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After the home teams went 4-0 in the wild-card round, I decided to ride that wave of bad hospitality, and I picked the home teams to win in the division round.

But for the Giants? 17-point win over the Packers, I would have had a perfect weekend.? Rosenthal, who picked both the Packers and Saints to advance, was 2-2.

So, yes, I won.? For a change.

This week, I agonized over both games.? Tempted to flip a coin, I probably would have been better off if I did.

Not just this weekend, but all year.

Ravens at Patriots

Florio?s take:? Yes, the Baltimore offense looked sluggish against the Texans.? During the regular season, however, the Texans had one of the best defenses in the league.? The Patriots, in sharp contrast, had one of the worst.? Still, can the Ravens muster at least one more point than the New England offense will score?? The internal offense-vs.-defense strife in Baltimore seems to be real, and it could lead to an ugly confrontation on the sidelines if the Pats jump out to an early lead and the Ravens can?t respond.? Also, the Pats? defense quietly is improving.? Throw in the fact that the Patriots would love to give owner Robert Kraft something about which to feel good as he continues to mourn his wife?s passing (Myra Kraft?s initials remain on their jerseys), Tom Brady?s memory of a home thrashing two years ago from the Ravens, and a burning desire by Brady and Bill Belichick to finally get that fourth championship, and it?s hard to envision the Patriots losing.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 27, Ravens 20.

Rosenthal?s take: This game comes down to two questions. Is the Ravens defense more dominant than the Patriots offense? After watching Houston?s running game push Baltimore around last week, I?m rolling with the Patriots there. Terrell Suggs disappears too often. New England?s tight ends are too hard to defend.? Second question: Does the good Joe Flacco show up this week? All season, I?ve thought a great quarterback would take the Patriots out in the playoffs. New England doesn?t have to face a great quarterback in the AFC. The health of Patrick Chung, Brandon Spikes, Dane Fletcher, and the rest of the Patriots no-names all help make the New England defense competent enough.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 31, Ravens 27.

Giants at 49ers

Florio?s take:? The Giants are the best team remaining, with a high-powered offense to go with a staunch defense.? And I?m inclined to pick them to win, in part because I?ve picked them to lose twice in the playoffs and in part because a clash between the Giants and Patriots in the Super Bowl would generate enormous interest and ratings and page views.? But there?s something intangible, and special, about the 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh.? All week long, I believed I?d pick the Giants, and that then the 49ers would win.? With rain likely to make it harder for the Giants? passing game to fire on all cylinders, look for that hard-hitting San Fran defense and a potent-when-it-needs-to-be offense to find a way.? Yes, the Giants are the better team.? But the 49ers, I believe, will have more points on the scoreboard when the game is finally over.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 24, Giants 21.

Rosenthal?s take: Eli Manning has the fourth quarter reputation, but Alex Smith has the seven fourth quarter comebacks. New York?s offensive line is a weakness that hasn?t been exposed the last two weeks, but it will show up on Sunday.? San Francisco can get more consistent pressure on Eli Manning with their front seven and they?ll have the more consistent running game. Counting on Eli to keep converting beautiful low percentage third-and-long throws is a difficult way to win week after week. The 49ers magic will continue.

Rosenthal?s pick: 49ers 24, Giants 20.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/19/jets-owner-says-santonio-will-be-back/related/

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A year later, Egypt activists seek more revolution (AP)

CAIRO ? A crowd of anti-military activists suddenly converged on a bustling Cairo boulevard, erecting makeshift screens and showing videos of soldiers beating protesters, dragging women on the ground, partially stripping one and stomping on her chest. Their message: The generals ruling Egypt have to go.

The activists who led the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year have been holding hundreds of so-called flash mobs around the country, in a campaign they call "Liars." By showing people recent abuses by the military, they say they have injected new public support for their demand that the generals quickly surrender power.

But it also raises questions.

"What do they want?" one passer-by, Mohammed Ali, asked at one such gathering this week.

"Even if (the military) are liars... we are going to get power transferred to civilians in six months. That is not bad," the 30-year-old said. "It doesn't deserve all this noise. Let's wait and see."

Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the start of the 18-day wave of protests that toppled Mubarak. Activists are trying to turn public discontent over lack of change into support for continuing revolutionary protests. But they face the task of explaining to Egyptians who are sick of turmoil: Revolution for what?

The revolution's second year, the activists say, must pressure both the ruling military, which they maintain is as authoritarian as Mubarak, and the Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates the new parliament and which they fear is allying itself with the generals.

