NFL Playoffs: Picking Saturday's Wild Card Round Winners

Finally, it’s playoff time in the professional football world. The wildcard round kicks off tonight with two games, and the other two are scheduled for tomorrow.

Saturday evening finds the Houston Texans hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, and three and a half hours later, the Detroit Lions will line up against the New Orleans Saints in Louisiana.

Both matchups are intriguing, and any outcome is possible. Of course, there are favorites and everyone is waiting to see if they can meet the expectations, while others hope for an upset.

Let’s take a look at the wildcard duels.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans

You can also call it “Rookie Bowl,” since both teams will have a rookie under center.

The Houston Texans will play their first playoff game ever, and they will be at home. They have not been good recently and lost their last three games. The Texans play with their third-string quarterback, T.J. Yates, and his performance is a big question mark for them.

Andre Johnson is set to play for only the eighth time this season, although his long period of absence might affect his efficiency.

The Cincinnati Bengals found their way to the playoffs having a rookie quarterback and a rookie wide receiver as starters all year long. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have been great and their playing will decide the team’s future in the postseason.

Their defense will also play a big part in the game. The Texans will rely a lot on their running play, so if the Bengals can limit Foster and Tate, they will increase their chances.

I think the Bengals will win a close game.

Detroit Lions—New Orleans Saints

This game looks like an offensive contest, although I expect the Lions to try and control the pace. Drew Brees has been exceptional in 2011 and the Lions have to limit his time on the field if they want to have any chance of eliminating the Saints.

The New Orleans offense has been firing on all cylinders lately and I don’t expect them to have a lot of problems against a Lions secondary that allows almost 240 passing yards per game. All they have to do is give Brees time to scan the field.

Defensively, if they can contain Calvin Johnson, then they should be dominating the game.

The Detroit Lions ended their playoff drought, but they are aiming to something more than one-and-out. Matthew Stafford is a great quarterback, and if he gets his offense going, he can be a headache for the Saints.

The Lions have to find a way to make a stand defensively; that’s their only chance to snatch a win. If they fall behind early, they will have to play catch-up and take risks—not the best option, especially in a loud dome.

The scoreboard will be on fire tonight, and the Saints will leave the field as winners.