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NFL Draft: Day One Recap

Friday, April 27th, 2012


Winners

 Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins

They did what they were reportedly doing for the past two months. Both teams added a potential superstar quarterback to build their team around. Based upon history one of the quarterbacks will be a stud and the other will bust. I think Andrew Luck will become a star and lead the Colts to the upper echelon of the NFL. I love Robert Griffin 3 as a person and as a player. He will be athletic and give the Redskins a spark but will not be a winner at the next level. He will be a .550 quarterback that will be fun to watch but will come up short in big games.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys did a great job in round one. They had to make a move on the defensive side of the ball. They got my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Morris Claiborne was a top 5 talent and arguably the best defensive player on the board.

 

New England Patriots

The Patriots did the opposite of what they usually do and moved up in the draft to get players they coveted. They selected two players who can start week 1. They improved a defense that hurt them late in the season and cost them a Super Bowl. They added Don’t’a Hightower with the 25th over all pick. He will fit in nicely next to Jerod Mayo. They also added defensive end Chandler Jones, brother of UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones. He will fit in with the defensive line whether he starts or is just part of the rotation.

 

St Louis Rams

They Rams selected Michael Brockers 14th overall. The Rams front office made great deals to move back a couple times, collect more picks and still get a week 1 starter to help on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams will be able to give Sam Bradford help throughout the rest of the draft.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Moving up to get Justin Blackmon was a great move by the Jaguars. Offensively the Jaguars were a mess last season and they gave Blaine Gabbert a legit receiver. The Jaguars can add depth with the rest of the draft and improve their team moving forward.

 

 

 

Losers

 

Buffalo Bills

Stephon Gilmore is a talented corner that should be productive, however as a top 10 pick it’s a big reach. Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins were still on the board when the bills picked and will be more productive at the next level. When you draft in the top 10 you need to get a player that will make an instant impact.

 

Seattle Seahawks

Bruce Irvin was selected at 15th overall by the Seattle Seahawks. He is a very athletic and talented defensive end but has a very interesting past and off the field issues. Even if you ignore his off the field issues, he is not an every down player and going top 15 is a huge reach.

 

San Francisco 49ers

While AJ Jenkins is a little reach for the 49ers, the reason this was a bad pick for the 49ers is less about Jenkins and more about what players were still on the board. With Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin and Peter Konz all available the 49ers could have solidified their offensive line and got a receiver later in the draft. If the 49ers were focused on receiver Stephen Hill or Alshon Jeffery seem like higher upside and better potential at receiver.

 

Cleveland Browns

While I like the selection of Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson is a highly touted player that would have been a beast in many situations but in a division where you play Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice a season this pick will not end well. The Browns should have gone Justin Blackmon and have a pass first offense. If you look at the last Super Bowl champions, offensively they have had dynamic quarterbacks with high octane passing offenses.

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NFL Draft 2012

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Round one mock draft

 

Team Player
Colts Andrew Luck
Redskins Robert Griffin 3
Vikings Matt Kalil
Browns Justin Blackmon
Buccaneers Morris Claiborne
Rams Trent Richardson
Jaguars Riley Reiff
Dolphins Ryan Tannehill
Panthers Melvin Ingram
Bills Fletcher Cox
Cheifs Luke Kuechly
Seahawks Chandler Jones
Cardinals Cordy Glenn
Cowboys David Decastro
Eagles Lavonte David
Jets Michael Floyd
Bengals Courtney Upshaw
Chargers Mark Barron
Bears Jonathan Martin
Titans Quinton Coples
Bengals Janoris Jenkins
Browns Brandon Weeden
Lions Stephon Gilmore
Steelers Dontari Poe
Broncos Michael Brockers
Texans Coby Fleener
Patriots Dre Kirkpatrick
Packers Peter Konz
Ravens Dont’a Hightower
49ers Kendall Wright
Patriots Nick Perry
Giants Stephen Hill

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The Big Gronkowski gets down

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

 

As hard as fan takes a loss like The New England Patriots took on Sunday, players must have the ability to move on. If you live and die with each game, a player will be mentally drained unable to focus when it matters most. If you ask Rob Gronkowski, this loss hurts and will provide motivation to work hard all off-season. Rodney Harrison said on NBC’s Super Bowl 46 Pregame coverage, that he is still affected by the loss in Super Bowl 42 four years ago. A two-week build up to the biggest game of your life has to put stress on any person. While not everyone will agree, Gronkowki felt the need to let loose after a long and tiring season.

