Captivating, invigorating, exasperating, culmination.

The Giants took on the Patriots once more in a winner-take-all grudge match, on sports’ biggest stage, and once more beat them in gut-wrenching fashion, using a late, clutch final TD drive to put a stake in the once infallible New England machine. And in just 120 minutes of on the field football play, the G-Men have erased the Pats perfection and their potential as the greatest dynasty ever, instead placing themselves into rather unexplainable company.

Two Super seasons, sandwiched in-between 2 no shows, and a #1 seed wasted, they way they wasted the nearly perfect Pack in the NFC Divisional round. The Giants are the most head-scratching, mediocre, mini-dynasty sports may have ever seen, but they owe apologies to no one, despite amassing just 19 regular season wins in their last 2 Super Bowl runs.

The numbers don’t justify it, the middling mediocrity in-season does anything but validate it, but the Giants play best when the lights are brightest, and when their backs are against the wall. And that my friends, makes for a Super team.

In almost eerie duplication, they practically replicated their historic Super Bowl 42 win, by following a similar blue-print to slosh the Pats. An incredible, unforgettable, immortality-in-the moment grab, a clutch Eli drive, an easy final TD, and a Pats offense stopped short on the games final drive. Only this time the 17 it took last time, wasn’t enough.  For the Patriots that is.

Besides 2 touchdowns sandwiched in between Madonna’s ‘Return to the 90’s party of stars’, the Patriots struggled to get the ball inside the pylon, and that inability to put the nail in New York’s clutch-creating coffin, gave the Giants one last chance to party like it was 2007.

New York, struggling to finish drives themselves, was on the wrong end of a 17-15 score, and a Pats TD very likely would have salted away another title for the Hoodie and the Chin.  But on 2nd and 11 from the Giants 44 with the game deep into the 4th, Tom Brady lofted up a deep throw to the sure-handed Wes Welker, who leaped into the air, watched the ball careen off his finger tips, and bounce helplessly to the ground. A stunning drop for the NFL’s leading receiver, and a sure-fire turning point in a crazy finish that had a few.

Two plays later it was the Patriots who were punting, kept out of field goal range on a failed 3rd and 11 hookup to Deion Branch, and wondering if the Giants could once again beat them at their own Super Bowl game. It was after all, clutch, that the Patriots amazing decade long run had been built on. Brady was the leader in all 3, leading the team down the field when they needed it most, the difference in all 3, well, 3.

The ball was in Eli Manning’s hands now, with 3:46 to go and as Gus Johnson would put it, one last chance to dance. And dance New York did, wasting no time in going for the spirited defining moment — a jaw dropping, can this really happen twice, (against the same team no less, in the same similarly critical moment) play that will be shown over and over again. Eli heaved a deep pass towards midfield, and sandwiched between two Pats defenders, there was Mario Manningham on the other end, somehow bringing in the incredible 38 yard completion — tippy toes and all. You could almost hear New England fans’ hearts — whether Brady bandwagoners or long-time die-hard Pats fans– breaking at once. They just had to be thinking, you have got to be kidding me.

I know I was.

Immediately David Tyree’s catch in Super Bowl 42 came into that same haunting light. That play — a miraculous use of the helmet to hold onto the ball with Rodney Harrison draped all over him catch – came on a wild Eli scramble in a critical 3rd down play. This one was on 1st down, and felt more like Santonio Holmes’ Super Bowl 44 snag, tapped toes and all, with 2 Cardinals defenders just out of reach.

You could feel the momentum swing like a pendulum, and the Pats, who really had no other choice but to challenge it, lost a critical timeout that came back to bite them later. But Super Mario’s finger tips snag re-wrote the story, and reignited a stagnant Giants offense.

From there Mario took over, as Eli zeroed in on him 3 straight times, connecting twice, and by then the Giants had gone from their own 12 to New England’s 32 and were well within field goal range. A few more first downs and they could kill the clock, trot out big-kick Tynes, and win the Super Bowl the way New England had become accustomed to — on a last second kick.

But the Giants save their clutch kicks for NFC title games, and their moment-freezing touchdowns for their final Super Bowl drive.

Eli Manning hit Hakeem Nicks for 14, and all of a sudden the Giants were at New England’s 18 with time comfortably on their side. Two plays later, another first down. This one was coming down to a field goal. There was no other way for it to end. Unless… the Pats gave up the touchdown, relinquishing the fact that there was no way two chip shot field goals would be missed to hand them two straight playoff games. Bradshaw got the ball to the Pats 6. It was playing out perfectly. Two more runs, and the Giants could run the clock to single second digits.

The Patriots were helpless. The situation looked utterly hopeless.

And then the Maurice Jones-Drew play. Or at least, that’s the first thing I thought of. Bradshaw got the ball once more, and the Pats defense parted, inviting him to score. As Bradshaw cued in on the endzone, his teammates began hollering, get down. But as Bradshaw seemingly attempted to fall down, his forward motion took him awkwardly into the endzone, giving the Giants the lead — in one of those rare, “what were you thinking by scoring!” Super Bowl plays. Jones-Drew just a few years earlier, in a 2009 game against the other New York team, the Jets, was given a free path to the endzone too, with the Jags trailing 22-21, but New York unable to stop the clock. Jones-Drew reached the 1 yard line and stopped on a dime, taking an unprovoked knee to assure that the Jags could melt the clock to nothing, kick a chippie field goal, and win. That’s exactly what happened too. Jacksonville prevailed in a 24-22 thriller on a Josh Scobee kick. It was the most talked about play the following week.

