NFL Wild Card Predictions 2012: Matchups Lions Must Win to Shock Saints

In order to avoid elimination in their first playoff game since the turn of the millennium, the Detroit Lions must win a handful of key matchups. The New Orleans Saints may be many analysts' Super Bowl favorites, but the Lions are too talented of all ballclub to count out. Detroit will be the Saints if they can achieve a handful of challenging goals.

Here are the matchups the Lions must come out on top of.

Calvin Johnson vs. New Orleans Secondary

Calvin Johnson must Moss Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer, Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins repeatedly. Megatron can’t just have a solid six-reception, 100-yard, one-touchdown performance for the Lions to come away with the win. Detroit needs two touchdowns at least; Johnson has been unguardable all season long, so a pair of TDs in the biggest game of the year isn’t asking too much.

Matchup Winner: Calvin Johnson

Drew Brees vs. Detroit Secondary

Detroit has absolutely no shot to stop Drew Brees or even slow him down. No one should expect them to, though, but they can do two things that would give the Lions a huge boost. Louis Delmas and company must first keep the 40-plus-yard passes to a minimum. If the Lions secondary can bend without breaking, eventually their top-notch defensive line is going to sack Brees.

Secondly, they need turnovers. Two or even one turnover would keep the Lions in the entire game.

Matchup Winner: Drew Brees

Kevin Smith vs. New Orleans Run Defense

If Detroit abandons the running game early, it will become too easy for the Saints defense. They must establish a consistent rushing attack with Kevin Smith to not only play their game, but to keep the ball out of Brees' hands. In the regular season, Detroit only gained 87 yards on the ground and the Saints ended up winning 31-17.

Matchup Winner: New Orleans Run Defense

Prediction

The Matt Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson connection will come up big, but it won’t be enough. Smith, though, hasn’t surpassed 50 yards on the ground over the past five games and, according to USA Today, he sustained an ankle injury in practice on Wednesday. And on top of that, it’s just hard to imagine Brees blowing this one after the season he’s had.

New Orleans 31-24

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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