FA Cup preview: Stevenage v. Tottenham Hotspur

Why Stevenage can cause a cup-set in this David v. Goliath fifth-round tie

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A fifth-round home tie against Tottenham Hotspur is a real reward for Stevenage, following a 1-0 home win (thanks to an own goal) over Notts County at the end of January.  Obviously it is lucrative for the club, and a chance to see a big-name Premier League side without the need to travel away from home.  But there is real reason for every Stevenage supporter to believe they can pull off an upset over their Premier League opposition this afternoon.

Firstly, Stevenage's work rate is exceptional.  Previous manager Graham Westley installed a strict training regime, demanding that the club's players train until 4/5pm on weekdays, including additional endurance work in the late afternoon.  Westley believed that his players 'thrived' on this regime; but more importantly, it has produced results – and a sense of belief and unity within the ranks.  Although their twice former manager made the move to Preston North End earlier in the season, current boss Gary Smith has continued impressively where Westley left off, and the Hertfordshire side are currently sixth in League One, with (in some cases) four games in hand on teams around them - an incredible feat for a team far bigger than the sum of all its parts.

Following on from this, they are used to winning games – especially at home. Stevenage are undefeated since Smith took over, and prior to that, during a three-and-a-half year stretch from August 2008, including back-to-back promotions from the Blue Square Premier (finishing as champions with 99 points) and League Two, they have lost just ten league games at the Lamex Stadium (formerly Broadhall Way, or 'fortress Broadhall' to local supporters).  Any away fan will tell you that this stadium produces a hostile atmosphere, and few teams leave Stevenage with three points.  Today's match against Tottenham will most certainly host a sell-out crowd, despite being nationally televised this afternoon, which will give the home side a real advantage.

Stevenage do not falter in big-game situations, as proven by beating League One giants Sheffield Wednesday twice this season (including a resounding 5-1 home win), as well as handing league leaders Charlton their first league defeat the campaign (they have since only lost once more in League One).  In recent history, they won the FA Trophy twice in three years (2007, 2009) at Wembley Stadium, including a stunning second-half turnaround against Kidderminster Harriers, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to win 3-2 in front of a 50,000 plus crowd.  Stevenage also played three League Two playoff games last season without conceding a goal, including a 1-0 win over Torquay in the final at Old Trafford.  Last season, they deservedly beat Newcastle United 3-1 in the FA Cup third round, and have already upset Reading in this year's tournament.  Stevenage are defensively strong, and no walkover at home. Tottenham must give this side respect.

Finally, Stevenage can cause an upset simply because this is the FA Cup.  This means two things – firstly, upsets happen.  Lower league sides often see this tournament as a chance to prove something.  Crawley Town won 1-0 at Hull City in the fourth round, while the third round saw Swindon Town and Brighton advance at the expense of Premier League sides Wigan and Newcastle United.  With Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal already eliminated, and out-of-form Chelsea facing a difficult replay at Birmingham, the tournament is wide open – and with a quarter final match-up the reward, lesser teams will fancy their chances at this stage.  Secondly, it also means that, despite its prestige compared with the League Cup, the FA Cup may not be Tottenham's main priority this season.  Due to Stevenage's perceived physical nature and powerful style of play (although this is only too often blown out of proportion),  Harry Redknapp may choose to rest the likes of Gareth Bale, Emmanuel Adebayor and Luka Modric if he believes the possibility of Champions League football, or even a Premier League title, are more important, or on the cards.  Stevenage will address this game like any other.

The hosts know they are underdogs in this tie.  Tottenham are a strong, in-form Premier League outfit.  But those who have been keeping an eye on lower league football will know that Stevenage are not doing badly themselves.  This match is one to watch, and don't be too surprised to see a close one.

Harry for England: does he want what the nation wants?

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At the end of a wonderful week for Harry Redknapp, having been cleared of tax evasion during his spell at Portsmouth with Milan Mandaric and being all but given the England manager vacancy by the football media, nothing will have pleased him more than watching his Tottenham Hotspur side demolish Newcastle United 5-0 at White Hart Lane.  Since taking over at Spurs, Redknapp has transformed the club from an underachieving, at the time relegation-threatened side to a club on the cusp of its second Champions League spell, while remaining very much in the Premier League title race this season, as well as the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, England are a footballing side somewhat in purgatory.  John Terry was recently stripped of the captaincy by the FA following his ongoing racial abuse allegations towards Anton Ferdinand, ultimately resulting in the departure of former manager Fabio Capello.  Former key players such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are ageing and arguably not the answer to any future tournament success.  Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games of England's Euro 2012 campaign, in a group which is no easy route to the knockout stages.

