NFL Playoffs 2012: Complete Guide to This Year's Postseason

NFL Playoffs 2012: Complete Guide To This Year's Postseason

The playoffs are here!! 

Need I say more?

If history has shown us anything over the last few years, it's that records (and even home games) really mean nothing in the postseason. It seems as if the six-seed has just as good a shot to win the Lombardi Trophy as a one-seed.

So here's some insight (predictions, really) into the postseason. 

Most Dangerous Team

Yes, the Packers are the top seed in the NFC, the Patriots in the AFC, the 49ers have a great defense, blah blah blah.

But the Saints come into the playoffs riding an eight-game winning streak, they have an offense that can compete with Green Bay (and one that is more balanced) and a defense that can defeat the 49ers as long as they don't turn the ball over.

If the Saints don't earn a second Super Bowl title in three years, they are at the very least a good bet to snap their 0-for-history record in road playoff games. 

Least Dangerous Team

You had to see this coming, right?

Division champs or not, the Broncos are as big a longshot to win the Super Bowl as any in recent years. 

For one, they are just 3-5 at home so that's bad news for their game against Pittsburgh.

Secondly, having the top ranked rushing offense means far less with the Steelers (and then maybe the Ravens) coming up.  

And third, for all his magic, Tim Tebow has lost three his last three games, failed to complete even 50% of his throws, and has one touchdown against four interceptions. 

Scariest Wild Card Team

The Steelers are a great candidate for this spot, but I'll put the Lions on here for one reason: they can score points in bunches.

There are loads of problems on the defensive side of the ball for certain: allowing that many points to a team with nothing to play for and starting a second-string quarterback is embarrassing.

But if they do have to go point-for-point with New Orleans or Green Bay they have the passing game to do it. And the 49ers didn't really slow that passing attack down in the Jim Schwartz-Jim Harbaugh handshake-gate.

Most Difficult Path to Super Bowl

I don't mean to pick on the Broncos (and I'm not an Tebow-hater), but just look at the layout for Denver.

Sure they have a home game to start, but it's against a team that has four more wins than they do, tons more playoff experience, and is renowned for taking away the one thing Denver does better than anyone, run the football.

And even if they somehow manage to get by Pittsburgh, they'll probably have to play defeat both Baltimore and New England (on the road) to get to the Super Bowl. They'll have a terrible time scoring points against Baltimore and have no chance of keeping pace with New England's offense. 

Easiest Path to Super Bowl

Do I think the Patriots are a lock for the Super Bowl? Not with that pass defense is perhaps the worst in the NFL and not when they blew it last year as the top-seed.

But the AFC isn't nearly as deep as the NFC so they should be considered the favorite. Baltimore and Pittsburgh would each be tremendously difficult challenges, but they're certainly winnable games. 

And although they've blown home playoff games the previous two seasons, they are just so tough to try and outscore.

Green Bay Packers (15-1)

First Round: Bye

Biggest Strength: Passing game 

Biggest Weakness: Pass defense

Toughest Possible Opponent: New Orleans Saints

Easiest Possible Opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Key Player: Charles Woodson, CB

Outlook: You always have to have a twinge of doubt when it comes to the clear-cut favorite: last year the Pats were and they tanked it. The Chargers did the same in 2006 and the Colts in 2005. But history doesn't mean a thing in this year's playoffs.

Whoever they play will have to outscore the Packers in order to win: the 49ers can't do that and although the Saints can, the cold weather in Green Bay will hamper their chances. 

New England Patriots (13-3)

First Round: Bye

Biggest Strength: Passing game 

Biggest Weakness: Pass defense

Toughest Possible Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

Easiest Possible Opponent: Denver Broncos

Key Player: Patrick Chung, S

Outlook: We've seen teams with gaping holes on defense (the 2006 Colts, for example) somehow shape up when the calendar turned to January and ride the momentum to the Super Bowl. Maybe that will happen with the Pats, maybe it won't.

But that passing offense is so deep and so versatile--on the edge with Wes Welker and Deion Branch, over the middle with the two tight end stars, and out of the backfield with Danny Woodhead--that they will be almost impossible to stop. 

San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

First Round: Bye

Biggest Strength: Run defense

Biggest Weakness: Passing game

Toughest Possible Opponent: Green Bay Packers

Easiest Possible Opponent: Atlanta Falcons

Key Player: Alex Smith, QB

Outlook: I don't want to hate on the 49ers, but I do think they are a one-and-done team. There's just such a lack of experience and in the playoffs, superstar quarterbacks are vital: the 49ers don't have one. 

And even their greatest strength, their run defense, doesn't really mean that much in this year's NFC playoffs: the only playoff team that truly relies on the run is Atlanta. Detroit, New Orleans, Green Bay and the Giants don't have to run the ball to win. 

Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

First Round: Bye

Biggest Strength: Running game

Biggest Weakness: Passing game

Toughest Possible Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

Easiest Possible Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

Key Player: Joe Flacco, QB

Outlook: The Ravens will have a huge boost this year just going into the postseason: they've had three great playoff runs the last three years despite not one home game. Now they have both a home game and a bye.

And if the Steelers turn out to be their first game, they know that they swept them this year and pummeled Pittsburgh in Baltimore back in Week 1. But they still need Joe Flacco to do better than he has in the past: he's turned the ball over eight times in the last five postseason games. 

