NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Breaking Down the Divisional Rounds

After a crazy Wild Card weekend, it's time to turn our attention to this weekend's Divisional Round games. This weekend's games aren't short on storylines, and there are several fantastic match-ups that should prove to be very watchable. 

Here's a look at what's coming up on Saturday and Sunday, with trips to conference championship games on the line.

Denver Broncos (9-8) at New England Patriots (13-3)

Considering these teams met in Week 15, we should have a pretty good idea how this one will turn out. In that game, the Patriots dominated the Broncos in Denver, winning 41-23 to halt their six-game win streak.

The Broncos then went on to lose their next two games before pulling out a miracle 29-23 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round on Sunday.

The Patriots have won eight straight games en route to securing the top seed in the AFC.

Quarterback Tom Brady has been excellent again this season, completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 5,235 yards, with 39 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

His quarterback rating of 105.6 was third-best in the NFL.

While New England's defense struggled this season, it did improve as the season went along. And, with how good the team's offense has been—second in the NFL in total yards—the defense doesn't have to be stellar. 

Denver quarterback Tim Tebow turned in possibly his finest performance as a pro on Sunday against the Steelers. He threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 50 yards and another score on the ground.

The key for the Broncos this weekend will be controlling the clock and running the ball.

The Patriots opened as 14-point favorites. After what happened the first time they played, that doesn't seem too absurd. That said, I think it will be closer than that. New England surrendered 252 yards rushing in that game, and they can't do that and be successful on Saturday. 

Houston Texans (11-6) at Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

This is yet another fascinating combination of philosophies that should lead to a really fun game to watch. Without their starting quarterback, the Texans have turned into a smash-mouth running team that relies on defense and it's running backs to get wins.

Funny thing is, that's the way the Ravens have won games for years.

Houston will bring the NFL's second-ranked defense to this game—allowed just 285.7 yards per game during the regular season—while Baltimore boasts the league's third-best unit—288.9 yards allowed per game.

Quarterbacks Joe Flacco and T.J. Yates may turn into hand-off machines in this one.

Ravens running back Ray Rice had a phenomenal season, piling up 1,364 yards and 12 touchdowns on 291 carries, while adding 704 yards and three more touchdowns on 76 receptions.

While Flacco struggled to a quarterback rating of 80.9, Rice picked up the slack and made himself a Pro Bowler.

The Texans had similar success with their running backs, as Arian Foster and Ben Tate combined to become the league's best one-two punch on the ground. The Texans finished second in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 153.0 yards per game.

In Houston's 31-10 win over Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, Foster went for 153 and two touchdowns, while Tate added 37 yards. 

The Ravens are favored by nine in this one, and, considering they finished 8-0 at home, that's not surprising.

But I expect the Texans to keep this one close. Both teams will try to control the clock and keep this a low-scoring affair.

New Orleans Saints (14-3) at San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

What more can Drew Brees do this season?

After torching the Detroit Lions for 466 yards and three touchdowns, the 32-year-old signal-caller will take his Saints to San Francisco on Saturday to face a 49ers team that was 16th in pass defense this season.

The Saints have won nine straight games, and Brees has been outstanding all year. Jim Harbaugh's young team has a really tough game ahead of them.

The 49ers surprised everyone this season, turning into a hard-nosed squad that stops the run and pounds the ball on the ground on offense. San Francisco had the league's best run defense, allowing just 77.3 yards per game, while they also ran for an average of 127.8 yards per game—eighth in the NFL.

This one will be a complete clash in styles, as the Saints will try to open it up through the air and make this a shootout, while the 49ers will try to grind it out, control the clock and shorten the game by keeping Brees and his offense off the field.

New Orleans is currently a four-point favorite in what should be a fascinating match-up.

New York Giants (10-7) at Green Bay Packers (15-1)

The Giants have somehow righted the ship after falling to 7-7 following a Week 15 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Since then, Eli Manning and the G-Men have won three straight, including a 24-2 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Packers and Giants met in Week 13, in what was a very entertaining 38-35 Green Bay win.

Meanwhile, the Packers have been at home resting after an incredible 15-1 season, and the team continues to be astonishingly consistent, as they have now won 21 of their last 22 games.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been unbelievable this season, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,643 yards, with 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the NFL in yards per attempt—9.25—and his passer rating—122.5—set the single-season NFL record.

He did all of that in 15 games, as Green Bay opted to sit their superstar in Week 17. 

The Giants will try to win this game with their defensive line by getting pressure on Rodgers.

New York was third in the NFL in sacks this season with 48, and they constantly harassed Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on Sunday. 

If the Giants can get to Rodgers, they will have a shot in what should be a shootout. The key for Manning will be avoiding mistakes against a Packers defense that led the NFL in interceptions by a large margin with 31.

The Packers are 8-0 at home this season, and they are currently a nine-point favorite in a game that most people expect to be a shootout.