NFL Playoff Scenarios: 4 Matchups We Would Be Thrilled To See

The NFL playoffs are rapidly approaching, which means that the playoff picture is growing ever clearer.

Now that it's almost a foregone conclusion as to which teams will reach the postseason and which will have to watch from home like the rest of us, it's easy to start to get excited about the matchup possibilities.

Every playoff game is guaranteed to be exciting in its own way, as each matchup will feature two of the very best teams in the league. But here are four potential contests that should prove to be the most compelling if they take place.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

A third meeting between these two AFC North squads is becoming almost a yearly event, though it's generally the Pittsburgh Steelers who normally end up with a win.

However, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Steelers twice already in the regular season. While it's harder to notch that third win than it generally is to earn the first two, and while the Steelers have far more postseason success than the Ravens, this just might be Baltimore's year to slay Goliath when it matters most.

If the Ravens are to accomplish that goal, then they must approach the game similarly to the two they've already played. The key to beating the Steelers is to hold down their offensive production—not an easy task considering Pittsburgh fields the fifth-best offense in the league.

At the same time, Baltimore needs to be offensively efficient in their own right, exploiting the Steelers corners in the passing game, throwing over the middle when safety Troy Polamalu is showing blitz and running often and well.

It should be an excellent, hard-hitting and entertaining third game between these two teams should they meet in the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints

The Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints seem destined to meet in the NFC Championship game this year, though there are more than a few obstacles in both teams' ways in order to get there.

But if they should, expect something similar to the teams' first meeting in the NFL season opener in early September. That game ended in a 42-34 victory for the Packers and set them on their way to the dominant, one-loss season they've had so far.

The Packers and the Saints a very similar teams. They're headed on offense by an excellent quarterback, they both have a number of elite receiving options, they run well when they need to and their respective secondaries are suspect, to say the least.

Both Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are susceptible to pressure, and pressure will be the order of the day should these two teams meet. While there seemed to be little defense in their first meeting, this second matchup should prove far more difficult for both Brees and Rodgers to move the ball at will.

Whichever team makes the fewest mistakes, takes advantage of their opportunities and exploits the other team's weak defense the most will win this matchup. It should be an amazing display of football prowess that will likely result in the winner headed to the Super Bowl as the NFC's representative.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons

The San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons haven't met in the regular season, but that's just one reason why these two teams facing off in the playoffs is so compelling.

They're very well-matched teams, with both defenses extremely strong against the run (the Niners allow just 70.5 rushing yards on average per game, the Falcons 96.6), the Falcons ranking in the top 10 in passing yardage and the Niners in the top 10 when it comes to rushing.

Defense will be the order of the day in this game. San Francisco leads the league in forced turnovers, with 18 interceptions and 18 forced fumbles (13 recovered) so far this season, while Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown 12 interceptions himself and has lost three fumbles this year.

Pressure on Ryan will be necessary for the Niners if they want to win this contest, as it doesn't seem likely (at least on paper) that either Atlanta running back Michael Turner or San Francisco running back Frank Gore won't get a lot of significant yardage in this game.

Same goes for Atlanta, considering that San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, while improved, is still prone to making mistakes while under pressure and can be held to low yardage fairly easily.

Low-scoring and intense, 49ers versus Falcons should be fun to watch down to the last seconds.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

While the AFC West is still up in the air, the Denver Broncos still have control of the division. Should they continue to hold on, then they'll be the division's representative in the AFC and one of the more unlikely—but certainly not undeserving—teams in the playoffs.

The Broncos have found success with starting quarterback Tim Tebow, though he's not a prototypical passer. He's reliable enough when his passing attempts are kept low, but the more he throws the more it's clear that his accuracy issues remain. It's not helping him much that his receiving corps isn't top-tier, either.

If the Broncos meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, it's going to be quite the interesting matchup. On one side, there's the Steelers, with their high-level passing game and their always-tough defense. On the other, there's the run-heavy Broncos offense and their tough defense that has managed to put some serious pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is no stranger to pressure, and he should have little trouble evading the Broncos pass rush, to an extent, and make plays. However, it's all about how well the Steelers defense can stop the Denver run game led by not just Tebow but also running backs Willis McGahee and Lance Ball.

It's an intriguing matchup, one that seems off balance on paper but should prove as hard-hitting and tough as ever. When it comes to Tebow, almost anything is possible, meaning that the Steelers aren't as heavy favorites as they appear at first glance.