Colts vs Patriots: AFC Divisional Round

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts roll in to Gillette stadium on the back of one of the greatest comeback wins in playoff history when they overcame the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend 45-44. Luck engineered a comeback which saw him bounce back from 3 interceptions in the game to tally up a total of 443 yards as well as 4 touchdown passes along with 29 completions out of 45 attempts.

It was Luck's first playoff victory and the second largest comeback in postseason history as the Colts bounced back from 38-10 deficit. Tonight they face the New England Patriots who have stared adversity full in the face throughout this 2013 season. The Patriots have found a way to win all year throughout various tough spots and scenarios with the team finishing the year 12-4. Middle linebacker Bradon Spikes went down this week ending his season which means that he joins the likes of Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Sebastian Vollmer and Thomas Kelly which shows how depleted this defense core is plus it is impossible to forget that on offense superstar Rob Gronkowski is out with an ACL and MCL injury but we'll get to that later.

Despite the injuries on defense Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones have been shining stars all year with the two combining for 19.5 sacks this season. Jones is in his sophomore season and leads the New England pass rush with 11.5 sacks. Fellow sophomore Dont'a Hightower will suit up at running back along with athletic linebackers Dane Fletcher and rookie Jamie Collins so although they are thin at key positions they have the talent to succeed. These linebackers will need to stop in form Colts running back Donald Brown who continues to impress; last week he had 55 yards from 11 carries and a touchdown. Jones and Ninkovich are no slouches in the running game either so despite the fact that pass rushers don't traditionally shine against the running game the fact that they are willing to do dirty work to help the team is typically of the Patriot way and the winning identity Bill Belichick puts in his men.

To get to where they are is a testament to Belichick as a head coach and in the playoffs we know anything can happen so if this Patriots team did manage to win the Super Bowl it would surely be his greatest achievement to date. His main challenge tonight is to stop Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton who is coming in to this match on the back of his best career game with him going off last weekend as he caught two touchdowns and finished with 224 receiving yards. The Patriots secondary will have a tough challenge against him but we'll hope that the likes of Aqib Talib and Devin McCourty can stop his blistering speed with smart defensive blame to limit his output; Hilton had 100 yards and 2 touchdown passes when the two teams went head to head in 2012.

The last time these two teams met New England destroyed the Colts 59-24 but a lot has changed since then. Andrew Luck continues to show why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league already despite it only being his second year; he has 11 game-winning drives in his career already and with a record of 22-10 Luck has one more win that Tom Brady from his first 32 career games (21-11). With that being said Tom Brady may not be having one of his best seasons statistically but as a leader there is nobody better as he has managed to pull his team out of many deep holes this year with late victories over the Saints and Browns as well as rallying back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the high flying Denver Broncos!

More than likely the winner of tonight's matchup will face Denver in the AFC Championship game which sets up a mouthwatering encounter either way. Tom Brady and this Patriots team seem to have a feel of destiny around them with a win tonight setting them up with a shot at reaching another Super Bowl, the 6th of the Belichick-Brady era. Despite losing Rob Gronkowski to another season ending injury, Wes Welker to the Broncos and Aaron Hernandez to unforeseen circumstances New England continue to grind out victories this season. If anything despite their problems they have gone back to basics in recent weeks following Gronk's injury against Cleveland and have established a power running game with LaGarrette Blount leading the way by decimating opposing offenses. His season is picking up at the right time with the 27 year old running back becoming a key part of New England's offense heading in to the postseason; he set a team-record 344 all-purpose yards along with a personal best 189 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in the season finale against Buffalo.

Brady and Blount celebrating

Along with Blount the Patriots have Stevan Ridley who is perfect for the one-two punch running game to go with Blount. Ridley has speed and elusiveness which can go a long way to helping the Pats succeed in the playoffs providing he can cut out the high profile fumbling issues that surround him. Thankfully the emergence of Blount takes the pressure of of Ridley as being labelled as the team's primary running back and when you take in to account that fellow back Shane Vereen is one of Tom Brady's favourite targets it shows you the talent the Patriots still have on this team despite their many losses. Vereen is a valuable weapon in a depleted passing game with him turning up in the big games like the one against the Broncos earlier in the season. Vereen missed a chunk of games with a broken wrist but has 427 yards and 3 touchdown receptions on the year and he will be an asset to this offense heading in to win or go home time.

The key tonight will be the success of the Pats offense as Tom Brady has the ability and the know how to pick off weak points in the Indianapolis secondary. He will use the run game whenever necessary and thanks to its success he can rely on play-action plays which he executes to perfection. Brady has a 99.8 passer rating on play-action passes this season in comparison to his general passer rating for the year of 87.3. Despite the statistics he has improved in the second half of the year and finished the regular season with 4,343 passing yards along with 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The offensive line will need to protect the superstar quarterback from the Colts' main pass rusher Robert Mathis who has been rejuvenated this year with the 33 year old playing one of the best seasons of his illustrious career; he leads the league with 19.5 sacks this season and when you consider the team themselves have 42 on the year that is outstanding.

Brady has Julian Edeleman in the passing game to rely on like he has done throughout most of 2013 especially when Gronk missed the early part of the season and since his season ending injury. Julian Edelman defines what a Bill Belichick player is all about as he is so productive in the head coaches system and has come up big with Brady in many matches this year. For the first time in his career Edeleman hauled in over 100 catches and racked up over 1000 receiving yards as he finished the regular season with 6 touchdowns. With rookie wideout Aaron Dobson ruled out and Kenbrell Thompkins questionable it falls to the likes of Edelman, Vereen and 2013 summer acquisition Danny Amendola to get things done for Terrific Tom in the passing game. Personally I feel now is the time for Amendola to shine as he has shown his toughness to overcome injuries and he clearly has a good rapport with Brady that will be effective enough to come up big when it matters most which is now in the playoffs.

Despite a troublesome groin injury and some growing pains in this offense Amendola ended the regular season with 663 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With the Patriots' playoff journey starting tonight Amendola will need to pull his weight and ensure he can reach Edelman's level of production so that Brady has two valuable and reliable wideouts. The playoffs are a clean slate and anything can happen which is something we have seen a lot over recent years as getting hot can end with your team lifting that Lombardi trophy high in the sky. Tom Brady and the Patriots may be 7-7 in the postseason since 2005, he started his career with 10 straight postseason wins, but Terrific Tom holds the record for most playoff victories with 17. Three more wins would leave him on an unprecedented 20 victories in crunch time and with a 4th Super Bowl ring from 6 appearances in the big one cementing his place as the greatest QB to play the game. Each of the last three times the Colts and Patriots have gone head to head in the postseason has resulted in the winner going on to win the Super Bowl so whoever comes out on top tonight could well go on to win it all come February 2nd at MetLife Stadium. For the Patriots they always confront adversity full in the face and a victory tonight will show their metal. Defying the odds are what great teams are made of so if Tom Brady and co pull out a win tonight who's to say that can't go all the way because when the games on the line there's nobody better than Brady to lead your team in to battle. 

