Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Patriots Favorites After Packers' Round 2 Loss

Don’t let the snow fool you—Boston is on fire.

After the Green Bay Packers were eliminated by the New York Giants in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are now Super Bowl favorites. On a nine-game winning streak, they’re without a doubt the hottest team in the NFL. Even if the Packers managed to crawl away with the win, the Patriots would still be the team to beat.

New England just slaughtered the Denver Broncos 45-10 and no, such a blowout shouldn’t be underestimated. Tom Brady shredded the same Broncos team that just beat the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before. They were in control from the opening coin toss; their momentum is undeniable.

According to Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald, Devin McCourty told the media after the game:

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“Today was the closest we’ve gotten to playing 60 minutes. It’s all about having another day to come in to work. That’s why we’re happy we came out and did that. We get to come back and practice next week.”

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The San Francisco 49ers upset the New Orleans Saints by four points and the Baltimore Ravens barely got away from the limping Houston Texans 20-13. Even with the 49ers' impressive victory, no team is coming off a more dominant W than the Pats.

Defenses may win championships, but Brady doesn’t need a defense. New England fields one of the worst defenses in the league this season, but the Brady Bunch has been methodical to the point of being unstoppable.

Besides the Giants, every team the Patriots lost to this season has been eliminated. New England is a different team than the one that lost in Week 9, though, and as impressive as Eli Manning’s crew has been, you’d be a fool to bet against Brady right now.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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