NFL Playoffs 2012: Breaking Down Each of the AFC and NFC Divisional Round Games

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

The New Orleans Saints travel to face the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs this weekend.

Had this fixture been set for Louisiana, then determining the winner would have been fairly simple; however, with the Saints having to move outside of their comfort-dome (see what I did there? I do amuse myself), then this game should be a close encounter.

The 49ers are basically the antonym of the Saints. While the Saints rely on their offense to carry the team and the defense must do just enough for them to get by, the 49ers rely on their defense to dominate and for Alex Smith to do just enough to set up David Akers.

One thing is for certain in the playoffs; field goals won't cut it regardless of where the Saints must play.

Even outside of the dome in Louisiana, the Saints still put up points on the road. In each of the team's eight games on the road this year, the team scored at least 20 points, with a season high of 34 outdoors. They did score 42 in Minnesota, but that was also indoors.

On the back of Smith and the leg of Akers, the 49ers did average above 20 points per game on the season. However, outscoring the Saints in postseason form will be a different proposition to outscoring any of the teams the 49ers faced in the regular season.

Jim Harbaugh was very defensive of his quarterback during the regular season when he was labeled a game manager. There will be a point during the playoffs that Smith will have to win games for his side. The last defensive-minded teams to win Super Bowls were the New York Giants in 2008 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

Both of those teams relied on their quarterbacks to make big time plays to carry their teams.

Alex Smith's performance in this game will decide the outcome of it. Generally, that is a pointless statement to make for any NFL starting quarterback because every team relies on its signal caller more than most other players. However Smith is going to have to step up even more than usual, which makes him the x-factor for the 49ers.

What makes things even tougher for Smith, is that the Saints defense lives off of turnovers and pressure. Greg Williams' primary focus will be to shut down Frank Gore in order to force the game into Smith's hands. If that happens, the Saints will blitz Smith all day and test his ability to keep the ball away from Malcolm Jenkins, Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter.

The one advantage that Smith does have, is that his offensive weapons are more physical than the Saints' defensive backs. Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker are physically overwhelming tight ends that provide difficult matchups for any defense, while Michael Crabtree will tower over any of the Saints cornerbacks.

With Kyle Williams and Ted Ginn looking to stretch the field, the 49ers definitely have the pieces not to settle for field goals all day.

Drew Brees certainly won't be handing the game off to John Kasay despite the loss of Lance Moore. The 49ers defense is excellent against both the run and the pass, but it remains committed to shutting the run down as it's first priority.

With Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Chris Ivory in the backfield, the Saints will test the 49ers' resolve. Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman will be vital for the 49ers' success with their intelligence to not fall for Brees' play action.

Brees loves using play action to set up the big plays down the field. The Saints won't be allowed to exit their base package because of Sproles, Ivory and Thomas. That does not mean that Aldon Smith won't feature more, as he should be a pivotal player in pressuring Brees.

Smith won't be able to sell out as a pass rusher, which is always tempting against such a dangerous pass attack. Keeping disciplined on defense is the key for the 49ers if they are to shut down the most balanced attack in the NFL and advance to the NFC championship.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are the next stop on the Tim Tebow bandwagon, as the Denver Broncos travel to Foxboro to play in the divisional round of the AFC playoff picture.

As the world is enveloped in Tebowmania after the Broncos eased past the Steelers in the Wild Card round, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are fully focused on reversing their recent playoff fortunes.

Not since the 2008 AFC championship have the Patriots beaten a team in the playoffs.

Of their last three playoff losses (the Giants in the Super Bowl, the Ravens in the 2010 Wild Card round and the Jets in the divisional round last year), the most recent defeat is the most noteworthy.

The Broncos have a few similarities to the Jets team of last year; both are defensive teams relying on young quarterbacks and strong running games to lead their offenses.

However, the most important similarity between the two teams is that they were both beaten heavily by the Patriots in the regular season. The Jets returned to Foxboro last season with the perfect game plan to subdue the Patriots offense and win the game.

While they did have the perfect game plan, there was undoubtedly some level of the Patriots taking the Jets for granted and overlooking them. Undoubtedly Belichick, Brady and Vince Wilfork, the team's biggest leaders, will be reminding their teammates of last year's failures.

