CBS and Fox Broadcasters Look at 10 Keys to the NFL Playoffs

This week in talking to the top analysts from both FOX and CBS, they had some very interesting thoughts about breaking down all four of this week's playoff games.

We have breakdowns of the Saturday games—the Saints at the 49ers on FOX, followed by the Broncos at the Patriots on CBS.

Houston will face the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday in the early game at 1 p.m. on CBS. The nightcap will have the Giants in Green Bay to face the Packers on FOX.

Will Tim Tebow's Faith Be Talked About During the Game?

Fox Sports chairman Ed Goren on how Tim Tebow’s faith should be handled during the game:

"I don’t think that’s the forum. People tune in to see the game. A lot of these subjects that come up are better served in a pregame format. It’s a Bernie Goldberg piece for Real Sports.”

How Darren Sproles Makes Drew Brees Better

FOX Sports' Troy Aikman on how Darren Sproles makes Drew Brees better:

“He’s a great player. Unfortunately we associate great athleticism with size. I don’t know if he has really gotten the recognition that he should have because of his size. He is a difference maker. He goes one-on-one with linebackers. He’s quick and tough.

"I am impressed with his return game. As a quarterback you can’t have enough of those kinds of players. Being able to trust a guy like this as a quarterback is big.”

How Jim Harbaugh Made the Change from College to the Pros

Jimmy Johnson on a college coach moving to the pros:

“First of all, it is completely different. The two jobs aren’t even similar. I could spend 2-3 hours talking about the differences; the length of the season, the game etc. When I look at Jim, I don’t look at him as a college coach. He got some head coaching experience in college but his whole background is professional football. So I wouldn’t want to compare him to a guy that went from college to pro.

"If you are at one of the top college football programs, top 15, you have two games a year that you could lose if you don’t play your best, then 9 games that if you go out and don’t turn it over, you’re going to win regardless of who you play.”

Phil Simms on the Broncos-Pats Rematch

Phil Simms says: 

"Rematches that happen in the NFL always intrigue me, especially when talking about good football teams that played each other not long ago. I saw a lot of plays the Denver Broncos run every single week, but they gave them a little twist this past weekend against the Steelers.

"When you see it in a game, you know that the other team is prepared for the original play. When you give it that twist, you see what it does. Can the other team adjust or does it turn into something big?

"There were probably three plays in the Broncos-Steelers game that turned out to be big. So the Broncos’ preparation, new thinking and a new twist to an old play were the difference in the game.

"We are going to see new twists with two staffs that come up with a lot of different ideas on both sides of the ball. I am spending most of my week watching their last game so that when it does happen, I will know why they did a certain thing. That intrigues me more than anything."

Will the Broncos or the Patriots Have the Better Defense?

The Broncos and Patriots defenses could play much better than we think, because they will be able to stop the bread-and-butter plays from the other team’s offense. There is a disadvantage for the Denver Broncos in having one less day of practice and then traveling.

The Patriots get the extra time and preparation and rest. Also, the Patriots have lost their last two playoff home games. I am not going to under-sell that fact at all. How much do you think that has been talked about in New England between the organization, players and staff? To me, those are big things.  

Their emotional level has to be incredibly high because of the previous two years, and the fact that all anybody talks about is their bad defense. They don’t even talk about Tom Brady.

Are the Ravens Ready to Take the Next Step?

Dan Dierdorf breaks down the Ravens and the Texans:

DD on the Ravens: "The last several times that Baltimore has been in the playoffs they’ve been eliminated by either Pittsburgh or Indianapolis.  They are gone.  Baltimore has a confidence that with who remains really sets up well for them.  They are the team that can win this game and go into New England and beat the Patriots, if that is what has to be done."

DD on the Texans: "Congratulations to the Texans for making the playoffs for the first time ever and winning a playoff game, but they are in for a rude awakening.  It is one thing to beat Cincinnati at home, and quite another to go to Baltimore and play a rested, extremely balanced football team."

DD on the Ravens getting a home game: "M&T Stadium in Baltimore is becoming like Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City – an unbelievably loud outdoor stadium.  Arrowhead was the only outdoor stadium that I thought could really rival a dome in terms of the sheer ferocity of the crowd with the noise almost becoming a physical thing. But M&T is really joining Arrowhead in that regard."

Can T. J Yates Beat the Baltimore Defense?

Dan Dierdorf on the QBs: "The quarterbacks are always the starting point in a playoff game like this.  Joe Flacco has more playoff starts than T.J. Yates has total starts.  That is a big deal and is a huge, huge advantage for Baltimore.  

"T.J. Yates has been impressive.  He’s done well.  But this is going to be unlike anything he’s ever seen before.  He didn’t experience anything at North Carolina that is quite going to prepare him for what he’s about to see Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. 

"Houston has a puncher’s chance because of their ability to run the football and play defense.  But running the ball against Cincinnati is different than running the ball against Baltimore in Baltimore.  If they’re able to run the ball against Baltimore, they will have a chance."

How Did Winning the Super Bowl Change Aaron Rodgers?

Troy Aikman on how winning a Super Bowl changes a quarterback: 

“There have been very few quarterbacks who have been able to leave this game without having won a Super Bowl and be regarded as one of the greats. The Super Bowl win for Aaron Rodgers was huge.  It changed the way we all felt about him.  It’s changed the way we feel about any quarterback who’s won a Super Bowl.  We look at Eli Manning differently after he won the Super Bowl.”

Are the 2011 Giants Like the 2007 Super Bowl Winners?

Michael Strahan on the 2007 Giants and the 2011 team:

“I think these are two totally different types of teams. Our team in 2007 was led on the defensive side of the ball. We realized defensively and especially up front, we had to get after the quarterback and had some good secondary play.

"This year, you can lean on the offense to put points on the board, whereas at that point in 2007, Eli finally started to get his confidence in himself. We were still little unsure every game about what was going to happen with him. I understand the comparisons but I wish this team would have their own history.

"This is a good team and they’re hoping that the defense hits the same hot streak that the offense hit back in 2007 when they needed it the most. The defense has shown their potential in the last two games. It’s definitely up to them to show up in Green Bay with that offense that the Packers have because offensively, there is no doubt that the Giants can score.”

How Tough Will It Be for the Packers to Win Back to Back Super Bowls?

Jimmy Johnson on winning back-to-back Super Bowls:

“After you win the first one, then you are definitely under the microscope from day one after that.  If the defending champions win a close game against somebody that everyone thinks they would beat easily, there’s nothing positive in the media. 

"It’s all criticism of what happened to them, did they get lazy, are they complacent, did they work in the offseason, did they do too many books and radio shows? You also have to deal with the ‘what about me’ concept. Everybody in the organization thinks they should receive more accolades or a bigger raise. It’s very difficult to do it a second time.”

Enjoy the NFL Playoffs

So that is the breakdown from the FOX and CBS broadcast crews. Feel free to give me your feedback.