What We Learned Over NFL Divsional Weekend

The NFL Divisonal playoffs have been hailed as the best weekend in the NFL. The elite eight: four survivors of the first round, four teams coming off a much needed break, does make it an interesting weekend of clashing cold and hot teams. The 2012 Divisonal Playoffs help us discover some new heroes, reminded us of old adages we might have forgotten and reaffirmed some of the beliefs we've always had.

1. Defense Means More Than Offense

We've heard it a thousand times before, but "Defense wins championships." Saturday and Sunday proved that to be 3/4ths true(we'll get to the Patriots later). The Ravens, Giants and 49ers all defeated their opponents who had weaker defenses and did so in classic fashion. They proved that while it is all fine and dandy to have a gun slinger under center or a highlight reel back field, the guys that make the difference are on the other side of the ball. The Saints failed to stop the Niners in crunch time, the Ravens suffocated the Texans and the Giants forced enough turnovers(should have been even more) to feed a small African tribe.

As much as we enjoy watching Drew Brees throw for 400 yards and Arian Foster run for 50 yard gains, it's way more vital to have Patrick Willis patrolling the midfield, Jason Pierre-Paul sacking the quarterback and Ed Reed playing center field. We've seen it in the past, and we're most likely going to see it again, if you dominate the trenches and you rush the quarterback, you will win the Super Bowl. In a season influenced by passing yards will be once again rewarded by hurries, knock downs and the crowd pleasing sacks.

2. Get Hot At The Right Time, And Be Rewarded
The Giants were hanging out in Six Flags for most of the season, following almost all of their big wins with embarrassing losses to sub par opponents. But finally, a Week 16 victory of their crosstown rivals provided the spark plug that got them out of their dungeon of inconsistency and into the ranks of the NFL's elite. They followed that game up with a convincing win against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East Championship Game. Their defense was re-energized, Eli Manning couldn't miss and Ahmad Bradshaw was running like a freight train. Beating the Falcons 24-2 was stunning. Yet their encore performance against the Packers on Sunday on the road was mind blowing. Unless of course you realize that if you get hot at the right time, you're almost unstoppable.

Last year's Packers, the 2007 Giants and the 2001 Patriots are all perfect examples of team's that caught fire at the end of the year, and turned it into a Super Bowl victory. It all makes sense though if you think of it like this. For a team to Win a Super Bowl, everything must click at the right time, it's an absolute perfect science. But nobody knows how to master it year in and year out, it comes and goes. Winning a Super Bowl is a combination of perfectly integrated team chemistry, offensive and defensive equilibrium and a small bit of luck. So why not have these things come in the waning weeks of the season? When everyone else is coasting at the speed limit, why not be driving like a New Yorker?

3. Being 15-1 Or 16-0 Ain't What It Looks Like

The Vikings were unstoppable in '98, until they reached their breaking point in the NFC Championship Game.

With the Packers being the latest victim of the 25 year old 15-1+ jinx, we realize that carrying a target on your back with a phenomenal record brings pressure that busts even the toughest of pipes. The '98 Vikings, '04 Steelers, the '07 Patriots and most recently this year's Packers all couldn't bear the burden of being the NFL's best. From about Week 10 or so on, a team that establishes itself at 9-1 or 10-0 will get everyone's best shot from the cellar dwellers to it's elite counterparts. Winning those last six games forces teams to exert an inhumane amount of effort, and by the time their resting during their first round bye they've most likely are so beaten up that they festering instead of healing. Even making the Super Bowl is quite an accomplishment for these teams.

Some people say that losses humble a team and while that is true, it doesn't mean that a 1 loss team is flying too high or remains overconfident. This team has taken such a serious beating all season because everyone wants to top the big shot, every team wants to have that victory over the NFL's best. No one should take this as an insult to those teams since the '85 Bears were successful as a 15-1 team, but it should be taken as a warning to any teams in the future looking to go 15-1.

4. Jim Harbaugh's Coaching Ability Is Already Undoubtedly Elite

I don't like to make bold statements about rookie coaches as I do for rookie players, because teams change from year-to-year more than players regress or progress year-to-year. However, Jim Harbaugh's 13-3 NFC Championship contender 49ers aren't what puts the rookie coach in the ranks of elite, it's the ability to turn the bonafide bust Alex Smith into a great leader.

Alex Smith was probably one bad season away from being tucked into the bag full of 1st round QB bust that includes JaMarcus Russell, Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf. That was, until, Harbaugh got his hands on him. After transforming Andrew Luck's raw talent into a polished product already ready for the NFL, he's changed Smith completely. He decreased his ridiculous turnover rate by reducing the pressure on him and being extremely confident in him. It did help having an elite defense, but Alex Smith's new found confidence is undeniable. It's extremely rare to see an NFL bust turn it around, that's why I give Harbaugh serious credit for digging Alex Smith out of his grave.