It's playoff time!

Playoffs: Saturday Wild Card picks

The NFL playoffs are set to begin in a few hours and I am back after some time to share my predictions with you all. Tonight sees the Colts host the Chiefs and the Eagles entertain the Saints with Sunday's lineup including the Chargers vs Bengals and a high profile matchup in the last game of the weekend when the 49ers travel to take on the Packers.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts

Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?

On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!

It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.

Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.

The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.

Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs


New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles

The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.

Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.

Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.

I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.

Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles

NFL midseason predictions: AFC

With the NFL reaching its halfway point it has been a very eventful season so far and now we can certainly say that the playoff chase is underway! In most of the divisions there is still lots to play for so with nine weeks left lets take a look at how I think each division will end at the end of the season:

AFC East:

Despite an up and down start, performance wise, to the season the New England Patriots have managed to win 6 of their 8 games played so far this season. The win over Miami put them two games ahead of the second placed New York Jets and despite some key divisional matchups still to come the Patriots are my bet to win their fifth straight divisional title. On offense Tom Brady and co will improve in the second half of the campaign with Gronk back plus with Bill Belichick in charge of the team you know that even with a lot of young players and unfortunate injuries the Patriots always prepare well and on their day can beat anyone.

Miami are a game back at 3-4 while the Jets are 4-4 but New York are overachieving in many people's eyes so there chances of a playoff spot are still a long shot. Miami on the other hand has the talent to make a run at a wildcard spot but tomorrow night they face the in form Bengals who will provide a very tough challenge! As for the Bills well despite being not so far back at 3-5 they are still rebuilding and injuries haven't helped them so you can cross them off the list from performing any second half of the season dramatics!

Skye's end of season standings:

1st: New England Patriots 12-4
2nd: Miami Dolphins 8-8 
3rd: New York Jets 6-10
4th: Buffalo Bills 5-11

I am going to be bold and stick with my AFC East predictions that I made in early September with the same records too.


AFC North:

The Bengals have taken the AFC by storm and have recorded impressive victories over the NFC teams like the Packers and Lions. They annihilated the Jets last week and came out on top in a tough game against the Patriots recently too so Cincinnati is proving to be a possible contender come the start of the playoffs Even if the Baltimore Ravens win their game in hand they will still be two behind the Bengals but in week 10 they face off in a game which will be critical to deciding who wins the division despite it still being early days and despite the fact that they meet again on the last day of the regular season.

At 6-2 and still improving I will definitely say that the Bengals win the division whilst the Steelers and Ravens try their best to at least make 8-8 to give them a chance at a wildcard spot. The Steelers have overcome early season struggles to rack up two wins before losing last week to leave them at 2-5; Big Ben has declared this week's game against the Patriots a must win but unfortunately for them you can write them off for 2013. Like them the Browns have also had bad luck in terms of injuries with the 3-5 team looking for a revival under QB Brian Hoyer before he suffered a season ending injury. Defending Super Bowl champions Baltimore lack an identity and even if they make the postseason lady luck won't strike twice for the Ravens.

Skye's end of season standings:

1st: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
2nd: Baltimore Ravens 8-8
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers 6-10
4th: Cleveland Browns 4-12


AFC South:

Injuries have been the talk of the NFL in 2013 with many teams suffering critical losses but despite that burden being shared by the Colts they went out and traded for Trent Richardson to give quarterback Andrew Luck a real weapon in the running game. The importance of that trade will be magnified now that they have lost Reggie Wayne to a season ending injury but the Colts have looked very impressive as they are the team who ended the undefeated streaks of the Seahawks and Broncos respectively. To be at 5-2 after facing those two teams and including a victory over the 49ers is scary for their AFC counterparts to look at. Andrew Luck is really something special and you have to say that Indianapolis is a real Super Bowl contender.

With their schedule looking slightly easier for their remaining 9 games I'm betting on them to win the division and stamp their authority on the AFC South with a win over the depleted Texans on the road this weekend. The 2-5 Texans and 0-8 Jags can count their 2013 seasons as write offs while the 3-4 Tennessee Titans are my surprise prediction to make the postseason as they have a schedule which would suggest they could finish say 9-7 and sneak in to the playoffs despite the fact they have some trouble at the quarterback position and have to play the Colts twice (they also have to play the Jags twice so that cancels that out)

Skye's end of season standings:

1st: Indianapolis Colts 13-3
2nd: Tennessee Titans 9-7
3rd: Houston Texans 6-10
4th: Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14

AFC West:

The AFC West is definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC when you consider that the 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-1 Denver Broncos still have to play each other twice in two games which will essential be crucial in deciding the winners of this division as well as having massive playoff implications regarding seedings! The Chiefs have really brought in to Andy Reid's team spirit which has shown in recent close victories over the likes of Houston whilst on the other hand we have the Broncos who are entertaining to watch and put up high scores each week in entertaining games.

For me I think the bye week is the decider in this division as it has come at the perfect time for the Broncos who need to sort out their defensive weaknesses and ensure that Peyton Manning is healthy whereas the Chiefs get their bye after they face the Bills this week and then they will meet Denver at Mile High after it. The Chiefs will lose their momentum after the bye but still make the playoffs which ultimately is their goal. Personally I feel despite some impressive wins to date their second half of the schedule will hit them hard. I feel they will lose their last two games to Indianapolis and San Diego whilst Denver defeat Houston and Oakland despite them both being on the road. Denver wins the division, Kansas City comes in a close second and the Chargers led by a re-inspired Phillip Rivers return to the playoffs despite finishing 3rd in this division whilst the Raiders remain in obscurity.

Skye's end of season standings:

1st: Denver Broncos 13-3
2nd: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
3rd: San Diego Chargers 9-7
4th: Oakland Raiders 5-11


Skye's AFC playoff picture:

1st seed: Indianapolis Colts 13-3 (thanks to their 39-33 over the Broncos they win the tiebreaker)
2nd seed: Denver Broncos 13-3
3rd seed: New England Patriots 12-4 
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5 
5th seed: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
6th seed: Tennessee Titans 9-7 (their week 3 win over San Diego 20-17 sees them sneak in to the playoffs)

So in my playoff picture the Colts have home field advantage whilst the Broncos join them in gaining a bye. This means that the wild card round would pit the Kansas City Chiefs on the road against the Bengals whilst the Titans would have it all to do when they visit Gillette Stadium to take on New England. That would give us a mouth watering divisional round and an AFC Championship game to remember. After my NFC predictions I will look at three potential playoff scenarios for both conferences!

What's next for Tim Tebow?

Tebowmania rolled in to New York last off-season and now is on its way out when Tim Tebow was released by the New York Jets shortly after the 2013 NFL Draft finished. While it may be a relief for Tebow that his torrid time in the big apple is over it is safe to say that the effects of last season are putting teams off of signing him to their roster which has now left doubts over him having a future in the NFL.

