NFL Playoff Picks: 7 Players and Teams You Just Can't Bet Against

With the first round of the NFL playoffs in the books and next weekend's matchups set, we have a much clearer picture of how the playoffs will progress.

We saw contests ranging from blowouts like the New York Giants-Atlanta Falcons game to dramatic finishes like the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers game. All four games provided us with some great action and reminded us all why we love the NFL.

We also were reminded which players and teams to never count out.

There are certain players and teams in this league that you can never overlook. Some players just find a way to put up big performances even when the rest of the team is struggling around them. They have what it takes to come up big in the crucial moments of a game.

Then, you have teams that always find a way to rally together and overcome whatever obstacles have been put in their way. Some people call it clutch, and others call it knowing how to win.

Regardless of what you call it, here are seven players and teams that you just can't bet against.

Tim Tebow

How does he keep doing it?

Tim Tebow is not suppose to put up 319 yards through the air on the best defense in the league. He is not suppose to complete the game winning play in overtime to advance the Broncos to the next round of the playoffs. He is not suppose to be this good.

Yet Tebow continues to win.

Even with reports of Brady Quinn taking first-team snaps and having packages built in to the playbook for him, Tim Tebow came out and shined against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. 

He tallied three total touchdowns including the game winner on the first play of overtime. Through all of the criticism he has faced, Tebow managed to pull out some more magic. 

He may never be an elite passer or even an above average one, but until he stops winning games, I wouldn't bet against Tebowmania.

New England Patriots

It is never smart to bet against a team that has three Super Bowl championships and four total appearances in the past 11 years.

The New England Patriots make the most of what they have better than any other team in the league. They are lacking star quality players all over their roster. They have filled most of their secondary up with scraps from other teams, but they still managed to capture the number one seed in the AFC.

Sure, they are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Tom Brady. However, we have seen before that a single player cannot carry a team. 

Head coach Bill Belichick has always found a way to take the players he has and prepare them in the best way possible for whatever matchup with which they are presented. Regardless of the opposing team's style of play or their record, Belichick prepares his squad as if they are the best opponent they have ever faced.

Discipline and responsibility is what the Patriots thrive on. You will always heat Belichick telling his players to simply do their job. 

This has won them championships before, and I wouldn't bet against it working again.

Drew Brees

No surprise here.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Drew Brees is good. Really good. Okay, maybe he is the hottest quarterback in the league right now.

Brees torched the Detroit Lions for 466 passing yards and three touchdowns. Even after shattering Dan Marino's single season passing record Week 17, Brees is showing absolutely no signs of fatigue. 

The New Orleans Saints have one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. 

They are loaded with versatile running backs in their backfield and have some deadly receiving threats for Brees to throw to. Brees has receivers like Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson who can torch secondaries deep. Also, Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham are huge targets who are bad matchups for any defense. 

New Orleans may have the best offense in the NFL right now, and there is no way I'd want my team to go head to head with them. 

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have to be the league's biggest surprise.

They went from having a 6-10 record in the worst division in football in 2010 to having a 13-3 record and capturing the No. 2 seed in the NFC. New head coach Jim Harbaugh has changed the mentality and the style of play of the 49ers for the better.

Harbaugh has taken a young, talented defense and turned them into one of the best units in the league. They have so much young talent that they will just continue to get better over the next few years. With players like Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith, it is difficult to imagine them struggling.

Harbaugh has also turned Alex Smith in to a more than serviceable quarterback.

Smith has been labeled a first-round bust for quite a few years now. It is clear that he didn't and probably will never live up to the first overall selection. However, he has found his place in Harbaugh's conservative offense that focuses on not turning the ball over.

A team that plays great defense with an offense that doesn't turn the ball over is always going to be a huge challenge for any team. 

Arian Foster

So what if your starting quarterback and your backup quarterback are out for the year?

It doesn't seem to bother Arian Foster, so why should it bother anyone else? Foster proved on Saturday why he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He rolled over the Cincinnati Bengals with 24 carries for 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 

That was with fifth-round selection T.J. Yates at quarterback—the third stringer on the Houston Texans who had struggled since taking over the team. 

Sure, the Texans have one of the top defenses in the league.

The defense was a major part in their success against the Bengals and will be crucial to winning anymore games from this point on. There is no doubt they are important to this team.

However, no matter how good your defense is, you still need some kind of offensive production.

Right now, no one is producing better for Houston than Arian Foster.

New York Giants

It won't always be pretty or glamorous, but the New York Giants have proven that they know how to win big games.

They managed to sneak their way in to the playoffs with a big Week 17 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. They had faced their fair share of adversity this year, but managed to pull together against their rival when it mattered the most.

In Sunday's game, they were faced with a tough challenge in the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have a great offense led by Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. They are one of the few teams in the league that has a top-level passing and rushing threat.

The Giants responded to that by holding them to just two points.

Eli Manning played a beautiful game throwing for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 155 rushing yards. The Giants seem to have a great dual threat offense as well.

They will be heading to Green Bay to take on the NFC favorite Packers next weekend. The Giants gave the Packers one of their toughest games of the year Week 13.

This will be a hard fought game and many will expect the Packers to win. However, we should have learned by now that you can't count out these Giants.

Tom Brady

One of the main reasons the Patriots are never to be counted out is Tom Brady.

Brady has managed to put up MVP caliber numbers year after year even though his receivers have changed and are not always the most talented. He has turned two young tight ends into two of the toughest receivers in the league. 

He has managed to win big game after big game his entire career. Brady already has three Super Bowl rings and just barely missed out on a fourth.

He is known for demanding perfection from himself and all of his teammates. Anything short is a poor effort in Brady's eyes. 

Brady may be hated by several other fan bases around the league, but he has to be respected. 

Brady is already one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Even with the terrible defense that New England has this year, the Patriots are the favorite to win the AFC, and many are picking them to win the Super Bowl.

When you ask the experts or fans why they are picking the Patriots, one of the first reasons they will point to will surely be Tom Brady.