The Broncos will bring strong coaching to Foxboro with a head coach who is undoubtedly a Coach of the Year candidate. After beginning the season with Kyle Orton under center and Brandon Lloyd on the outside, the Broncos have completely revamped their offense to get the best out of Tim Tebow.

Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's play-calling was particularly pleasing last week for the Broncos. McCoy will be looking to lull the Patriots' secondary to sleep by repeatedly running the ball before exposing them with play-action.

Last week against the Steelers, McCoy ran on every single first down before using the play-action to set up Demaryius Thomas' game-winning 80-yard touchdown reception in overtime. The play-calling was vital in that situation because safety Ryan Mundy was drawn to the run. Had he not been, Thomas would never have come free because he caught the ball in the zone Mundy was responsible for.

Defensive discipline will be the Patriots' biggest emphasis in practice this week.

One seemingly small mistake on the field is what the Broncos' offense is built around. Unlike Brady or Peyton Manning, Tebow won't pick apart a defense with short or intermediate gains. The Broncos will look to pound Willis McGahee inside to stay ahead of the down and distance before breaking big gains with Tebow's legs or his arm.

Shutting Tebow down in the running game is the responsibility of the Patriots' defensive ends. Mark Anderson and Shaun Ellis may prefer to be chasing the quarterback in the passing game rather than setting the edge in the running game, but sacking Tebow can't be their No. 1 priority in this game.

For all of his talent and experience, James Harrison's lack of discipline rendered him ineffective last week.

Harrison was at fault on multiple occasions, allowing Tebow to rush for 50 yards on 10 carries. In the option offense, the quarterback is the defensive ends' responsibility. If said defensive end allows the quarterback the edge, then there are going to be big gains.

The problem for the Patriots in this instance is that Tebow has proven to be very effective throwing out of the same formation. Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, should he play, are major mismatches for Kyle Arrington and Devin McCourty on the outside.

McCourty's chances of covering Thomas one-on-one are about as good as a basket of kittens' surviving a nuclear bomb.

The Patriots will be desperate to have Patrick Chung and Brandon Spikes healthy so they don't have to commit as many bodies to the running game. Thomas exposed the Pittsburgh Steelers last week when they tried to leave their corners on an island with their respective receivers. The Steelers' corners are much better at covering in space than the Patriots'.

On the other side of the field, there are two players who the Patriots will be more worried about than any other for the Broncos defense.

Von Miller may be a rookie, and also carrying an injured right hand, but he's closer to returning to his early season form with a good performance against the Steelers last week.

Generally, pass rushers who play well against the Steelers don't really deserve much credit, as the Steelers line is poor, but Miller managed to get the better of Marcus Gilbert, who is an impressive rookie right tackle for Pittsburgh.

Miller, along with Elvis Dumervil, will have to be shut down if the Patriots are going to be at their explosive best.

Pressuring Brady will be the Broncos' best way to beat the Patriots. Brady will expect the Broncos to move Dumervil and Miller around in order to pressure the middle of the Patriots' pass protection. Brady is most susceptible to a strong interior pass rush as he is unable to extend plays or throw off his back foot on a consistent basis.

The Patriots will try to offset the Broncos' pass rushers by running their trio of running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead.

While the team's running game is a solid complementary piece, it won't likely be enough to win this game going against Broderick Bunkley and Joe Mays in the spine of the Broncos' defense. Even without Brian Dawkins, who is a long shot to feature, the Patriots need to win this game on Brady's arm.

As with most games, the Patriots' tight ends will be vital to victory. Miller's versatility will allow him to contain either Aaron Hernandez or Rob Gronkowski while the Broncos will likely double team the other.

Expect Champ Bailey to follow Wes Welker, even when Welker goes inside.

This leaves the Patriots' best matchups on the outside with Deion Branch and Chad Ochocinco. The timing would be perfect for Ochocinco to have a breakout game in Foxborough. Andre Goodman will likely track Branch, leaving rookie Chris Harris on the former Bengal.

Ochocinco has a few advantages over Harris. His veteran nous and impeccable route running will give him an advantage over the inexperienced Harris, as will his height and greater wingspan.

Ochocinco has every opportunity to redeem himself in the playoffs after a disappointing regular season.