Tebow has had many critics over his ability to throw the football, his presence in the locker room and his potential to establish himself as a quarterback in the national football league. Now as we know in the NFL it is all about winning games and that applies to every single player on a roster to the coaching staff and to anyone throughout an organisation. Whoever doesn't do his job is quite usually given their marching orders but Tim Tebow has always given 100%.

Being left handed QB in the NFL seems to automatically bring you scepticism over your ability to throw the ball as people have claimed there seems to be a weird looking motion when a 'lefty' throws the ball. A strange case that probably doesn't quite add up but considering right handers are a lot more likely considering the right to left hand ratio on the planet. Back to football and after conducting some research there have only ever been 43 left handed QB's in the league since 1942 with some not even taking a snap or in Armanti Edwards' case where he switched to wide receiver after just two passing attempts (0 completions) and still remains a part of the Carolina Panthers after being drafted in 2010. Only two left handed quarterbacks have ever won a Super Bowl; Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders at Super Bowl XI and Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers who guided his team to three Super Bowls wins making him a part of the NFL Hall of Fame for his achievements.

So we know how hard it is to be a successful quarterback in the NFL especially if you are left handed. Now in Tim Tebow's case we know many of the odds were stacked against him and his criticism over the past 18 months has proven that. Tebow played for the Florida Gators in college where he won the Heisman trophy in 2007 and was a nominated finalist in 2008 & 2009. The 2008 season saw him guide the team to the BCS Championship and in 2009 he led the team to a 13-1 record. Tebow came in to the league in the 2010 NFL Draft and was selected by the Denver Broncos with his hard work and determination helping him to achieve great success on the field against all odds despite all the criticism thrown at him especially during his spell as the starting QB for the Bronco's which saw him pull off amazing feats over his 11 games as their starter and guiding them to the playoffs.

In that 2011 season the Denver Broncos were 1-4 when Tebow was announced as the team's starting quarterback for their next game against the Dolphins. They were down 15-0 before rallying back to win 18-15 in overtime making the Broncos the first NFL team in history to win a game after being down by at least 15 points with less than three minutes remaining to play in a match. The team were blown out 45-10 a week later against the Lions bringing them back down to earth and leaving them 2-5 with 10 games remaining. A week later Tebow threw two touchdown passes for 124 yards and rushed for 117 yards in a 38-24 win against divisional rivals the Oakland Raiders to get Denver back to winning ways. In week 10 of the season Tebow guided the Broncos to another win over a divisional rival despite only completing two out of his eight attempted passes in the game as the Broncos defeated the Chiefs taking the team to 4-5. His 56 yard game winning touchdown pass to Eric Decker was only his second pass completion of the day making Tebow just the fifth quarterback since 1980 to throw all of his team's passes, complete two or fewer and still win.

It's was those kind of games that give people the fuel to claim that Tebow isn't good enough to play as an NFL quarterback but on that day against the Chiefs he achieved his highest passer rating of 102.6 which he has only surpassed twice since that win. 2 wins in a row became 3 when Tim Tebow and the Broncos defeated the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football at home 17-13 which saw Tebow rush for a dramatic 20 yard rushing touchdown on a third down play with less than a minute remaining. The following weeks game went to overtime with Denver getting the win on the road against the Chargers 16-13; Tebow's 22 rushing attempts for 67 yards on that day were the most by an NFL quarterback since 1950 again putting a cloud over his ability to throw the ball. Regardless of these theories the Broncos were on a roll and the wins over the Jets and Chargers took Denver to 6-5 and to a winning record.

Their next game against the Vikings saw Tebow lead the team to their third consecutive comeback victory of the season. The game finished 35-32 and Tebow's performance was very impressive with the quarterback completing 10 of his 15 passing attempts for 202 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions thrown. He achieved the highest passer rating of his career to date, 149.3, which is very good considering the perfect passer rating is 158.3. The win saw the Broncos move on to 7-5 with 4 games remaining and the playoffs in site with the team winning 6 of its 7 games since Tebow took. A week later saw Tebow and the Broncos with their backs against the wall once again as the team trailed 10-0 with little over two minutes left in the game before tying it up 10-10 and going on to win the game 13-10 in overtime.

Since the NFL merger Tim Tebow became the only player to have over five game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first 11 starts when he rallied the team from behind in the game against Chicago for his sixth game-winning drive. The win over Chicago was Denver's sixth straight victory but the team then fell to three straight defeats against the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs with Tebow throwing just one touchdown over those three games and four interceptions. His turnover rate wasn't bad and thankfully for the Broncos their 8-8 record was good enough to secure the team a spot in the playoffs as well as clinch their first AFC West divisional title since 2005 and only their second divisional title since 1998.

Tebow headed in to the wildcard round with all odds against him as the highly favoured Pittsburgh Steelers were predicted by many to walk over the Broncos and send them packing. Executive vice president and hall of fame quarterback John Elway said Tebow just had to "Pull the trigger" ahead of the first round playoff game in which Tebow played quite possibly the best game of his career as he threw for a career high 316 yards and two touchdowns which included the game-winning throw to Demaryius Thomas for a 80 yard score on the first play of overtime giving the Broncos the victory 29-23. Tebow set the Bronco's franchise record for a quarterback rating in a playoff game of 125.6 in the game and most notably gave Denver only their second playoff victory since John Elway retired in 1999 following back to back Super Bowl wins and their first playoff win since the 2006 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In the divisional round the Patriots proved to be too much for Tebow and the Broncos as they blew them out 45-10 but Tebow was on top of the world as he had set the NFL alight during the 2011 season.

From his critics to his success on the field it is impossible to sit on the fence when talking about Tim Tebow. Off the field though his devotion to Christianity is an inspiration to many and his autobiography Through My Eyes was the bestselling religious book of 2011. The book was also named the number as the number 1 sports book of 2011 and it spent 24 weeks on the New York Times best seller list by March 2012. Tebow has always devoted time to the young children of America with a edition of his book called Through My Eyes: A Quarterback Journey released for younger readers. Even more impressive is the fact that Tebow supports more than 40 national evangelists working in America and he has shared his Christian faith to youth groups, schools, prisons, churches as well as at press conferences and meetings. One thing’s for sure Tebow is a very humble young man and despite his rise to fame in 2012 he has remained very dignified. His popularity rose so high that "Tebowing" became a popular stance that football fans took pictures of each other doing; kneeling on one knee and resting your head on your first to take up a position of prayer. This started following the Broncos' comeback victory against the Dolphins, as mentioned previously, and was credited to a fan named Jared Kleinstein who posted a picture with himself and his friends on Facebook mimicking the pose. Various different interpretations of Tebowing were taken around the world and it was given its own website which gathered 20 million page views and around 20,000 different photos submitted to it. Tebow and Tebowing's popularity was confirmed when Tebowing was recognised as a word in the English language due to its high level of worldwide usage which is very similar to the word Obamamania used for current United States of America President Barack Obama. The pose was even featured in the popular video game Madden NFL 13.