Bradshaw’s play could’ve been the most scrutinized non-kneel down of all-time (next to the Miracle at the Meadowlands). By taking the lead over control of the clock, the Giants running back gave New England one last crack at a comeback win. But two critical drops, including a throw behind Deion Branch that could’ve really shook things up, halted New England’s momentum. Brady hit Branch on 4th and 16 to keep hopes alive, but by then the Patriots were racing the clock, as well as the field. A short pass to Aaron Hernandez got them to their own 44, but it was the last completion the usually on-target Brady would throw all night.

A spike. A hail mary to Hernandez which killed critical clock time, and one last prayer, gone unanswered, and improbably once again, the Giants were celebrating another Super Bowl title. And the Pats, bitterly wondering what could have been once more.

On the final play the ball fittingly deflected off a Giants defender — what do you do? bat it down! — and landed a foot or so from injured and stymied all world  tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk, had a chance to dive for it, but his hobbling ankle resulted in more of a final fall, as the ball landed maybe an arms length in front of his outstretched hands.

It was Gronk, whose injury headlined all the Super Bowl story-lines for two weeks. Maybe if he was healthy he corrals it in for the greatest play in Super Bowl history. But he clearly wasn’t himself, as evidenced by his measly 26 yards on 2 completions. Chad Ochocinco — who infamously tweeted that he landed in heaven when New England acquired him this off-season — was good for just 1 reception and 21 yards. Add it all up and a Pats team heralded for their explosive offense, was held at bay with the exception of 2 touchdown drives sandwiched between the long halftime break.

17 points, which crippled New England’s perfect 2007 season, were 4 points  short on this night. Two, was the number of fumbles, that the Pats couldn’t pounce on. A number that undoubtedly affected the outcome of this crazy game.

And so, the Giants ride into the night with the oldest Super Bowl winning head coach in NFL history. Tom Coughlin, whose hot seat was boiling lava hot going into week 16 against the Jets, became just the 13th coach in league history to win 2 Lombardi trophies.

From 6-2, to 7-7, to a 6 game winning streak and Super Bowl champions.

The New York Giants uncanny ability to dig themselves out of deficits, powered them once more, as Eli’s final drive capped a season chalk full of ‘em. It was his 8th 4th quarter drive for the go ahead-score either tied or from behind this year.

Not bad for Peyton’s little brother. Not bad at Peyton’s place.

Eli didn’t need his star to be validated, he already had it in his name. But just for the hell of it, let’s say it now and let’s say it loud: he is an Eli-te QB. He is clutch. His veins cold as ice-water in crutch time. Tom Brady once owned that throne.  But you don’t lose twice to the same team, and the same QB and hold onto that distinction.

Eli is the man now. His 2 Super Bowl titles living proof that the highly scrutinized 2004 #1 overall pick, has lived up to his lofty billing. And just think — over in San Diego, the Chargers drafted both him and Drew Brees, and have nary a Super Bowl appearance to show for it.

Over in Arizona, the Cardinals were a Nathan Poole dropped end-zone prayer from having that #1 pick. What could’ve been? Cards fans will never know.

Needless to say, Giants fans, have to be pretty happy with the way things worked out.

Unfortunately for the G-Men, with his 2nd Super Bowl win Tom Coughlin will probably never be on the hot-seat again and the Giants will be the hunted, not the hunters once more. Can they live up to the hype when people expect them to win?

I guess we’ll find out on September 6th, when the Giants host the first game of the 2012 NFL season. And somewhere in between, they’ll have that parade. And in the crowd of Giants players, will be Chris Canty, who tweeted that New York would win 28-17.

He’s no Broadway Joe, but he was right about one thing: the Giants are champs. Back on Christmas Eve, with the Giants backed up almost to their own goaline, who in their right mind could have seen that coming?

Photo: Reuters

Let’s get a few things out of the way before we get into this so it’s clear that objectivity will reign supreme.

Fact: I live in Massachusetts and am a huge Patriots fan.  It would mean a great deal to me if they won.

Fact: I have picked against the Patriots in 11 of their 18 games this season.

My Opinion: The Giants are the better team.

That being said…

Patriots -3 (2.5 @ some books) vs. NY Giants

People say that the Giants are the hottest team in football.  Not true.  The Patriots are.  They have won ten in a row since losing a heartbreaker to guess who…the Giants back in November.  Meanwhile, New York was croaked by Rex Grossman and the Redskins at home in week 15.

