Preview: Texans vs Patriots - AFC Divisional Game

Schaub vs Brady, Part II:

• Brady is having an MVP-type season once again. With a win against the Texans, Brady can become the all-time playoff leader in wins. Schaub is just getting started, winning his first playoff start last week (Schaub missed last year's postseason run with a foot injury). However, since their week 13 meeting, Schaub hasn't thrown the ball as he did before this meeting. He needs to get back to how he was playing during the 12-1 start in order to at least match up with Brady's performance he did to this Texans team in week 13. 

Will Arian Foster who the world that the Texans aren't frauds?

• Arian Foster took offense to what Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy said about the Texans being frauds and that the Patriots will have 2 bye weeks before the AFC Championship Game. Foster put those quotes on his twitter profile and now has a chip on his shoulders. Will if the Texans want the world to know that their for real, Foster will have to be most involved then he was back in December. 15 carries for 49 yards isn't going to win you no playoff game for a top 5 RB in this league.

Will the Texans Defense show up this time?

• The second time around for the Texans should be a better one then the first. It better be, if the Texans want to go to and play in the AFC Championship game. This defense has been getting touched since their last meeting with the Patriots back in December. If it was for a few missed throws from Andy Dalton last week and we could be talking about the Bengals/Patriots instead of the Texans. There defense have to get back to playing the way they we're during the beginning of the year, even though that could be tough because of the Brian Cushing injury earlier in the season. I do believe that the Texans will show up and play better on defense, but the question is can they force turnovers and make big stops as well? If so, then they could win but if not, then we could be seeing another blowout.

Dangerous game for the Patriots?

• If you're a Pats fans, before you go off saying that your team will annihilate the Texans, remember what happened just two seasons ago. A 42-3 molly-whopping of the Jets, only to have them come back to Foxboro a month later and have a dominating performance from their defense as they won that AFC Divisional Game 28-21. Well just a month ago, the Pats slapped around the Texans 42-14 and now here's the rematch. We'll find out if Dan Shaughnessy is right (or wrong) about the Texans being frauds.

X-Factors: Texans CB's vs Patriots WR's

• Can the Texans CB's force turnovers and control the Pats WR's?

Confidence Picks: Texans (23) vs Patriots (7)

• QB: Schaub (7) vs Brady (1)
• Defense: HOU (8) vs NE (5)
• Coaching: Kubiak (8) vs Belichick (1)

Prediction: 28-24, Patriots

Preview: Seahawks vs Falcons - NFC Divisional Game

Will the Ryan/Smith combo get it done and win on Sunday?

• It feels as if this could be the beginning of a possible Super Bowl coach/QB duo or this could be the beginning of the end for one or the other. Coming into this season, this core of Falcons players knew that the regular season would mean nothing. Their goal: Get back to the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl. After their "2 point" performance last year in wild card game at MetLife, the Falcons know if they lose again in the playoff, this core group could see some major changes in a season or two. However, if they can win this game, this could open up the opportunity for a Super Bowl appearance in their "hated rival's" own backyard. This game is a huge barometer for this Falcons organization going forward.

Seattle Secondary vs Atlanta WR's: Who dominates who?

• This will be the matchup most people would and should want to watch. Seahawks very physical, big secondary vs the Falcons big and speedy WR's. With such offensive explosion, can that be the one thing that can even out the physical play of that Seahawks secondary or will that explosion be put on ice. I don't think the Falcons WR's have been tested to handle the physical play all season. As well, this could be a big test for the Seahawks secondary, who haven't had big, quick WR's like this either. 

Can Wilson continue he's amazing play or will the Falcons stop him?

• Russell Wilson can join Joey Flacco and Mark Sanchez as the only QB's to win their first 2 playoffs games as a rookie. However, it seems to be something different about Wilson. He seems to have been here before, I mean the way he carries himself, to the way he's so calm and relaxed when the pressure is on. He played almost like a poised veteran last week against the Redskins and if he plays anything remotely similar to that in this game, then the Falcons could be in for a long afternoon. 

Will the cross-country trip and the start time of this game help or hurt the Seahawks?

• From Seattle, WA to Washington D.C. is 2,329 miles (4,658 round trip). From Seattle to Atlanta is 1,891. All those miles would equal 6,549 miles in a span of 7 days. Not to mention that the game is a 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific start. This could be a dangerous thing for a team that might be a little slow getting into the game. If the Falcons manage to jump out on the Seahawks, that could be domesday for the Seahawks. However, this team was down 14-0 last week and still won, so hey......maybe they can pull off the road upset. Or maybe not...

