NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Predicting Results of Every Wild Card Matchup

Finally, the playoffs are set. We can now begin the second question of who goes to the Super Bowl.

Here we have the Wild Card Weekend matchups, and two of the games are regular season rematches.

How will Detroit fare in the dance for the first time since 1999? Can Tim Tebow and the Broncos oust the defending AFC champion Steelers?

Despite Week 17 being pretty exciting, there's a reason we call this the Wild Card round, because it's going to be wild.

Steelers at Broncos

Pittsburgh travels to Denver for the Wild Card game with a 12-4 record and a banged up QB in Ben Roethlisberger.

The Broncos enter on a three-game losing streak and have arguably the NFL's worst passing offense.

When possessing the ball, the Broncos have no choice but to run the rock.

Pittsburgh has the No. 1 pass defense (allow 171.9 yards per game) and the No. 8 rush defense (allow 99.8 per game).

Keeping it between the tackles with Willis McGahee is needed, as going outside with Tebow in addition to the option will not suffice. Denver must get some early production in the passing game. Otherwise, Pittsburgh will totally blank them.

Against lock-down coverage, blitzing and the defensive line controlling the gaps, Denver's offense is going to have a lot of trouble moving the chains.

Now when the Steelers have the ball, the Broncos must get pressure on Big Ben. Pittsburgh's pass offense is deadly against a weak pass defense like Denver's (rank No. 18, allow 231.5).

Pass-rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil will be key, because Steelers WRs Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown will beat most single-coverage opportunities. To that end, it will make running the ball easier for Pittsburgh.

A solid passing attack always opens up the rushing lanes.

Steelers over Broncos

Bengals at Texans

When the Texans and Bengals met in Week 14 at Cincinnati, WR Andre Johnson didn't play and Houston still won 20-19.

This time around, expect Johnson to suit up as he did in Week 17—despite limited production—and draw attention from the Cincinnati defense.

Let's put it this way—if TJ Yates can hit 300 yards without Johnson (as he did in the first matchup), he'll go over that this time around.

In turn, that will also open up the ground game for Arian Foster and the Texans No. 2 ranked rushing offense (averages 153 per game).

Cincinnati may have a Top 10 defense, but with Johnson in the lineup it only makes things more difficult.

As for when the Bengals have the ball, Cincinnati really needs AJ Green to have a dominating performance. If Green doesn't derive enough attention, the Texans defense will be suffocating.

Houston has arguably the NFL's best defense, and the Bengals are average at best offensively. Not to mention the Texans have a great pass-rush with JJ Watt, Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin.

For Cincinnati to have a chance, running the ball up the middle is the only way. Then it will setup Green on play-action. But with so many other ways for Houston to attack on either side of the ball, the odds are significantly against Cincinnati.

Texans over Bengals

Falcons at Giants

Here we see to stellar passing offenses duking it out.

Atlanta ranks No. 8 in passing (averages 262 yards per game) and the Giants rank No. 4 (average 296 per game).

Defensively, both are extremely weak against the pass, but there are distinct strengths that give each an edge.

New York has the much better pass-rushing unit, and the Falcons are much better at defending the run. Also, the Falcons have been more effective in rushing offense this season (rank No. 17 to New York's No. 32).

So what this game will come down to is not absolute production as it is the game plan. For the Falcons to give Matt Ryan time to throw, they must use their ground game. We know the Giants will cause pressure, because that's their defensive forte.

Minimizing that pressure comes from showing that you'll run the ball all game, regardless of production. As for The Dirty Birds' defense, they must get pressure on Eli Manning.

Don't expect the Giants to run the ball too much, because they know Atlanta's pass-rush isn't an imposing threat.

Include RB Ahmad Bradshaw's versatility along with the Falcons' pass defense, and the game is really between Eli Manning and Matt Ryan.

In that case, the Giants have a big advantage.

Giants over Falcons

Lions at Saints

Now we get to two offenses that solely rely on throwing the ball to be effective—Detroit and New Orleans.

The Lions rank No. 4 in pass offense (average just over 300 yards per game) but only No. 29 in rushing (average 95.2 per game).

New Orleans however, knows how to use their ground game at will and rank No. 1 in passing and No. 6 in rushing (combine for 465 total yards per game).

Fortunately for the Lions, though, the Saints allow almost 260 pass yards per game (rank No. 30).

Therefore, expect Matthew Stafford to dice 'em up with Calvin Johnson—the question is whether they can keep up with Drew Brees.

We also know that New Orleans rarely loses at home while the Lions already lost at New Orleans 31-17 in Week 13. In any event though, expect a high-scoring game.

The Saints won't be able to stop Megatron, and the Lions won't be able to stop Drew Brees. The game will come down to the performance of Stafford versus Brees.

We all know that edge goes to New Orleans, as this is Stafford's first postseason game while Brees has thrown 10 TDs to zero picks in his last four playoff games.

And based on how Packers backup QB Matt Flynn threw for almost 500 yards against Detroit, Brees dominating goes without saying.

Saints over Lions

Follow John Rozum on Twitter