NFL Wild Card Weekend: Top 25 Most Important Things We Learned

Entering the NFL's Wild Card Weekend, I was rather nervous, as I made a prediction that could certainly have come back to haunt me. Thank God it didn't and I still have credibility, or at least some.

What prediction am I referring to? That Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos would upset the Pittsburgh Steelers—and like hell, they did.

Tebow and the Broncos were able to shock the Steelers by a 29-23 score, as Tebow threw the game-winning touchdown pass on the very first offensive play of overtime—how incredible is that?

Oh yeah, and by the way, there were three other games that happened on the NFL's Wild Card Weekend, so let's dive right into the top 25 things that we learned from watching them.

T.J. Yates Is a Winner

T.J. Yates did exactly what the Houston Texans needed him to do—not turn the ball over and manage the offense to a successful day.

Yates did not turn the ball over once, as he completed 11 of his 20 passes for 159 yards, threw one touchdown and finished the day with a solid 97.7 quarterback rating.

His numbers were far from great, but they were good enough for a team with a solid rushing attack and an elite defense to come away with a 31-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Andy Dalton Is Not Ready to Win in the Playoffs

I should rephrase this: Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals offense are too young to win in the playoffs.

The Bengals definitely have loads of talent but failed to show any signs of life against the elite Houston Texans defense.

Dalton completed 27 of his 42 passes but was picked off three times while recording a pitiful 51.4 quarterback rating.

Andre Johnson Is Back and Ready to Produce

Watch out, Baltimore Ravens fans—Andre Johnson is back, healthy and ready to shred apart opposing teams' defenses.

In just Johnson's second game back from his hamstring injury, he snagged five passes for 90 yards and one touchdown.

Johnson is a legitimate threat that can not only beat out man-to-man or zone coverage but can also totally dominate in double-team-coverage—he's that good.

Arian Foster Is an Absolute Machine

The Baltimore Ravens may have a very difficult time stopping running back Arian Foster—he is that productive.

Foster accumulated a whopping 153 yards on just 24 carries while slashing his way to two touchdowns and ultimately leading his Houston Texans to a 31-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

There is no doubt in my mind that Foster is the NFL's most dangerous and lethal running back remaining in the playoffs.

A.J. Green Played His Heart out for the Bengals

Despite being double-covered all game long, A.J. Green managed to produce, as he reeled in five passes for 47 yards but failed to score a single touchdown.

The Cincinnati Bengals offense struggled all game long, and the only time that it showed signs of life was when Andy Dalton found a way to feed the ball to Green.

Jerome Simpson Is a Freak

Jerome Simpson did it again. I cannot believe it.

This time it's like he walked in midair.

I am truly shocked and amazed.

The New Orleans Saints Are White-Hot

I really don't think that any team can beat the New Orleans Saints right now—they're that hot.

The Saints simply embarrassed the Detroit Lions Saturday night, as they ran them out of the Big Easy by a score of 45-28.

This game truly showed how dominant the New Orleans offense is, as it accumulated an insane amount of yardage: 626 yards, to be exact.

Drew Brees Is Playing out of His Mind

No one can stop Drew Brees right now—and I mean no one.

Brees is not just playing out of his mind right now; it's almost like he's on another planet.

Brees threw for an incredible 466 yards while tossing three touchdowns, as he completed 76.7 percent of his passes and finished the game with a 134.4 quarterback rating.

You cannot get much better than that.

Calvin Johnson Is a Big-Game Performer

Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions may have lost the game, but Megatron had an insane performance.

Johnson caught a game-high 12 receptions for a remarkable 211 yards and two touchdowns.

Remember, this was Johnson's first-ever playoff game—and there will be many more to come in the upcoming seasons. You can bet on that.

Matthew Stafford Isn't Ready to Win in the Playoffs

Matthew Stafford truly impressed me this weekend, but he's still far too young to succeed in the playoffs. He needs more experience.

Stafford completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice.

Stafford's two interceptions did not cost the Lions the game, but they obviously did not help.

The Lions Have a Lot of Work to Do on Defense

The Detroit Lions are a prime example of a team with a great pass rush and nothing else defensively—you cannot win playoff games like that.