X-Factors: Seahawks Pass Rush vs Falcons Pass Rush

• With the injuries to Chris Clemons and John Abraham (although he will play), which pass rush can disturb the other's passing attack?

Confidence Picks: Seahawks (12) vs Falcons (21)

• QB: Wilson (5) vs Ryan (6)
• Defense: SEA (1) vs ATL (7)
• Coaching: Carroll (6) vs Smith (8)

Prediction: 23-20, Seahawks

Preview: Packers vs 49ers - NFC Divisional Game

Rodgers vs Kaepernick:

• This will be Kaepernick's first playoff game as a starter. This could be either a good thing (Wilson, Flacco, Sanchez, Yates just to make a few QB's who won their first playoffs starts) or this could be a bad thing for him. Since 2008, QB's making their first playoff starts are 8-7. So for Kaepernick, its almost a 50/50 shot at giving the Niners the win. As for Rodgers, he could make this tough on the Niners faithful. Winning he's last 3 playoff road starts, playing on the road doesn't really phase him, but this will be his first ever game at Candlestick Park. Rodgers, who is a California-native, rooted for the 49ers his entire life until he became a Packer. Now he must beat the team he loves dearly in his heart. Likewise for Kaepernick, born in Wisconsin but raised on the west coast, he also has to play against the team he so loved as a child, the Green Bay Packers. It will be a tough game for both of these QB's, on and off the field.

Can Frank Gore do the the Packers Defense as Adrian Peterson did to them this season?

• If we rank the top 5 RB's in this league from the last 5 years, Gore would be on that list. At least he should be. With that being said, this Packers defense had serious issues with the guy would most, if not all, would say is #1 on that list: Adrian Peterson. Lets not forget that Gore also destroyed this defense up at Lambeau back in September for 112 yards, including the game-sealing TD run. If he can run like that again, this Packers defense will be in for a long evening, which isn't good for the Packers. Period.

Battle of the "3-4" defenses: Who wins?

• Well the Niners defense won round one of these battle at Lambeau. This time around, both defenses have had their share of injuries, but now both teams seem to be getting everything back to together at the right now. Its all about the matchups: Which defense can exploit the other offenses weakness? The defense that can do that, and play physical, smash-mouth defense, will be the ones who wins this battle and the game.

Can the 49ers win this game if they score under 20 points?

• Well they scored 30 points at Lambeau (although 23 of those came from the offense). I believe that this will not be an issue for the Niners. I think they'll get over 20 points and so will the Packers.

X-Factor: Dujuan Harris vs 49ers Defense

• Can Harris take some pressure off Rodgers against this 49ers defense??

Confidence Picks: Packers (11) vs 49ers (15)

• QB: Rodgers (2) vs Kaepernick (8)
• Defense: GB (6) vs SF (2)
• Coach: McCarthy (3) vs Harbaugh (5)

Prediction: 23-20, 49ers

Preview: Ravens vs Broncos - AFC Divisional Game

Could the Broncos be re-living the John Elway glory days with Peyton Manning?

• For the first time since the 1997-98 seasons, the Broncos faithful have something to be happy about going into this playoffs. They have a great QB behind center. Not since Elway have Broncos fans had so much optimistic hopes on winning another championship. Manning is having one of his better seasons at QB and if, he does pull off the championship feat, will have his second championship. That will tie him with his younger brother, Eli.

Can Ray Lewis continue to bring the energy needed for the Ravens defense to beat the Broncos?

• The Ravens defense going into the playoffs have been less impressive and had been that way since Lewis went out with this biceps's injury back in October. However, with him playing his last game in Baltimore, this defense played quite well against the up and coming Colts. Despite him dropping a very easy interception and the Ravens D being on the field for 37 minutes. If those two things happen again this weekend, the Ravens season will come to an end. 

Can Joe Flacco make enough big plays vs. this Broncos defense or will Broncos D be too much for Flacco?

• Flacco will have to play keep away with Manning if he hopes to win this game. Now the question is, will the vaunted Broncos D let him? Playing very well, the Broncos defense is holding opponents under 100 yards rushing and under 200 yards passing. If they have their way, they will take out both Flacco and Rice, which would be mean "Blowout City" for the Broncos. Can Flacco exploit the defense and use his strong arm to go over the heads of their safeties, all while trying to make sure that Von Miller doesn't take his head off? 