People say the Giants have beaten superior teams.  Record-wise, that is true.  But let’s look exactly at what they have done during their run.  They beat the Cowboys and the Jets, two underachieving teams in the midst of their seasons being flushed down the toilet.  They basically shut out a fraudulent Falcons team at home.  Then they beat the Packers which was, at first glance, a shock.  However, in order to beat them they needed a halftime Hail Mary conversion and a 66 yard Nicks catch-and-run touchdown where Packer defenders bumbled all around him and did everything but tackle. And let’s not forget that most of the Packers’ key starters hadn’t played a game in three whole weeks.  There was a little bit of rust in play.  We’ll get to the 49ers game in a bit.

People say the Patriots haven’t beaten a team with a winning record all year before last weekend.  This is true, but the key is that they laid no eggs in the process which the Giants are extremely prone to do (Washington, Seattle, Vince Young’s Eagles, and Washington again).  The Patriots lost to two good teams (Pittsburgh and these Giants) by one score each in the middle of the season while they were putting together a patchwork defense of waiver pickups, wide receivers, and undrafted free agents.  They also lost to Buffalo after racking up a 21-0 lead and then falling asleep.  That is the extent of their blemishes this season.  It’s not their fault that they had to play “bad teams”.  They were supposed to beat them and they did.

People say the Patriots shouldn’t even be here because they were lucky and shouldn’t have won last week.  Well guess what?  The Giants were also lucky and shouldn’t have won last week.  Ted Ginn was out so the Giants ended up on the good side of two special teams turnovers at critical times in the game.  Prior to the second one they had the ball twice in overtime and couldn’t score.  Without a turnover, that game might still be going on now.

People say that the Patriots’ defense sucks.  A really crappy defense probably lets up 30 points regularly, right?  New England has only allowed 30 once, 27 once, and nobody else has scored more than 25 against them all season.  These Patriots can put up four touchdowns and a field goal if they need to.

People say that the Giants have already beaten the Patriots once this year.  What they don’t tell you is that New England had the game in hand with seconds to go when Sergio Brown interfered with Victor Cruz on the goal line and gave New York a fresh set of downs to take the game.  Mr. Brown does not play so much since then.  A wide receiver took over his spot until Patrick Chung came back from injury.

People say that the Giants will maul Tom Brady like they did four years ago.  First of all, in the game they played this season Brady was sacked twice and hit three times.  That means he was touched basically once per quarter.  That ain’t so scary considering in their first Superbowl he was sacked five times and reset the counter for how many times he was knocked to the ground.  Secondly, New England’s offensive line is strong now that they have added rookie Nate Solder and Sebatian Vollmer has come back from injury.  Brady will get rid of the ball quickly now that he doesn’t have to wait for Randy Moss to run the length of the field.  He’ll stay clean.

People say that emotions and intangibles will play no part in this game.  They say that X’s and O’s and matchups will determine the outcome.  The Giants hold the edge at nearly every position on the field except for tight end and (maybe?) quarterback.  But this Patriots team needs to win this game.  Eli, these receivers, and even Tom Coughlin will be around for a long time.  Brady is on the back 9 of his career.  He’s not just yet calling ahead to the clubhouse to order a hot dog from the 18th tee, but he’s probably on the final par five of the course.  The sun is creeping behind the trees and his wife is calling his cell phone asking him when he’ll be home while his buddies roll their eyes.  “Almost done,” he’ll say, maybe stretching the truth a bit so she’ll leave him alone.  Maybe not.  Time will tell.  He and Belichick want two more rings so they can be untouchable.  They know they lucked out this year with injuries around the league and their first playoff opponent.  They can steal this one.  They want payback for the one that got away.  And they have the memory of their beloved owner’s even more beloved wife to honor.

People say none of that matters.

Those people haven’t seen the look in the veteran Patriots’ eyes lately.

For years Peyton Manning covered up many of Indianapolis’ glaring needs. Year after year as they piled up double digit wins, his offensive brilliance and cohesion made him the most important player in the Colts organization.  Then, when neck surgeries went awry, we found out quickly that he was the most valuable player in the league.

Indianapolis limped out to a dreadful 0-13 start without #18 under center this season, before finally slogging out a pair of comfort wins – as they went from perennial playoff and Super Bowl contender all the way to the bottom of the NFL’s bottom-feeders.

Indianapolis’ inability to groom a QB behind Manning cost them dearly this season. Obviously.  But losing the face of their franchise may have been the reality check the Colts needed.  As weird as it would be to see the Colts without Manning, it might be a necessary step for them to re-tool and re-load. Holding onto their iconic, record setting, Super Bowl winning QB is the smart PR move, but might not be the best long term move. Ask the Dolphins about Dan Marino, and the backup plan they had in place after he retired. They’re still trying to replace his namesake almost 2 decades later (Fittingly, Marino retired after Peyton’s second season – Manning’s first of many playoff appearances).

The 35 year old Manning doesn’t appear ready to retire just yet, which means the Colts are stuck with the #1 pick – presumably Andrew Luck —  and Manning. While the Packers were able to draft Aaron Rodgers and stash him behind Brett Favre as Favre completed the twilight years of his Packer career, teams don’t usually have that luxury.