New Orleans Saints (13-3)

First Round: home vs. Detroit Lions

Biggest Strength: Passing game

Biggest Weakness: Pass rush

Toughest Possible Opponent: Green Bay Packers

Easiest Possible Opponent: Atlanta Falcons

Key Player: Will Smith, DE

Outlook: As much as the Falcons have a "vendetta" against Drew Brees' Saints for what happened on Monday Night in the Superdome, that won't score them any points or intercept and passes. The bottom line is that they trounced Atlanta in Week 16 and did the same to Detroit four weeks earlier. 

A matchup with the 49ers should be intriguing as will the rematch with the Packers. They can win either game, but if they can't put pressure on the passer the road to Indianapolis will be much harder. 

Houston Texans (10-6)

First Round: home vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Biggest Strength: Running game

Biggest Weakness: Passing game

Toughest Possible Opponent: New England Patriots 

Easiest Possible Opponent: Denver Broncos

Key Player: T.J. Yates, QB

Outlook: Although the Texans scream "happy to be hear" and therefore are a contender for a one-and-done, the fact that they get Cincinnati in the opening round is encouraging. They beat the Bengals once before. 

But asking for a win outside of the Wild Card round is a tall order. They were beaten handily by the Ravens, the Patriots will expose the emerging flaws in their pass defense, and when they beat Pittsburgh back in Week 4 they had their starting quarterback. They probably won't in a rematch. 

New York Giants (9-7)

First Round: home vs. Atlanta Falcons

Biggest Strength: Passing game

Biggest Weakness: Running game

Toughest Possible Opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Easiest Possible Opponent: Detroit Lions

Key Player: Aaron Ross, CB

Outlook: The win over Dallas was impressive and clearly the better team won: the Giants absolutely deserve the NFC East crown.

But they've been so schizophrenic this year that you really have no idea what they will turn out once the playoffs start. Will they run to the Super Bowl like they did in 2007? Maybe. Will they tank in the playoffs? Maybe. It's a 50-50 prospect.

They definitely can keep pace with Detroit, Green Bay, New Orleans, and Atlanta in terms of offense, but unless their secondary delivers, it will be a quick exit for the Giants.  

Denver Broncos (8-8)

First Round: home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Biggest Strength: Running game

Biggest Weakness: Passing Game

Toughest Possible Opponent: Baltimore Ravens

Easiest Possible Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

Key Player: Tim Tebow, QB

Outlook: As I already said, I'm not trying to hate on the Broncos and Tim Tebow. But this is a flawed team that only won their division, earned postseason berth, and a home game because the AFC West has so many problems. Had the Raiders not blown it against San Diego, they'd be in the playoffs. 

But it's not just about their three-game losing skid to close out the regular season. They have almost no playoff experience, they allowed 88 points in the last three games, and Tim Tebow seems to have lost his magic. 

Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

First Round: at New York Giants

Biggest Strength: Running game

Biggest Weakness: Secondary

Toughest Possible Opponent: New Orleans Saints

Easiest Possible Opponent: Detroit Lions

Key Player: Roddy White, WR

Outlook: As good as the Patriots, Packers, Saints, and even Lions are through the air, no postseason team features more balance on offense than the Falcons.

They can lean on Michael Turner or lean on Matt Ryan and his cadre of three extremely talented receivers. The 49ers and Ravens have great running backs, but they can't match Atlanta's passing game.

So that bodes well for the Falcons, who have the tools to put a run together. They'll need, however, better play from their achy secondary and Roddy White to not drop a single pass. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

First Round: at Denver Broncos

Biggest Strength: Pass rush

Biggest Weakness: Pass protection

Toughest Possible Opponent: Baltimore Ravens

Easiest Possible Opponent: Denver Broncos

Key Player: James Harrison, OLB

Outlook: Although they'd love to have received a bye and the home playoff game, the Steelers path to the Super Bowl isn't impossible to traverse. 

They have a favorable matchup with the Broncos, beat the top-seeded Pats pretty handily once already this year, and can go to Houston to defeat a quarterback-needy Texans team.

Obviously the Ravens are a tremendous challenge for them if that showdown materializes: they were pounded in Week 1 then lost a heartbreaker two months later. Revenge will be on their mind....but since they knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs last year, the Ravens can say the same thing.

Detroit Lions (10-6)

First Round: at New Orleans Saints

Biggest Strength: Passing game

Biggest Weakness: Running game

Toughest Possible Opponent: Green Bay Packers

Easiest Possible Opponent: New York Giants

Key Player: Kevin Smith, RB

Outlook: Of all the teams to qualify for the postseason, the Lions have by far the worst running game: statistically the Giants are worst, but at least they have two quality backs in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

So if anything goes wrong with Matthew Stafford's passing attack, the Lions are in for a long day. 

Still, it's the defensive issues that are really going to doom Detroit and nip any six-seed Cinderella Story in the bud. They allowed 550 yards to the Packers, a team without their starting quarterback because they had nothing to play for. 

Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

First Round: at Houston Texans

Biggest Strength: Pass defense

Biggest Weakness: Running game

Toughest Possible Opponent: New England Patriots

Easiest Possible Opponent: Houston Texans

Key Player: A.J. Green, WR

Outlook: The Bengals are certainly a long-shot, but they are probably as balanced as any team in the postseason. They have a fine pass rush, a good secondary, and an explosive receiver as well as some nice complementary pass catchers.

Having said that, for this young team with a fairly limited running game (less than four yards per carry) to go on the road three straight weeks and win is almost impossible. 

2012 Playoff Schedule, First Round

(All Times EST)

Saturday, Jan. 7, 4:30 p.m.: Bengals at Texans 

Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m.: Lions at Saints

Sunday, Jan. 8, 1 p.m.: Falcons at Giants

Sunday, Jan. 8, 4:30 p.m.: Steelers at Broncos