The NFL is Poop - Wild Card Round

Do You Believe in Miracles?
Tim Tebow did it again. One of the most exciting playoff games I've ever seen ends with Tim Tebow throwing an 80-yard touchdown pass. He made the best play of his career in overtime of a playoff game. He played the best game of his pro career in the playoffs. I have frequently said that Tebow possesses every quality a quarterback needs to be successful, except he can't throw. And that's what he showed here, the ability to perform your best when things are at their worst, when the game is on the line, that's a very valuable trait in a quarterback.


So How'd It Happen?
Just like Moses parting the Red Sea wasn't really a miracle, neither was this victory by Tebow, each had a reasonable explanation. In this case, the Broncos executed their game plan to perfection and the Steelers fell into their trap. The Broncos wanted to run and hit a few big passes once they had softened up the defense. The Steelers should have taken a page from the Chiefs book. The Chiefs played man coverage on the Broncos wideouts, forcing the receivers to win in coverage or forcing Tebow to make great throws. The Steelers didn't execute this and several times, including the last play of the game where Demaryius Thomas caught the ball in stride and ran it down the field. Tebow also had a 51-yarder to Thomas, a 30-yard TD (both part of a 80-yard drive), another one to Thomas for 58 (setting up the second TD) and a 40 yarder to fells. All that adds up to a 31.6 yards per completion, on 10 completions. That equals 316 yards. Tebow 3:16 says he did it again.


The Falcons Dropped a Deuce
The Atlanta Falcons scored only two points against the New York Giants, make them the first team to ever drop a deuce, literally (many have done it figuratively) in the playoffs. A lot of people are blaming Mike Smith for his two failed attempts on 4th and 1. I actually liked both calls, going for the touchdown and not the field goal. If Smith gets the blame, it should be for the play-calling, which was unimaginative and telegraphed. If Matt Ryan gets the blame it's for turtling up instead of reaching forward with the football to get the first down.

Unstoppable
Right now the New Orleans Saints offense looks unstoppable. The Lions actually had them in check for the first half, until Drew Brees led them on 5 straight touchdown drives in the second. The Saints set a record for 626 yards, mostly because they kept throwing the ball at the end of the game when it was way out of reach. We all know the Lions secondary is one of the worst in the NFL so we'll see how they do against a better defense in the 49ers.

Worth the Wait
The Houston Texans waited a long time for their first playoff game. After several years of being touted as an upcoming contender, only to fall short because of the Colts, they finally got over the Indianapolis hump (with some help) and won the AFC South. Thanks to great performances from Arian Foster and JJ Watt, the Texans beat the Bengals in an entirely uninteresting game. I think they are but sacrificial lambs to the Ravens though.

Picture of the Week
Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw flex their muscles after combining for 155 rushing yards. Those two backs will be needed again this week if the Giants hope to slow down the Packers.



If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
New Orleans Saints 45 New England Patriots 41
I know the Packers are 15-1 but I just can't ignore how perfect the Saints offense looks. I really hope both teams win this weekend so we can see that epic matchup in the Conference Championship.