Sam Farmer’s NFL picks for Sunday’s playoff games

Today’s games BALTIMORE AT NEW ENGLAND 10 a.m. PST, Channel 2 Story line: It’s difficult to pick against the Patriots in January, especially at home, where they’ve won 11 consecutive postseason games. If they can contain Baltimore’s ground game -- and that means playing a lot better defense than they did in their finale at Houston -- the Patriots should be OK. Sam Farmer’s pick: Patriots 24, Ravens 17 GREEN BAY AT ARIZONA 1:30 p.m. PST, Channel 11 Story line: The Packers are heating up at the right time, and they could be poised to make the kind of postseason run Arizona made a year ago. (Then again, Kurt Warner could work his magic again.) The key for Green Bay is protecting Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked an NFC-high 50 times this season. Farmer’s pick: Packers 27, Cardinals 21