Paul Peck's NFL Picks for Wild Card Weekend

BUFFALO (WIVB) - It's the first of the two best weekends in the NFL.  First, the wild cards.  Next week, the divisional playoffs.  All four wild card games are interesting for various reasons.  The Bengals-Texans for the rookie quarterbacks and mediocrity, the Saints-Lions for the amount of points that may be scored, the Steelers-Broncos for what the Pittsburgh defense could do to Tebow, and the Giants-Falcons for the quarterbacks.  So here are some predictions for the four games.

Last Week:  7-9

Season:  148-90

Texabs vs, Bengals:  A matchup of two rookie quarterbacks for the first time in playoff history.  Neither team cruised into the playoffs, and that could make for a tough game to watch.  But the Texans were sky high for most of the season, and the playoff atmosphere in Houston for the first time should be great.  Their defense is very good, and so is the Bengals.  T.J. Yates will struggle, but he should still get some balls to Andre Johnson.  The Texans running game with Foster and Tate may be the difference.  Andy Dalton will make some plays, but no enough. Texans win.  

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Saints vs. Lions:  Will there be 100 points scored in this one?  90?  Possibly.  Brees and Stafford are elite quarterbacks.   Calvin Johnson is the best receiver in the NFL.  The Saints defense is just a notch better than Detroit's, and so is New Orleans' running game.  That should be the difference.  Drew Brees is unstoppable, and I don't see the Lions defense doing anything about that.  Winner:  Saints..

Steelers vs. Broncos:  SI believe I heard that Denver is the largest home playoff underdog at 9 points.  Sounds right.  Tebow is awful, and was especially bad the final two weeks.  No way the Pittsburgh defense does anything to change that.  No Rashard Mendenhall hurts a bit, but Big Ben will just air it out more.  Broncos really didn't belong in the playoffs.  That will be clear after this one.  Winner: Steelers.

Giants vs. Falcons:   Eli Manning to Victor Cruz combination is deadly.  So can be the Giants pass rush.  But NY is inconsistent.  You never know whether they will show up.  Falcons had a bit of that this year, in a down season that did not meet expectations. But they have playoff experience, a solid quarterback and a good running game.  That should be enough for a narrow win.  Winner:  Falcons.