New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski might get crushed for a post Super Bowl celebration, especially in the Boston Area. I will give Gronkowski a pass. I will not judge peoples way of releasing tension after a season of hard work and dedication. He spent it much the way any person in their early twenties would.

I came away from this story with two questions. Rob Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain that clearly limited him in Super Bowl 46, yet it was clearly feeling good enough to be out on the dance floor? I guess alcohol really does a lot for pain.

My other question is how would people react if you replace Rob Gronkowski with other athletes in a similar situation? Perception plays a huge role in fan and media reaction. Lebron James would get killed if a video surfaced like this of him. They would use the video as another sign of why he will never win. However it was Kevin Durant, people would point to the fact that KD is young, has time to win titles and use it as another reason to love Durant.

 

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You cant spell Elite without ELI

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

And with Eli Manning and the Giants hoisting the Lombardi trophy, another NFL season is in the books. The New York Giants were the better team in Indianapolis. The Giants biggest advantages showed up and paved their way to victory.

The Giants front four was imposing and kept Tom Brady out of rhythm all day. Jason Pierre Paul and Justin Tuck were impressive. The Giants wide receivers made the Patriots underwhelming secondary pay all day. These two building blocks should have the Giants in position next season to make another run. They are getting Prince Amukamara back from injury and should help the Giants secondary. If they can add a few complimentary pieces through the draft and free agency, the Giants along with the Packers should be favorites going into the 2012 NFL season.

As for the Patriots the future is not bleak for them either. They have serious needs to address in the off-season including a beleaguered secondary. But building around Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo is a good start. The Patriots need to get young and athletic in the secondary. New England will have another few runs with Tom Brady under center and they must take advantage of that.

The past few seasons has taught me the team that will win the Super Bowl isn’t necessarily the best team but the one that got hot at the right time. Having all your pieces healthy is a must. You also quarterback who can step up and make all the big throws at critical times. The Packers last season and the Giants this season were the hottest team going into the playoffs. They had confidence and a belief that they could not be beat.

 

Vegasinsider.com currently have futures posted for next season. The top 3 highest are

 

Packers 5/1

Saints 6/1

Patriots 7/1

 

Longshots I like (20/1 or more)

Giants 20/1

49ers 20/1

Bears 30/1 *if forte is back

Titans 50/1 *homer pick but kind of a sneaky one

Panthers 50/1



 

You could also place money on teams Peyton Manning could end up on. The odds will get dramatically worse depending on where he ends up.

 

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The Future of Peyton Manning

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

With a medically cleared Peyton Manning and rift that has occurred with Jim Irsay the writing on the wall for Peyton Manning to leave Indy. The number one pick is in the Colts hands and ready for Andrew Luck to be delivered. Peyton Manning is going to follow the likes of Joe Montana and Joe Namath as a face of the franchise to move on before the end of their career. The Colts will be releasing Peyton Manning before the 28 million dollar bonus is due, thus leaving Peyton a free agent and putting the ball in Peyton’s court.

Peyton is going to looking at a situation that will give him a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl. The number of teams Peyton can sign with that need a quarterback and give him a realistic shot at the Super Bowl is small group.  Peyton has made his money and is now only looking to add rings to his fingers.

 

Super Bowl contenders

San Francisco 49ers

Peyton Manning can step right in the 49er offense and take the team right back to NFC championship and farther. The 49ers defense is amongst the best in the league with a dynamic front four, a stud linebacker in Patrick Willis and a ball hawking secondary that makes big plays in the clutch. Peyton will be behind a solid offensive line that will give him a ton of protection, a running game that has proven to be powerful and dynamic weapons like Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, that will only improved with Peyton getting them the ball. Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers ready to win and Peyton is the piece that puts them over the top. A Peyton versus Eli rivalry could be year in and year out rivalry with a trip to the super bowl on the line for the next few seasons.

 

New York Jets

With the Jets, Peyton Manning could be the calming force in a locker room seemingly full of turmoil. The Jets have a strong defense with lockdown corners that will keep the Jets in all the games. Manning will have strong targets to get the ball to in Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller and potentially Plaxico Burress coming back. He can hand the ball to Shonn Greene who will have a better season with season with Peyton under center. The idea of two Mannings in New York is exciting and will only fuel the rivalry. With Peyton in New York a Super Bowl featuring both teams from New York and two Mannings is a likely scenario.

