The leadership & magic(?) he brings are factors that go beyond stats. Will the feel-good story continue?

Not so fast, buddy. If anyone recalls, these teams matched up earlier this year & NE punished Denver, most notably their defense. While Brady may not be Brees-hot, he certainly protected his throne, passing for over 5,000 yards, second all-time right behind the NO QB. NE has a huge flaw on defense, particularly their secondary, and that's not a good sign with the way Tebow and D. Thomas were able to exploit the Steelers. But I have to believe that experience wins out here. NE has been down this road before, Denver is without the crutch of their home field & God knows what Bellicek has planned for Tebow. NE by two TDs.

RAVENS over Texans

This is my easiest pick of the weekend. Houston looked good against Cincy, who looked competitive to start but over-matched by the end. Andre Johnson appeared to be healthy & Arian Foster did what Arian Foster does. The defense came up w/ a monster pick-six and TJ Yates did nothing to wipe all of that clean. For the Texans to win, they will have to repeat that same formula, only multiply that by a million. These aren't the Bengals they're playing this week, my friend.

Baltimore, a group of grizzled veterans, should be refreshed after their week off. Everyone knows about the playmakers they have on defense, and I expect them to keep the pressure on Hosuton's rookie QB. But it's when the Ravens have the ball on offense where this game will be won. Houston has proven to be a solid crew on defense but a dual-threat like Ray Rice is the perfect remedy to solve that problem. An all-purpose yard king, Rice is just as dangerous catching balls out of the backfield than toting the rock after a hand-off. I smell a 150-yard combined performance from him to lead Baltimore to the win.

PACKERS over Giants

Ahhh, this pains me. No team has looked better in the past three weeks (with maybe New Orleans in the discussion) than the Giants. They've crushed the Jets, Cowboys & Falcons in order, bringing them to this rematch with defending champs Green Bay. The pass rush reached their pinnicle last week, holding Atlanta's potent offense scoreless. Hakeem Nicks showed what happens when defenses put too much focus on Victor Cruz. Brandon Jacobs looked like... well... not Brandon Jacobs, running for almost 100 yards. The G-Men are clicking on all cyclinders.

And then there's the offensive juggernaut known as the Packers. Yeah, they had the best record in the NFL. Yeah, they probably have the MVP in Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, his favorite weapon, Greg Jennings, is back from injury. It's not likely that the Giants will do to GB what they did to Atlanta. Like NE, the only thing keeping GB from being an unstoppable force is their pourous defense. They often bend but don't break, but New York has the pieces on offense to keep the pressure on, and that's exactly what I expect them to do. But that pressure can only sustained for so long. As much as it pains me to say it, I like GB here by a FG. And if I'm wrong, I will be the happiest man alive.