Peyton Manning probably doesn’t want to be the guy who helps groom his eventual replacement.  The Colts don’t look like a team that can win a Super Bowl right now anyways. So why not let Manning try to get another ring elsewhere as the Colts start fresh. If healthy enough, Manning could definitely elevate a middle-tier team into a playoff contender or even a Super Bowl threat; There’s already been rumors about a team like Miami or Arizona taking a crack at the Colts star.

The Colts have fired their Head Coach, their long time GM, and Center Jeff Saturday, a Colts lifer has retired. Reggie Wayne is as good as gone, and the old guard that helped make the blue horsies the machine that they were has pretty much moved on – whether to new teams or new careers.

The timing is what makes this whole changing of the guard awkward. It was afterall, not even a  year ago on July 30, 2011 that Manning and Indy agreed to a 5 year deal worth $90 million. Money aside, less than a year into that deal, Manning could be gone.

At 35, honing in on 36, Manning is obviously no longer a young pup.  His lack of mobility, but quick release, and brilliance at assessing defenses and making changes on the line, reminds me a great deal of Marino towards the end of his career.  My dad used to always wonder aloud how Manning would play on a team like the Dolphins, or a team that had a weak offensive line. I always figured he’d do just fine.

But we might actually find out. We really might find out how Manning would do put on a new team in a new environment, having to adjust to a new offensive line and brand new coaches. It’d be fascinating.  Besides, it’s not exactly a new thing for iconic franchise QBs to change addresses at the tail end of their career.  For every John Elway and Jim Kelly, there is a Brett Favre or Joe Montana. Even the unforgettable Joe Namath played out his final season – an injury plagued ending – as a Los Angeles Ram.

The point is this: Manning’s legacy with the Colts is secured. While the allure of playing with one team for an entire career is an aspect sports fans treasure – we call it loyalty – no one can ever question Peyton’s loyalty to the organization.  He brought the Colts to the top.

Consider this: The Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. In their first 12 years in their new home, the Colts made the playoffs just 3 times.  After drafting Manning in 1998, Indy would go on to win 8 division titles, make 3 AFC Title game appearances, 2 Super Bowls, and would climb to the top of the ladder for their lone Super Bowl triumph against the Bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Other incredible stats: Indianapolis made the playoffs every year that Manning played after his rookie season with the exception of 1 – 2001. The Colts finished 6-10 that season, which also was the last season before the NFL switched from 6 divisions to 8 and Indy was moved from the AFC East to the South. 2001 was also the last season of the Jim Mora Era, which led to Tony Dungy, the man who would escalate Manning and the Colts to elite status.

Incredible Stat #2: Before Manning the Colts franchise had played football dating all the way back to 1953.  They had 9 seasons of 10 or more wins in the 44 seasons before Manning’s arrival. With Manning Indianapolis has had 11 seasons of double digit wins since 1998.

Incredible Stat #3: The Colts won 12 or more games for 7 straight seasons (2003-2009). That’s an NFL record. Here’s perspective. From 1953-1997, the Colts had just 2 seasons of 12 wins or more (1964, 1968).  This is one of the NFL’s most historic teams, folks.

So to say that Manning’s legacy is secure as a Colt is the understatement of the year.

Throw in some of these NFL records: 4 NFL MVPs, 6 consecutive seasons with 4000+ passing yards, and 11 seasons with 4000 yards or more and Manning’s impact on the league has been obvious.

All of this comes in the midst of little brother Eli’s second run to the Super Bowl, and questions about whether little brother has over-taken big brother. While I love the fact that Eli has led the Giants to 5 straight road playoff wins (another NFL record) and has a chance to double Peyton’s  title total, Eli is nowhere near the star or the game-changer that Manning ever was.

Peyton never benefited from a ferocious pass-rush like the Giants have.  He took good players and made them great. He commanded the line of scrimmage like no one else. He had the fastest trigger and the best awareness, and no matter how many Super Bowls Eli wins, nothing will change that fact. Eli isn’t the type of guy who you could put on the Rams and he’d win them 10 games. Peyton (when healthy) is.

So here’s the bread and butter to all of this: It’s okay for Manning to change locales at this point in his career. It’s okay for the Colts to seize the opportunity for a fresh start, with their all-world QB’s health status in continued limbo. It’s okay for both sides to start anew. While it just wouldn’t feel right to see Peyton donning anything but a Colts helmet, we eventually got used to Favre in something other than a Packer lid. It happens. It makes more sense for the Colts to move on now, rather than to hold on to their shrinking window of opportunity. With a new GM in place and a new coach on the way, the Colts look nothing like the model franchise they did just a few years ago.  That aura of consistency and invincibility has faded. In its place is a new regime and a new plan.

I don’t think Peyton is part of that plan. For both sides, in the end, it’s probably a good thing.

Photo: Getty

Playoffs:  3-5  AFC: 0-4 NFC:  3-1

4- Teams left

3- Great defenses

2- Great offenses

1 – Blogger with no clue how either game will turn out.

But I’ll give it a shot.  Here we go.

Baltimore (+7) @ New England

So many reasons to pick each team.  Let’s go through them.

