NFL Playoff Predictions: Which Teams Will Advance from the Divisional Rounds?

Think of the NFL Divisional playoff games as an elite fraternity, where only the best of the best are invited to join.

And after Sunday, that elite number will be cut in half.

Making predictions about who will prevail seems to be a simple task on paper, but it can be as difficult as deciding which girl to take to prom.

And, incidentally, there are four quarterbacks who are playing this weekend who have won Super Bowl MVP awards in the past.

New England hasn't won a playoff game since 2007. Green Bay won last year's Super Bowl.

Denver is the team no one wants to play. San Francisco has the best defense of the remaining eight teams.

Baltimore is hoping Joe Flacco turns into Joe Montana. New Orleans will go as far as Drew Brees takes them.

The Giants are built for the playoffs. And there is this team in Houston no one is talking about.

So who wins? Your guess is as good as anyone, but here are a few predictions to ponder.

New Orleans Will Beat San Francisco on the Road to Advance

I picked New Orleans at the beginning of the season, and while they have given me pause to think they would stumble with their defensive play, I cannot go back on my choice.

The 49ers' defense is huge. The run-defense is stellar. The idea a quarterback like Alex Smith is taking this team to this high a level is unheard of considering his track record in the past.

But what I like about this New Orleans team is that Drew Brees and company only know one speed, and that is "fast."

When the game was close in the second quarter last week against Detroit, the Saints did not panic; they regrouped at halftime, then put the foot on the pedal and took off for outer space.

San Francisco is young, and maybe that is a good thing at times. But when a neophyte is in a new surrounding, sometimes they tend to unravel. I don't think that happens, but they will have issues with the Saints' passing game.

New England Knocks Tebow and the Broncos out of the Playoffs

For whatever reason, they are not there yet.

This is not a Josh McDaniels x-factor pick; I think when it is all said on the field, maybe Jerod Mayo and the Patriots' defense show up and shut down Tebow and the Broncos.

Playing in New England is tough, but playing at night in the cold weather is even tougher.

And I also like the fact that Bill Belichick is hard to bet against in the playoffs, regardless of his team not winning a playoff game since 2007.

And when all else fails, you have to pick the experience of Tom Brady over the possible erratic play of Mr. Tebow.

Tom Coughlin's Last Hurrah: The Giants Upset Green Bay

This has nothing to do with my choice of New Orleans beating San Francisco; I think the Giants are a team that is made for the playoffs.

Don't get me wrong, Aaron Rodgers had one of the best offensive years for a quarterback in the history of the NFL, and he makes this offense go.

But the Packers cannot establish a run game. There are questions on their offensive line, and we don't know if the week off helped or hurt the team with the best record in the NFL.

The Giants beat the Cowboys to take care of business on the last day of the regular season, then limped into the playoffs only to dominate Atlanta and their explosive passing game.

One thing Tom Coughlin does is he prepares his teams for the postseason. He did that in Jacksonville, and he has done so in New York.

This is really more of a hunch, but seeing how the defensive line caused issues last week and the running of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 150 yards on the ground, I like New York in this one.

Baltimore Sends Houston Back Home

Do I choose the quarterback who has been hot and cold all season, or do I pick a rookie who won his first-ever playoff game and is making some teams sorry they did not choose the North Carolina passer before the Texans got him in the fifth round?

I was hoping this would be the week we see Andy Dalton move Cincinnati further into the playoffs, but instead, we have the Texans proving they can win with stellar running and a defense that can take it to the house.

When you look at the fact that both teams have a great running attack (slight edge to Houston) and great defenses, there are the intangibles that play a role in determining the outcome.

Andre Johnson is by far the best receiver in the game, but the Ravens have a better secondary than the Texans.

In the end, experience will play out.

Ray Lewis wants another title before retirement. As long as Joe Flacco does not lose the game for Baltimore, the AFC North champion advances.