NFL Playoffs 2011-2012

When you look at the teams that are in the playoffs, its easy to say who will win each game, but if this season has taught us anything its anything can and will happen.  We've seen 3rd string QBs play and RBs lost for the season.  In a season that almost wasn't, we have been treated great.  Drew Brees and Tom Brady doing their best Dan Marino impressions.  Green Bay trying to imitate the '72 Dolphins and the Raiders implode, again.  What an NFL season.

The first game on Saturday will be the Bengals visiting the Texans.  I don't know what to expect out of this game.  On paper, the Bengals should win mostly due to Houston using their 3rd string QB.  Not that Yates is not a good QB, but I have more trust in Andy Dalton.  Dalton emerged out of the Carson Palmer, take my ball on go home (retire) episode and led his team to the playoffs.  Not an easy feat considering the Bengals had to play the Ravens and Steelers twice.  Dalton also made his case for why he should be Rookie of the Year.  I love Cam Newton but Andy Dalton got his team to the playoffs when no one thought is was possible.  Sorry Cam.  The Texans have been holding on since losing Matt Shaub and Andre Johnson being in and out of the lineup.  If Houston can establish a running game and take pressure off of Yates, then expect the Texans to win this game.  The Bengals can score so keeping the Cincy off the field is the priority to win this game.  Remember the last time these teams met, it was a 20-19 Texans win.  The Bengals haven't beaten a good team all year so this games isn't just about moving on in the playoffs but whether this Cincy team is as good as they seem.  Then again, Houston isn't itself either.  My pick is a push.

The Lions have to forget that they are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999.  They must forget that loss to the Saints back on December 4th.  They have to forget that they aren't supposed to win.  Easier said then done, I know.  The bottom line, this time around, the Lions will have Ndamukong Suh.  Say what you want about him, he is a difference maker.  Suh will put pressure on Brees and possibly hurry some passes.  The key for the Lions is to limit how much time Brees and the Saints offense is on the field.  The Lions need to score touchdowns when in the red zone and not settle for field goals.  Brees and the Saints will be exactly who the are.  They are gonna throw it all over the field and dare the Lions to keep up with the scoring.  The Saints have proven over the last couple of years, that they can lose to lesser teams.  The Saints need to remember, most teams shouldn't be able to go into the Superdome and win. The Lions need to prove they belong in the playoffs.   My pick is the Lions by 3.

Jekyll and Hyde vs Sybil for both these teams is fitting.  With the Giants and Falcons, no one ever knew which team would show up.  Coming into this game, no one still knows what to expect.  The Giants are sounding like the Jets with all the sound bites about them winning it all and this feeling like 2007.  News Flash, this is 2012!  A win 5 years old doesn't do a thing right now.  The Giants seem to play when they want to and seldom when they need to.   Eli needs take control and not let Coughlin under coach this team.  If you really think about it, Coughlin is a Super Bowl winning coach in spite of himself.  He should thank Eli everyday for being his QB.  Eli has shown that he can make any WR a star, just ask Victor Cruz.   All teams have been saying "we need to go out and win" since the beginning of the season, since the beginning of the game itself.  Talking still has never won a game.  So shut up and show up.  For Atlanta, they are in the playoffs for the 3rd straight year.  Last year, the Falcons took a beating at the hands of the Packers.  Can Atlanta learn from their past and play like the team they are capable of being?  That is up to the Falcons.  Atlanta has under acheived on both sides of the ball.  Matt Ryan needs to use his talented WRs Jones and White and pick apart the Giant secondary.  Just when the Giants make their adjustments, Atlanta needs to give the Giants a nice healthy dose of Michael Turner.  Turner is 3rd in the NFL in rushing with 1,340 yards.  With the way Turner has performed in the last 2 Falcon playoff games, he needs to show he is a playoff back and not just a regular season one.  My pick is the Giants 42-38.  

The NFL world is split on this game.  The Steelers are banged up and a walking "MASH unit" while the Broncos backed into the playoffs.  I'm not gonna get all over Tebow at all but I will say all the wins he has been credited for was more defense and teams not having a scouting report on Tebow rather then Tebow being a good QB.  Fact is fact and if you have another take on it, then I would be happy to hear it.  Thinking about this game gives me a headache mostly because Tebow can flip the AFC on its ear and play great.  Since he took over, Tebow has won games that no one else has one with the same QB numbers.  Tebow's entire career has been about him doing things that everyone else said he couldn't, so why not this time?  The answer is the Steelers are a better team then the Broncos have played, even as banged up as they are.  The Steelers have barely stayed ahead of the emergency room.  No Mendenhall, Big Ben is 80% at best and the Ryan Clark isn't playing.  Clark's absence may not hurt as much because Troy Polamalu is playing.  Ben at 80% is still better then Tebow.  Simply, the Steelers need to "punch" the Broncos in the mouth right from the start.  If you put yourself in a position where the game won't come down to the final play then "Tebow Time" will not be a factor, not that it really is anyway.  My pick is the Steelers 28-7.

D!