NFL Wild Card Playoff Predictions

The playoffs are finally here!  Time for me to make my picks for the Wild Card round this weekend. 

NFC Wild Card: Falcons at Giants 
Just like last year, the Falcons have been one of those teams that you don't really hear much about, yet are still playing well enough to get into the postseason.  QB Matt Ryan now has an additional target in rookie WR Julio Jones to go along with Roddy White.  In order to win this one, however, they'll need to get some good yardage out of RB Michael Turner, the league's third-leading rusher, in order to take some of the pressure off Ryan that the Giants' formidable pass rush will bring.  New York's defense, led by Pro Bowl DE Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks) and DE's Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, is third in the NFL with 48 sacks this season.  The Giants can also match Atlanta's high-octane passing offense yard for yard.  Eli Manning has been the comeback kid this season, having led his team to five come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter this season, and WR Victor Cruz has emerged as a key playmaker for the Giants.  Atlanta has the advantage on both offense and defense, but New York has gotten hot at the right time, and Manning knows how to finish strong and win when it counts.  Expect another game-winning fourth quarter drive from the Giants. 
Giants 24, Falcons 21.  

NFC Wild Card: Lions at Saints 
Expect a shootout in the Superdome as two 5000-yard passers square off on Saturday night.  The Saints' Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's long-held single-season passing yardage record with 5476 yards.  But Brees is quick to give credit where it's due, as he has plenty of reliable receivers in WR Marques Colston and Pro Bowl TE Jimmy Graham, as well as a solid offensive line with three Pro Bowlers - Jarhi Evans, Jermon Bushrod, and Carl Nicks - to protect him.  For the Lions, it's been a long time coming, but they've finally made the playoffs for the first time since 1999.  Leading the charge for Detroit are QB Matthew Stafford, who is finally healthy and having his best season yet with 5038 passing yards, and WR Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, the NFL's leading receiver.  Both of these teams rank in the lower half of the league in defense, so this will definitely be a high-scoring game.  The running game will make the biggest difference for either side, and that's where New Orleans has the advantage, averaging about 40 more yards per game on the ground.  Not to mention that the Saints are undefeated at home this season.  It's been a great season for the Lions, but I'm afraid their long-awaited playoff run will be short-lived. 
Saints 41, Lions 35.  

AFC Wild Card: Bengals at Texans 
The Bengals have been one of the biggest surprises this season, having made the postseason when most thought they wouldn't even have a winning record.  Rookie QB Andy Dalton is a proven leader on the field, and WR A.J. Green made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.  The running back tandem of Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott balances out Cincinnati's offense.  The Bengals' strength, however, is in their defense, which ranked seventh in the league.  The Texans, who are making their first playoff appearance in franchise history, have an excellent defense of their own.  Led by Pro Bowl CB Jonathan Joseph, LB's Brian Cushing, Demeco Ryans, and Connor Barwin; and DE J.J. Watt, Houston's defense ranks second overall, third against the pass, and fourth against the run.  They also pack quite a punch on offense.  Rookie T.J. Yates has filled in admirably at QB for the injured Matt Schaub, and he'll finally have a healthy Andre Johnson to throw to.  RB's Arian Foster and Ben Tate lead a rushing attack that ranks second only to Denver's.  Look for both teams to try to pound it out on the ground throughout most of the game.  The key difference in this game is that the Bengals have yet to show that they can beat a playoff-caliber team - they've gone 0-7 in that regard - whereas Houston has already done so on three occasions this season. 
Texans 10, Bengals 7.  

AFC Wild Card: Steelers at Broncos 
The most talked-about player in the NFL this year has been Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.  Unless you only started following the NFL last week, you probably already know about Tebow's fourth-quarter heroics and Denver's six-game winning streak.  But the Broncos have struggled in their last three games, and Tebow has never faced a defense like Pittsburgh's, which is tops in the league despite the early-season worries of critics who said that they were getting too old.  The Steelers have a lot of concerns heading into Mile High, the biggest one being the health of Pro Bowl QB Ben Roethlisberger, who re-aggravated a high ankle sprain last week.  They will also be without RB Rashard Mendenhall, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last week; All-Pro C Maurkice Pouncey (ankle injury); and FS Ryan Clark, whose sickle-cell trait prevents him from playing in Denver's high altitude.  With his play-making mobility limited, Roethlisberger will need to be able to get rid of the ball quickly, whether it's by handing it off to backup RB Isaac Redman, or by making short throws to his speedy Pro Bowl wide receivers, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.  (It worked against the Patriots, so it should work against Denver as well.)  In any case, he can't afford to hold on to the ball too long, as the Broncos boast a very fearsome pass rush.  LB Von Miller is the front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and has combined with DE Elvis Dumervil for 21 sacks this season.  The Broncos will also rely on their running game, which led the league this season thanks to both Tebow and RB Willis McGahee.  However, if the Steelers' run defense can contain them and force Tebow to throw the ball more, the Broncos could be in a heap of trouble.  Tebow has not been very good in the passing game, and Pittsburgh boasts the top pass defense in the NFL, led by All-Pro SS Troy Polamalu.  LB's Lamar Woodley and James Harrison could wreak havoc on Denver's O-line, which will be without a key piece in G Chris Cuper.  This game could go either way; it will all come down to who steps up their game and who wants it more. 
Steelers 17, Broncos 13.