Reasons to pick Baltimore:

• Ray Rice is an animal, both rushing and receiving, and has had success against New England.
• In the Joe Flacco era these games have been incredibly close.  The only one that wasn’t close was when Baltimore blew out the Patriots in the playoffs on the same field.
• Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata.
• Emotions.  Baltimore has confidence; they’ve won here in the playoffs before.  They also have desperation; this defensive group may not be here again together.
• The Patriots played two winning teams all year (NY Giants & Pittsburgh) and lost to both.  The rest of their schedule was filled to the brim with cupcakes and they lost to one of them too (Buffalo).
• New England’s most effective rusher in the playoffs is a tight end.

Reasons to pick the Patriots:

• Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are leaps and bounds ahead of Flacco and Harbaugh.
• Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez did not play in the playoff game that Baltimore won.
• Welker, Gronkowski, and Hernandez are ridiculous.
• The game is in Foxboro where they have only lost three times in the last 41 home games.
• The Patriots are averaging 32 points per game at home this season.  The Ravens can’t score that many points.
• The Ravens have only faced one offensive minded quarterback (Rivers) since November 6th (Roethlisberger, if you count him) and they got lit up by him.

I don’t think the Ravens can match touchdowns with the Patriots, obviously.  But I do think that they will hit hard, whether it be Brady, Welker, or one of the tight ends.  They’ll do their thing and try to rough people up and intimidate, but the Patriots will pull out a close one.  Take Baltimore and the 7 points, but expect New England to head to Indy.

NY Giants (+2.5) @ San Francisco

Alex Smith out dueled the best statistical quarterback in the history of the NFL last week and Vernon Davis lived up to his expectations for one game.  Nobody saw that coming.  But the Giants will.  Up above I mentioned the number of great offenses and great defenses left in the playoffs.  Well the Giants are the only team with both.  The pass rush is outstanding and the corners can cover.  Eli Manning can move the ball effortlessly and has big play receivers to go to.  Let there be no mistake, San Francisco’s defense is nasty and there will be some jarring hits on those receivers, but it won’t be enough to completely derail the train.  Take the 2.5 points and buckle up for a Giants/Patriots Super Bowl rematch.

Photo: AP

Last Week: 4-0 /  Season: 158-84 (65%) / Playoffs: 7-1

We are down to the “Final Four” of the NFL Playoffs. While some fans may have tuned out to the league with their teams out of loop, those who have still hung on have had the joy of some breathtaking contests. The two match-ups for this weekend have great defense against great offense written all over both of them. The Niners and Ravens bring the hard-hitting Harbaugh mentally, while the Patriots and Giants can stretch the field and score points with the best of them. Somethings will have to give this weekend. Let’s Take it to the Bank.

NFC

NY Giants @ 49ers

Pick: 49ers 27-23. The match-ups are flowing in this one. The top rushing defense against the (former) two-headed running attack, a steady offensive line against a (seemingly) unstoppable pass rush, and two quarterbacks so different that they are almost similar. If you were to to list the pros and cons NFL-style for both teams, you’d see that these teams match up so well together because each’s strength is the other’s weakness. My favorite battle in this game is one that will likely go understated in the hype and build for this contest: the turnover battle. The Niners don’t turn the ball over but they haven’t played a pass rush like New York’s on a consistent basis. Eli Manning has limited his mistakes this year, but he is also going against the team that tied for the most turnovers in the league (with the Packers). This game will come down to who makes the most mistakes (as cliche as that sounds). It is hard not to love the intensity (in a positive way, not Mike Singletary’s way) and poise that Jim Harbaugh has brought to San Francisco. The Giants’ dreaded West Coast trip and the golden leg of David Akers could play major factors in sealing a victory for the Bay Area’s own.

AFC

Ravens @ Patriots

Pick: Patriots 30-24. The Ravens and Patriots always seem to be among the best in the league and they will settle who is better this weekend. Everyone and their mother seems to be predicting the Pats to win this, simply because of their offense. Take it to the Bank has no shame, so I will concur with those national pundits. The Ravens are consistently inconsistent on the road; so much so that they are the wildcard of the remaining four teams. If Baltimore wants to win this game, they have to find a way to hold onto the ball and they have run on the Pats defense. The key is clock management and avoiding mental errors. Bill Belichick always brings something new to the table, so the Ravens need to be patient against Tom Brady or he’ll end them. Baltimore struggled against the Texans last week (give them a break, they were playing the number two defense in the league) and it is hard to see New England’s tight end duo getting tamed by the Ravens secondary. As much as the Harbaugh Bowl is the more interesting sell for the Super Bowl, John Harbaugh will have to wait till next year.

Photo: Getty

JIM RUBERA
(Rubera writes for The Spop)

Playoffs: 2-2  /  AFC: 0-2  /  NFC: 2-0

New Orleans -3.5 @ San Francisco

The 49ers are the popular pick because they get to host the Saints outdoors.  I say that an eight of an inch of grass is not enough to slow down the New Orleans offense and their record setting quarterback.  Sure, the Saints won’t hit 40 points like they do in the dome, but they’ll hit enough big plays to Graham, wide receivers, and Sproles to keep a safe distance from Alex Smith and the San Francisco slow churning offense.   New Orleans 27, San Francisco 20.