Remember 1996 season:

• I usually do one intangible with these previews, so I'll do one on a possible history lesson that Broncos don't want to hear. When was the last time the Broncos went 13-3 and was the #1 in the AFC? Well you guess, 1996. For those who remember this, it didn't end well. To add injury to insult, the Super Bowl that year was held in New Orleans. This year's Super Bowl is........you guessed it, New Orleans. That year the Broncos we're the most dominate team in the AFC with the 2nd place team that year being the New England Patriots, who happen to be the 2nd place team this year. If you believe in omens, then you know this may not end well for Broncos fans. Being a double-digit favorite against the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, most people outside of Denver, believed that the Broncos would destroy them by at least 3 TD's. I sense that most think the same way with this weekend's game with the Ravens. The Jaguars won that game, which is considered by few as the biggest upset in NFL history. Something to think about for Broncos fans this weekend: BE VERY CAREFUL OF THIS GAME!!!

X-Factors: Ray Rice vs Broncos Front Line

• Can Ray Rice control the line of scrimmage and help take the load off Flacco?

Confidence Picks: Ravens (10) vs Broncos (10)

• QB's: Flacco (4) vs Manning (3)
• Defense: BAL (4) vs DEN (3)
• Coaching: Harbaugh (2) vs Fox (4)

Prediction: Ravens 27-24

Divisional Confidence Picks

Three categories will be chosen: Quarterback, Defense, and Coaching. We'll rank all of the teams playing this week (1-8) and add up the numbers from all three categories. Lowest number will win the picks.

Quarterbacks	Defense	Coach
1. Brady	SEA	Belichick
2. Rodgers	SF	Jon H.
3. Manning	DEN	McCarthy
4. Flacco	BAL	Fox
5. Wilson	NE	Jim H.
6. Ryan	GB	Smith
7. Schaub	ATL	Kubiak
8. Kapernick	HOU	Smith

BAL vs DEN		GB vs SF
Quarterbacks		Quarterbacks
Flacco	4	Rodgers	2
Manning	3	Kaepernick	8
Defense		Defense
BAL	4	GB	6
DEN	3	SF	2
Coaching		Coaching
Harbaugh	2	McCarthy	3
Fox	4	Harbaugh	5
SEA vs ATL		HOU vs NE
Quarterbacks		Quarterbacks
Wilson	5	Schaub	7
Ryan	6	Brady	1
Defense		Defense
SEA	1	HOU	8
ATL	7	NE	5
Coaching		Coaching
Carroll	6	Kubiak	8
Smith	8	Belichick	1

Ravens (10) vs Broncos (10)

Packers (11) vs 49ers (15)

Seahawks (12) vs Falcons (21)

Texans (23) vs Patriots (7)

Based on the number, the confidence picks goes as followed: Patriots, Packers, Seahawks should win over the weekend. Now we have a pick em game with the Ravens/Broncos. Keep in mind that these are not my official picks.

Recap: NFC Divisional - Giants vs Packers

Giants 37, Packers 20

Recap:

• 1st Down: Manning vs Rodgers - This game was a "legacy-making" game for both QB's. Primarily for one Eli Manning, who before the season proclaimed himself as an a "elite" quarterback. I don't think we'll have to proclaim much longer, he is one. Now that would depends on what he could do in the postseason this year, but certainly he's playing at his best as of now. As for Rodgers, could the game against the Bears on Christmas being the beginning of the end for his 2011 season? That was the last time Rodgers played a game before this game. Rest over Rust? Well that will be debated all off-season. Advantage: Manning
• 2nd Down: Which defense would you trust the most: Giants or Packers? For the whole season, the Packers D wasn't as good as advertised. Even though they led the NFL in interceptions, they couldn't hide the fact that they're defense wasn't that good. Manning and the Giants proved that point. Although Manning threw an Interception, it was the only turnover that the Giants committed all game. As for the Packers, they were very generous to the Giants D by turning over the ball 4 times. 4 vs 1.....not going to win in the playoffs with that. Advantage: Giants Defense
• 3rd Down: Which overall offense will out duel the other? Well this was the game. The Giants WR's and RB's played way better then the Packers WR's and RB's. Timing could of been a factor with the Packers, but the young Giants receivers just took over the show. Hakeem Nicks put on a performance such as the one Plaxico Burress put on in the '07 NFC title game. Advantage: Giants
• 4th Down: 2007 NFC Championship game all over again? Well this game looked like that very very very and I mean very cold game in 2007. It wasn't as big as that game, but the result was the same: another Giants win at Lambeau. Advantage: History and the Giants.