Tebow like most sports stars has his critics but he also has a lot of people rooting for him to get another shot in the National Football League; Jacksonville Jaguar fans recently creating a petition and sending it to President Obama to convince him that the Jags needed Tebow but some other Jacksonville fans created a petition against signing Tebow today which kind of sums up his luck. Even during his time as a Denver Bronco John Elway himself said on Tebow "It doesn't matter how you win it, as long as you win it". I genuinely feel that Tim Tebow would have a chance to compete for the Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Eagles, Jaguars, Raiders, Titans and Vikings. Ironically the Jets are who he would have the best chance with considering how bad their quarterback situation is but because of them wasting a year of his career Tebow's NFL career may actually be over. Many people have suggested Tebow should switch position if he is to carry on playing in the league but considering how many All-Americans out of college don't make an NFL team why would Tebow suddenly establish himself in the league as say a running back or tight end.

Diving in to the world and life of Tim Tebow has been intriguing. With the amount he's achieved on such little time on the field he should at least earn a shot as a backup for a team. His statistics are up for debate with their being so many pros and cons but you can't fault his attitude and character and in a world plus the fact he is clutch in the fourth quarter and proven he has a a knack for winning. Right now his chances of making an NFL roster look slim and that is mainly because of the media circus that surrounds him so no Head Coach is willing to take that risk which is unfortunate for a guy who has bundles of talent. His best shot at remaining in the NFL is probably the New England Patriots as head coach Bill Belichick knows how to make the most out of versatile athletes and use them for the benefit of his as well as the player himself plus who better for Tebow to watch and learn from then one of the greatest quarterback's to play the game in Tom Brady. Unfortunately for Tim sources today suggest otherwise regarding Tebow landing in New England but seeing as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the man who drafted Tebow out of Florida during his time as head coach for the Broncos who knows. Tebow once said in an interview that "My greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me." and ironically now all he needs is someone to believe in him.

Conference Championship Previews

Last week I went 1-3 on predictions and after spending most of the week cleaning my wounds I've dusted myself down and prepared my predictions for the AFC and NFC title games; even Elliot Harrison from NFL.com went 1-3 in his predictions... Just throwing that out there.

We are 2 weeks away from Super Bowl 47 and two teams will make the trip to New Orleans ready to fight it out for the Lombardi Trophy on the biggest stage of them all so let's bite our teeth in to the two mouth-watering match-ups

San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons

Can Kaepernick help the Niners knock off Atlanta

Last week I predicted both of these teams to lose and in fitting fashion both have made it to the NFC title game but when the playoffs began I did say that if the 49ers made it past the divisional round they would win the NFC Championship then advance to Super Bowl 47 and lose.

Forgetting the Super Bowl for now though let us just stick to this game and yes the Niners will win. All you have to do is watch the performance of quarterback Colin Kaepernick last weekend to know that this guy is the real deal. He completed 17/31 passes for 263 yards in the air, 2 touchdowns and a pick then on the ground he tore it up just as much if not more by rushing for 181 yards on 16 attempts for 2 scores in the 49ers' 45-31 victory over Green Bay. The Kapernick interception was thrown within the early stages of the first quarter but after that he came to town and was instrumental in the Niners pulling off the victory. The San Francisco offense if just as dangerous as its defense now who welcomed back Justin Smith in the divisional round so Atlanta better watch out.

Now this is not to say that the Falcons don't have a chance of winning because in the national football league anything can happen but the one stat that stands out for me is that the 49ers put up 579 yards in total on offense last week but only gave up 352 yards on defense against an Aaron Rodgers lead Packers in comparison to the Falcons who gave up 491 yards in total on defense but did manage to put up 417 yards on offense against a tough Seattle defense. For me this shows that the 49ers will find a way to win because despite Atlanta's offensive weapons Matt Ryan does not possess the experience or the offense to cause the Niners defense the problems that Tom Brady did against them in week 15.

The most important factor though is how far Colin Kaepernick has come since becoming the 49ers quarterback. I don't think there is anyone in the NFL who can do what this guy can do because the way he runs the ball which is speed for a QB is unreal and makes his a threat to any opposing defense but more than anything he has a tremendous ability to throw the football which many have criticised and even doubted. Jim Harbaugh made the right call putting in this kid for Alex Smith as it has taken his offense and this football team to the next level. It will be hard going on the road and winning in the playoffs especially at the Georgia Dome but unless the Falcons can force some turnovers and hope that quarterback Matt Ryan stays as cool as ice then it will be San Francisco representing the NFC at Super Bowl 47.

Predicted Score: 49ers 38-24 Falcons


Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots

Brady vs Lewis the final episode

Ray Lewis' career in the NFL continues for another week as he inspired the Ravens to go on the road and knock off Peyton Manning and the first seeded Denver Broncos. Now Baltimore has a chance to redeem themselves for their defeat in the AFC Championship game last season against the New England Patriots with the rematch set up for Sunday night at Gillette Stadium bringing two of the greatest players in their respective positions head to head for once last time when Ray Lewis goes head to head against Tom Brady.

The two things that gives the Ravens a chance in this game is that their defense have returned to their nasty self and that Joe Flacco is now elite... Yes I said elite! The 70 yard touchdown pass he made against Denver in the fourth quarter to tie the game up and take it to overtime was absolute magic and proved he has the ability to potentially mix it with the best. The rejuvenated Flacco has emerged ever since Jim Caldwell has hired as the team's offensive coordinator for week 15 and since then Flacco has thrown 9 touchdowns and just one interception.

Now the Ravens will need to match the Patriots offense if they are to stay in the game as it could well become a shootout but their one concern must be running back Ray Rice as he looks like he is scared about fumbling the football. You can see it in the way Rice is holding the ball and he has already had a few errors during the post-season up until this point. This will be a real cause for concern for Baltimore considering the Patriots lead the league in turnovers with a differential of +25 which includes 20 interceptions and 21 forced fumbles.

Now that New England's defense has the ability to make big plays all over the field thanks to a reborn secondary which can cover the pass and a defense running game led by Vince Wilfork it is going to be hard to get past the Patriots. Combine that with an offense that is getting it done on the ground with Stevan Ridley and their backs love to come out and catch the ball which is what Shane Vereen did perfectly in the team's 41-28 victory over the Texans in the absence of Danny Woodhead who went down to injury in the first quarter. Vereen racked in 83 yards receiving for two touchdowns including a 33 yard touchdown reception from a beautifully thrown pass by Tom Brady as well as racking up 41 yards and a score on the ground.