Which begs the question: why would Harry Redknapp want to leave Tottenham to take the England job?

Many would consider it an honour to even be offered the opportunity to manage your national football team, and Harry Redknapp does seem to tick the right boxes to succeed Fabio Capello.  He is English.  He is enjoying success at a top Premier League side.  Generally, he is well-liked by England football supporters.  Therefore it is no surprise to see him as the clear-cut favourite to take the position.  However, it is not as simple as that.  First of all, Redknapp must want the job.  He stated this week that he would certainly 'consider' any offer, as any manager would do with an offer of this nature.  Secondly, he would need to be shortlisted for the vacancy, although this is more than likely to happen.  In addition, Tottenham would have to be happy with the circumstances – and you'd have to think that chairman Daniel Levy would be less than thrilled to see Redknapp leave the helm at White Hart Lane after the excellent work he has done over the last four seasons.

Not only would there be huge pressure on Redknapp if he were to become the England manager, but any tournament failure could turn him from hero to villain in the space of a few weeks.  Despite his proven managerial success, there is no guarantee that he would help the England football team reach its potential at Euro 2012.  There is no doubt that he may bring in fresh faces if he were appointed, but this could also be to the frustration of the nation's football fans who may believe that a stronger element of experience leads to tournament success - although this has not proved to be the case for England in recent history.  In short, Redknapp may not guarantee success at international level.  How would it fare among fans if England were eliminated at the group stages this summer? 

It is easy to forget that Fabio Capello, despite not winning a major tournament, had the highest ever winning percentage during his four years as England manager.  It always seemed apparently easier for naysayers to focus on the losses, his nationality and broken English than to take any positives from his campaign.  It would be imperative for England, under Redknapp, to win those crunch games against European giants such as Spain, Holland and Germany.

There are a number of possible scenarios.  Redknapp could leave Tottenham Hotspur in the immediate future to take the England job, if offered it.  He could stay at Tottenham until May, leave at the end of the season to take charge of the national team in time for Euro 2012.  He may opt to turn down the position in favour of his loyalty to Tottenham, who have come closer to a title under his reign than over the last half-century. The FA may want a manager to start right away, forcing Redknapp to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.  Alternatively, they may be happy for him to start in May, which could also impact upon Tottenham's season at a crucial stage.  If he did start in May, would that be enough time to unite an underachieving footballing nation and lead them to victory in the space of two months?

What happens over the next few days, weeks and months will be vital for Redknapp, Tottenham and England.  Despite him being the assumed frontrunner for the job, there are many variables which may decide the fate of all three.

Leicester City 2 Cardiff City 1 - 11th February 2012

Gallagher brace gives Leicester important win

Gallagher has scored seven goals for Leicester this season

Two goals from Paul Gallagher gave Leicester a deserved win over promotion-chasing Cardiff City to keep their own playoff hopes alive.

Gallagher scored from the penalty spot after Richie Wellens was clumsily fouled by Haris Vuckic, before the midfielder doubled Leicester's advantage with a fine second-half free-kick.

Peter Whittingham's penalty kick gave the visitors a lifeline, but Nigel Pearson's men held on to take an important three points, leaving the Foxes just six points outside the playoff places and ending Cardiff's nine game unbeaten streak.

Danny Drinkwater was handed his home debut by Nigel Pearson, and the former Manchester United man looked lively from the beginning, playing a dangerous ball across goal to Jermaine Beckford, but the in-form striker was unable to make contact.

Paul Gallagher volleyed wide for the Foxes after some good link-up play by Richie Wellens and Lee Peltier, while Chris Conley's bobbling shot was well-handled by Kasper Schmeichel.

Wellens then had an unorthodox overhead kick tipped away by Bluebirds' goalkeeper David Marshall, while Matt Mills' header from a free-kick flew inches wide of the far post.

Leicester continued to dominate possession in the first-half, looking more like the team in fourth place than thirteenth, with Jermaine Beckford and Paul Gallagher continuing to pepper away at the Cardiff goal.

With five minutes remaining in the first-half, Paul Konchesky hit a thunderous 25 yard volley on target, with David Marshall doing well to tip it around the post.

From the ensuing corner, Richie Wellens was untidily challenged by Cardiff's Haris Vuckic inside the penalty area, leaving referee Mark Halsey no option but to award the home side a spot kick, which was slammed home by Paul Gallagher to give Leicester a deserved half-time lead.

Leicester continued to dominate the game during the second-half, and came close to doubling their advantage when Danny Drinkwater dispossessed Peter Whittingham in midfield before finding Lloyd Dyer breaking down the left wing, whose pinpoint pass to David Nugent allowed the striker to fire across goal, but David Marshall made another excellent save to keep his side in the game.

The hosts did eventually get their second goal when Lloyd Dyer was bundled over on the edge of the Cardiff penalty area, allowing Paul Gallagher to curl a stunning free-kick over the wall from twenty yards.

The goal demonstrated the Scotsman's superb technique and ability from set pieces after a superb team counter-attack.

Substitute Rudy Gestede continued to be Cardiff's biggest threat, and won a penalty for the visitors against the run of play when Paul Konchesky was adjudged to have pushed the striker in the area following a corner kick.

Peter Whittingham made no mistake from the penalty spot, giving Malky Mackay's side a lifeline and the visiting fans something to cheer about.

As the minutes ticked away, Leicester substitute and home debutant Ben Marshall fired a long range shot over the crossbar, before playing a tempting near post ball towards Jermaine Beckford.

The hosts never looked like conceding a second goal, and the final whistle confirmed Leicester's first win in five games as their quest for a playoff spot continues.

Man of the Match – Danny Drinkwater

Leicester City 2 Middlesborough 2 - 1st February 2012

Beckford's fine display rescues point for Foxes

Jermaine Beckford has scored six goals in Leicester's last three home matches

Jermaine Beckford's late goal rescued a point for Leicester City in a fiery encounter with Middlesbrough at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes took an early lead through David Nugent's header, but Middlesbrough drew level ten minutes later when Scott McDonald converted from a Seb Hines corner.

Tom McMahon's second-half free-kick looked to have secured all three points for the visitors, but Jermaine Beckford pounced onto a loose ball before coolly slotting home an equaliser with four minutes remaining.

Beckford turned in a stellar display for Leicester City, maintaining his excellent form from the FA Cup and silencing any critics since his big money move from Everton last year.

The hosts took the lead after just seven minutes when Richie Wellens picked out an unmarked David Nugent inside the six yard box with an audacious chip across goal, leaving the England international with the simplest of headers.

It was Nugent's tenth goal of the campaign and exactly what Nigel Pearson will have wanted from his side following three consecutive wins in all competitions.

But Tony Mowbray's men had other ideas and came close to equalising when Marvin Emnes' volley flew wide of the near post after Matt Mills' sliced clearance had conceded a corner kick.

Emnes then forced a fine save from Kasper Schmeichel with a fierce strike from twenty yards, before Middlesbrough drew level through Scott McDonald's close range finish after Leicester failed to deal with Seb Hines' corner kick.

It was a poor goal for the Foxes to concede but showed typical determination of a Tony Mowbray side refusing to lie down.

Paul Gallagher struck over before the half-hour mark after a mazy run from David Nugent, while Tom McMahon fired just wide at the other end of the pitch.

Nugent again fired wide of goal, and, despite appearing to be fouled after the ball had been played, received a caution for pleading his case with the referee.

Paul Gallagher was then brought down on the edge of the box under another late challenge by the Boro' defence, but the subsequent free-kick failed to test Luke Steele.

On the stroke of half-time, Neil Danns played a sublime ball over the top to Jermaine Beckford, but his volley flew just over the bar after a fantastic first touch.

Beckford had another chance to restore Leicester's lead in first-half stoppage time, but his dangerous strike was tipped over the bar by Luke Steele.

The second half continued where the first had left off, with strong challenges flying in with very few cautions from referee Gavin Ward.

Chances were few and far between for both sides, before Nigel Pearson then offered home debuts to new signing Danny Drinkwater and Aston Villa loanee Nathan Delfouneso, who sparked life into the game as Leicester went in search of a winner.

Jermaine Beckford then rattled the crossbar with a thunderous volley from a tight angle with Luke Steele completely beaten, before Sean St. Ledger conceded a free-kick on the edge of the Leicester penalty area after Danny Drinkwater had lost possession in a dangerous position.

Tom McMahon stepped up to curl an excellent strike past the helpless Kasper Schmeichel from twenty yards, giving the visiting side an unlikely advantage with ten minutes remaining.

Steve Howard entered the fray with seven minutes remaining as Nigel Pearson went in search of an equaliser with four strikers on the pitch, and the manager was rewarded for his bravery when Jermaine Beckford pounced on a loose ball back to Luke Steele, rounded the keeper and slotted home with precision.

It was Beckford's sixth goal in four games, capping off a scintillating performance from the former Everton and Leeds striker, and a deserved equaliser for the Foxes.

Leicester went in search of a winner when Steve Howard laid the ball off to Neil Danns on the edge of the area, but his shot was just off target.

Jermaine Beckford could have won it for the home side at the death when he broke the offside trap and latched onto Neil Danns' long ball, but his volley was off-balance and fell harmlessly wide of the goal.

The final whistle meant that Leicester have still failed to win back-to-back games in the Championship this season, although Nigel Pearson will have been pleased with his side's character to rescue a deserved point.

Man of the Match – Jermaine Beckford

Leicester City 1 Barnsley 2 - 14th January 2012

Foxes undone by travelling Tykes

Andy Gray's two first-half goals gave Barnsley a well-deserved win at the King Power Stadium yesterday afternoon as Leicester's disappointing home form continued.

The former Sunderland striker put the Tykes ahead after twelve minutes after some fine build-up play from Ricardo Vaz Te, before Lloyd Dyer responded with an equaliser three minutes later.

Gray restored Barnsley's lead ten minutes before half-time with a close-range header after the Foxes were caught on the counter-attack.

Leicester are now winless at home since November last year, a run of league form which has seen them slip to fifteenth in the Championship.

The home side almost took the lead early on when Lloyd Dyer was brought down on the edge of the area by Stephen Foster, but Paul Gallagher's low free-kick was turned away by Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele.

That save turned out to be a crucial point in the match as five minutes later, Danny Drinkwater and Ricardo Vaz Te worked a counter-attack to great effect before Vaz Te stepped past Matt Mills and found the unmarked Andy Gray in the penalty area, who had the simplest of tasks in slotting the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.

It was a well-worked counter attack and emphasised Leicester's failure to close the opposition down.

The Foxes were back in the match three minutes later, however, when Matt Mills' superb long pass picked out Lloyd Dyer, who controlled the ball well between two Barnsley defenders and fired across Luke Steele from twelve yards.

It was a well-executed finish by the winger, but the pinpoint long ball from Mills was outstanding and demonstrated the captain's ability to distribute play from deep.

The half began to fizzle out after the equaliser, but Barnsley restored their lead ten minutes before half-time when Vaz Te and Drinkwater again combined on the counter-attack on the left side, with the Manchester United loanee's cross picking out Gray again in the area, who headed past Schmeichel.

It was a simple yet devastating passage of play to undo Leicester once again, questioning their defensive capability.

After the break, Barnsley should have doubled their advantage when Matt Mills' calamitous back pass was tracked down by Ricardo Vaz Te but somehow cleared by Kasper Schmeichel with the forward breathing down his neck.

At the other end, Neil Danns fired over for the Foxes before Lloyd Dyer threatened the Yorkshire side with some neat footwork, but the attack was eventually thwarted by a resolute Barnsley backline.

With just over twenty minutes remaining, Andy King had a great chance to test Luke Steele when David Nugent rose to head the ball down to the Welsh midfielder inside the penalty area, but his wild shot was high and wide, much to the frustration of the fans behind the goal.

Barnsley continued to dominate the match as Jay McEveley's mazy run from defence tore through the Foxes' midfield before the full-back's clinical pass found substitute Matt Done one-on-one with Schmeichel, but his shot was beaten away by the Danish shot stopper.

Substitute Jermaine Beckford sparked some life into Leicester's attack, but his best chance was well-blocked by McEveley at point-blank range.

Vaz Te almost added insult to injury in the closing stages of the match when the Portuguese forward raced clear of two Leicester defenders, but his cheeky finish was saved by the feet of Schmeichel.

The final whistle lead out a chorus of boos from all areas of the ground, apart from the travelling Barnsley supporters who climb above Leicester in the Championship following their win.

Nigel Pearson's side have now won just three out of ten games since his return to the club, taking thirteen points from a possible 30.

Man of the Match – Ricardo Vaz Te

Nottingham Forest 0 Leicester City 0 - 7th January 2012

Derby day ends in deadlock

Leicester failed to capitalise on several clear-cut second-half chances

East Midlands rivals Leicester City and Nottingham Forest face an FA Cup third round replay after grinding out a 0-0 draw this afternoon at the City Ground.

Lewis McGugan and Andy Reid both had efforts on goal well-saved by Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel before David Nugent's header struck the crossbar.

Lee Camp prevented Matt Mills and David Nugent from breaking the deadlock in the second half, while Lloyd Dyer blazed over the crossbar from six yards.

It was a scrappy derby encounter, and one which failed to deliver in terms of action despite having the hallmarks of a pulsating match – although Leicester will certainly take encouragement from their second-half performance.

Leicester suffered an injury blow in the opening few minutes when Jeff Schlupp had to be carried off on a stretcher following a strong challenge from Jonathan Greening, which Foxes manager Nigel Pearson later confirmed could be a long-term injury.

The hosts looked to capitalise on Leicester's lapse in concentration and almost went ahead through Lewis McGugan, but his low strike was excellently saved by Kasper Schmeichel, with Matt Mills doing well to block Andy Reid's follow-up effort.

Schmeichel was then quick off his line to stop Andy Reid's close range shot after he had broken past Aleksandar Tunchev in the Leicester defence.

As the Foxes began to settle into the match, they began to offer more of a threat in attack, with David Nugent striking the woodwork from Paul Gallagher's free-kick.

Lee Camp was then called upon to make an excellent save when Kieron Freeman's disastrous header backwards had to be tipped wide by the Forest shot stopper.

David Nugent then caught Luke Chambers napping with his weak header back to Camp, but his lobbed effort over the goalkeeper landed just wide of the post.

After the break, Leicester were the stronger side and should have gone ahead when Yuki Abe's through ball to Paul Gallagher left the winger one-on-one with Lee Camp, but his shot was poorly struck and flew over the crossbar.

Gallagher then fired inches wide and into the Forest side netting from 25 yards out with Camp well beaten at his near post, before Matt Mills' powerful header was directed straight at the goalkeeper.

As the minutes passed, it looked as if a replay was inevitable, but Leicester wasted another great chance when some neat work from Jermaine Beckford down the left wing resulted in a great pass to Lloyd Dyer in the box, but as the ball fell back to Beckford, his shot again flew over the bar.

The best chance of the match fell to the visitors with less than ten minutes remaining when the excellent Neil Danns picked out David Nugent with a fantastic cross into the box, his header forcing a stunning diving save from Lee Camp, and Lloyd Dyer inexplicably fired the follow-up shot from six yards straight over the bar, much to the frustration of the 8,000-strong Leicester following behind the goal.

Beckford's snapshot wide with two minutes remaining was the final real chance to break the deadlock, and after three minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle indicated that the two sides would meet again at the King Power Stadium in just over a week's time.

Man of the Match – Neil Danns

NFL Playoffs – Wild-card Round: Preview

Home field advantage may not be crucial as history suggests

© - elviskennedy, Flickr-  Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers proved last season 
that home field advantage isn't everything in the playoffs

After seventeen weeks of football, the NFL playoff picture has finally been determined. Green Bay did not go undefeated.  Indianapolis did not go winless.  And Philadelphia will not win the Super Bowl, as many predicted before the start of the regular season.

The wild-card round is always very interesting.  Recent history suggested that home field advantage throughout the postseason is important, until the Packers won the Super Bowl last year with a 10-6 regular season record and a sixth seed in the NFC.  This year's wild-card teams are in the playoffs by merit, not by default, and could legitimately go against the trend, on the road, and cause upsets. 

Cincinnati (9-7) @ Houston (10-6)

Cincinnati have been a surprise team this season, courtesy of quarterback Andy Dalton developing a dynamic partnership with wide receiver A.J. Green, who was nominated to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.  The Bengals struggled in a tough division against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, but losses by the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders in Week 17 allowed them to finish as sixth seed in the AFC and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

You have to feel somewhat bad for Houston. They capitalised on a weak AFC South division due to the injured Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning and clinched the division in Week 14 with a 20-19 win in Cincinnati.  However, they suffered injuries to first and second string quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Matt Leinhart along the way, and could be without T.J Yates this weekend after he was sidelined by a shoulder injury in the season finale against Tennessee.  Defensive end J.J. Watt has been outstanding for the Texans defence this season, which has been an important factor.

© AJ Guel, Flickr – Arian Foster will be key to Houston's advancement in the postseason.