The anniversary shows the tensions. Each of the country's power brokers has its own plans to mark the day, underlining the stark differences over the very meaning of the revolution and raising the potential for a clash. State and pro-military media blare warnings that the protesters aim to "burn the country," raising concerns over a crackdown.

The activists are organizing new nationwide protests for the occasion. Thousands rallied in Tahrir Square on Friday, kicking off what they say will be several days of demonstrations, including Monday when parliament convenes and on the Wednesday anniversary.

The military has put together its own elaborate Jan. 25 celebrations, declaring the day a national holiday. It plans a nationwide air show, including flyovers by warplanes that it boasts will be bigger than those it holds for anniversaries of the 1952 coup that first brought the generals to the helm of Egyptian politics. Other planes will drop gift coupons to the public. Officers will be decorated for their role helping the anti-Mubarak protests.

The military's message is that it supported the anti-Mubarak uprising, but the time for revolution is over.

"Stability is the first goal," said Maj. General Ismail Etman, a member of the military council that took power after Mubarak's Feb. 11 fall. "If there is tension between the people and the armed forces, it must be removed ... We want the big family to enjoy love and stability."

For the activists and many others in Egypt, the army celebrations aim to co-opt their movement.

"We are not going down to celebrate, we are going to finish our revolution," activist Ahmed Imam said at a news conference by youth movements this week. "We will not celebrate while the blood of martyrs is shed without retribution. ... We will not celebrate, because they are liars."

Critics say the military is keeping the status quo with a slight reshuffle of the cards but with the same authoritarianism and abuses by security forces, if not worse. They point to almost 100 protesters killed in military crackdowns since Mubarak's fall, some run over by armored vehicles. Nearly 12,000 civilians have been tried by military tribunals, and female protesters have been subjected to humiliating "virginity tests."

They say the revolution's vision of "freedom, social justice and dignity" has been aborted in favor of an emerging ruling coalition between the Islamists and the military.

The difficulty for the activists is that a transition plan is in place, set by the generals and backed by the Brotherhood.

The military promises to transfer power to an elected civilian president by the end of June. Before that, a constitution is to be written by a committee chosen by the Islamist-controlled parliament while the generals are still in charge.

Brotherhood officials deny any alliance with the military. They say they want the army to step down, but maintain parliament not protests can ensure they do so. They warn protesters endanger the process by creating turmoil.

Ahmed Abou Baraka, a leading Brotherhood member, said the revolution against Mubarak aimed "to grant the people sovereignty and build a state based on the rule of law."

Protests must be "within the law and ...uphold the higher interests of the state," he said.

The "Liars" campaign ? "Kazeboon" in Arabic ? has been a new way for revolutionaries to reach out to a skeptical public.

Hundreds of impromptu street shows highlighting military abuses have been put on around the country in past weeks, sometimes more than 10 a day. The campaign has mobilized thousands of volunteers, a sign of the activists' increasing reach, said Rasha Azab, an organizer.

"Kazeboon is a bridge between the street and the square ... They are now seeing that Tahrir is no longer the only expression of the revolution," she said. "They cornered us in the square. Now there are 50 squares."

Many of the gatherings have been harassed by hecklers the activists believe are hired. At this week's flash mob in Cairo's Mohandessin district, young men tried to disrupt the show. One shouted that the screen and video projectors had to be packed up in five minutes. Across the street, another yelled, "Down with revolution."

Still, the activists' plan for the future remains hazy. They want the military to step aside, but are divided about whether it should hand executive powers to the parliament, a president or to a council of civilians.

Some fear handing power to the parliament would further strengthen the Brotherhood.

"We would replace a tyrant with no popularity and a corrupt majority, with a tyrant supported by religious legitimacy and an organized majority," said Abdel-Gelil el-Sharnoubi, a former Brotherhood member who since last year's revolution has become a fervent opponent.

Ahmed Maher, of the April 6 activist movement, counters that it is the best tactic to draw the Brotherhood away from the military.

"They are civilians. We will argue with them, negotiate, fight, whatever," said Maher. "But with the military council, they will drive over us with armored vehicles."

Despite disagreements, the activists' main intention remains to use street pressure for the long haul.

"It is hard ... (but) we are creating a new country, we are creating the future," said Lobna Darwish, an activist with Mosireen, a media collective that produces most Kazeboon videos. "It is not even a choice ? when you see people die ... you feel this is a commitment to go on."

