NFL Playoffs 2012: Defenses Due for Postseason Collapse

A collapse in sports is a slightly nicer way of saying that someone failed when they looked like a sure thing. They are much rarer in the NFL than other sports, simply because the season is so much shorter. But as we know in the playoffs, anything can happen when you least expect it. 

All of the things that we think we know that are good about a team from the regular season winds up being the thing that ruins their Super Bowl hopes.

Defense is one of the biggest areas waiting for a collapse, because the matchups in the playoffs are much different than you get in the regular season. There are no cupcakes anymore—unless you are playing Denver. 

So, which teams will be pointing the finger of blame at their defense this postseason?

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished the season ranked second in points allowed per game (14.3) and fourth in total yards (308.1). But that last number gets skewed because they were so good against the run (77.3, first in the NFL) that it made up for the weak pass defense (230.9, 16th in the NFL). 

What do all of the teams in the NFC do well? Throw the ball. Green Bay, New Orleans, New York, Atlanta and Detroit all have the ability to air it out with anyone in the league. 

If the 49ers had a stronger offense then perhaps the defense would be able to survive. But because they just play a ball-control style that doesn't allow them to put up a lot of points, they are an easy candidate to implode in their first game next Saturday. 

New England Patriots

Unlike San Francisco, no one thinks that the Patriots defense is dominant. They actually finished ahead of Green Bay in total defense (411.1 to 411.6), but they are a powderkeg waiting to explode. 

They allowed Miami and Buffalo to go ahead by a combined score of 38-0 in the final two games before the offense finally came alive in the second half of both games. 

This team needs to get its act together before next week's game, otherwise they will be looking at another offseason filled with questions about how they can fix the defense and why Bill Belichick's magic isn't working anymore. 

New York Giants

It is a miracle that the Giants even got into the playoffs, and now they are faced with the task of shutting down Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Roddy White and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons offense today. 

But they don't have the playmakers to contain anyone anymore. They stopped Dallas last week because Tony Romo's hand looked like the Goodyear blimp that floats above the stadium. 

Eli Manning won't make things easier on them by turning the ball over two or three times, putting more pressure on the defense. They still have the ability to get after the quarterback, as evidenced by their 48 sacks, but the secondary is a mess. They finished 29th with 255.1 yards allowed per game. 

They will be exposed in the postseason against the Falcons.

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