NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Winners Guaranteed to Inch Closer to Super Bowl

Nothing short of Tim Tebow's mystique, Drew Brees' special season and the Packers' magical year are on the line this weekend. 

If you want intriguing storylines, you picked the right week to watch some hard-hitting football. Tom Coughlin continues to hang by a string and will face the best team in the land. It will be interesting to see if Eli Mannining's underrated season still has teeth in Lambeau. 

Forget the Steelers and the Ravens, the Texans will show you what they have in the way of tough, shutdown defense. Houston will show something fierce against the Ravens, but it may not be enough. 

Here are the only four games you need to watch this weekend. They will be enough to fill all of your NFL needs. 

Saints at 49ers

Offense takes on defense in an epic showdown that is supposed to see the Saints offense slow to a crawl. 

Hoping for such things is laughable. The Saints are playing a ridiculous brand of football right now. I have no doubt that they will find it hard to flirt with a 50-point game this week, but they will surely put up north of 30. 

Brees just dominated a tremendous pass rush last weekend and will find the 49ers defense merely irritating. This will be a close game, but one the Saints take in the end.  

Broncos at Patriots

I hate being wrong, and Tim Tebow has guaranteed I was just that for the last couple of months. 

This is a mind-numbing exercise. All my brain cells are firing away with visions of the Patriots taking home the win. However, there is my gut feeling that Tebow will not be denied. 

Tebow may be magic, but the Patriots are the better team. I may eat crow once again on Sunday, but I can't go against logic. 

Texans at Ravens

Ugly. This game will feature a good amount of field goals and snaps taken at midfield. The Texans are an underrated force, but the Ravens are playing some sick ball at home. 

There is also TJ Yates to consider. The young man has done extremely well in leading the Texans despite a plague of injuries. 

However, it's just too much to ask an inexperienced quarterback to also get a win in the lion's den. The Ravens will eat him up in a defensive game that will be hard to watch.

Giants at Packers

The Giants have what it takes to take down the Packers, but they won't. I have concerns about the Giants' inconsistent defense and the little hiccup of having to play against the best in the game. 

The Packers are not rusty; they are well-rested and will prove this at home on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers has been playing a type of ball for two seasons that you just don't bet against. Packers continue to defend their title well. 

Follow @gabezal 

2012 NFL Playoff Schedule

Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan 14

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots, 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Sunday, Jan 15

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Conference Championships

AFC Championship Game

Sunday, Jan. 22 on CBS

NFC Championship Game

Sunday, Jan. 22 on FOX

Super Bowl XLVI

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium 

When: Sunday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET