Patrick Willis commands the dominant 49ers defense that helped San Fran get to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. |
In recent years we've been used to the Ravens, Steelers, Patriots, Giants and Packers being the surefire favorites in the playoffs. But this year it's different. The Steelers are banged up, the Pats and Pack have no D, the Giants only went 9-7 and the Ravens' Joe Flacco hasn't been that great. These teams aren't as complete as they have been in the past and I'm not sure anyone can confidently pick our Super Bowl squads.
The Texans and 49ers, playoff newcomers in this decade, are both equipped with elite defenses and as we've heard way too many times before, "Defenses Wins Championship." Cincinnati also had a similarly strong defense before the Texans made them obsolete. The Lions, before their loss to the Saints last night, had an explosive offense that had the ability to steal a game or two.
But it doesn't matter what these teams have or don't have, it's the fact that they're new; they're fresh. The playoffs won't be the stagnant swamp that usually includes a boring Patriots vs. Steelers AFC Championship. We all love the underdog, and the underdog should be barking a lot this year. The 2012 version of the NFL playoffs won't be your mom's cookie party, it's going to be a wild ride chalk full of "what the hells" and "who is thats?"
With fresh squads, comes fresh faces. It was exciting to watch Matt Stafford throw a couple TDs to Meagtron. It'll be nice to see Patrick Willis destroy someone. We finally had the opportunity to watch Arian Foster go off in a meaningful game. These playoffs will bring some more names into your household and hopefully for years to come. Remember that players are made in the regular season, but immortalized in the playoffs.
I'm thinking that the addition of these new playoff teams will help culminate in a unexpected Super Bowl. Just because the Packers have Aaron Rodgers and the Patriots are the Patriots, doesn't mean they are guaranteed their spots in the Super Bowl. So watch you're back Green Bay and New England, someone without a playoff pedigree is coming for you.
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