Sharing a city with his brother Eli Manning and a division with Tom Brady are two signs that point to Peyton not signing with the Jets. Peyton being the ultimate competitor, this might intrigue him and motivate him. I never count Rex out.

 

Contenders with flaws

 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins proved last year with questionable quarterback play, that they can be competitive. They have a improving defense with big play ability. He will have weapons on the offensive side of the ball in big play receiver Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush who proved he could be an every down back. The Dolphins have one of the issues Manning would face in New York, being in the same division as Tom Brady on a team with seemingly less talent. The Dolphins also feature first year coach Joe Philbin, which could scar of Manning. The connection with Philbin could bring free agent Matt Flynn to town, which might make more sense for a team closer to the rebuilding phase as opposed to being a contender.

 

Tennessee Titans

What is a better way to stick it to your old team than playing with a division rival? The Tennessee Titans have great offensive line, talented receivers in Kenny Britt and Nate Washington. The ability to hand of to Chris Johnson, who should have a shot at returning to old form with defenses forced to not load the box and respect the passing game. The Titans also have a talented defense that can take the Titans deep in the playoffs with Manning under center. The Titans are in a very winnable division, which only helps their chance of luring him to Nashville. Peyton also attended the University of Tennessee, where his is revered for his time as a Volunteer.

 

Wildcards

 

New Orleans Saints

A native of New Orleans, Peyton could return to his home and play for the home team. While the Saints have had success ever since Drew Brees took over under center, including a Super Bowl victory, rumors are swirling that there is some issues with the contract extension.  Logic would dictate that Brees will be returning to New Orleans. However, if Peyton Manning is your fall back if there is some reason the Saints can’t lock up Brees. The Saints are built to win now and with Manning they will not skip a beat.

 

Dallas Cowboys

The Tony Romo era could come to a halt quickly if Peyton Manning comes to town. The Cowboys are loaded with talented players and the thought of Peyton Manning under center has to give Jerry Jones a tingly feeling all over. I never count Jerry Jones out of anything, much like his NBA counterpart in Dallas, Mark Cuban. Peyton Manning makes the Cowboys a favorite with Green Bay in the NFC. Manning could be a calming factor that provides stability and the idea of throwing to Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten has to be an exciting thought to Jerry and the Cowboys. The Cowboys could move Romo for a piece to help the secondary.

If I were in Peyton Manning’s shoes, my choice would be either the San Francisco 49ers or Tennessee Titans. The 49ers are in a division that should be locked up for the next few seasons, a conference that features an easier road to the Super Bowl and a team that is ready to win now. The 49ers made it to the NFC championship with Alex Smith under center and the difference between he and Peyton Manning is vast.

With the Tennessee Titans, the talent level isn’t as high as what the 49ers feature but as a competitor that chance to play the Colts twice a year and keep your former team out of the playoffs has to excite Manning. With Manning under center the Titans have the ability to make a serious run at a super bowl title. Only time will tell what the future has in store for Peyton Manning. He should be released early next week after the Super Bowl hoopla is over. What happens from then will shake out after the draft, during free agency.

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Special Teams blunders cost teams trip to Indy

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

I can only imagine how frustrated the 49ers and Ravens players must be right now. The idea of spending so much time working towards one goal and to have their seasons end the way they did. The frustration in their respective locker rooms is something I’m not going to try and imagine. I don’t want to place blame on any one player but three players had chances to make plays or avoid making bad ones and couldn’t come through.

In New England, the Ravens did not play up to the ability they had shown all season. The Patriots did a great job slowing down Ray Rice and putting the game in the hands of Joe Flacco. While Flacco did not have an amazing game by any means, he stepped up and made the throws when it mattered most. The pass he threw to Lee Evans was a prefect throw. Lee Evans had the ball in his hands, took two steps and just like the Ravens season, the ball slipped threw his fingertips. I’m not sure if he thought he had possession and let up a little or if Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore was able to get his hand on the perfect spot. Either way there is no excuse for not coming down with the football in that situation. If you want to earn the right to go to the biggest game, you have to make plays when it matters most.

Even with the drop, the Ravens could have kicked a field goal and forced overtime. Unfortunately for Baltimore, a 32-yard field goal was too much for Billy Cundiff to muster. He pushed the ball left and gave the Patriots the victory, When the Ravens were on their final, they mentioned all of Cundiff’s stats from 50 yards away or more, and I remember thinking I hope this game doesn’t come down to him making a field goal. Sure enough, the game was put on his foot and he was unable to come through.

