Saints vs Lions: Preview and Predictions for 2012 NFC Wild Card Game

The most exciting game in the wild-card round can be found in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The New Orleans Saints clinched the three-seed with the San Francisco 49ers win and the Detroit Lions clinched the sixth seed with their loss to the Green Bay Packers.

This is a rematch of a Week 13 game that was quite the blowout. In the Saints' 31-17 win at the Superdome, New Orleans jumped out to a commanding 17-0 lead before easing off the gas pedal a bit.

Drew Brees threw for 342 yards and three TDs as he carved up the Lions' 14th-ranked pass defense with ease. Despite holding the ball for a mere 24:54, the offense still racked up 438 yards. Despite coming out on the short end of the scoreboard, the Lions were able to out-gain the Saints in total yardage (466-to-438).

Where: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans Louisiana

When: Sunday 1:00 PM EST

Watch: FOX

Listen: WWL 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit and 105.3 in New Orleans

Stream: Online at NFL.com here.

What's at Stake:

The Saints have been one of the glamor teams of the NFL for the last three seasons and enter the 2012 postseason as one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Yet the pressure is on as they need a win this weekend to erase the bitter taste of losing to the Seattle Seahawks in last year's playoff stunner out of their mouths.

Another first round exit would put some serious doubt into fans that the Drew Brees era in New Orleans may be coming to a close.

Meanwhile the Lions are just happy to be here. They enter the postseason for the first time since 1999 and are the youngest team in the playoffs. Who knows what to expect from this bunch, they are now playing with house money.

Key Matchups:

Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas vs Detroit’s Run Defense

The Lions were able to contain Ingram (16 carries, 54 yards) and Sproles (four carries, 28 yards) back in December, and it was the main reason the Lions were able to make the game respectable. If the Lions are able to put up a similar performance, they will put a ton of pressure on Brees to play perfect.

Ndamukong Suh vs Saints O-Line

Suh didn’t play in the first matchup due to his suspension and could be the difference-maker next week. He has the combination of size and speed (6'4", 310 pounds) to really wreak some havoc up front.

The key to beating the Saints is getting pressure on Brees and flushing him out of the pocket and Suh is the man for the job. Forcing Brees to throw on the run will be essential for the Lions.

Matthew Stafford vs Saints Secondary

Stafford will likely have a field day against a Saints defense that ranks 30th against the pass. If Stafford (5087 yards, 41 TDs) gets time in the pocket, he should have no problem carving a banged-up secondary that is weak at corner.

Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer are going to have their hands full trying to contain Calvin Johnson, who wins this year’s award for best receiver in the league.

On the Hot Seat: Drew Brees

Brees will forever go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Saints history, but he needs a strong postseason to ensure he doesn't get the Peyton Manning rep of not winning when it matters most.Brees may have set the all-time passing yards record, but none of that matters now.

Losing to a young and undisciplined team like the Lions would put a serious damper in what's been a magical season for Brees

Prediction: Saints 34, Lions 27

This is going to be a lot closer than the Saints would like it to be because of their deficiencies against the pass, but Brees is playing on a whole different level and is not going to let his squad lose to a team as flawed as the Lions.

The future is bright for Detroit, but this is not their year.