Divisonal Round

Drew Brees may be out of the comfort of the Superdome, but
he has been unstoppable all year and that should continue.

Neither OXen managed to go perfect last week.  Both foresaw the outcomes of the NFC games with New Orleans and the Giants running away from their opponents.  However, split opinions on the AFC led to a split decision.  Stally was right that Cincinnati ultimately couldn't stick with Houston, but Austen's Tebow pick paid off when the Broncos beat the Steelers on the first snap of overtime.

This week, there are again a couple differing opinions and a couple concurring ones: the Saints are again the go to team this week.

Austen (Eight-Point Pick) - New Orleans over @San Francisco

Austen: This was really the only game that I was confident in my pick. Drew Brees has been on an absolute tear down the stretch. I know the 49ers have most likely the best defense in the league but with all the rules changes in football, that old statement "defenses win championships" is dead and gone. Teams live and die by their offense these days. Take a look at the Packers. They have one of the worst defenses in the league and they only lost one game all year long! The Patriots are the top seed in the AFC and they too have a pitiful defense.

The Super Bowl winners of late have all been offense heavy teams. Yes, the Packers and Steelers had great defenses last season, but they also had top-five quarterbacks. I really think Alex Smith will take too many sacks in this game for the 49ers to pull out a win. At best the 49ers will keep it close in a defensive battle, but who are you going to bet on making the play at the end of the game to win it, Smith or Brees? Yea, I'm siding with Brees. 

Stally: I'm siding with Brees as well, but I was under the impression we'd pick the AFC teams first and then move on to two NFC games that I could see going either way.  If this game were in New Orleans, the Saints would be a clear favorite, but the outdoor game at Candlestick will definitely favor the Niners.  That said, do I think San Fran has enough to where it can translate that favorability into a win?  No, I do not.  I'm also taking the Saints, but not with nearly as much conviction as Austen.

Stally (Eight-Point Pick) - @New England over Denver

Stally: This is kind of a no-risk pick for me.  Let's be honest: if the Patriots lose, I'll be far too disappointed to care that I lost the pick in Stubborn OXen.  The Patriots torched the Broncos in Denver last month and I have a hard time believing that Tim Tebow can field an offense that keeps up with Tom Brady.  Yes, the Pats pass defense has been atrocious but, unless you live in a cave, you know that while Tebow might be God's gift, he's certainly not so for passing.

Austen: The Patriots may have beaten the Broncos earlier in the season, but that game was a lot closer than the 41-23 outcome indicates. The Broncos were up 17-7 early in that game before they completely fell apart on both offense and defense. The Broncos have a legitimate shot at winning this game, whether or not Stally is willing to come to terms with that or not. Tebow was absolutely amazing against the Steelers last week and he was without his top receiver for almost the entire game and it was against the top ranked defense in the entire league.

The Patriots defense has been horrendous all season long and losing their top pass rusher/only pass rusher, Andre Carter, for the rest of the season hurt them even more. If Tebow can average over 30 yards per completion against the Steelers, think what he is capable of doing against this defense. The Broncos ability to run the ball, they were the number one rushing offense in the league, also keeps Tom Brady off the field, so if he falters early in the game, it could be a long day for Patriots fans. The Patriots should win this game, simply because they have Tom Brady, who clearly is Jesus' favorite football player, but I will side with the underdog and stick with the Tebow magic.

Stally: Ok, you're just being a roader (the opposite of a homer).  You're picking Denver because you want to, not because you think they'll win.  If you asked me at any point the second half of the season, I thought Demaryius Thomas was the number one WR in Denver since Brandon Lloyd got traded, so I'm not sure at what point you thought Eric Decker was the best.

Austen: Decker has more yards, more catches, and twice as many touchdowns as Thomas this season. Decker fell off a bit at the very end of the season, which was when Thomas came on strong, but that was because he was banged up. There's no denying that Decker was the better receiver this season, Thomas is just way more explosive. 

Also, I picked the Broncos because I have to make some bold moves to try to catch up at least a little in our point totals! 

