NFL Playoff Predictions: Who Will Boom and Who Will Bust in Divisional Round?

The NFL Wild Card round is in the books, and there were a few surprises. Tim Tebow's legend continues to swell, and little old church ladies are hooked to the television like never before. Ike Taylor, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to forget his dismal performance.

So, who will keep momentum going for their team? Who will boom and who will bust in the divisional round?

As is always the case, I'll do my best to be objective. Fair warning, though, I have been a 49ers fan since the age of four.

Bust: Tim Tebow

Anybody who has read my work knows that I have been a huge Tim Tebow fan this year, but he will have a terrible time in Boston against the New England Patriots on Saturday night, and the Denver Broncos will lose in a blowout.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick always seems to figure out how to gameplan effectively in the playoffs. They already bottled up Tebow once in their Week 15 matchup in Denver, and I don't expect them to do any less at home this weekend.

The strategy for the Patriots in that first meeting was simple, yet tough to execute against unwilling partners: They kept Tebow inside the pocket, staying in their gaps and playing disciplined football, sacking Tebow four times in that game.

Having Tom Brady running your offense helps, too.

Tebow was able to run effectively, but he and the Broncos won't be able to score enough points to win, and I expect the Patriots to force him to turn the ball over at least twice in defeat. 

Boom: Rob Gronkowski

In the first meeting between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, Rob Gonkowski was held mostly in check by the Broncos defense. Don't expect that to happen twice.

Gronkowski caught 17 touchdown passes in 2011. That is four more than the previous record, which was set by Antonio Gates and later matched by Vernon Davis.

Tom Brady routinely seeks out Gronkowski when he's under pressure. I predict the Broncos will pressure him regularly, though I'm not sure if they will actually sack him more than once or twice. What it means is that Gronkowski will see the ball coming his way on a regular basis in this divisional matchup, and he will have a humongous game.

It surely helps his cause to have a partner in crime, Aaron Hernandez, on the other side of the Patriots two-tight end set to put more pressure on the linebackers and safeties. Don't forget about Wes Welker, too. 

Gronkowski will catch at least two touchdown passes, and the Patriots will blow out the Broncos in front of the home crowd.

Bust: T.J. Yates

T.J. Yates acquitted himself well as a rookie in his first-ever playoff game, as the Houston Texans won at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. He wasn't asked to do much in the game, only throwing the ball 20 times, but he didn't turn the ball over, and he made the big throws when he had to.

His success will be short-lived, however, as the Texans now go on the road to Baltimore to face a far superior opponent in the Ravens.

I expect the Ravens defense to be able to keep a lid on Arian Foster and Ben Tate, forcing the Texans to rely on Yates more than they want. If my prediction is correct, Yates will have a miserable day.

Terrell Suggs is one of the best defenders in the NFL today. He will be on Yates like a dog on a bone, and Yates will look like the rookie he is in defeat. 

Oh, I almost forgot. The Ravens also have a couple of other pretty good football players on their defense, though I can't seem to remember their names...

Boom: Ray Rice

I expect Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to rely heavily on his stud running back Ray Rice to carry the team to victory against the Houston Texans in their divisional matchup.

The teams met earlier in the year, and Rice was able to rush for 101 yards, adding another 60 yards on five catches. 

Rice is coming off a banner day in the Ravens' Week 17 road win against the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns in that game. The Bengals are good against the run, too, though not quite as good as the Houston Texans.

Joe Flacco was only asked to throw the ball 19 times in a game that was critical for the Ravens to win in order to secure their bye week and the second seed in the AFC.

I expect the Ravens to utilize a similar approach in this week's contest, and I expect Rice to come through in much the same way. 

Bust: Green Bay's Offensive Line

The Green Bay Packers and New York Giants already met up once this year, back in Week 13. The Packers won that game on a last-minute field goal, but the Giants almost knocked off the champs in a shootout.

The Giants have since won four out of their last five games, and since their Week 15 loss to the Washington Redskins, their play has begun to resemble that of their championship year in 2007. Strong defense, led by a fierce pass-rush, has been the hallmark of their success.

The Atlanta Falcons are nowhere near the kind of team the Packers are, and I don't want anyone getting the idea that I think the Giants will destroy them like they did the Falcons.

I do think the Giants defensive line will destroy the Packers offensive line, however, and I believe Rodgers will have to make plenty of plays with his feet if he hopes to lead his team to victory.

Boom: Eli Manning

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning made a bold statement at the beginning of the year when asked if he thought he was in the same class as Tom Brady:

"

I consider myself in that class. Tom Brady is a great quarterback, he's a great player and what you've seen with him is he's gotten better every year. He started off winning championships and I think he's a better quarterback now than what he was, in all honesty, when he was winning those championships.

I think now he's grown up and gotten better every year and that's what I'm trying to do. I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best.

"

I guess he knew what he was talking about. Manning is one of the premier passers in the NFL right now, and he has one of the best receiving trios in the game in Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. 

I expect him to light up the Green Bay Packers secondary like a Christmas tree in their divisional matchup, and I expect the Giants to give the Packers a serious run for their money in Lambeau.

Bust: New Orleans Saints Running Game

The New Orleans Saints are well known for Drew Brees and their NFL record-breaking, explosive passing offense. What isn't as well known is that the Saints were the sixth-best rushing team in the NFL in 2011. 

The Saints trio of runners, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles combined for 167 yards and three touchdowns in their epic wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions. 

Don't expect them to be able to do anything close to this against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on Saturday.

The 49ers run defense was the best in the NFL in 2011, and second place was miles behind. They only allowed 77.3 yards per game, and more impressively only allowed three touchdowns on the ground all year long.

Patrick Willis and Justin Smith are healthy and rested, and the 49ers have had two weeks to prepare for the Saints offense. I expect them to turn this into a one-dimensional game for the Saints, and then we shall see once and for all how good the 49ers passing defense actually is.

Boom: Vernon Davis

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of the New Orleans Saints is getting ready to dial up blitz after blitz for his defense against the San Francisco 49ers in their divisional matchup. 

The Saints don't have the ability to generate pressure using their front four, so they are forced to supply pressure from every other position. They only ranked 19th in the league in sacks, though, and they are prone to getting burned at times as a result of those ineffective pressures.

This means that Vernon Davis will get plenty of opportunities to break out against one-on-one coverage in space, and I predict he'll have a huge game for the 49ers.

This is predicated, of course, on the belief that the 49ers offensive line will hold up in pass protection. I believe they will succeed enough times for Alex Smith to hit some big plays to Davis, and I believe the 49ers will upset the Saints on their way to the NFC championship game.