The Lions gave up a putrid number of yards against the New Orleans Saints and allowed seven third-down conversions in 11 attempts. You cannot do that and expect to win football games.

Entering the 2012 offseason, Detroit certainly has its work cut out for it on the defensive side of the ball.

New Orleans Offense Can Win It a Super Bowl

I am telling you right now—the New Orleans Saints offense is light years better than the Green Bay Packers, and it will win them the NFC title. I guarantee it.

The Detroit Lions could not stop the Saints at all Saturday night. In the second half, the Saints had the ball five times and scored five touchdowns. You cannot get much better than that.

New Orleans' offense is dominant enough to win it a Super Bowl.

The New York Giants Are a Legitimate Contender in the NFC

A lot of people may not believe in the New York Giants, but they are a legitimate contender to win the NFC.

What the Giants did to the Atlanta Falcons this weekend was absolutely embarrassing, as they sent them home packing by a score of 24-2.

Eli Manning Is on Fire

Eli Manning started off the playoffs in the best possible fashion, as he led his team to an impressive 24-2 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Manning threw for only 277 yards but completed an incredible 71.9 percent of his passes while tossing three touchdowns.

Eli is starting to heat up at the right time for the Giants—beware!

Matt Ryan and Mike Smith Have Yet to Win a Playoff Game

No matter how impressive Matt Ryan and Mike Smith have been in the regular season over the past four years, they have yet to win a single playoff game.

The Falcons looked unprepared Sunday, and it showed on the scoreboard, as they failed to score a single offensive point (their only points came as a result of a safety).

How pathetic is that?

Matt Ryan Choked

So much for being nicknamed "Matty Ice," right?

Matt Ryan was pretty pathetic against the New York Giants.

Ryan has all the weapons in the world but failed to accumulate 200 yards of passing, as he completed just 58.5 percent of his passes without registering a single touchdown.

This was another classic choke job.

Michael Turner Failed to Show Up for Sunday's Game

Let me be clear: Michael Turner was literally present at Sunday's game against the New York Giants, but he was invisible. He was a non-factor.

Turner ran for 41 yards on 15 carries. That's a putrid average of 2.7 yards per carry.

Hakeem Nicks Is an Elite Wide Receiver

I am a huge Hakeem Nicks fan, and I truly believe that he is an elite wide receiver.

Nicks showed up exactly when the New York Giants needed him the most, as he snagged six passes for a whopping 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Hakeem Nicks Does the Dirty Bird

Hakeem Nicks mocks the Atlanta Falcons' Dirty Bird—is that not classy? What do you think?

It's Tebow Time

I have been saying it all season long, and it finally happened: Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos won a playoff game and shocked the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-23.

It's Tebow Time!

Tim Tebow Can Beat Elite Defenses

I can guarantee that every single one of you out there, aside from the Denver Broncos homers, didn't believe that Tim Tebow could beat the Pittsburgh Steelers' elite defense. Well, I did.

Tebow may not have completed 50 percent of his passes, but he threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns while running for a solid 50 yards and a score on 10 carries.

Tebow beat the Pittsburgh Steelers—enough said.

Ben Roethlisberger Is Clearly Hurt

You could tell that Ben Roethlisberger was struggling from his high ankle sprain, and his production certainly suffered.

Big Ben completed only 55 percent of his passes for 289 yards and a touchdown while being sacked five times and picked off once.

Isaac Redman Had the Game of His Life

Isaac Redman had the game of his life filling in for injured running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Redman accumulated an impressive 121 yards on just 17 carries, which is a solid average of 7.1 yards per attempt.

However, no matter how well Redman played, it was just not enough for the Steelers to escape Denver with a victory.

Denver Will Flourish If It Can Lull Defenses to Sleep

This is exactly how Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers: They lulled them to sleep by pounding them with the run and ultimately attacked their defense with a few deep passes.

Tebow may have only completed 10 of his 21 passes, but he did rack up 316 yards—and that's because he was able to throw the deep ball against a defense that was so concerned about stopping the run.

This is the recipe for success for the Denver Broncos.

Tim Tebow's Game-Winning Touchdown Pass to Demaryius Thomas

Just sit back and watch—it's truly amazing.