Denver +14 @ New England

Yes, the Patriots routed Denver in Denver a month ago.  But the Broncos turned the ball over three times and let up four sacks.  Those things are unlikely to happen again no matter the venue.  In that game Tebow also ran the ball for two touchdowns and close to one hundred yards while throwing for almost two hundred.  Well as we all found out last week, he can kind of throw the ball too now that he finally has his owner’s blessing to turn it loose and has nothing to lose but the game he shouldn’t even be in.  The Patriots defense is still terrible and will let up chunks on the ground and through the air.  Patriots 38, Broncos 27.

Houston @ Baltimore -8

It was a nice story in Houston this year, succeeding with Schaub in the first half of the season and staying the course with Yates for the second half.  But the ride will come to a bruising end Sunday afternoon.  Baltimore’s defense is just all around too good to let Yates or Foster do much of anything and Flacco, Rice, and Smith will take care of business on the other side of the ball.  I like the Texans and I really hope the outcome is less embarrassing than my prediction, but I doubt it.  Baltimore 30, Houston 10.

NY Giants +8 @ Green Bay

Game of the week.  Maybe even the game of the playoffs, which is why the spread surprises me.  Vegas is giving the Packers a lot of credit considering that the Giants already won a playoff game there recently and almost beat the same Packers team this year in New York.  I’ve been riding the Giants since they rediscovered their pass rush.  Add that to their explosive and balanced offense and it should make for a fun, close game.   NY Giants 31, Green Bay 30.

Photo: Reuters

Cincinnati +3 @ Houston

The worst part about this game is that it will result in one of these teams advancing in the playoffs.  Andy Dalton can’t pass against good defenses and T.J. Yates can’t pass.  I’ll be taking the under in this one.  As far as the actual game goes, I’ll let Bill Belichick decide for me.  Yesterday the Patriots signed WR Britt Davis to the practice squad.  Mr. Davis is 6’3?, 205.  A.J. Green is 6’4?, 207.   If Bill’s picking the Bengals, so am I.

Detroit @ New Orleans -9.5

After watching a 4:30 game where there will be about 20 points scored, we get to watch this one where 80 points may be scored.  This same game was played five weeks ago in the same dome with the Saints prevailing by 14.  I don’t see any reason to expect anything different.  The Saints are on fire.  Here are some stats for you. They have won 8 in a row.  They have scored 287 points during that streak, including breaking 40 points in half of those games.  They have won by an average of 24 points per game in their last 4 home games, including the one against Detroit.    If that doesn’t sell you on the Saints, check out this stat for the Lions.  Fact:  They have not beaten a team with a winning record all year.  Go ahead and check.  I couldn’t believe it when I saw it either.  And when they lose, they lose by an average of 11 points.  Put that together with them not being able to beat Green Bay’s backups last week in a game they had to have and this is an easy pick.

Atlanta @ NY Giants -3

The Falcons are almost in the same boat as the Lions.  Of their ten wins only two of them came against winning teams.  They spent the rest of their season, especially the second half, beating up on chumps.  They have only won two games outdoors and none of them were in cold weather.  In fact, they haven’t played a cold weather game in over a year.  Well New Jersey is cold in January and the Giants are a very hot team right now.  They’re doing the right things at the right time and have won three very big games toward the end of the year.  There will be a lot of points in this one, but the home team takes it in the end by at least a touchdown.

Pittsburgh -8 @ Denver

The Tebow bandwagon is pretty empty these days and for good reason.  In a two hour span last week when his team’s playoff status was uncertain, he had three whole quarters of football to score a single touchdown.  And he couldn’t do it.  The Broncos lost their third game in a row and backed into the playoffs.  The good news is that they’ll all have a nice short ride home after the game.  I don’t care if Roethlisberger is hurt or that Mendenhall and Clark are out.  Those things will matter in the next round, but not Sunday.   The Steelers defense will go into shutdown mode and may not let up any points at all.  I’m setting the over/under for James Harrison concussions caused at 1.5.

Photo: Getty

Week 17: 9-6 (60%) / Season: 158-84 (65%)

The first weekend of the playoffs is here. For those fans of teams who didn’t make the playoffs; there is always next season (trust me, I feel your pain). With the 49ers, Packers, Patriots, and Ravens all sitting at home, the wild cards do battle. This is probably the most underwhelming slate of games in recent memory for a wild card weekend. As much as ESPN or Fox wants to hype these contests, it is more than likely that three of the four games will be extremely one-sided. The main thing to watch is the drama, not the actual sport, so if you’re into theatre, this weekend could be for you. On with the show, let’s Take it to the Bank.

NFC Wild Card

Lions @ Saints

Pick: Saints. The “Battle of the 5,000 Yarders” will commence in New Orleans and it is hard not to like the home team. The Saints are undefeated this season at home, so history tells us that streak will continue. The Lions are a great team but it is hard to see them winning this game. Detroit’s secondary is their weakness and the Saints excel in the passing game. No matter who Detroit puts on the treasure trove of New Orleans’s WRs, someone will get open. This is a very tough matchup for the Lions but I do expect it to be competitive throughout. Detroit needs to find other options to win this game as Calvin Johnson will likely be doubled. The Saints win in a shootout.