The Patriots offense is on fire even without superstar tight-end Rob Gronkowski as they have the likes of Hernandez, Lloyd and Welker to go to. The team put up 457 yards in total against Houston in the divisional round and they also boats the number one offense in the league following outstanding performances during the regular season. All of the signs are there for New England to make it back to the Super Bowl and that is exactly what I think will happen. Tom Brady was masterful again last weekend completing 25/40 passing attempts for 344 yards and throwing three touchdown passes. It was a perfect performance by Brady and with the win took him to 17 playoffs wins overtaking the legendary Joe Montana.

The following stats also suggest that New England wins on Sunday:

1. Now it may not be playoff related but in his career as a starter Tom Brady is 136-39

2. Brady is 17-6 in his career as a starter in the playoffs.

3. He is also a very impressive 11-2 at home in the playoffs in his career as starter

4. Finally and probably the most applicable to this game is that Tom Brady is 3-0 at home as a starter in AFC Championship games.

So all in all despite it being pretty obvious that the Ravens do have a chance I fancy New England to win on Sunday and advance to the Super Bowl in New Orleans where if they win it will mark 10 years exactly to the day that they won their first Super Bowl which was also in New Orleans; 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams February 3rd 2002.

Predicted Score: Ravens 23-31 Patriots

NFL divisonal round

There are 3 hours until the divisional round of the NFL playoffs begin! Last week's wild card round brought us plenty of excitement with the Seahawks, Packers, Ravens and Texans all progressing. We'll take a look at each game now with predictions from yours truly.

Baltimore Ravens vs Denver Broncos

The Ravens are rejuvenated following the return of influential leader Ray Lewis. The linebacker returned from injury last week against the Colts are played incredibly well as he racked up 9 tackles and almost got an interception which would have capped off a perfect day for Baltimore. Last week they played the rookie Andrew Luck and no disrespect to him because he has all the talent in the world but last week the Colts just didn't show up but this week the Ravens have a huge task ahead of them when they go on the road to face Peyton Manning's Broncos.

Denver finished the regular season 13-3 with the join best record in the league and the best record in the AFC. They have won their last 11 games in a row and Manning has been spectacular in his first year as a Bronco. Many have the Bronco's down to win this especially after they knocked off the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago but here I am about to give Baltimore some hope with two key points:

1. Peyton Manning despite being arguably one of if not the greatest quarterback to play the game actually does not have a great playoff record. While we all know his regular season success has been well documented over the years in the post-season Manning won 9 and lost 10 throwing 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. The stats are not great and you could compare him to Bronco's legend John Elway for maybe not being able to get it done in the "big games" although both are former Super Bowl champions so they are not exactly choke artists.

2. Now this may sound like I am clutching at straws but hear me out; when the weather is cold Manning freezes under pressure, sorry I couldn't resist it. When the temperature has been below 32 degrees Manning has only won 3/8 games now obviously when he was quarterback for the Colts they played indoors but Denver has high altitude and not the greatest of weather at this time of year. The temperature is predicted to be around 20 degrees in Denver when kick-off comes around so who knows what will happen and it is worth mentioning that Peyton Manning also lost his only two cold playoff games with both ending in defeat to the New England Patriots with him just throwing one touchdown and a costly five interceptions in those two games.

With that being said maybe the most important stat of all is that Manning is 9-2 against the Ravens in his career and even worse for the Ravens is that those two defeats came in his first two games against Baltimore so since that loss in 2001 Manning has won 9 straight against them. When the two teams go head to head tonight the league's number 5 offense takes on the league's number 16th defense and with the Broncos themselves ranked number 2 on total defense you can expect Denver to advance to the AFC Championship game.

Predicted Score: Ravens 24-30 Broncos


Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers

I think on paper this game is the most evenly matched out of the four we have for the divisional round and it really is so close to call. The 49ers pipped the Packers to the bye week and thanks to Green Bay's convincing win last weekend against the Vikings they now travel to Candlestick Park to play San Francisco. Both of these teams suffered the same fate in last season's playoffs when they were defeated by the New York Giants but this year with the two matching up against each other both will believe that with a win tonight they will be the ones to go on and represent the NFC at Super Bowl 47.

These are the two best teams in the NFC but both get things done differently. The 49ers offensive has taken a new lease of life since the emergence of second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick and with it now being dynamic in the air as well as being dangerous on the ground they are almost as scary on this side of the ball as they are on defense. The Niners defense is ranked 3rd in the league in total yardage giving up less than 300 yards a game but we saw how they almost threw away a big lead when they took on the offensive might of the New England Patriots during the regular season and how they were swept away by the Seahawks so there are signs that the Packers can get it done tonight.

Although their defense is improving Green Bay getting it done on offense will be the main factor tonight. If the likes of Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley can get it done then the Packers have a chance. With that being said it will be down to quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get the ball to them but if he can continue his regular season form and put in another MVP like performance for the Packers then I fancy them to beat San Francisco in their own back garden. Jim Harbaugh made a tough call when he put in Kaepernick for Alex Smith and although the young kid has lot of talent I think a playoff run is a step to far this season and ultimately the decision to bring him in will haunt Harbaugh but only for now as from next season onwards the Niners will come out firing on all cylinders.

Predicted Score: Packers 30-27 49ers


Seattle Seahawks vs Atlanta Falcons

I wouldn't necessarily call the Seattle Seahawks a surprise package but let's just say I don't think nobody predicted this football team would look so complete in the 2012 season. Tomorrow they come up against a Falcons team that has looked like a complete squad for a couple of seasons but a win in the playoffs still eludes them.

The Seahawks finished the regular season 8-0 at home but were only 3-5 on the road. With that being said they went on the road last weekend and beat the Redskins 24-14 to move on to 12-5 this season. The team's defensive is ranked 4th best overall for yardage in the league and 3rd in the playoffs just trailing the Broncos and the 49ers. The Seahawks boast having the best defense in the league when it comes to their opponents scoring against them and out of the remaining teams in the NFC they have the best turnover differential along with none other than the Atlanta Falcons with plus 13.

The Falcons offense has been brilliant for the majority of the season but they haven't blown any teams out of shown that wow factor which some would require is needed to get to the next level. Nitty gritty wins are good as your team shows heart but it just seems like the Falcons may choke once again especially when you look back to when they played the Cardinals and Matt Ryan threw 5 interceptions.

This matchup for many comes down to the Falcons offense vs the Seahawks defense but for me I think the decisive factor will be how well Seattle themselves do on offense. They go to the Georgia Dome which is by no means the easiest place to play in and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson will have to show composure once again if he is to lead his team to a victory on the road. The rookie QB was efficient last weekend against Washington when he threw 1 touchdown pass for 187 yards and we know he can hit the next gear as he tied Peyton Manning's rookie touchdown record during the regular season when he threw 26 touchdown passes.

If Wilson performs and Marshawn Lynch gets it done like we know he can when he is called upon by this Seattle offense then I think the Seahawks knock off the number one seed Falcons and advance to the NFC Championship game. Oh and you can expect cornerback Richard Sherman to intercept Matt Ryan tomorrow night and add to his 8 interceptions this season.

