NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions 2012: The Road to Indy Starts Here

January is finally here. We all prayed for this weekend to actually come, the weekend where everything goes out the window, where one game matters more than any. Last summer, we sat in our homes biting our nails and crying over the fact that we may not have any football. Thankfully, we were treated to a fantastic regular season, filled with rookie sensations, the evolution of the quarterback and Jerome Simpson's catch.

Now all that remains are 12. Twelve teams that overcame adversity, injuries, complete team revivals and much more to have the chance to bring the Lombardi Trophy home and crown themselves as champions. This weekend kicks off what should be a fantastic march to Indianapolis. Do the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow stand a chance against Dick LeBeau and his Steelers defense? Can Detroit get revenge on the Saints? Can Jerome Simpson (please) flip in the end zone again?

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans

A rematch of Week 14, this game features two teams who underwent a restructuring in the offseason which helped them to finally make the playoffs. The Bengals parted ways with Chad Ochocinco and (eventually) Carson Palmer. A.J. Green and Andy Dalton stepped up huge and brought Cincinnati back to relevance while also forming a fantastic duo.

The Texans brought in former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips as their defensive coordinator in a move which I believe is the coaching move of the year. Phillips implemented his 3-4 scheme and overcame the loss of Mario Williams to produce the NFL's second ranked defense. The offense, through its injuries to Andre Johnson and all three quarterbacks, still did just enough to keep this team afloat.

The Bengals just seem primed to pull out a victory here. T.J. Yates may not be 100 percent and I'm a big believer in momentum in the playoffs (just look at Green Bay last year). Houston is coming off three consecutive loses. If the Bengals can get a solid running game going, it should take the pressure off Dalton and allow him to comfortably find A.J. Green and his other targets. Look for another close game here, but with the Bengals ending up victorious.

Cincinnati 27, Houston 21

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints

Again we're treated to another rematch, this time from Week 13. The Lions finally made the playoffs, their first berth since 1999. Matthew Stafford was a big reason for this, as he finally stayed healthy and threw for over 5,000 yards. That, of course, is easier to do when you've got a receiver like Calvin Johnson to lob the ball up to. Johnson had another great season, and the emergence of tight end Brandon Pettigrew helped tremendously.

Unfortunately for the Lions, they go up against the hottest quarterback in the league in Drew Brees. Brees, as we all know, set the record for most passing yards in a season with 5,476. The Saints had their own share of breakout players, Jimmy Graham being among them. Darren Sproles could possibly be the best free-agent pickup of the season as he did nearly everything for the Saints.

Jim Schwartz has turned around this Lions franchise for the better. In the end, the Saints should prevail in a game that will feature a lot of offense. The Lions don't have the secondary to contain Brees and his plethora of weapons, and Gregg Williams is a mastermind at running an opportunistic defense.

Detroit 24, New Orleans 41

Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants

Both of these teams endured ups and downs this season yet still overcame adversity to make the playoffs. The Falcons, chosen by many to make the Super Bowl, didn't live up to expectations. The defense struggled in the beginning and the offense was sporadic at best. Julio Jones came into his own towards the latter part of the season and showed some reasons as to why the Falcons mortgaged their future for the receiver. Roddy White is still a star in this league and benefited greatly with Jones lining up with him. Matt Ryan, who I've long believed is underrated, had another good season, throwing for nearly 30 touchdowns. Not to mention the Falcons have Michael Turner pounding the ball for them.

The Giants had the NFC East wrapped up but lost four straight to have their final showdown against the Cowboys last Sunday. Eli Manning elevated himself to an elite quarterback this year with his comeback victories, yet had to carry the load much of the time due to the lackluster running game the Giants boast. Victor Cruz had a memorable season and aided Manning and fans to forget Steve Smith, who left for the Eagles. The Giants pass rush is unparalleled, but when they can't get to the quarterback, their defense allows even pedestrian teams to come up with a win.

The Falcons, most certainly better than a pedestrian team, just have too many offensive weapons for the Giants to contain. Julio Jones and Roddy White should have great games, and the defense for Atlanta should play well enough to hold off Cruz. With the lackluster running game, Manning will have to force some passes to his receivers, which in turn leads to him struggling and throwing untimely interceptions.

Atlanta 21, New York 17

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

We all know the story. Kyle Orton began the season as the starter in Denver, only to be replaced by fan favorite Tim Tebow (Orton was then shipped to KC where he beat the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers). John Fox was forced to change his entire offensive scheme to a college-option running attack, and it worked to some extent. Tim Tebow was 7-1 as a starter, leading some amazing fourth quarter comebacks. Defenses around the league soon figured out how to contain the Broncos, and Denver stumbled into the playoffs and an AFC West title after losing their last three games. The strong suite for the Broncos, their defense led by sensational rookie Von Miller and veterans Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins, also struggled down the stretch. The inconsistencies placed too much pressure on the defense to contain the opposition and keep rested.

The Steelers offensive line struggled throughout the season to protect Ben Roethlisberger, causing a loss (Houston) and an ankle injury to their star quarterback. To make matters worse, Rashard Mendenhall reportedly is out for the playoffs with a torn ACL. When Roethlisberger does have time to throw, he has a young crop of receivers led by Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. Hines Ward, playing in what could be his last playoff run with the Steelers (or in the NFL) mentors the group as the seasoned veteran.

Of course, the strength of the Steelers is their vaunted defense, once again finishing as the best in the NFL. Laurence Timmons and James Harrison led a strong linebacker corps that, with their defensive line, rush the quarterback better than almost any group in the league. Dick LeBeau is a defensive mastermind who preys on young, inexperienced quarterbacks.

Roethlisberger may be inhibited because of his ankle injury, but the Steelers defense is too good to let the Broncos get ahead for good. Big Ben should make just enough plays to put his team on top, while Tebow should help out the Pittsburgh defense as well. Injuries on the part of the Steelers offense should make this a relatively close scoring game, but the defense should play a dominant part in shutting down Tebow.

Pittsburgh 17, Denver 10