Falcons @ NY Giants

Pick: NY Giants. Is this possibly the least talked about matchup of the weekend? It honestly shouldn’t be. These teams are pretty evenly matched: offensively the Falcons are tops and defensively the JPP train is running hard. The Giants do have offensive firepower but the Falcons defense isn’t hurting either. With all that said, The Falcons enter a situation they are not use to: freezing cold weather with a high chance of snow. The Giants definitely have the edge because they have played in the cold air and conditions and likely practiced in them during the week. The Falcons are a southern“Dome” team so it could throw off their rhythm with the wind blowing at high speeds. NYG in a very close one.

AFC Wild Card

Bengals @ Texans

Pick: Texans. The Bengals have not won a playoff game in two decades and the Texans have never won a playoff game. Something has to give in this matchup and history will be made (that’s how you at home can make this matchup at least a little interesting). The two rookie quarterbacks are both recovering for different reasons: Dalton had to be hospitalized for the flu Tuesday and Yates has a well-documented should injury; but neither of those ailments will matter in this game which will be largely dictated by the rushing attack of both teams. The Texans have a slightly better defense and running game so they get the edge. The return of Andre Johnson won’t hurt either.

Steelers @ Broncos

Pick: Steelers. Pittsburgh comes into this game pretty beat up, luckily they play the Broncos who essentially backed up into the playoffs, losing three pretty putrid games in a row. A lot has been made of Big Ben’s high-ankle sprain but I have seen him do tremendous things with worse injuries. Yes, not having Rashad Mendenhall will hurt in the playoffs but not in this game. The Steelers need to get their three young WRs (Wallace, Brown, Sanders) involved early and keep the Broncos defense honest. The Broncos need to rely on Willis McGahee and short passes to control the clock. The longer Big Ben waits on the sideline, the better chance Denver has of upsetting the defending AFC champs.

Photo: Getty

Week 17: 9-6 (60%) / Season: 158-84 (65%) / Scott Picks: 6-8-1 (1-0)

Welcome everybody to the first annual Take it to the Bank NFL Awards (previously known as the Double Coverage NFL Awards). This season has been crazy with offenses reaching new heights and some well-established teams reaching new lows. The NFL unveils the AP awards during the playoffs, but we at Juiced Sports think a few hours after the end of the season is appropriate. The categories are the same as the AP’s but runner-ups will be named as well. Take it to the Bank will be back next season and we hope you have enjoyed our weekly pick-torial (get it?). With the draft coming up in just a few months, the column will turn into weekly offseason notes and a bunch of mock drafts for your reading pleasure. So stick around as we hit the fun part of the downtime between play. Without further ado, here’s the 2011 Take it to the Bank Awards.

NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers / QB / Packers

Season: 149-78 (66%) / Last Week: 9-6 (60%) /  Scott’s Pick: 5-8-1 (1-0)

It has finally arrived, Week 17. This has been quite the year, full of surprises, success stories, and failed hopes (I’m looking at you Philly and San Diego). The Texans and Lions join the playoffs for the first time in 12 years and a perennial playoff team, Indianapolis, is sitting at home. Week 17 has more on the line then in years past, so the stage is set for a ton of memorable contests. There is a lot to talk about, so let’s Take it to the Bank.

Lions @ Packers

Pick: Lions. The Lions have much more to play for than the Packers who have already locked up the top spot in the NFC. Detroit is essentially playing to decide whether they play the NFC East winner (NYG, DAL) or the South or West winner (49ers, Saints). The Lions best matchup is obviously the former. If the Lions win they play the East, if they lose they play one of the top 5 teams in the league. Green Bay is likely to play most of their starters for just the first half and you have to believe the Lions would love to continue to build momentum heading to their first playoffs of the 21^st century.

Titans @ Texans

Pick: Texans. Tennessee needs a lot to happen to get into the dance, but Titans fans should be excited about this unit next year. With a rookie coach, an old, past his prime QB, and CJ2K playing like JT from Step by Step (Wikipedia it readers born after 1991), the Titans got within of a win of clinching a playoff spot. That is pretty encouraging. With that said, the Texans need to build something heading into their franchises first playoffs after two horrid loses to subpar competition. T.J. Yates needs to return to form for Houston to win anything this post-season.

Colts @ Jaguars

Pick: Colts. The 2011 Colts are riding a two-game winning streak (who thought they would ever read that?) and are playing inspired football. While their number one pick in the draft is almost as good as gone if they win this game, the players are auditioning for jobs next year and don’t give a damn about the young man coming out of a certain West Coast school (take a guess). Jacksonville has had their problems offensively and going up against Houston’s premiere defense could exploit a lot of the Jags’ weaknesses. Dan Orlovsky is looking to secure a pretty hefty backup QB contract and riding out a three-game winning streak with easily the least-talented team in the league, would pay dividends.