In San Francisco, a team that had had the best special teams all season long were about to be plagued by mistakes. Kyle Williams was back to return a punt with the 49ers up 17-10 late in the fourth quarter, makes blunder number one. A punt that was landing short of Williams and looked clearly like he had no interest in picking up, yet he got close enough where an errant bounce skips off of his knee and gives possession to the Giants. Eli will lead his team to a score, with a short field culminating with Mario Manningham in the back of the end zone.  Fast forward to the overtime, with Kyle Williams back to return another punt. I don’t know if he was trying to make up for his blunder in the 4th quarter, but he picked up the punt and began to run up the field, and before he could take more than a few steps, the ball was stripped from his hands and the Giants recovered. If Ted Ginn is healthy, maybe this doesn’t happen, but you can play on hypotheticals.

I still believe I had the right teams, when I made my predictions,(AFC and NFC) and both teams had the ball late in the game with the chance to make a play, however inability to complete drives, lack off effectiveness from the running backs and costly errors hurt the chances of HarBowl. I’m curious to see what both the Ravens and 49ers do in the off-season to improve their respective teams for next season. I give a lot of credit to the Giants and Patriots. These teams made the plays when it mattered most and showed why they both have super bowl titles in recent seasons.

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NFC Championship Preview

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

This game was a challenge for me to get a solid grasp on. The way Alex Smith showed up last Saturday made me a believer in the Niners passing game and will be able to do enough to keep the Giants defense honest. The Giants front four has been dominant the past month, with the return of Osi Umenyiora. They have been able to apply enough pressure with the front four, allowing the Giants the ability to drop linebackers into coverage to help their beleaguered secondary. Alex Smith is going to be a huge factor on Sunday. He will need to make the throws and keep Vernon Davis involved. The 49ers must spread the ball around keep the Giants honest and allow the Vernon Davis to make plays. The Giants are going to key on Davis after a huge performance the week before against the Saints.

The 49er offensive line must be dominant against the front four of the Giants. If they can protect Alex Smith and give him time to make the throws, they will be able to attack the weakness of the Giants defense. This will also allow Frank Gore the ability have running room, which is huge key for the 49ers to win. The 49ers must run the ball and keep Eli Manning and the high-powered Giants offense on the sidelines.

Running the football will be a key for the Giants to win as well.  The 49ers didn’t allow a 100-yard rushing performance or a rushing touchdown until week 16, when Patrick Willis was hurt. The 49er secondary has been the weakest part of the defense but has shown the ability to make a big play when they it mattered most. The 49ers must be able to apply enough pressure with the front four with Aldon Smith and Patrick Willis applying extra pressure on the blitz, which must get to Eli Manning. Allowing Eli time to find Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham, who have been huge all season for the Giants, is going to be pivotal if the 49ers want to win this game. The ability of the Giants receiver to make huge catches and take a short passes and turn them into 80 yards touchdown has been their trademark all season. Combine that with a running game with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs that has been reinvigorated the past few weeks, the Giants offense has become dynamic and will be a key for victory. Whichever side can win the battle of Eli and the receivers versus the 49er secondary, will win this game.

This game will come down to two things in my mind, which defense can get pressure, specifically with the front four and the second being, which team can make huge defensive or special teams play to change the momentum.

I like the Giants front four more than the 49ers but by a small margin. However, the 49ers special teams are far and away superior and will be a difference maker in this game. The ability of Andy Lee and Ted Ginn to change field position will be a huge factor. It will give the 49er offense a short field and force Eli and the Giant offense to start deep in their own territory all game long.

While I am not feeling super confident in this pick, I think the 49ers do just enough to pull this game out. I think the 49ers defense makes a big play when they need it most and Frank Gore goes over the century mark with 2 touchdowns.

 

49ers 33 Giants 29

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AFC Championship preview

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

This game was just as hard to figure out for me as the NFC Championship game. At this point in the season, I normally have a strong grasp on the final four teams and know what to expect going into the title games. The Ravens are a team that will come out against team with less talent and shouldn’t be able to stay on the field with them, yet the Ravens look disinterested and allow them other team to hang around. However in games where the Ravens need to show up, like Pittsburg, they play like a championship contender and win, twice.

