Playoff Predictions: Wild Card Round 2013

It's do or die in a great Wild Card round this weekend.  There are some familiar faces and a whole lot of new ones, literally, with our first ever three-rookie-QB playoff class.  Don't write this weekend off as small stuff either -- four out of the last five Super Bowls have involved at least one wild card team, three of which have hoisted the Lombardi.  Without further adieu, here are your detailed Lady Blitz predictions and armchair coaching tips for this first week of play in the year of Kanye 2013:

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-4.5)

The Run-Down: Haven't we seen this one before?  Yes, just last year the Texans took out the Bengals in Houston in the Wild Card round in a 31 - 10 despite starting then-third-string QB T. J. Yates.

How the Bengals Can Win: The key for Cincinnati will be taking advantage of the Texans' increasingly shaky offense with its very formidable pass rush.  Keeping Matt Schaub off his game early will allow the Bengals to focus more on stopping Arian Foster to disrupt Houston's offensive game plan.  When Cincy has the ball, Andy Dalton and A. J. Green need to establish the deep threat early to keep a suspect Texans secondary on its heels and limit the impact of Houston's front seven.

How the Texans Can Win: Houston needs to play with confidence, especially on offense, by setting up high-percentage quick slants and screens to spread the Bengals' defense out and diffuse their pass rush.  If the Texans defense can get to Andy Dalton by forcing quick three-and-outs and turnovers, the psychology of this home game is in Houston's favor.

Prediction: The momentum over the past month has definitely gone in Cincinnati's favor, and this game won't be nearly the lopsided affair it was a year ago.  I like Marvin Lewis' team that now has the experience and confidence it needs to pull off an upset.  Bengals 20, Texans 17

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-7.5)

The Run-Down: Haven't we seen this before?  Yes, just a few days ago in fact when the Vikings took down the bye-hungry Packers at the Metrodome to claim the last NFC wild card spot in dramatic fashion.  This is a divisional rivalry with heat no one expected this year.

How the Vikings Can Win: By doing what they've done all season long: running Adrian Peterson effectively and running him some more until the Packers give up on defending in the secondary.  The Minnesota defense also needs to keep getting great stops on third down to force the explosive Packers offense into punts and [missed Mason Crosby] field goals to take the Lambeau crowd out of it.

How the Packers Can Win: When Aaron Rodgers is on fire, there are no answers and this would by far be the easiest path to victory for the Packers this weekend.  However, Green Bay still needs to honor its improved run game to keep the Minnesota defense honest, and it needs to prevent its own defense from obsessing too much on stopping AP outside of the red zone where the Packers can overcome Vikings field goals with Rodgers TDs.

Prediction: From the heart, I'm all in with All Day and the Vikings, but playing the Packers two weeks in a row is a recipe for let down, especially when you have to go to Lambeau Field in January.  Packers 24, Vikings 20

 Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens (-6.5)

The Run-Down: Those who thought the rivalry between these two would have died down for a while after Peyton Manning left for Denver are mistaken.  This match is notable for both, the youth-vs.-experience dynamic of the Colts and Ravens, respectively, and for Colts Coach Chuck Pagano's first return to Baltimore since he left as the Ravens' DC just a year ago.

How the Colts Can Win: More than anything, the Colts need to leverage Pagano's knowledge of the ins and outs of the Ravens' defensive personnel to maximize Andrew Luck's chances of success in a hostile environment.  Luck will have to play things a little safer than usual, avoiding turnovers at all costs.

How the Ravens Can Win: I see two paths to a Ravens victory that would work best in tandem: 1) jump out to an early lead with big plays on offense that correspondingly 2) force Andrew Luck into tough throws and momentum-killing turnovers.  Outside of this, Baltimore has proven for the last three years that it's only as successful as Ray Rice is on nearly all occasions.  He needs to be a big factor on Sunday against a questionable Indy run defense.

Prediction: The Colts will get there in due time, but I refuse to believe that recently-activated and nearly-retired LB Ray Lewis will let Baltimore lose in what is likely to be his last home game ever.  Ravens 24, Colts 14

Seattle Seahawks (-3) at Washington Redskins

The Run-Down: It pains me that one of these two young teams that have been well worth rooting for all season will have to go home after Sunday, but that's the way of the world.  In the most doppelganger of Wild Card bouts, only one star rookie QB back by a powerful running game and opportunistic defense will make it to San Francisco or Atlanta next week.

How the Seahawks Can Win: Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch ought to be able to keep track with that high-powered Redskins offense, but the key for Seattle will be its defense's ability to outsmart RGIII and Alfred Morris in their dangerous play action game.  For this reason, it won't be enough to win at the line of scrimmage alone.  Seattle needs to prey on one of the 'Skins few offensive weaknesses by forcing fumbles and perhaps even a rare Griffin interception.

How the Redskins Can Win: As mentioned above, Washington needs to protect the football from the stingy, merciless Seahawks defense first and foremost and get the crowd into the game with well-timed big plays since Seattle won't have the 12th man on its side.  Given Robert Griffin's decreased mobility from a recent knee injury, executing the ground game early and often can wear out even the best defense and open up more field in the pass.

Prediction: For a moment, we must first acknowledge that neither of these teams are used to losing these days.  Seattle has gone 5 - 1 since its bye week and Washington has gone a stunning 7 - 0.  But when push comes to shove, the Redskins just haven't faced an offense or defense like this in recent weeks and the Seahawks have been killing it in point differential.  Seahawks 30, Redskins 17