Jets @ Dolphins

Pick: Dolphins. Miami wants to play spoiler in this one. The Jets’ offense looked like a pop warner team last weekend and Mark Sanchez has been absolutely awful this season. The Fins are looking like the better team in the second half of the season and this game is likely their chance to prove that their early season struggles are a thing of the past. Jason Taylor plans to retire after this home game, so getting a win would make the game that much more special.

Bears @ Vikings

Pick: Bears. The Bears have caught a lot of tough breaks (literally) this season and it has showed on the field. Chicago went from elite to flaccid after the injuries to Jay Culter (should be at least consider for MVP) and Matt Forte (pay this man). The Vikings come in to this game after a win against Washington but I have a feeling this divisional contest will put Minnesota back in their place. As a team that struggles on both offense and defense the way the Vikes do, it will be hard for them to build a lead on Chicago. Folks watching this game will be seeing a ton of Khalif Bell.

Bills @ Patriots

Pick: Patriots. The Patriots are playing to secure first place in the AFC and while the Bills beat them earlier this year, they have not had the joy (sarcasm) of playing against them in Foxborough. The home crowd and a poised Tom Brady make a whole lot of difference, especially when Brady has something on the line. Good luck next season Buffalo.

Panthers @ Saints

Pick: Saints. Give the Panthers credit; they completely exceeded everyone’s expectations this season. That said, they are walking to the labyrinth that is the Saints in New Orleans, where the home team never loses (literally, they are 7-0 at home this season) and looking to jump San Fran’s spot at second place in the conference. If the Niners lose and the Saints win, New Orleans gets a first-round bye, so the Saints need to win to have a shot. Cam Newton will keep this game close, but Carolina’s defense will struggle against Drew Brees and his plethora of wide receivers.

Redskins @ Eagles

Pick: Scott Pick: Eagles. Mike Shanahan makes $7 million a year and he’s done a putrid job in two years on the job.  Andy Reid brought the Eagles back to relevance, led them to 5 NFC Title game appearances, and a Super Bowl they nearly won.  A win here could salvage his job, considering that Shanahan is dead certain he’s safe. Reid’s done too much for the organization and his team is boiling lava hot, even if it is too little late.  I’ll take the Eagles to close off a disappointing season with a W.  Maybe the Eagles that showed up to end this year, will be the ones that show up consistently in 2012.  The rest of the NFL better hope not.

49ers @ Rams

Pick: 49ers. The Rams need to lose to have shot at the first pick in the draft and Niners need to win to get a first-round bye. Think about it.

Seahawks @ Cardinals

Pick: Seahawks. This is a meaningless game between two teams that started winning a little too late. Fans of both franchises have something to look forward to next year but Seattle is the better team. Marshawn Lynch has been the best running back in the league during the second half of the season and he can finish off strong against the Cardinals.

Buccaneers @ Falcons

Pick: Falcons. Much like the Lions, the Falcons are playing for positioning in the playoffs. While they don’t control the positioning battle, if the Lions lose to Green Bay and the Falcons win, they avoid going back to New Orleans where they were manhandled last week. Basically, the Falcons really need this one and the Bucs haven’t won a game since mid-October.

Ravens @ Bengals

Pick: Bengals. This is perhaps the second-most important game of the week, with a first-round bye and a playoff berth on the line. The Raven need a win to get the bye and the Bengals need to win to get into the tournament. The Ravens are a very good team and the Bengals haven’t done well against superior competition, but I believe in the home team. The Bengals want to validate their season, especially when they have an already bright future (two early picks from the Raiders over the next two seasons). The Ravens have already made the playoffs so losing this one isn’t crippling; the Bengals are hungry so they get the win.

Steelers @ Browns

Pick: Steelers. The Steelers are one of the many (as previously listed) who are playing for a first-round bye this week. They play a Browns team, who has looked uninspired throughout most of the season. Cleveland could play spoiler but that is highly unlikely. Pittsburgh wins in a route.

Chiefs @ Broncos

Pick: Chiefs. If the Broncos win, they are in the playoffs. The trouble is that they play a feisty Chiefs team with a starting quarterback that was once a member of the Broncos not-so-long ago.  Kyle Orton will look to spoil Tim Tebow’s shot at awesomeness and there is a very good chance that happens. The Broncos have faltered a lot in recent weeks and it will be tough for Denver to handle Tamba Hali. The Chiefs win in a game so close that you’ll get a score: 16-14.

Chargers @ Raiders

Pick: Raiders. This game means so much more to the Raiders (and the Bengals) than the Chargers. If the Raiders win and the Broncos lose, two things happen: 1) Cincinnati gets Oakland’s next two first-round picks and 2) Oakland makes the playoffs. The Chargers will not save Norv Turner’s job but could play spoiler to their hated division rival. Oakland wins in another close AFC West contest.

Cowboys @ NY Giants

Pick: NY Giants. The NFC East has been such a joke this season that this game is hard to get amped about. The whole “win and you’re in” hype is lost on a lot of fans because how terrible both of these teams are. That said it looks like the makings of a pretty close contest. The Giants suck at home and the Cowboys struggle on the road. Something has to give and the more likely scenario is the Giants getting the win at home.

Photo: Getty