Divisional Round Predictions

Just like the regular season the playoffs even after just one weekend are just as unpredictable. We saw Tim Tebow perform another miracle and the Falcons only score 2 points. We also saw that the Saints offense hasn't slowed down at all. But now we get to see what the top 4 teams in football can do after a week off. This upcoming weekend may be the best football we see during the entire postseason. Now its time to see if i can improve on my 2-2 record from a week ago.

# 3 New Orleans Saints @ # 2 San Francisco 49ers
This game has created that old debate can a great defense stop a great offense. The 49ers definitely have one of the feel good stories of the year, that goes along with a hard hitting defense. New Orleans has put up over 40 points in four straight games, to say that they are clicking would be an understatement. Many think that the Saints are actually the best team in the NFC and that they have the fire power to beat GB. I however love SF's defense and if you look at the numbers New Orleans is not as prolific on the road, especially on grass. The big question is can San Fran score enough to win, i believe they will.
PREDICTION: 49ERS 26-21

# 4 Denver Broncos @ # 1 New England Patriots
Can Tim Tebow do it again, I don't think so. I will give Tebow credit he has done what most of us thought he could not, win. However the last time New England played Denver Tom Brady and the Pats offense proved to be too much for the Broncos. Now the Pats defense is nowhere near as good as Pittsburgh's, even a heavily injured Pittsburgh defense. The main difference is New England's offense is leaps and bounds better than the Steelers. Tebow and the Broncos will keep it close but the Pats are just too strong.
PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 31-17

# 3 Houston Texans @ # 2 Baltimore Ravens
The fans of Baltimore have been waiting for this game for 4 years, finally a home playoff game. Houston comes in on a roll beating Cincinnati pretty easily 31-10 on wild card weekend. This game is a rematch of a week 6 game between the two, a game Baltimore won 29-14. Two glaring differences, Andre Johnson did not play and Matt Schaub did. Houston will have to depend on Arian Foster to carry the load against the tough Ravens D. The last rookie QB to win at Baltimore was Jake Plummer back in 1997, if the game rest on Yates' arm, that doesn't bode well for Houston. This game should be close but the Ravens are just a better team.
PREDICTION: RAVENS 24-13

# 4 New York Giants @ # 1 Green Bay Packers
You better hop on now before the Giants bandwagon breaks down. It seems like everybody is saying that the Giants are primed to upset the best team in football. Now i will say if any team can do it, it is New York they have done it before. However lets not forget that this Giants team was 9-7 this year, lost to the Redskins twice and were embarrassed at home by Seattle, my point they are inconsistent. Green Bay is a well oiled machine and despite how well the Giants are playing GB is still the favorite. Also big thing about this game, NY has a very suspect secondary, so their D-Line MUST get to Rodgers to have a chance, my guess is they wont get to him enough.
PREDICTION: PACKERS 34-24

We are one step closer to the Super Bowl, and these games have the chance to be the best slate of games in the entire postseason.

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Wild Card Weekend Predictions

So after a long and at times strange regular season the playoffs are finally here. Which in Baltimore is partly good and partly bad. Good because the Ravens will host a playoff game for the first time in 5 years, bad because the football season is almost over and that means the Orioles are peeking their heads around the corner. But enough of the birds time to make some predictions for what should be an exciting wild card weekend.

#6 Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) @ #3 Houston Texans (10-6)

Out of all the games this is the less intriguing to me, good thing its first so we can get it out of the way. The Bengals season came out of nowhere, most had them finishing last in the AFC North. The rookie combination of Dalton and Green made for some exciting plays in Cincy. The one thing that worries me about the Bengals, they are 1-7 against teams with winning records. Houston might have been the number one seed without the injuries. Jake Delhomme had to make an emergency appearance in week 17. Arian Foster has to be licking his chops after Ray Rice ran for 191 a week ago. Houston should be rocking and lets not forget a T.J. Yates led Texans went into Cincinnati and beat the Bengals earlier this year, it should happen again.

PREDICTION: TEXANS 20-14

#6 Detroit Lions @ #3 New Orleans Saints

Amazing that in the same day we have games with two totally different levels of interest. By the time this game is over it might remind you of a game of Madden you would play with your friends. This game marks the first time two 5,000 yard passers will play against each other in the postseason. Every part of me want to pick the Lions but just last week the Lions let Matt Flynn throw for over 500 yards, in a game you needed to win to have better playoff seeding. So if Flynn can do it, what do you think Drew Brees can do. That being said New Orleans is not known for their defense. Saints win in a shootout.