At the Kazeboon rally, Mostafa Abou-el-Wafa parked his motorcycle and joined the crowd. He intends to attend the activists' anniversary rallies, his first ever protest.

Nothing has changed under the military, the 26-year-old delivery man said, pointing to a recent bribe he had to pay to get his motorcycle licensed.

"The military council has no shame," he said. "I will go with what these people are saying."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_revolution_s_second_year

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Poll Numbers Show Daunting Re-election Task for Obama (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Around my small town, very few people talk about being better off than they were when President Barack Obama was elected. In fact, amongst the boarded up buildings of businesses that have folded over the last year, there are the business that are operating on shortened hours. Business owners trying to hold on. Customers struggling to pay for the items they need. According to poll numbers reported by ABC News, my town isn't alone. And that isn't good news for anyone, including Obama.

ABC News reports that the ABC News/Washington Post poll results show about half the nation (51 percent) disapproves of how the president is handling jobs. Sixty-eight percent said the country is "headed seriously off on the wrong track." Only 45 percent of respondents think that the much-reported economic recovery is underway. Thirty percent say they're worse off financially under this president. Of all the presidents since 1940 who have started their re-election year, like Obama, with lower than a 50 percent job approval rating, only Richard Nixon has been successful in being reelected.

There is a bright side for Obama, however. The president's overall job approval rating is rising, up from 42 percent in October to 48 percent now. Those who approve of the job he's doing at handling the economy has increased by six points in recent months. Roughly eight in 10 of the Democrats who responded to the poll continued to blame George W. Bush for the nation's bleak economic outlook.

But looking out across my town, there's not much of a bright side these days. Whatever economic recovery there is doesn't seem to have reached this rural place yet, and I can't help but wonder how many of us will still be here when it does. Gas prices are rising again, and CBS News reports that the increase is fueled on hopes for the economic recovery. AAA puts the average price at $3.378 for regular gasoline, up from $3.22 a month ago. That's a tough pill to swallow for those of us who haven't seen the economic recovery yet. Jobs remain low. Things aren't getting any easier, and -- whether it's his fault or not -- that's no help to Obama as the days draw closer to the next election.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120118/cm_ac/10851345_poll_numbers_show_daunting_reelection_task_for_obama

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David Beckham Underwear Ad to Air During Super Bowl


Even if Tom Brady and the Patriots knock off the Ravens on Sunday, the quarterback may not be the most handsome man associated with Super Bowl XLVI.

That's because David Beckham - who just signed a new two-year deal to remain with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS - will be featured during a second quarter commercial... in his underwear!

David Beckham H&M Ad

The spot will mark Beckham's first campaign with H&M and will support the launch of his nine-piece bodywear collection, which hits 1,800 stores nationwide on February 2. He says of the collaboration:

"With my design team we spent time working on the feel, fit and style to ensure the product is not only something I would wear but one which I would be proud to put my name to. I always want to challenge myself and this was such a rewarding experience for me. I'm very happy with the end result and I hope H&M's male customers will be as excited as I am."

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/david-beckham-underwear-ad-to-air-during-super-bowl/

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Video: Monster Moves in Commodities

Gold, oil and copper prices are moving higher on bullish economic data out of China Tuesday, with Dan Dicker, Merc Block president. "I think you can still get in," he says.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46027191/

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Country music legend Merle Haggard hospitalized (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Country music great Merle Haggard has been admitted to a Georgia hospital with a respiratory illness that forced him to cancel a concert Tuesday night just seven minutes before taking the stage.

"He has a respiratory virus or infection," Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend, said as he waited Wednesday morning for a taxi to take him to the hospital in Macon, Georgia.

Haggard, 74, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, is best known for songs like "Mama Tried," "Okie from Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me."

With influences ranging from Lefty Frizzell to Bob Wills to Jimmie Rodgers, Haggard is an architect of country music's so-called "Bakersfield Sound."

Haggard was preparing to take the stage Tuesday night in Macon when it was determined he was too ill to perform, Mull said.

A concert scheduled for Wednesday night in Columbus, Georgia was cancelled. Haggard's next scheduled concert is Thursday in Paducah, Kentucky.

"I imagine we'll determine more (about other tour dates) when I get to the hospital," said Mull, who was going to meet with the singer and doctors.

Mull said Haggard was unwell when he left his California home to begin the tour, but did not want to disappoint his fans.

"He wasn't well when he left home," he said. "He thought he was well enough to work and he did work three dates, and he got progressively worse."