Flacco is the wild card against the Patriots. The Patriots, a team that has a struggeling secondary, and is at or near the bottom of all defensive statistical categories can and should be attacked through the air. If Torrey Smith can get open deep and Anquan Boldin can make plays across the middle of field, the Ravens will be able to attack the Patriots and keep them honest. Forcing the Patriots to not load the box to shut down Ray Rice is imperative. He will be the reason the Ravens win or lose. He must be productive and keep Tom Brady and the Patriot offense on the sidelines. If he can catch screens out of the backfield and help open the passing game it only increases the Ravens odds of winning.

The other factor for a Raven victory will be their defenses ability to put pressure on Tom Brady. Allowing Brady time to find his receivers will only result in points being scored against you and a long day for your defense.

The Patriots must get their tight ends involved early and often to win this game. Rob Gronkowsi and Aaron Hernandez have been huge for the Patriots all season. They give the offense a dynamic that is hard for defenses to match up with. They are too big for corners and safeties but too fast for linebackers to keep up with.  Their ability to stretch the field and allow Wes Welker to operate underneath has kept the Patriot defense explosive all season. The one team that can cover all their weapons is the Ravens. They have fast linebackers that not only have the ability to stay with the patriot tight ends but also have the ability to put pressure on Tom Brady combined with Haloti Ngata and the front four. This pressure will allow Ed Reed and the Ravens secondary to make plays on the back end. The secondary must come up big with plays against Tom Brady.

Ed Reed will be a question mark; he injured his ankle late in their first round matchup versus the Houston Texans and will not be at full strength. Its very important he not only plays but he plays well.

This game will come down to which offense can stay on the field. The Ravens ability to keep their offense on the field and keep Brady on the sidelines will be a key to success. With Tom Brady on the field and their offense rolling, the Ravens wont be able to keep pace and the final score will be lopsided. That said I think the Ravens will be effective running the ball and be able to make enough plays on defense to win this game. In a tight game that will come down to the fourth quarter, the Ravens will score a late touchdown and win.

 

Ravens 34 Patriots 24

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Recap: Divisional Playoffs.

Monday, January 16th, 2012

In a huge football weekend that had so much potential, The NFL Divisional Playoffs did not disappoint. The playoffs started off hot Saturday afternoon and continued the momentum through the weekend.

In what was by far the best game of the weekend, the 49ers and Saints gave everyone a great game that ended in the final seconds. The 49ers jumped out to an early 17-0 lead thanks to Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson creating turnovers getting the 49er offense on the field. It was a good thing the Niners broke out to an early lead because you knew Drew Brees and the Saints offense had a big game in them and had a ability to come back, like they had shown the week before against Detroit. The one thing the 49ers did that made a huge difference for them was scoring touchdowns and not settling for field goals. The Niners tendency for settling for field goals had kept games to close during the regular season.

The forgotten Tight end Vernon Davis reestablished himself as one of the best in the league with Jimmy Graham, who was standing on the other sideline and Rob Gronkowski running away with the title. Both Graham and Davis made huge plays, put up ridiculous numbers and both scored late to give their team a lead. But Davis had the biggest catch of the game that all but sealed the game with less than 10 seconds remaining. Finishing with 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns, Davis made plays when it mattered most. Saying that I feel like I am burying the lead with the game Alex Smith played.

Alex Smith didn’t get any credit this season, where his numbers were bleak in comparison to Rodgers, Brees and Brady. He lead the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season, locking up the #2 seed in the NFC and lead to the 49ers hosting the Saints which was a huge advantage. Alex Smith grew up Saturday. Alex was the reason the 49ers won the game. He threw for 300 yards with 3 touchdowns and ran for another that was a dynamic play from 28 yards out that was needed with 49er offense had become stagnant. And with the game winner, in a situation where it looked like the 49ers would settle for a game tying field goal and head to over time, Harbaugh believed in Alex and put the ball in his hand to win the game, and Alex came through.

In the late game Saturday night, the Tebow run came to an end. Tom Brady and the patriots looked liked a well-oiled machine. Phil Simms was on point when he pointed out the Broncos should run the ball and kill the clock when down 21-7. The Broncos were out of sync and were in danger of having no shot of a coming back. The Broncos proceeded to throw the ball and not get first downs. The Broncos punted on three straight possessions, which lead to 14 Patriot points and went into the half down 35-7. The Patriots dominated the second half, scored another 10 points and won easily 45-10.

On Sunday morning, in the game nobody seemed to be talking about, The Ravens and Texans game was an ugly, slugfest that was dominated on the defensive side of the ball. TJ Yates looked like the third string quarterback that he had came into the season as. Arian Foster looked dominant with his 132 yards and a touchdown. Turnovers lead to the downfall of Houston between Yates’ 3 interceptions and Jacoby Jones muffed punt. The Texans looked like the better team and had Matt Schaub played, that could have been a different game.

