NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Ranking Excitement Level for Each Wild Card Matchup

The 2012 NFL playoff field is set, and not all wild card games are created equal.

Of the four games, there is certainly a wide range in the quality of the matchup. That's what happens when a 8-8 team gets into the playoffs.

Here are the unofficial rankings for this weekend's NFL action:

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans, Saturday, 4:30 PM EST

Excitement Meter: 3 out of 10

Raise your hand if you had Andy Dalton vs. T.J. Yates in a playoff game.

The young Bengals are building something special, but aren't ready for the big stage yet. They are 0-7 against teams in the playoffs.

The Texans have a top-five ranked defense and the second best rushing attack in the league but are starting a rookie QB who was drafted in the fifth round and has five career starts to his name.

This game is going to be full of jitters and stupid mistakes in the first half. Sloppiest game of the weekend.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:00 PM EST

Excitement Meter: 6 out of 10

Can Tim Tebow complete more than six passes against the vaunted Steelers defense?

This will be Tebow's toughest task to date, and the pressure is on. His last three losses have reopened the criticism and now he is either going to be the goat or the hero against the top ranked defense in the NFL.

The good news for Denver: Rashard Mendenhall is out for the year and Ryan Clark has a condition that doesn't allow him to play at the high altitudes in Denver.

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants, Sunday, 1:00 PM EST

Excitement Meter: 8 out of 10

The Falcons are looking to erase the memories of last year's first-round flame out and will have to do it against a Giants team that is slowly gaining momentum. New York has an eerie resemblance to their '07 squad that won the Super Bowl as a wild card right now.

This is the most evenly matched game of the weekend. It's a coin flip game.

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints- Saturday, 8:00 PM EST

Excitement Meter: 10 out of 10

I'm taking the over on total points in this game even if it's 100.

Two of the best quarterbacks in the league meet in New Orleans in a rematch of the Saints' 31-17 win in early December.

If Ndamukong Suh (who was suspended for the first game) can consistently get pressure on Brees, this game is going to be much closer than most expect.

With all of the records Brees has broken this year, it will be interesting to see what sort of playoff records he can break. No quarterback in the NFL is hotter right now.

Watching the dirty and undisciplined Lions defense in the playoffs is must-see TV as well.