PREDICTION: SAINTS 40-37

#5 Atlanta Falcons (10-6) @ #4 New York Giants (9-7)

The Giants had to win its last two games just to get into the postseason as the NFC East champs. The Giants might be one of the most head-scratching teams in the postseason. This is the same team that went into New England and beat the Pats, but also lost at home to the Seahawks. One thing that has been overlooked is the tremendous season Eli Manning has had. The Falcons come into the game trying to shake off numerous years of disappointment when it comes to the postseason. Last year the Falcons went 13-3 and were one and done. Matt Ryan needs to start winning playoff games if he wants to be in the same group as the elite, he at least gets one this postseason. I just don't trust the up and down Giants who by the way are just 4-4 at home this year.

PREDICTION: FALCONS 27-21

#5 Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) @ #4 Denver Broncos (8-8)

This might be the most watched out of all the playoff games this weekend. People want to see if somehow Tebow can do the unthinkable, well in my opinion he cant. Tebow the last three weeks has a 41 percent completion percentage, 1 TD and 4 INTs. In other words Tebow picked the worst time to play his worst football. Also rumors that Brady Quinn is taking snaps with the first team doesn't bode well for Tebow. Pittsburgh is really, really banged up. Numerous star players are either not playing or coming into the game with some kind of injury. Pittsburgh will lose this game if they make mistakes and makes a lot of them. Avoid the mistakes and they will be playing next week.

PREDICTION: STEELERS 17-6

In the words of a player not in the Playoffs....."CANT WAIT!!!"

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Tim Tebow is Vince Young 2.0

This NFL season one person/story has dominated the headlines more than any other, Tim Tebow. Whether its a website being created in honor of his post game celebration, or the numerous opinions of how good he can be, its been TebowMania in 2011. I am in the majority by saying Tim Tebow might be one of the worst throwing quarterbacks ive ever seen. I dont feel Tebow will ever be that franchise QB, but despite how I feel the guy is a winner. So while watching the debacle of the Philadelphia Eagles last night it got me thinking. Tim Tebow is the next Vince Young.

The first obvious similarity between the two men is just their style of play. Im willing to bet that most experts would say that neither is great at passing but both are good running quarterbacks. Even looking back at their college careers its eerie how similar they are. Both Young and Tebow are cult heroes on their respective campuses.

First to VY, Young was an amazing 30-2 as a starter at Texas. Young threw for over 6,000 yards at Texas while also running for over 3,000. His postseason success speaks for itself. Young might have had not only the best two Rose Bowls in history but maybe but Bowl games period. After the 2005 season Young led Texas over Michigan 38-37. Young had 180 yards passing, 192 yards rushing and 5 total Touchdowns. Hard to top that performance right? wrong. The next year on the same field only this time for the National Championship, Young threw for 267 yards ran for 200 with 3 touchdowns it what was maybe the greatest college football game ever. After that kind of career its no wonder why he was drafted third overall in 2006.

Now for Tim Tebow and honestly what can you can that hasnt already been said. For most of his freshman season he was used as a "wildcat" QB as the Gators won the National Championship. He was named starter before his sophomore season and the rest you can say is history. Even though he was never known as a passer Tebow had over 9,000 yards passing with 88 TDs. Rushing wise Tebow had over 2,900 yards, and in 2007 he had a then record of 23 rushing TDs for a quarterback. As for his postseason success, also very good. Tebow won 2 SEC Championships, 2 National Championships and was 2-1 in Bowl Games as a starter. And of course lets not forget the Heisman Trophy in 2007.

Now as far as their NFL careers go, not a lot to compare but still some similarities. As earlier mentioned neither is considered a "traditional" QB. Yet both men sport winning records as starting quarterbacks, Young is 31-19, Tebow is 6-3. Both Tebow and Young have given us jaw dropping moments that kept us on the edge of our seats. We all know what Tebow has pulled off in 2011, but VY was also exciting. Remember this epic run in his return to Texas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUukfA5ugtI&feature=related. Despite the great record and awesome moments Young's stats are not those of a franchise QB. Young has only 8900 yards passing and has thrown more INTs than TDs. Tebow's stats also leave something to be desired with under a 50 percent completion percentage, and he averages just 83 yards passing a game.

Now we all know that Vince Young has had some off the field maturity issues and this is the one main difference I see in the two men. I doubt Tebow will get into a bar fight if someone disses Florida, in fact i doubt Tebow even goes to bars. But as far as the career arches go, they are almost identical. Both men have given us thrilling end of the game moments. Both quarterbacks just know how to win football games. Depending on who you talk to both players are sub par quarterbacks. Now only time will tell if Tebow will turn into a backup like Young has in his career, but if I were a betting man id say Tebow is destined to be the next Vince Young.

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