(Reporting By David Bailey; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/music_nm/us_merlehaggard

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Salvage Efforts Begin for Stricken Cruise Ship Costa Concordia

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A Dutch marine salvage company is preparing to pump half a million gallons of fuel from the stricken Costa Concordia cruise liner, the first step toward determining whether to save or scrap it.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=580d7f46c32023c832732d2863870580

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Smaller servings mean more balanced meals for kids: study (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) ? Feeding preschoolers smaller portions of the main dish at lunchtime means they'll eat more fruit and vegetables on the side and fewer total calories, according to a new study.

Researchers said the finding may give parents one extra strategy to encourage youngsters to eat more greens, as childhood obesity rates continue rising and research suggests that kids lag well behind guidelines for fruit and veggie consumption.

With main courses, "you need to be careful and use the age-appropriate serving," said Sara Sweitzer, a nutrition researcher from the University of Texas at Austin.

"If they fill up on the entr?e, obviously the fruit and the vegetable are the last to get eaten," added Sweitzer, who wasn't involved in the new study.

Parents can make sure they're providing the right amount of food both by inspecting what's left in the lunch box when kids come home, and by talking to their kids about how much they eat.

"Go ahead and ask your child, 'Do you want a whole sandwich or do you want just half a sandwich?'" she advised.

For the new study, researchers at a Pennsylvania preschool served 17 kids six different variations of the same meal, one day each week for lunch. The meals had anywhere from less than half a cup to more than a cup and a half of macaroni and cheese, the main dish.

That was presented along with plenty of green beans and unsweetened applesauce, plus a whole grain roll and milk.

Jennifer Savage of The Pennsylvania State University in University Park and her colleagues found that the bigger the entr?e size, the more mac and cheese -- and the less of the healthy side dishes -- kids ate.

Preschoolers finished almost all of their smallest portion of mac and cheese, for an average of about 145 calories. But they still ate the majority of much bigger portions, and put away 390 calories worth of the main course when they started with the most on their plate.

When they were served the smallest entr?e, kids ate almost half of their healthy side dishes, including fruits and veggies, compared to only a quarter when they were served the biggest mac and cheese portion, Savage's team reports in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Kids' total lunchtime calorie counts varied based on entr?e size as well: they ate an average of 506 calories with the biggest portion, and 315 with the smallest.

Sweitzer said that packing too much of the main course for lunch is a problem she sees all the time with parents, in part because they're concerned they won't include enough food and their kids will be hungry.

"You will see parents pack the whole easy mac and cheese portion," she said. "That would be a huge amount -- it would be adequate for an adult to eat as part of lunch, and they'll pack that whole thing for the child to eat."

And a four-year-old, she said, won't make balanced food choices on their own in that situation.

"If you give the child an option for a large portion of an entr?e food that they really like, they will eat that more and they'll fill up. They'll reach their satiety point and they'll just stop eating," Sweitzer told Reuters Health.

She added that another strategy to encourage kids to eat their fruits and veggies is for parents and older siblings to set a good example by choosing those as healthy snacks and making sure they're loading up on their nutrient-packed side dishes at meals.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/zwu62n American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online December 28, 2011.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/hl_nm/us_servings

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Communications Intern, U.S. Green Building Council ... - takylaov's ...

When you apply for this position, please say you saw this job on Green Dream Jobs!!

The mission of the Chapter is to promote the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings and communities in Massachusetts through education, mutual support, and advocacy, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

Position Overview:

The U.S. Green Building Council's Massachusetts Chapter is seeking a communications intern to assist with a range of communications projects.

Candidates must:

  • work well independently
  • be able to work from home
  • have reliable transportation to attend events and Chapter meetings
  • have a passion for expanding the green building industry

The Chapter is seeking an Intern who is detail oriented, proactive, ideally has prior experience with the MA Chapter, is a member in good standing, is comfortable working with websites and databases.

Responsibilities:?

The Intern will report to the Chapter Operations Manager and Communications Committee Chair and will meet at least once a week with the Chapter Operations Manager for updates and planning. Interns are expected to work from the USGBC MA Chapter office at least once a week. The Intern will attend monthly Membership Committee meetings and will be required to attend a hands-on website and database training.

Students and recent graduates with a degree in communications, public relations, marketing, or related field are encouraged to apply. Advanced undergraduate students are also encouraged to apply. Depending on skills and interests, intern projects may include:

  • Maintaining and updating the Chapter distribution lists
  • Graphic design work on chapter materials
  • Assisting with website maintenance, monthly newsletters, and media outreach.
  • Helping to maintain partner relationships.
  • Writing and editing press releases and summaries on Chapter news
  • Monitoring local green building news and reporting relevant items to Chair
  • Supporting Communications Committee work, attending monthly meetings

Qualifications:?