Predicted Score: Seahawks 28-20 Falcons


Houston Texans vs New England Patriots

The last time these two teams played the New England Patriots destroyed the Texans 42-14. Tom Brady dismantled Houston's defense but now it's the playoffs and as we know anything can happen. The Texans will want revenge and will want to give what they feel to be a true account of themselves when they come up against the Patriots again tomorrow night but despite their wild card win over the Bengals the Texans once again looked lackluster on offense in comparison to the team we saw during the early stages of the regular season.

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub will feel he has a point to prove when he takes his team on the road as he looks to prove he has what it takes to be elite. Judging on his season to date especially looking at recent form the chances of him instigating a performance to shock the Patriots is unlikely but that was also said of Jets QB Mark Sanchez in the 2010 season, After New England humiliated the Jets 45-3 in the regular season Sanchez and Gang Green went on the road to knock off their rivals 28-21 in the divisional round.

So that brings us to the 2012 playoffs and the New England Patriots are in a very similar scenario. Whether they have the comparisons to the 2010 season in their mind is anyone's call but you could say that is unlikely as this football team is completely different to the 2010 Patriots. Last season New England just missed out on a 4th Super Bowl championship and you can see that Tom Brady and the Patriots are on a redemption mission this season to get back to the big game for another shot at the Lombardi trophy.

On offense Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has once again been in spectacular form as he finished the regular season with 34 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. Tomorrow he could overtake the legendary Joe Montana for playoff wins and move on to 17 post-season victories if they can knock off the Texans. That looks likely now that they have tight end Rob Gronkowski back on offense, he didn't play in the blowout, and now that the running game has regained stability along with a defense that leads the league in turnover differential with +25 the signs are there for a New England win.

For the Texans to win J.J. Watt needs to rediscover his superstar form. You can expect Houston to throw a lot of blitz packages at Tom Brady tomorrow with Watt himself leading his group all in hope of getting to Brady. Any chance Houston has of winning though will depend on the offense's ability to get first downs and put points on the board; now that sounds obvious but they didn't do it last time and have struggled to do that of late.

You can expect this game to be much closer than the two teams first encounter but with the Patriots being at home again and their roster back to pretty much full strength ahead of the playoffs expect New England to start their playoff run with a win as they advance to the AFC Championship game next week.

Predicted Score: Texans 24-34 Patriots

Houston you have a problem: Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots torched the Houston Texans in a 28 point blowout win at Gillette Stadium. With the Patriots wrapping up the AFC East last week they have now set their sights on the top spot in the conference with the win taking them to a 10-3 record and leaving the Texans at 11-2 following this defeat.

In a game that was hyped up to be a potential preview of a future AFC Championship game only one side rose to the occasion and it was no surprise that it was the Patriots who got the win when you consider their recent record on Monday Night Football. Ahead of the game they were 10-1 in the team's last 11 games scoring 33.1 points per game and only giving up 16.2 points per games.

The Patriots also averaged 396.7 yards per game in their last 11 on Monday Night Football and last night they racked up plenty of yardage too; 419 yards in total. They were 50% on 3rd down completing 6 out of 12 attempts and had 17 first downs in the whole game; overall it's safe to say that the offense was efficient and definitely at its best last night.

Tom Brady himself put on another amazing performance as he continues to be a frontrunner for league MVP. Thanks to his four touchdown passes New England raced out of the blocks and destroyed Houston. He completed 21 out of 35 passing attempts for 296 yards including the four passing touchdowns.

Brady's 2012-2013 season continues to be out of this world. He has now thrown for 3833 passing yards in the team's 13 games. He has only turned the ball over 4 times and has thrown 32 touchdown passes leaving him with a Quarterback rating of 104.2. Finally a passing score in the team's next 3 games means Brady will overtake Johnny Unitas in second place for throwing a touchdown pass in consecutive games giving him a shot at Drew Brees' record next season.

With the win Brady and the Patriots continued their crazy second half of the season record which now stands at 21-0 since the 2010 season. The win over the Texans was their seventh straight victory meaning that they are now just a game behind Houston in the race for the first seed with them still having to play their divisional rivals the Colts twice in the next 3 games.

It has been mentioned many times before but the Patriots offense really is beautiful to watch even without the likes of Rob Gronkowski. They get it done whenever it matters and change it up game by game to combat against any type of defense. This week the no huddle offense and play action passing worked to perfection and on Brady's 37 yard touchdown pass to Bradon Lloyd late in the first quarter Tom Brady should win an Oscar for how well he faked the handoff to the running back.

That touchdown came around 6 and a half minutes after the early touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez from 7 yards out meaning that the Patriots ended the first quarter 7-0 ahead. Brady hit Hernandez again, this time  four minutes in to the second quarter, on a quick slant to his left with the tight end open giving him an easy passage in to the end zone.

At halftime the Patriots were in the lead by a score of 21-0 and any hopes of a Houston comeback were dashed when Brady connected on a spectacular 63 yard deep pass to Donte' Stallworth who announced his comeback to New England in style. Arian Foster got the Texans on the board from a yard out leaving the score at 28-7 going in to the final quarter.

Bradon Lloyd recovered a Danny Woodhead fumble in the end zone giving the Patriots another touchdown early in the fourth and Stevan Ridley ran 14 yards for a score mid-way through the quarter; he had another very productive day rushing for 72 yards from 18 carries and showed why he is one of best young running backs in the NFL.

The Texans got a consolation touchdown late on but it finished with New England winning in style. It was supposed to be close but the Patriots showed why they may be the best team in the league by declaring their dominance. The defense is looking great too with the secondary again putting in another impressive display with the likes of McCourty, Talib and Dennard all stepping up to the plate. Vince Wilfork seems to be everywhere up front and this defense can cause problems for anyone.

On offense they took one of the league's best defense's to town and swatted away the NFL's best pass rusher J.J. Watt despite his best efforts. Now New England will look ahead to another big home game when they take on the league's most talented defense in the form of the San Francisco 49ers. It will be a different type of test for the Patriots on both sides of the ball. On offense they'll have to either deal with Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith at quarterback, on defense they will face a unit that can pretty much get anything done.

It will be very close and will be a tougher test than this week but with Tom Brady at Quarterback and this team on the roll expect New England to continue their run of form by asserting themselves on both sides of the ball. If they can knock off another heavyweight team ahead of the playoffs this Patriots team could really gather the serious momentum needed by anyone ahead of the post-season. Based on what this team is doing it is safe to say that New England really does have the talent to go on and get to the Super Bowl in New Orleans and dare I say it win Super Bowl 47.

New England Patriots: A look ahead.

With a win over the Miami Dolphins in week 13 the New England Patriots clinched their fourth consecutive AFC East title. It may have been closer than they'd have liked but they got it done when it mattered with the team coming out with a 23-16 win at Sun Life stadium.