What's next: Giants go out west to play the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. These two teams have plenty of postseason history against each other.

Recap: AFC Divisional - Texans vs Ravens

Texans 13, Ravens 20

Recap:

• 1st Down: Can T.J. Yates manage this game against this Ravens defense? No, he didn't fair so well against this defense, even though the score was close for most of the game. Advantage: Ravens Defense
• 2nd Down: Flacco first home playoff game - Flacco went 14/27 for 176 and 2 TD's. I wouldn't say that those are great numbers, but I will say that he did win. Flacco will have to play better next week if he wants to lead this Ravens team to the Super Bowl. Advantage: N/A
• 3rd Down: Arian Foster vs Ray Rice - Foster had 27 Carries for 132 and a TD. Rice had 21 carries for 60 yards. Arian won the battle, but lost the war and the ball. Foster had one fumble he'd love to have back. Rice however, would of just loved to be in the offense more. Advantage: Foster
• 4th Down: With the Colts and Steelers out of the playoffs, can the Ravens get to the Super Bowl? Well the only team that stand in their way are the Patriots. A few years ago, the Ravens did go to New England and beat up on the Pats badly. They'll need to do that again to go to Super Bowl. Advantage: Well reserve judgement on this until next week.

What's Next: AFC title Showdown with the Patriots at Foxboro. 

Recap: AFC Divisional - Broncos vs Patriots

Broncos 10, Patriots 45

Recap:

• 1st Down: Battle of the Turnovers - 2 for the Pats and 1 for the Broncos. One would think that the score wouldn't be so lopsided had the turnover ratio been this low. However it was, and for the Broncos their one turnover may have started the land-side they were never able to overcome. After the Pats scored to make it 7-0, Tim Tebow fumbled the ball after being sacked, which allowed the Pats offense to score off that Turnover. Advantage: Broncos, even through they lost the game.
• 2nd Down: Tebow vs Pats Defense: Lets face it, Belichick has Tebow's number. 9/26 for 129 yards. Yea Tebow had a bad game. So did the Broncos offense. Advantage: Patriots
• 3rd Down: Can Brady torch the Broncos Defense again? 26/34 for 363 yards, 6 Touchdowns and 1 INT. Yes 6 TD's, that's not a typo. Yea I would say that he torched that defense again. Badly!!!! Advantage: Mr. Brady.
• 4th Down: Weather: Balmy night in Foxboro. I don't think this had too much to do with the game, but it seemed to be chilly out. As a Northern-Born person, I would say it was a "nice" night for football. Advantage: Push

Stephan Savoia - AP

What's Next: The Patriots will host the AFC Championship game for the first time since Jan. 2008. 

Recap: NFC Divisional - Saints vs. 49ers

Saints 32, 49ers 36

Recap:

• 1st Down: Under/Over 300 yards for Drew Brees? If I were to say that Brees went 40/63 for 462, 4 TD's and 2 INT's well you'd say the Saints had to win big out there in San Fran right? Right? Well not exactly, great numbers by Brees but it was the other Quarterback who went toe to toe with Brees. Alex Smith may of had the under in this, but he got the one important thing: THE WIN! Advantage: 49ers
• 2nd Down: Will the playoff pressure succumb Alex Smith's lack of postseason experience? Smith went 24/42, 3 TD's (1 rushing TD) and 0 INT's. Well to answer that question: NO. Alex Smith may have played one of his best games, but this game was the biggest game he's won so far in his shaky career. Advantage: 49ers
• 3rd Down: Saints High-Powered offense vs 49ers dominate defense? - Well lets see, the Saints did score 32 points. Normally you'd tell me that the Saints won this game. However, having 5 turnovers against the 49ers, one could say that the Saints we're blown out. However, with 5 turnovers, the Saints actually had a chance to win the game. 32 points vs 5 turnovers. Advantage: Push
• 4th Down: Outdoors vs Indoors - Didn't factor much in this game. It was in the low 60's and sunny. Perfect weather for any team.

Jed Jacobson/Getty Images

What's Next: 49ers will await the winner of the Giants/Packers game. Either match-up could be great, considering the history of all of these organizations.