General Job requirements:

  • Ideally studying marketing, communications, business, public affairs, government affairs or other related courses, whether as a major or as a minor in an architectural, engineering, environmental studies, or other associated discipline
  • Must be computer and internet savvy; website experience/knowledge a definite plus, with proficiency in word, excel, and photoshop. Experience with CiviCRM, Drupal, and/or javascript a definite advantage
  • Graphic Design experience a plus
  • Prepared to do both innovative and everyday work??
  • Good written and verbal skills
  • Highly organized and a good communicator
  • Willing to commit to working hard and, once committed, being reliable
  • Knowledge of construction, environmental issues or energy conservation a plus.

This is a?6 month commitment of 10 hours a week. (1 year is preferred)

To Apply:

Please send resume and statement of career goals. No phone calls, please email; subject line MUST include the term "Communications Internship Application."

When you apply for this position, please say you saw this job on Green Dream Jobs!!

Source: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/greendreamjobs.display/id/3053518

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Source: http://takylaov.posterous.com/communications-intern-us-green-building-counc

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It's PlayStation 3 vs. Atari

Saints pass whenever, wherever, while the 49ers fight in the trenches ? which style wins?

Image: Brees celebratesReuters

Saints quarterback Drew Brees celebrates with Chase Daniel?after setting the single-season passing record with 5,087 yards.

By Gregg Rosenthal

NBCSports.com

updated 12:34 p.m. ET Jan. 13, 2012

Gregg Rosenthal

The 49ers and Saints will share a field Saturday afternoon in San Francisco, but they aren?t playing the same game.?

The Saints have evolved into the 21st century video game version of a football team. They are an extension of their quarterback. Drew Brees holds the controller, and the entire team is built around his skills.

Saints coach Sean Payton prizes continuity and smarts from his offensive players. He doesn?t just look for the best players; he looks for the best players that fit with Brees. Payton wants receivers that know exactly what Brees thinks when he sees certain coverages. Forget 40 times; the Saints value running backs that can catch, block, and line up in a variety of formations. Pierre Thomas isn?t the most skilled runner in the league, but he will never have to buy a beer again in New Orleans because he?s a great Brees sidekick.

New Orleans throws the ball in any game situation, any down and distance. They rank second in the NFL in pass attempts and 20th in rushing attempts despite mostly playing with the lead. They always attack, assuming that no lead or record is safe until the game ends. It?s a game that would be unrecognizable to Vince Lombardi.

Even the Saints defense is built around Brees. While New Orleans spends huge money on Brees? offensive linemen, the team saves under the cap with an opportunistic defense. New Orleans knows it?s impossible to build a complete team in the salary cap era, so they really don?t try. This is the old Colts model. The job of the Saints defense is to be aggressive and opportunistic to set up Brees.

The Saints will give up points, but their job is to make a few big plays. It?s like the Arena League. If the defense can just get a few stops, the offense should do the rest.

While the Saints are PlayStation 3, the 49ers are playing Atari.

The quarterback in San Francisco is almost incidental. Alex Smith is just a cog in the greater machine. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh arrived from Stanford, took a look at his roster, and played to its strengths. San Francisco won 13 games and earned the NFC?s No. 2 seed by turning back the clock to the 1970?s.

San Francisco is built around defense first, and the running game second. Harbaugh views football as a disciplined war of attrition. He knows that his team will win most weeks if they avoid mistakes and dominate in the trenches. Simple.

The 49ers talk about balance on offense, but balance in 2011 means running the ball like crazy. They play it safe. Alex Smith threw for the fewest interceptions-per-pass of any quarterback in the league.

Harbaugh still shows off some modern flourishes within the framework of San Francisco?s smashmouth style. His formations and creativity with extra blockers in the running game looks more like a college running attack. He makes defenses prepare for a lot, and he will call a handful of ?shot plays? designed to give Smith simple reads for potential big gainers on offense. The defense is also difficult to prepare for because they are so talented and fundamentally sound.

In an era where coaches are often too stuck in their prescribed system, Harbaugh puts his players in positions to succeed. He could coach a more modern offense, but it wouldn?t suit his roster. Sean Payton could stop throwing so aggressively, but wouldn?t make sense for a team led by Drew Brees. Neither man is worried about convention, which is a good thing. Great coaching is above all adaptable.