Their offense wasn't as explosive as usual but thanks to a good running game and a knack of knowing how to get it done the Patriots came out on top. Steven Ridley opened the scoring when he ran in to the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown; he racked up 71 rushing yards on the day from 19 carries.

Dan Carpenter kicked a field goal to cut the gap to four just before the second quarter. Tom Brady threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker to make it 14-3 and then a Gostkowski field goal put the Patriots up by 14. The Dolphins didn't make it easy for their opponents all day long and quarterback Ryan Tannehill ran in the end zone for a score just before the break leaving the score at 17-10 to New England.

A scoreless third quarter set up a nervy final one and with just over 8 minutes to go the Patriots were just 20-13 ahead. But that's when Tom Brady and all his experience came in to play. The Patriots ate up the clock by going on a seven-plus minute drive consisting of 16 plays which brought them all the way down to Miami's 20 and with the resulting field goal it was a two possession game with only 1:10 remaining on the clock.

The Dolphins got a field goal of their own with 31 seconds left to cut the gap to 7 points but failed with an onside kick and with the team using all its timeouts on New England's lengthy drive the game was over meaning that the Patriots won. The victory means they will end the regular season as division champions of the AFC East for the tenth time in 12 years.

For the record books it was a pretty good day for New England too, Tom Brady surpassed Joe Montana's record of 9 divisional titles by winning his 10th one as quarterback for the Patriots. By finishing the day with a touchdown pass Tom Brady also edged closer to Drew Brees' record for consecutive games for throwing a touchdown.

As well as that despite it not being his best day in comparison to his useful standards Tom Brady's statistics for the season are still astronomical as he has now thrown 3537 yards on the season for 28 touchdown passes and just 4 interceptions; the fourth interception came in this game and was the first time he had thrown a pick in 203 passing attempts. All of that means Brady's passer rating is at 102.6 with and with four games remaining he will only improve on these impressive numbers.

Wide receiver Wes Welker tied Jerry Rice’s NFL record by making at least 10 receptions for the 17th time. He had 12 catches for 103 yards and a score. The Brady and Welker combination is working well with the Patriots continuing to get it done on offense despite key injuries to the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman who broke his foot in the win over the Dolphins.

Edelman has become a versatile game changer on offense for the Patriots and will be missed but he and Gronkowski will return for the playoffs which is when the team will need them the most. For now Donte Stallworth has re-joined to help fill the gap at receiver and he will slot in to the system quickly after he previous spells in New England.

Aaron Hernandez has just returned from injury and Bradon Lloyd, whilst looking good, is still getting use to the offense so Brady and Welker are essential in keeping this offense ticking. The Patriots have the league's most prolific offense in terms of scoring and yardage. An added bonus for New England is that they have a strong running game too with Stevan Ridley being the primary runner on the team. He is having a very good season and has now rushed for 1,010 yards on the season with 9 scores as he establishes himself as one of the best up and coming backs in the NFL.

The running game was something the Patriots lacked last season when they just missed out on winning the Super Bowl but now that they have utilised it now they look set to replicate the success of the New England dynasty from the 00's which won 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. Tom Brady knows how essential a good running game is in an offense and with the Patriots running the no huddle so well the suspense of whether they'll use the pass or the run as well as the possibility of screen plays to the likes of Danny Woodhead or using the play action once the passing game is opened up all of this is a migraine in the mind of any opposing defense.

With a devastating offense at one of the best quarterback's in the NFL's history at his disposal the New England Patriots are well equipped to make another run to the Super Bowl and compete for a championship. They'll need the likes of Gronkowski back come the playoffs but momentum is well and truly on New England's side as the victory over Miami was their six consecutive win in a row moving them on to 9-3. Bill Belichick's team know how to get it done when it reaches this time of year and since the 2010 season the Patriots are now a combined 20-0 in the second half of the regular season. 

With the Ravens losing to the Steelers it left them tied at 9-3 with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos meaning that New England held the second seed going in to week 14. The Broncos beat the Raiders on Thursday Night Football meaning that they now have the second seed but with a matchup against the Ravens in week 15 it means that New England still has control of its own destiny as if they win their remaining games they will surely clinch a bye and progress straight to the divisional round of the playoffs.

The 9-3 Patriots next game is on Monday Night Football at home against the 11-1 Houston Texans who currently hold the first seed in the AFC. It is a matchup that will go a long way in deciding who makes the bye week from the conference as well as who can secure home field advantage. With a win the Patriots could be just a game behind the Texans with 3 to play. During that time Houston will have to take on divisional rivals the Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck who has guided his team to an 8-4 record. 

New England have a schedule that they feel they can finish strongly on, a win over the Texans will increase momentum their momentum going in to a week 15 heavyweight clash against the San Francisco 49ers before they finish off against the Jaguars and the Dolphins. With their defense improving dramatically over the last month the Patriots are really putting all the pieces together for a championship run; New England's defense is ranked 1st in turnovers in the AFC and after their huge Thanksgiving Day win over the Jets they had an impressive plus-24 turnover ratio.

If Bill Belichick's men can keep this up they will be one of the frontrunners to make it to New Orleans in February. The Texans have more pressure on them in this game as they are a healthy team who wants to put one over one of the league's best teams but they are not use to being the top dog and with the bye week and home field advantage now under pressure by the Broncos, Ravens and Patriots will they be able to hold on come the end of the regular season. The Patriots will go quietly about their business like they always do and know that a win over Houston on Monday could go a long way in helping the Patriots achieve those ambitions as they seek the fourth championship that keeps eluding them. Hopefully now Tom Brady and co has all the pieces in place to go on and lift the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 47.

Tom Brady will look to stake his claim as the greatest ever by going on to win his 4th ring this season.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

plus-24 turnover ratio

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/

NFL playoff picture: NFC

Week 12 saw the NFC playoff picture change once again with some big results. The Giants embarrassed the Packers in a 38-10 blowout; Chicago beat the great pretending Vikings 28-10 whilst Robert Griffin and the Redskins got themselves back in to the hunt with a Thanksgiving Day win over NFC East rivals the Cowboys. After rallying back to a 5-5 record within the last two weeks the Saints fell to 49ers, week 12, and on Thursday night were defeated 23-13 in an NFC South clash meaning they dropped to 5-7 with Drew Brees throwing 5 interceptions on the night! Thankfully for New Orleans and teams like them on losing records the NFC playoff race is so tight that anything is still possible. Remember the Seattle Seahawks in 2011 made the playoffs with a 7-9 record, first time to ever happen, so there is reason for optimism for many. With the rest of week 13's matchups kicking off in a few hours we'll take a look at those who have a shot of reaching the playoffs and predict how the seeding will finish come the end of the regular season.