The Packers and Giants provided a nice bookend to an excellent weekend of football. The final score doesn’t show how close of a game it was. Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense didn’t look as dialed in as they had all season. A lot of the credit needs to go the Giants front four. They were able to provide pressure and get to Rodgers, including a big forced fumble. The front fours ability to apply pressure, also gave the secondary, which had difficulties this season an ability to do enough to win. Eli Manning made all the throws at the right moment. Hakeem Nicks came up huge and scored a touchdown at the end of the first half, on the Hail Mary that seemed to be the nail in the packer coffin.

Coming away from the weekend, I never thought Eli Manning and Alex Smith would outplay their counterparts in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, respectively. They were the better quarterbacks this weekend and showed that even in the new NFL with high flying offenses, if your defense cant make plays and slow down the other team your not winning. The Defense carried 3 of the 4 teams this weekend. I still have a lot of research to do and information to digest before I can unveil my picks for Sunday. Needless to say I’m pumped for another great set of games.

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Divisional Round Preview

Friday, January 13th, 2012

49ers vs Saints

In a compelling match up that faces a dynamic, high-powered offense versus one of the best defenses in the NFL, that didn’t allow a rushing touchdown until week 15, 49ers and the Saints is a great start to the divisional round games. While the saints have proven to be a high flying offense, most of their games have came indoors. The Saints are a different team outside and weather will affect the outcome of this game. While the weather will be a mild 60 degrees, swirling winds at candlestick will be issue and the 49ers ability to run the ball will have a huge advantage. The Niners will be able to control the clock with the running game, put Alex Smith in 3rd and manageable situations and use the best special teams in the league to their advantage. The Saints will be facing long fields all day as long as the Niners don’t make turnovers on their own half of the field. Drew Brees won’t give your defense many opportunities to make a play but as the Lions can attest to you will get a couple and you need to take advantage. With a huge game from Frank Gore and a big play from the defense or special teams the Niners will do enough to keep it low scoring and get a win.

Niners 23 Saints 17

 

Patriot’s vs Broncos

This game is going to look much like the one played at mile high a month or so ago. As much as id like to say Tebow will be great or point to weird things happening in the Saturday night games during the divisional round, Brady and company will dominate this game. The Broncos played as well as they could last week and had to go to overtime with a big lead late in the game to win. Roethlisberger was on one leg much of the game and no Pouncey, Mendenhall and Ryan Clark really hurt Big Ben and the Steelers. Tebow will probably make a few plays and make game the not a total domination. That said the Patriots will dominate the game and win going away.

Patriots 37 Broncos 13

 

Ravens vs Texans

This was by far the hardest game for me to get a sense for. The biggest key for the game will be Ray Rice. If Ray Rice plays well and is a big part of the Ravens offense, this game will get out of hand quickly. However if Brian Cushing, Mario Williams and the Texans defense plays like they can it might be a much close game that the 9-point spread would indicate. If I am a Ravens fan, the thought of Joe Flacco having to make a play late scares me. While he has done it before, in big spots, like versus Pittsburgh, the Texans defense has been dominant all season and I see them making a big play when it matters most. I think Ray Rice shows up, the Ravens defense shows up and give the home crowd a reason to be loud all game.

Ravens 30 Texans 19

 

Packers vs Giants

This is the game I am most intrigued by. I love the thought of two high-powered offenses, and yes I realize Eli Manning plays quarterback for the Giants. Eli has been great this season. With the emergence of Victor Cruz and his big play ability the Giants offense has gained a new dimension that has made them more dynamic and high powered. Jake Ballard has step into the role vacated by Kevin Boss and has not missed a beat. The Giants are also used to playing outside in cold and windy conditions. Brandon Jacobs has returned to form and combined with Ahmad Bradshaw gives the dual attack from the running game that helped them get to the super bowl in 2008. All that said, they are playing the defending world champions at home, where Aaron Rodgers has been unstoppable with a bevy of options that will pose a huge issue for the giants weak secondary. It will come down to the Giants front four and their ability to get to Rodgers. If they can rush only four and drop 7 I love the Giants chances. That said in a high scoring game where a defensive play will change this game, I think the Giants get a late sack fumble and the Giants pull it out.

Giants 37 Packers 35

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