What We Learned About the Future of Every NFL Divisional Round Team

And then there were four.

The NFL playoffs are now down to a final four, and it promises to be a great week of conversation in regards to where each team stands and who "experts" will proclaim to be the favorites to grab the Lombardi Trophy this season.

Some seasons ended in utter disappointment this weekend. Just take a look at what happened to the 15-1 Green Bay Packers this evening. This is why the NFL is the greatest sport in the history of this great nation. This is why it has become America's pastime.

This evening, I am going to give you my view on what we learned about every team that played this weekend. Some fans will not be happy with the conclusions that I draw and I could care less. Fandom is amazing when it comes to the NFL, and you are entitled to your opinion, much like I am.

So, as the San Francisco 49ers would say, LEGGO! 

Houston Texans

A couple things here. 

First, it must be noted that T.J. Yates will be a really good starting quarterback in the NFL at some point. However, rarely do rookie signal callers have postseason success, and his performance today is a prime example of that. 

Second, the Texans will be back at full force next season with a dominant defense and a healthy Matt Schaub. 

They were put in a tough situation when both Schaub and Matt Leinart went down. Even before their close loss to the Baltimore Ravens today, the Texans weren't expected to do too much. 

But have no fear, Texans fans; this is a team that will be in continual contention for the foreseeable future. 

Green Bay Packers

Offenses can win a lot of regular season games, but they need help from other areas of the game when it comes to the postseason. 

While Aaron Rodgers was off a little bit in the Packers surprising loss to the New York Giants this evening, the loss cannot be blamed on him. 

Their defense was downright dreadful. I mean, this unit played one of the worst games that I have seen in recent history. They blew multiple coverage, couldn't tackle worth a damn and didn't put much pressure on Eli Manning. 

What have we learned? It's really simple. The Packers primary focus this offseason and in the draft must be on the defensive side of the ball. From the looks of it, they need upgrades on all three tiers of the unit: defensive line, linebacker and the secondary. 

Denver Broncos

No, Tim Tebow cannot part the Red Sea. He isn't the second coming, a profit or Jesus reincarnated. 

Instead, he is the starting quarterback for what has to be considered the weakest team in the 2011 NFL Playoffs. I fully understand that the Broncos did beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, but that was an anomaly more than anything due to injuries on the other side. 

That said, Tim Tebow is a leader and deserves to be the starting quarterback next season. With a full offseason of being able to work with John Elway and others within the Broncos organization, you can expect Tebow to come out next season and be a much better quarterback, a fundamentally sound signal caller and a greater threat through the air. 

Now, the Broncos must get him weapons on the outside and shore up the defensive secondary. They have absolutely no reason to even look at the quarterback position in the draft. 

Tebow has proven himself; there is no other way to look at it. 

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is really good; the Saints defense isn't. 

It really is this simple. The New Orleans Saints couldn't stop what had been a pedestrian San Francisco 49ers offense when it counted the most. They got burnt on man coverage, couldn't match up against Vernon Davis and had a hell of a time nixing the 49ers passing game with the blitz. 

Now, this team is one and done for the second consecutive season. 

They must now focus on fixing these defensive shortcomings. Hell, they might just want to throw everything out the window and build this unit from the ground up. If you have to rely on the blitz a large majority of the time to stop opposing offenses, something needs to be fixed. 

I am pretty sure that Greg Williams will be following Jeff Fisher to St. Louis. This means that the Saints' first area of concern is getting another defensive coordinator. After that, they have to look at free agency and the draft to fill multiple holes on defense. 

Without many upgrades on that side of the ball, the Saints cannot be considered title contenders moving forward. I am pretty sure that they understand this. 

Baltimore Ravens

To say that the Baltimore Ravens were unimpressive in their win against the Houston Texans this afternoon would be an understatement. 

This is a team that didn't turn the ball over or commit a penalty but barely got past a rookie quarterback in the final seconds at home. 

Joe Flacco is nowhere near elite, struggles putting the ball on target and seems to lose confidence if the game isn't going his way early. 

This must change going into New England next weekend. They will not be facing a bright-eyed rookie quarterback. Instead, they will be going up against a three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback on the road. If this offense performs the way it did against Houston, the Ravens will not go to the Super Bowl. 

It can't all be placed on Flacco, either. Ray Rice had a down game, and their offensive line struggled a great deal. These issues need to be fixed as well. 

But one thing is for sure: This defense can ball out, so that should at least keep them in the game. 

New York Giants

Eli Manning is elite, and this team is on a roll. I understand that the Green Bay Packers laid down and died this evening, but the New York Giants took full advantage of their opponents' bad play and dominated the defending Super Bowl Champions in Wisconsin in January. That is a sentence you rarely hear. 

Hakeem Nicks came to play, as did the New York Giants defense. But, you have to take one thing out of this game more than anything else: Eli Manning is truly an elite quarterback. 

Now, the Giants must travel to San Francisco to take on an equally hot team on the road in a rematch of an early season 49ers victory. 

It wont be easy, and San Francisco's defense is much better than the Packers. That said, the Giants are hitting on all cylinders right now. Of course, we will continue to hear much more about this matchup as the week progresses and we get closer to Sunday. 

New England Patriots

Tom Brady is what they call really good. His six-touchdown performance against what had been a pretty solid Denver Broncos defense last night was nothing short of amazing. While that game might have been lost in the aura of the 49ers' stunning win against New Orleans, it was a statement to say the least. 

The mantra that defense wins championships is completely true, but with an offense as great as the Patriots have, it is hard to argue that they aren't the favorites, or at least one of two favorites, to win the Super Bowl. 

We shall see. 

San Francisco 49ers

What did we learn about the San Francisco 49ers this weekend? For one thing, they have a true quarterback, not just a game manager. 

Secondly, they should be odds-on favorites to win their sixth Super Bowl Championship. Yes, I did just proclaim the 49ers as the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. 

You really can't argue against this, either. 

Their defense hits people in the face and then doesn't call them the next day. They are truly one of the best defenses that you will ever have the pleasure of watching. From Justin Smith and Patrick Willis to Dashon Goldson and Carlos Rogers, the 49ers are stacked on that side of the ball. 

More than that, they now have a quarterback that everyone can trust, a quarterback that makes every player on the field better and a leader that has the ability to put the game on his shoulder win. 

Alex Smith stared defeat in the face only to throw it to the ground, stomp on it, light it on fire and spit on it. He started Drew Brees in the face, only to come out on top and out perform the Super Bowl-winning quarterback. 

San Francisco is back; it really is that simple!