2011-12 NFL Divisional Playoffs Picks

Ok, here we go, the real deal part of the playoffs.  you know you've done something when you play Game 2.  Let's check it out and see who's going to move forward.

New Orleans @ San Francisco - Ok, the Saints aren't playing in a dome and everyone is talking about how hard it's going to be for them to win because of the weather.  People might want to pay attention to that 49ers defense more than any temperature that they will experience.  The Saints have the offense but I still say they can't run the ball when it matters most.  They have an opportunistic defense that blitzes a lot but seem to make plays to help get Brees back on the field.  Sproles is going to have to have a big game because he's the one guy that you don't want to see with the ball in his hands and space in between the two of you.  The 49ers need to get pressure on Brees and they will need to do that with their front 4, but look for Sopoaga and Smith to make some plays for that defense.  If they can't get pressure, this one is over quick.  Alex Smith also has to play mistake free ball (a proponent all year long) and keep his team in this longer than halftime.  Winner - Saints.

Denver @ New England - And Tebow lives another week.  Next up is Brady and the video taping Patriots,  The Broncos are going to need a big game from their defense and they have to find a way to limit the TE combo of Gronkowski and Hernandez.  The Pats run a lot of these 2 TE sets and then flank Welker on one side which causes coverage problems.  The old adage here sticks, 'the QB can't throw if he's on his back', so pressure is a must.  Get to Brady and you get a win.  As usual for Denver on offense, mistake free football.  No turnovers and Tebow has got to spread it around a little.  Thomas can't be the only guy he's throwing the ball to.  I think this one is a little closer than people think it'll be, but in the end,....Winner - Patriots.

Houston @ Baltimore - Finally the Ravens are right where I want them to be, healthy and ready to bring the pain.  The Ravens have to solve their one issue which is how do they have Flacco and Rice co-exist in a meaningful game?  Run enough so that it's not so hard for Flacco to make plays in the air, but not allow him to throw 40 35 times.  The defense should be ready with an extra week for Ray Ray to make sure his toe is good and someone to learn how to cover some WRs.  The Texans will come to town with a rookie QB in Yates, but they are going to lean on Arian Foster more in this game.  It seems that Yates is effective when he has that running game going so that will have to be the plan to run against the Ravens.  I'm setting the bar at 175 rushing yards as a team for the Texans to win.  The Texans defense just has to play solid because  Flacco is known for melting a little and turning the ball over.  Gotta get those points off turnovers. In the end, in Ray Ray I Trust.  Winner - Ravens. 

New York Giants @ Green Bay - This should be the best game of the weekend.  I say that because if you had to pick a team to beat the Packers, I'd describe a team that could run the ball, pressure the QB on defense, and have a good enough QB to put some points on the board.  Sounds a lot like the Giants.  The Giants have Bradshaw and the tip toeing Jacobs.  On defense, this is the team that I was quoted as saying was going to absolutely kill a QB in a real game, just from the front four.  Tuck, Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora, Joseph, and Kiwanuka scare me, I mean literally scare me.  These guys should be illegal in about 28 states with the way they get after the QBs.  Of course there's Eli (who I'm not a fan of), and he can make some things happen on offense with his new found love Cruz and the big hands of Nicks.  The Packers are playing at home after sitting for a week and that may have given them some time to fine tune their defense.  They have playmakers all around but the defense tended to lax a little later in the year and gave up some plays to make those final scores closer than they were.  We know that Packer offense is a fine tuned machine and it'll help that Rodgers is elusive.  The Packers are going to have to run the ball to make those defensive guys at least think about stopping that.  If Rodgers drops back 40 or 50 times in this game, they'll be carting him off the frozen tundra.  Winner - Packers.

Who you got??!?!?!?!?