Detroit Lions: How They Match Up with New Orleans Saints in Wild-Card Game

It's playoff time Detroit, and your Detroit Lions hold the sixth seed and travel to the Big Easy to take on the Saints!

This is going to be a great matchup, featuring two gunslingers who have put up monster numbers this season. So with that in mind, let's take a look at how these two teams match up.

Lions passing game vs. Saints pass defense:

Lions quarterback Matt Stafford is the worst kept secret in the NFL. Stafford has passed for over 5,000 yards, the first Lions quarterback to do so, and the second this season (behind Drew Brees, but we'll get to him later).  

Calvin Johnson has punched his ticket to Hawaii already. He's coming off a monster game last week, in which he caught 11 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown.  

Should Johnson see his usual double or triple-team, the Lions have Nate Burleson, Titus Young and tight end Brandon Pettigrew to step up and carry the load.

The Saints' pass defense, according to NFL.com, is ranked 30th in the league. Roman Harper leads the team with 96 tackles.  

Advantage: Lions

Saints passing game vs. Lions pass defense:

The Lions should have the benefit of the return of safety Louis Delmas which will ultimately give the secondary a boost, but the Lions are still ranked 22nd in the league in pass defense.

The Saints are No.1 in the league in passing offense—duh—and in yards per game.  

Advantage: Saints

Lions running game vs. Saints run defense:

The Lions have managed to go 10-6 with virtually no running game this season since Jahvid Best went down.

Maurice Morris, Kevin Smith, and Keiland Williams have had their ups and downs this year, but they really need to step up on Saturday.

Believe it or not, the Lions are ranked 29th in the league in rushing, according to NFL.com. The Saints are 12th in the league in run defense.  

Advantage: Saints

Saints running game vs. Lions run defense:

The Saints will be without their one-two punch of Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas since Ingram was placed on Injured Reserve. It is up to Thomas to shoulder the load. Even with the potential return of defensive tackle Corey Williams, the Lions rank 23rd in run defense, while the Saints rank sixth in the NFL in rushing.  

Advantage: Lions---slightly

Lions special teams vs. Saints special teams:

Lions kicker Jason Hanson is no stranger to the big stage, and he will certainly be called upon to do what he does best—and he might have to do it a lot.

John Kasay is no pushover, either.  

Advantage: Even

Prediction: If Stafford can continue to build upon his monster season, and the Lions can cut out the ridiculous penalties that doomed them the last time these two teams met, there's a good chance they can pull off the upset.

New Orleans has not lost a game at home this season, and Drew Brees is making a serious case for NFL MVP. It will be interesting to see what impact Delmas' return makes on the Lions' secondary.

All good things must come to an end. Even though the Saints have most of the advantages in virtually all facets of the game, I still say the Lions squeak out the upset, given that they have so much more to play for.

Lions 34, Saints 31