NFL Playoff Predictions: Which Road Teams Will Take Advantage of Momentum?

While the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers were sitting on their butts during Wild Card Weekend, the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints were out building momentum.

Now, one could argue the respective No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are better rested, but there is no substitute for momentum in the playoffs.

We saw it with the Packers last year, we saw it the Giants in 2007; there simply is no denying the value of momentum in the postseason.

So, which of the four Wild Card Weekend winners will be able to take advantage of that momentum and ride into the Conference Championship?

Denver Broncos

Honestly, would anything surprise us anymore than Tim Tebow already has?

Tom Brady and the Patriots offense should demolish this team at home—evidenced by the 13.5-point spread separating the two teams—but we've learned never to count out the man who drops to one knee and prays.

Tebowmania has officially swept across this nation but it will be very difficult to beat the Patriots; even in Tebow Time.

Houston Texans

The AFC South winners handily dispatched a Cincinnati Bengals team that the No. 2 seed Ravens struggled with this year.

That said, Baltimore is a better all around football team and will take away Arian Foster at all costs.

This game will come down to which quarterback doesn't make the bigger mistake. Joe Flacco has won at least one playoff game in each of his three seasons, though.

The Texans have had a nice run, but it will end in Baltimore.

New Orleans Saints

Can anyone slow this team down?

The 49ers run defense will be key in this game because New Orleans has started to show ability to run the football very effectively because of their dominant passing game.

If San Francisco can force the Saints to be one-dimensional, they'll have a shot.

But as good as the 49ers have been this year, they are not ready for this.

Brees isn't ready to end his season yet; not with a looming showdown with a fellow Super Bowl MVP quarterback on the horizon.

New York Giants

Same story, different year. The Giants are hot again and playing defense with a similar style of tenacity they showed in 2007.

They'll need all that and more against Aaron Rodgers, but the Giants have already shown—with a worse defense—that they can keep up with the likely regular season MVP's offensive output.

This one is going to be an interesting battle of two quarterbacks playing their best football and two defenses that need to rise to the occasion.

If any team can use momentum to their advantage, it is the New York Giants.