Tebow's train to the Super Bowl should be derailed in New England as the Patriots will learn from their recent failures in the playoffs.

Tweeting @Cianaf

Article originally appeared on Irishcentral.com

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco isn't unfamiliar with playing in the playoffs, but this year has two major differences for the young quarterback.

Flacco has played in the AFC championship before, but he has never been the veteran quarterback over his opposition. TJ Yates' rookie season could be a storybook, but he faces the toughest test of his season traveling to Baltimore this weekend.

The Ravens are one of the best home teams in the league with an intimidating defense. Ray Lewis may be holding his starting place down more on his reputation and veteran instincts opposed to talent and impact, but he is the perfect player to take advantage of any mistakes Yates makes pre-snap.

Yates isn't asked to do much pre-snap with the Texans, but if the Ravens get out to a lead, they are not afraid to put the ball in his hands to win the game. If the former North Carolina prospect tips anything off to the Ravens defense, Lewis will have his players in place to take advantage.

Terrell Suggs' matchup with Duane Brown will be vital in the passing game, but shutting down Ben Tate and Arian Foster will be the first priority for John Harbaugh's defense. The Texans' zone blocking scheme will struggle to adapt to the size and athleticism of Haloti Ngata.

Ngata's ability to get penetration will cause major problems for the Texans and allow his teammates to get into the backfield. Jameel McClain, Lewis, Jarrett Johnson and Suggs will look to shoot any gaps that are created by Ngata, Corey Redding and Terrence Cody upfront.

If the Ravens swarm the running game, then Yates will have to make use of his biggest weapon, Andre Johnson, as opposed to just checking down to Joel Dressen or Owen Daniels.

While Dressen, and particularly Daniels, are quality tight ends capable of taking off chunks from the defense, Johnson has a huge matchup advantage against the Ravens' smaller corners.

Lardarius Webb has had an outstanding season and you would expect the Ravens to assign him to Johnson. Webb has been particularly impressive defending the deep ball, which could be the difference in this game as the Texans will want to throw the ball deep off of play action with Yates' lack of experience in such a big game.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens will look to play a similar style against the Texans defense, but with more trust in their quarterback.

Establishing Ray Rice will be difficult against the sturdy front seven that the Texans will bring to Baltimore. Brian Cushing was one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs of the season, while DeMeco Ryans has been excellent returning from injury this season.

With those two playing behind my own personal rookie of the year, JJ Watt, as well as Shaun Cody and Antonio Smith, the Texans have one of the most balanced front sevens in the league. Throw into the mix impressive rookie Brooks Reed and breakout player of the year candidate Connor Barwin and the Ravens have a tough test on their hands.

The Ravens will likely look to break Rice to the outside and run against Barwin and Reed, as opposed to going through the middle.

Bryant McKinnie will have the bulk to move Barwin on the outside, but Barwin will be able to use his speed to beat McKinnie repeatedly in the passing game. Despite Flacco's experience, the Ravens will need to establish the running game if he is to have any success against the Texans' defense.

Because of a combination of that front seven, who have the ability to overcome the Ravens' pass protection, and the Texans' vastly improved secondary since last season, Cam Cameron will need to hold his itch to pull the trigger early on.

Anquan Boldin's matchup with Johnathan Joseph will be one of the closest across the four games this weekend as both play the game in a similar, physical style.

Joseph is having a great year while Boldin has gone through somewhat of a down year. Expect the Ravens to look more towards Lee Evans and Torrey Smith on play action, as opposed to putting the ball in Flacco's hands.

This game will be determined by which passing attack can get the better of the opposing team's secondaries. With the more experienced Flacco under center, you have to give the Ravens the advantage at home.

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

What is sure to be the most entertaining matchup of the week will take place on Sunday evening as the Giants travel to face the Packers in Wisconsin.

This game features two quarterbacks worthy of winning the MVP this season, although realistically only one of them actually has a chance, so expect a shootout.

Regardless of what kind of weather may overcome Lambeau Field on Sunday, neither offensive machine will be held in check. This game could be very similar to Aaron Rodgers' first playoff start, when the Arizona Cardinals won the game because of two turnovers, an interception on the first drive and a fumble on the last.