NFC current standings:

NFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT
New York Giants	7	4	0	.636
Washington Redskins	5	6	0	.455
Dallas Cowboys	5	6	0	.455
Philadelphia Eagles	3	8	0	.273
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PCT
Chicago Bears	8	3	0	.727
Green Bay Packers	7	4	0	.636
Minnesota Vikings	6	5	0	.545
Detroit Lions	4	7	0	.364
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PCT
Atlanta Falcons	11	1	0	.917
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	5	0	.545
New Orleans Saints	5	7	0	.417
Carolina Panthers	3	8	0	.273
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PCT
San Francisco 49ers	8	2	1	.773
Seattle Seahawks	6	5	0	.545
St. Louis Rams	4	6	1	.409
Arizona Cardinals	4	7	0	.364

 
Tough at the top 

Three of the four NFC divisional leaders could be replaced at the top come the end of the regular season with only the Atlanta Falcons the certain division champions as they are sitting pretty at 11-1 in the NFC South following their Thursday Night win and they also look set to seal the NFC's number one seed for the playoffs along with a bye week in the first round.

The NFC East may be close but following last Sunday's impressive performance by Eli Manning and the New York Giants against the Packers the defending Super Bowl Champions would realistically wrap up the division with a win against the Redskins on Monday Night. A win for Washington though would open things up especially if Dallas win in week 13 too as then two of the Giant's rivals would only be a game back on them and they have some more hard games coming up.

The 49ers are in control in the West and with two red hot quarterbacks jostling for the starting position it is only a matter of time before they win the West but over in the NFC North we have the Bears (8-3) Vikings (6-5) and Packers (7-4) all battling it out for the division title and a shot at the post-season. With it being so close it is anyone's call, so is the hunt for that elusive bye-week in the playoffs and so is the race for who will get the two wildcard spots in the NFC.

Ultimate Opportunity

Some years you get outright divisional winners and other years you get a battle till the end. The NFC this year seems to be one massive brawl between all the teams in the conference and with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season it appears quite likely that a team finishing with a 9-7 record will sneak in to a wildcard spot which isn't ultimately a bad thing as we know the 9-7 New York Giants went on to win Super Bowl 46.

Speaking of the Giants they could end up as a wildcard team but that looks doubtful. At 7-4 a win over the 5-6 Redskins this week would almost definitely wrap up the NFC East for them but as mentioned previously a loss to RGIII as Washington would open the title race. Either way the Giants will make the playoffs, if the Redskins lose on Monday night it is doubtful that there young team will bounce back. It is literally make or break for Washington as a win would give them the momentum shift they need to push on in their last 4 games and make the post-season. As for Dallas well they are literally an unpredictable team and make to beat the Eagles on Sunday Night to keep their playoff hopes alive, if they do then I believe it will come down to the week 17 matchup against the Redskins with the winner determining who possibly makes in to one the wildcard positions in the NFC. All in all it's all about who can put a run of wins together when it matters most.

The NFC North is very hard to predict. Thankfully for Chicago they started the season well, Jay Cutler has been efficient at quarterback and the defense have performed very well for the majority of the season. They'll hold on and win the division. Green Bay will want to bounce back from their embarrassing defeat to the Giants and I think they'll blowout the Vikings today, Minnesota have had a very good season but they are the great pretenders and with the Packers to play twice along with Chicago once as well as the Texans in four of their final five games the Vikings playoff hopes will take a downward spiral after today

The NFC South seems complicated to some but following the Saints defeat to Atlanta on Thursday I see it playing out simply as with a tough schedule the Saints will try their best but not make the playoffs. With Drew Brees throwing five interceptions in the loss to the Falcons he'll want to make amends for the New Orleans self-destruction on Thursday Night and will grab some wins in the teams remaining games which will include a victory over Tampa Bay. I'm a Josh Freeman fan and this young Buccanneers team have a lot to be proud of but if they lose to the Broncos today they need to beat the Eagles in week 14 ahead of the big road game against the Saints at the Superdome in order to have a shot at the post-season.

Finally we take a look at the West. Divisional leaders, the 49ers, have games against all three of their rivals in their final 5 games but with second year Quarterback Colin Kaepernick in red hot form and San Francisco having the best defense in the league I expect them to sweep those three games. The only matchup they may lose is against the New England Patriots but besides that the 49ers are in prime position to take a bye by wrapping up the second seed in the NFC. The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the league but injuries and suspensions have come at a back time for Seattle and I see them just missing out on the post-season.

Looking Ahead

So in conclusion with everything I have mentioned above here are the six teams who I believe will make the playoffs with predicted records and seedings.

Seed 1: Atlanta Falcons 13-3
Seed 2: San Francisco 49ers 12-3-1
Seed 3: Chicago Bears - 12-4
Seed 4: New York Giants 11-5
Seed 5: Green Bay Packers 11-5
Seed 6: Washington Redskins 9-7

The Atlanta Falcons have played good football all year round and silenced critics on Thursday Night with a win over divisional rivals the Saints. I can see their final four games splitting if some complacency creeps and the fact that they do have some tough games remaining but overall they'll hold on to the number one seed in the NFC and ensure home field advantage as well as a bye week once the playoffs begin.

The 49ers have hit their stride once again and there only possibly defeat in their remaining games will come against the Patriots. So let's say that is the outcome they will finish with a record of 12-3-1 meaning that they edge out the 12-4 Chicago Bears for the second seed and elusive bye week. The Bears are in a good position at 8-3 ahead of their matchup today against the Seahawks but with tough divisional games on their schedule too they'll have to play in the wildcard round when January comes around.

The Giants may fall to the Redskins on Monday Night Football especially as QB Eli Manning doesn't have the greatest history against the capital's team but New York still wins the NFC east and with their week 12 triumph over the Packers it will give them a game at the MetLife stadium against the Packers in the wildcard week.

Overall I think although the first five teams I have predicted for the playoffs may seem obvious choices whether this be at the start of the season or now it is safe to say you can expect to see them in the playoffs one way or another but the sixth seed is a choice that I've been scratching my head over. After looking at the schedules of the contending teams it hasn't made the decision any easier. I'm a fan of young quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Josh Freeman of the Seahawks and Buccaneers respectively but sadly I think they miss out although with both at 6-5 that prediction will be completely turned on its head if they can win their week 13 matchup as they both have to entertain two Super Bowl contenders so a victory would be a big confidence boost. The more likely outcome is one way or another they fall short, the Saints have too big of a mountain to climb and as for the Cowboys well once again it is too little too late.

To finish here is my bold prediction, Dallas (7-8) will head in to FedEx Field ahead of a week 17 game against the Redskins (8-7) and lose like they did to the Giants in the same scenario a year ago meaning that Robert Griffin and Washington reach the post-season. Thankfully for RGIII and co a 24-22 week 4 win over Tampa Bay is what keeps the 9-7 Buccaneers out of the playoffs. There's something extremely special about Griffin and the Colts' Andrew Luck so I think they'll both get a chance to set the playoffs alight in their rookie seasons in the NFL.