4 Downs - NFC Divisional: Giants vs Packers

Giants vs Packers

• 1st Down: Eli Manning vs Aaron Rodgers - Well for both Quarterbacks, this game may mean a lot for not only this season but for their careers. Manning stated before the start of the season, that he's an "elite" QB in this league. So far, he's proven that he could get some STRONG consideration for that slot. Rodgers, by default of being on the defending world champion, is already put as an "elite" QB, even though he's only played 4 full seasons vs Manning's 7 seasons. Both QB's have won the Super Bowl (and Super Bowl MVP) and are both seeking championship #2. Of all the NFC QB's playing this weekend, only Alex Smith is without a championship. So the race for ring #2 is on for these two "elite" QB's.
• 2nd Down: Which Defense should you trust the most: Giants or Packers? - This is the battle of two of the bottom 5 defenses in the NFL. If it wasn't for the cold weather, this game would be high 30's, low 40's, but the weather at Lambeau may be the better defense on Sunday. Packers have the good secondary and LB's vs. the Giants front-4 and ability to pressure opposing QB's without blitzing. The defense who's able to make the other offense make more mistake should win this game. If one of these defenses can get a defense score, then that should help as well.
• 3rd Down: Which overall offense will out-duel the other? - What I mean by this is which Running Backs and Wide Receivers can out play the other. Giants will have Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks vs the Packers Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver for WR's. Expect all of these guys to have decent success against the defenses playing in this game. As for the Running Backs, the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs vs the Packers James Starks and Ryan Grant. The game will be won and lost here, considering that both teams don't have success running the football.
• 4th Down: 07 NFC Championship Game all over again? - With the except of the very cold weather, 20 degrees around kickoff on Sunday vs. -1 degree (the kickoff temps in the 07 NFC Championship Game). Both teams have considerable amount of players left over from that 2007 season, so it's gonna be interesting to see how some Giants players feel going back to a place that they won at to go to Super Bowl and for the Packers players who could never forget that night. Well their be a Brett Favre sighting there on Sunday? No not physically, but could one of these QB's make an imitation of one Favre with a costly turnover in the last-minutes of the game. This game could be in the hands (hand) of one of these two QB's.

Confidence Pick:

• QB: Manning (3) vs Rodgers (2)
• Defense: Giants (5) vs Packers (7)
• Team: Giants (5) vs Packers (7)
• Giants (13) vs Packers (16)

My Pick: Giants 27, Packers 24

4 Downs - AFC Divisional: Texans vs Ravens

Texans vs Ravens

• 1st Down: Can T.J. Yates manage this game against this Raven Defense? - Matt Schaub played the last game against the Ravens and played decent enough. Well with Yates, that play from the QB may be limited, if not eliminated by the Ravens D. Arian Foster must help out the young QB by keeping the Ravens Defense guessing. Opening up the running game can make Yates life easier on Sunday.
• 2nd Down: Flacco's first home playoff game - Well earlier this week, Flacco got a little testy with the media. Some would say that the pressure is starting to mound up on one Joe Flacco. This has to be the year that he gets the Ravens to the Super Bowl. Playing at home during the playoffs, can help a lot in that quest to get to Indy.
• 3rd Down: Arian Foster vs Ray Rice: under/over 100 yards and 2 TD's for both RB's? - Both guys are the offense of their team. If either player struggles, that offense will go down as well. Rice had 101 yards against the Texans in their week 6 match-up, but Foster was only able to get 49 yards on the ground. Whoever gets at least 100 yards rushing and a TD can put their team in a great position to win on Sunday.
• 4th Down: With the Colts and Steelers out of the playoffs, can the Ravens get to the Super Bowl? - Well the last 4 times the Ravens made the playoffs  (06, 08, 09, & 10) they were put out by either the Steelers or the Colts. With the Steelers getting put out by the Broncos last week and the Colts having the season of disaster, the Ravens should be able to get to the Super Bowl right? Right? Well considering that history would be on their side. Consider this, the Ravens are 2-0 all-time in the playoffs against both the Broncos and Patriots.