Rodgers' ability to pick apart the Giants secondary isn't in question; he already managed it with ease during the regular season, leading a comeback victory in New York. However, the Packers' offensive line's ability to give him time to throw will be tested more than ever on Sunday.

Chad Clifton, the Packers' 35-year-old starting left tackle, has played only 25 snaps since the beginning of October because of injury, but is expected to start this weekend. Those 25 snaps came two weeks ago against the Detroit Lions with Kyle Vanden Bosch playing across from him in a meaningless game.

On Sunday, Clifton will be asked to protect Rodgers from a combination of Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks in the regular season, and Osi Umenyiora, who has three sacks in his last two games. The Giants' depth will severely test Clitfton's fitness as Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul are not only physical freaks, but they will be physical freaks who will have a lot more in the tank as they rotate in and out.

Every team rotates their defensive linemen, but very few teams have the depth that the Giants have.

Pierre-Paul will likely move inside on passing downs which, along with Justin Tuck, will give the Giants' three elite pass rushers on their defensive line at the same time. Considering that Chris Canty is no slouch (four sacks in the regular season from defensive tackle) it is difficult to see how the Packers will hold up to the Giants' pressure.

If the Giants had Terrell Thomas fully fit and healthy, then it would be easy to say that this matchup would decide the game. However, Aaron Rodgers should be able to pick on Aaron Ross and Prince Amukamara outside with the arsenal of receivers that he has.

Kenny Philips should draw the responsibility of covering Jermichael Finley, while I expect Corey Webster, who is a hugely underrated cover corner, to drift to Jordy Nelson even if Greg Jennings returns.

Jennings will be the key on this side of the ball. Depending on how healthy he really is after his knee injury, he is the matchup that the Giants defense cannot account for. If he is hampered by his knee injury, then the Giants won't have to worry about him.

However, if he is fully healthy, then the Giants will have to consider double teaming him or bringing Webster off of Nelson and double teaming him instead. Randall Cobb and James Jones are good receivers, but they aren't on the level of a fully healthy Jennings, and Donald Driver isn't the devastating force he once was.

Rodgers will likely be forced to throw a lot of quick passes and move out of the pocket in this matchup. For lesser quarterbacks, such as Matt Ryan, whose offense accounted for zero total points against the Giants last week, that is a death sentence.

For Rodgers, it is more like a cut that has the potential to be infected, but something that he can cope with.

Fortunately for Eli Manning, he won't be dealing with a front four as scary as the Giants' group. Manning's offensive line has gone through a lot of transition since the start of free agency, but has seemed somewhat more settled in recent weeks.

Once B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews are held in check, Erik Walden, A.J. Hawk, Des Bishop, Jairus Wynn, Mike Neal and Ryan Pickett can all be handled with single blockers and good communication. The Packers are the inverse of their Giants counterparts on defense.

The front seven is just solid for the Packers; they instead rely on their secondary to create turnovers and make opposing quarterbacks overthink things to hold onto the ball. Tramon Williams will shadow Hakeem Nicks for the day, but don't expect Eli Manning to be scared to throw it Nicks' way.

Nicks is a dynamic receiver that will be able to get the better of Williams in single coverage on occasion without actually dominating the matchup. Mario Manningham will do enough against Jarrett Bush to keep the Packers secondary honest, while the most intriguing matchup will be the emerging Victor Cruz going against Charles Woodson in the slot.

Manning and Cruz have had a great year together, but there is no doubt that there have been some communication/understanding issues between the two. That is fairly normal for young receivers, but it isn't something that the Giants can cope with this weekend.

Woodson is a master at taking advantage of inexperienced play. He has a knack for making game-changing plays, so it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if his matchup with Cruz decides the game one way or another.

Woodson does gamble and plays aggressively, which will leave Cruz and Manning with opportunities for big plays. Who wins that battle will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the game.

While the Giants do have the ability to dominate the clock with the running game, I can't see them considering going into Wisconsin and hoping to take over the clock with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.

Bradshaw and Jacobs, Jacobs in particular, have run really well as of late, but they have to be used as part of a balanced attack in this type of game.

The shootout that will unfold in Lambeau will define the modern day NFL game...

...lots and lots of offense.

Tweeting @Cianaf