  

The Texans are second in the league both in overall defence and running the football, but have lost their last three games.  They will look to run the football against the Bengals with Arian Foster and Ben Tate, especially if they have veteran QB Jake Delhomme under center. Cincinnati will need to establish their own running game with Cedric Benson to take the pressure of Andy Dalton. With neither team carrying any real momentum into the playoffs, the Bengals might just be able to sneak this one on the road.

Prediction: Cincinnati 19 Houston 17

Detroit (10-6) @ New Orleans (13-3)

When was the last time a 13-3 record didn't earn a first-round bye? New Orleans have won eight games in a row, lead the NFL in total offence and are in Super Bowl form.  Quarterback Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's longstanding single season passing yards in Week 16 of the regular season and is having an MVP-calibre year.  More importantly, the Saints are undefeated at home this season.

© ohocheese, Flickr – can any road team win beat New Orleans in the Superdome right now?

Detroit, however, present an interesting match-up.  Having secured their first playoff berth since 1999, Matt Stafford has been outstanding in his first full season since being selected by the Lions as the number one NFL draft pick in 2009, and has led his side to two consecutive comeback wins when down by 20 and 24 points against Minnesota and Dallas respectively.  Calvin Johnson has emerged as the league's best wide receiver with 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season.

What separates the 2011 New Orleans Saints from previous years (including their 2009 Super Bowl win) is their more balanced offence, including a three-pronged rushing attack of Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles, who have all been productive since the loss of the injured Mark Ingram.  This makes New Orleans very difficult to stop, especially in the Superdome where they have scored 45 points in consecutive home games.  Having said that, anything can happen in the playoffs (see New Orleans' 2010 playoff loss to the 7-9 Seahawks) and Detroit are a strong passing side themselves. The Saints should go marching on, but Matt Stafford will prevent it from becoming a blow out.

Prediction: Detroit 28 New Orleans 38

Atlanta (10-6) & New York (9-7)

Atlanta are back in the playoffs for the third time in four years under head coach Mike Smith, who has lead the Falcons to four back-to-back winning records.  Matt Ryan is having the finest season of his young career, and Julio Jones is showing why GM Thomas Dimitroff traded several picks to select him fourth overall in the 2011 draft.  The Falcons managed to avoid the Saints for the second time in three weeks with a big win over Tampa Bay, and with Detroit losing a shootout to Green Bay in Week 17.

The Giants are enjoying a good season themselves, with Eli Manning having a Pro Bowl year and undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz putting up 1,500 yards in his first full season. While it has been tight in the NFC East, New York beat Dallas twice in four weeks to win the division despite a late surge from Philadelphia.  Momentum could be on their side, which is a good thing as they will more than likely need to go on the road to establish a deep postseason run.

© Jason Poulton, Flickr – can Eli Manning lead the Giants to another Super Bowl?

These two teams are evenly poised.  They can both put up points in a hurry, but can easily fall behind against tough opposition.  Interestingly, Atlanta have only defeated one team with a winning record this season (Detroit) and are just 4-4 on the road.  The Falcons will need to use Michael Turner and play action against the Giants' weak secondary to give themselves a chance. But Eli Manning knows how to win in the playoffs, and Big Blue are coming off the back of a vital win against the Cowboys. Ahmad Bradshaw is giving New York more options out of the backfield since his return from injury. On paper, Atlanta is the stronger side, but anything is possible in the postseason.

Prediction: Atlanta 24 New York 20

Pittsburgh (12-4) @ Denver (8-8)

Critics of the playoff system would argue that Denver should not be the hosts of this match-up as Pittsburgh have a much stronger record, but Broncos fans will just be amazed that they are in the postseason at all. After a 1-4 start, Tim Tebow was named as starting quarterback and led Denver to seven wins in eight games, including several miracle fourth-quarter comebacks - the most memorable being a 16-13 overtime win against Chicago.

© Jeffrey Beall, Flickr – The Broncos will hope to ride Tebowmania to the Super Bowl.

The Pittsburgh Steelers know their way around the playoffs under head coach Mike Tomlin, who holds an impressive 5-2 postseason record, two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl win. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has battled injuries this season to lead the Steelers to the playoffs for the sixth time in his nine year career, and is using young wideouts Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown to great effect.

The Broncos have fallen flat in the last three games, however, and with the Steelers coming to town, it could be the end of Tebow Time this season. However, Denver have a habit of bursting into life in the fourth quarter, and if the Steelers are not out of sight by then, it could be very interesting.  Pittsburgh's defence has underperformed this season, but it should find a way to stop John Fox's run-first option.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 20 Denver 9