Confidence Pick: 

• QB: Yates (7) vs Flacco (5)
• Defense: Texans (1) vs Ravens (3) 
• Team: Texans (8) vs Ravens (2)
• Texans (16) vs Ravens (10)

My Picks: Texans 23, Ravens 31

4 Downs - AFC Divisional: Broncos vs Patriots

Broncos vs Patriots

• 1st Down: Battle of the Turnovers - Lets face it, this KILLED the Broncos in their week 15 match-up in Denver. Whoever wins the turnover battle, should win this game.
• 2nd Down: Tebow vs Pats Defense - Tebow actually had a good game against the Pats, but his 3 turnovers gave the Pats 13 points. He cannot do that this time. Keep in mind that he'll be wearing the white jersey's this time, so playing on the road he's going to have to protect the ball against a Patriots defense that's, well lets say they are ranked 32nd in the NFL for a reason.
• 3rd Down: Brady torch the Broncos Defense again? - Brady used his TE's to a key in their week 15 match-up and he may do it again. Broncos defense struggled to keep Brady in check, but to the Broncos defense (of the defense), the offense turned the ball over on their side of the field. So the Pats we're getting a short field often. Field position will be key in this game, if the Broncos can force turnovers on Brady, then the Broncos have a good chance of stealing this game.
• 4th Down: Weather - This unseasonably warm winter will be quite chilly on Saturday, considering that this will be a night game. Tim Tebow, who's from Jacksonville, FL, hasn't seen, or felt, very chilly weather. His coldest game he's played so far has been in the mid to upper 30's. Well this game will be about to same, so the weather in New England will not be like it was 10 years ago in the "Tuck Rule" game against the Raiders.

Confidence Pick: 

• QB: Tebow (6) vs Brady (1)
• Defense: Broncos (4) vs Patriots (8)
• Team: Broncos (6) vs Patriots (4)
• Broncos (16) vs Patriots (13)

My Pick: Broncos 20, Patriots 27

4 Downs - NFC Divisional: Saints vs 49ers

Saints vs 49ers

• 1st Down: Under/Over 300 yards for Drew Brees and the Saints? Well this will measure if the Saints are moving the ball against that vaunted 49ers defense. If Brees passes for more then 300, then the Saints have a great chance of winning. However, if Brees is held in check and throws for under 300, then you have to say can the Saints win a defensive battle? We'll have to see.
• 2nd Down: Will the playoff pressure succumb Alex Smith's lack of postseason experience? Well last week, 2 of the 3 QB's who had first time playoff start won. They were also at home, so for Smith this should be good news. However, for Smith this first playoff appearance is in his 6th season. Smith has be left for dead by most people, but winning in the playoffs could re-energize his career.
• 3rd Down: Saints High-Powered Offense vs 49ers Dominate Defense - This game can answer that saying that always get brought up: Defense wins championships and Offense sells tickets. We'll see who's right after this game.
• 4th Down: Outdoor vs Indoor - For the Saints, this is important because the Saints may have to play the rest of their games outdoors. Now as a 3rd seed, the Saints could still play a home playoff game. It's only happened twice in NFL history that a conference championship was hosted in a 3rd place stadium: 06 Colts and 08 Cardinals. Both teams went to the Super. Now on the other side, the Saints are 0-2 on the road under Payton in the playoffs: Losing the 06 NFC title game at Chicago and losing last year to another NFC West team in Seattle. 

Confidence Pick:

• QB: Brees (4) vs Smith (8)
• Defense: Saints (6) vs 49ers (2)
• Team: Saints (1) vs 49ers (3)
• Saints (11) vs 49ers (13)

My Pick: Saints 20, 49ers 23

Divisional Confidence Picks

This format is simple: I'll use 3 categories (Overall Team, Quarterback, and Defense) and then I'll rank those categories by using the numbers 1-8 (1 being the most confident and 8 being the least confident). Of those 3 categories, I'll combine the total and get the confidence number. Remember, the lower the number wins for each game.

Quarterbacks:
1. Brady
2. Rodgers
3. Manning
4. Brees
5. Flacco
6. Tebow
7. Yates
8. Smith

Defense:
1. Texans
2. 49ers
3. Ravens
4. Broncos
5. Giants
6. Saints
7. Packers
8. Patriots

Overall Team:
1. Saints
2. Ravens
3. 49ers
4. Patriots
5. Giants
6. Broncos
7. Packers
8. Texans

Saints (11) at 49ers (13)
Broncos (16) at Patriots (13)
Texans (16) at Ravens (10)
Giants (13) at Packers (16)

Results of the confidence picks suggest that the Saints, Patriots, Ravens and Giants will win over the weekend. However, I do believe that the Saints/49ers pick is the only pick I would change. I think the 49ers will win that game, it will be close.