The Saints are favored in San Francisco. This is largely because football fans are easily impressed with flashy numbers. The Saints look like a team built to win in 2012. Or 2022. If New Orleans does win, they might face Green Bay and New England next. Those are two more elite teams where quarterbacks rule all and defense is a rumor.?

The 49ers aren?t just trying to win a playoff game Saturday for a starved, once-proud franchise.

They are fighting to prove that their style of football can work in any era.

PLAYERS WITH MOST TO GAIN
1. Eli Manning, Giants:
They say you can?t improve pocket presence, but Manning has come a long way in his career at handling pressure. He?s great delivering passes with players in his face. A huge upset in Green Bay would help cement Manning as one of the game?s very best quarterbacks during a career year.

2. Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, and Frank Gore, 49ers: Smith and Gore are two of the most underrated players of the last decade. They are looking for their first playoff win. So is Willis. He is the very best at his position and is on his way to a Hall of Fame-type career, but too many people have barely seen him play.

3. Brian Cushing, Texans: Perhaps people will notice who the best inside linebacker on the field is Sunday in Baltimore. Cushing is the emotional leader of a still-overlooked Texans defense.

4. Robert Meachem and Marques Colston, Saints: The soon-to-be free agent wideouts for the Saints can make some money with a big playoff run.

5. Ryan Grant, Packers: He represents all the injured Packers from a year ago that only could watch their team win it all. Grant has possibly played his way into another year in Green Bay with a strong finish to the season.

6. Tim Tebow, Broncos: The guy needs more attention.

PLAYERS WITH MOST TO LOSE
1. Tom Brady, Patriots
: This game means so much to the Patriots. A third straight playoff defeat at home would be devastating for Brady. He seems more driven then ever at age 34, almost like he wants another title too much.? He knows the Patriots can?t be No. 1 seeds forever.

2. Ray Lewis, Ravens: He says this team is more complete than the 2000 Ravens. Terrell Suggs says this is easily the best Ravens team he?s played on. The Ravens are set up well to make another Super Bowl appearance, but this is a different role for them in the playoffs: Home favorites.

3. Joe Flacco, Ravens: If he thought the media didn?t give him credit before, try losing to a fifth-round rookie quarterback at home.

4. Charles Woodson, Packers: Woodson said it during the week. Two straight titles would put the Packers at a different level historically. This team seems very aware of how close it is to being an all-time great.

5. Sean Payton, Saints: It?s not particularly fair, but the Saints? winning streak has left many in New Orleans feeling that anything short of a Super Bowl title this year will be a massive disappointment.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH
1. Jason Pierre-Paul versus Chad Clifton
Green Bay did a decent job protecting Aaron Rodgers in the first matchup against the Giants with one huge exception. Jason Pierre-Paul absolutely manhandled left tackle Marshall Newhouse all day.

Now Chad Clifton is back after taking only 25 snaps in Week 17. He hasn?t played a full game since Week 4. It?s a tall task to ask Clifton to hold up against JPP on the outside. Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga is also coming back from an injury and will be tested by New York?s pass rush.

2. Patriots tight ends versus Broncos safeties
Denver double-teamed Rob Gronkowski all day last time around, so Aaron Hernandez went off for nine catches and 129 yards. New England exposed the youth at safety and the lack of depth in Denver?s secondary last time. I doubt they found a solution in the meantime.

3. Texans offensive line versus Ravens front seven
Houston?s run blocking may be the best in football. Baltimore?s front seven led by Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata may be the toughest group in the league. The Texans didn?t get good push in Baltimore on the ground the first time these teams played. They need to win this matchup for a chance on Sunday.

4. San Francisco versus the blitz
The 49ers showed great difficulty identifying blitzing defenders in matchups against Dallas, Baltimore, and Arizona this year. They seemed to clean this up against the Steelers, but Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will test Alex Smith. The 49ers don?t have many wideouts that can win one-on-one so expect to see a lot of pressure on Smith.

5. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil versus the Patriots tackles
Patriots tackles Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer have struggled with injuries at times this year. Guard Logan Mankins also isn?t 100%. The Patriots held up fairly well the first time around, largely by getting rid of the ball quickly.? If the Broncos pull off the upset Saturday night, it will be largely because Miller and Dumervil dominate.


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More news
It's PlayStation 3 vs. Atari

Rosenthal: The 49ers and Saints will share a field Saturday afternoon in San Francisco, but they aren?t playing the same game.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45986386/ns/sports-nfl/

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