Odell Beckham Jr. is the most exciting player participating in the Pro Bowl.
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JOHN SCHMEELK: Fiction -Sorry, Giants fans. This, to me, is tantamount to asking if Odell Beckham Jr. is the best player in the Pro Bowl. He is a rookie and was an alternate. He had a great rookie year and is a FANTASTIC talent and player, but to put him at the top of the mountain now would be unfair to him, and the other great players in the NFL.
DAN SALOMONE: Fact -For the second half of the season, he was the most "exciting" player in the NFL. Does that mean he's the best? No. Not yet, at least. No other player brought the sports world -- and beyond -- to a standstill this season like Beckham did with "The Catch." Most of the players in the Pro Bowl have been there and done that, but Beckham will add some juice. On the excitement meter, J.J. Watt would be a close second. He just wrapped up a season for the ages, and maybe he'll line up on offense again. Too bad Jason Pierre-Paul won’t be there to intercept the pass this time.
Postseason byes are not as important in today's NFL.
JOHN SCHMEELK: Fiction -It is one less game you have to win and the importance behind that cannot be minimized. You can lose on any given week in the NFL, no matter who you play, and having to play one less game to win the Super Bowl is a huge advantage.
DAN SALOMONE: Fiction -It's the equivalent of a playoff win and one step closer to competing for a Super Bowl title. For those reasons alone, the bye cannot be undervalued. It's also one week to avoid injury as well as get healthy. I'm sure there are numbers to support both sides of rest vs. rust, but no one is turning down a bye.
Road teams will win more than home teams in the divisional round this weekend.
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These are the venues in which the Giants will play their 2015 regular season road games
The Giants will face the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, Week 1 (9/13)
The Giants will face the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Week 4 (10/14)
The Giants will face the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Week 6 (10/19)
The Giants will face the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Week 8 (11/1)
The Giants will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, Week 9 (11/8)
The Giants will face Washington at FedExField, Week 12 (11/29)
The Giants will face the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium, Week 14 (12/14)
The Giants will face the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium, Week 17 (1/3)
JOHN SCHMEELK: Fiction - **I like all the favorites in this weekend's games, but I believe one road team will figure out a way to win. I think the win will come in the NFC.
In my opinion, New England and Denver are a step above the Ravens and Colts. The Seahawks don't have an explosive offense, which means their game against Carolina will likely be close. If Dallas can run the ball in the cold, they will have a good chance against the Packers. I can't wait for the games this weekend, they should be a lot of fun.
DAN SALOMONE: Fiction -I could be convinced of a split, but for the road teams to win three of the four games, I don't see it happening. There's a reason why the home teams are playing at home. Dallas is probably the best bet on the road, where it went 8-0 in the regular season.
Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback still alive in the playoffs
JOHN SCHMEELK: Fact -Well, it is easy to argue he is the best quarterback in the NFL, so it would not be a stretch to argue he is the best quarterback left the in playoffs. It pains me to rank anyone ahead of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but those two players are nearing the end of their careers, so I will give the nod to Rodgers. Luck still turns it over too much, Romo is on the tier below, along with Flacco.
DAN SALOMONE: Fiction -Calf injury aside, I still wouldn't go with Rodgers. We're splitting hairs, but if I had to choose one, it would be the winningest playoff quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady. He's 18-8 in the postseason, while Rodgers is 6-4, having lost his previous two outings and three of the last four. And the only victory in that span was in 2012 against the Vikings, who had to start half-quarterback, half-wide receiver Joe Webb under center for the game.