Austen (Four-Point Pick) - @Green Bay over New York-G

Austen: If the Giants win this game, it will be because Jason Pierre-Paul has a career day. He has been amazing all season long and is still in the running for defensive player of the year, but Aaron Rodgers is so hard to get to on a consistent basis. He makes such fast decisions and has the ability to escape pressure, so every time you sack Rodgers is an enormous win for any defense.

Eli Manning has been Mr. Clutch all season long, but Rodgers was the one that had an amazing drive in the fourth quarter to beat the Giants at the end of their last matchup in Week 13. When it comes down to it, I think the Packers defense is better than the Giants, despite their inability to stop the pass, and Rodgers is better than Eli. If that's the case, then it is going to take one hell of a game by the Giants special teams to pull off a win against the Packers. Oh and don't forget rookie Randall Cobb can take one to the house on special teams as well, so I would give the Packers the edge in that department as well. 

Eli would have to have a perfect day in order just to keep up in this game, but I think it will be a defensive player who will make the difference in this game. I am not sure who it will be but most likely it will be Pierre-Paul, Charles Woodson, or Clay Matthews. Just a hunch.

Stally: Ok, let's set a few things straight.  First of all, Aaron Rodgers was sacked 36 times, that's tied for sixth most in the NFL.  Their offensive line is their weakest link (Matt Flynn took another five sacks on the season.  Consider that those sacks took place despite Rodgers mobility and that the Giants defensive line is what won them Super Bowl XLII over a New England team that was similarly offensively strong and we're talking upset.

Eli Manning doesn't need to play out of his shoes to torch the league's worst pass defense.  As much as I think this matchup resembles Super Bowl XLII, it isn't.  Manning is far better than he was then, as both of us considered him worthy of MVP discussions, and I like his targets better now than I did then.  The Giants almost beat the Packers 42 days ago, but lost 38-35.  In Super Bowl XLII, they beat the Patriots 37 days after nearly beating them and losing by a score of...38-35.  Giants win this one.

Stally (Four-Point Pick) - @Baltimore over Houston

Stally: I think Houston has more of a chance than for which most people are giving them credit (and Austen will break that down).  However, I think that a tough defense and a strong home-field crowd will rattle T.J. Yates.  The game should come down to perhaps the two most electrifying and versatile backs in the NFL, the Ravens' Ray Rice and the Texans' Arian Foster.  Houston ranks second in total defense, while Baltimore is third, but the Ravens hold the advantage in both run defense and points against, so I'll give the home team the advantage.

Austen: If Joe Flacco's past performances in the playoffs are any indication of how he will play in this game, the Texans have a huge advantage. He has been, at best, awful in his post season performances so far in his career. He is the anti-Mark Sanchez and seems to always play his worst when it matters the most, especially the playoffs. He changed that a bit by beating the Steelers twice this season, but that first matchup had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the Steelers turning the ball over seven times. Him whining about not getting enough credit for the Ravens' success and trying to compare himself to Tom Brady and Drew Brees definitely did not do him any good with the media or probably with his teammates. 

I think Ray Rice will need to have a huge day to pull off a win for the Ravens, because I do not think he will get much help from the passing game. The Texans completely shut down AJ Green last week against the Bengals, who is significantly better than any receiver on the Ravens. Both teams are going to have a hard time getting anything going on offense in this one, but I think the Texans have the edge because they have the best receiver in football with Andre Johnson and the best running back in the NFL with Arian Foster (and yes I am saying he is better than Adrian Peterson). Also don't forget that the Ravens corners are still mediocre at best and can be beat.

Stally: I'm not going to lose any sleep over you saying Foster is better than Peterson...

Pick 'Em

New Orleans @ San Francisco - Sat, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)

Stally: New Orleans

Austen: New Orleans

Denver @ New England - Sat, 8:00 p.m. (CBS)

Stally: New England

Austen: Denver

Houston @ Baltimore - Sun, 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

Stally: Baltimore

Austen: Houston

New York-G @ Green Bay - Sun, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)

Stally: New York-G

Austen: Green Bay