The playoffs are the only time each season that I even entertain the idea of musing on predictions for meaningful NFL games. Jeff Risdon is our expert in that department, with his sizzling 159-96-1 regular season record proving he knows exactly what he's talking about. I, somehow, have a decent track record when it comes to forecasting postseason games, going 8-3 last season. Perhaps that's why I'm still allowed to enter Risdon's realm, something he graciously allows me to do. The eight teams that will do battle in Wild-Card weekend are some of the hottest clubs in the playoffs. Five of those teams had yet to lock up a berth at this time last week, meaning the celebratory hugs they took part in on Sunday weren't enjoyed for too long. A date in Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII is weighing heavily on their minds. Without further ado, here are my predictions for the first round of the postseason. Enjoy this weekend's playoff action and have a happy and safe New Year. Atlanta @ Arizona, Saturday 4:30PM EST The Falcons are the much hotter team, having won five of their final six regular season games. The NFC West championship Cardinals, on the other hand, have lost four of their last six contests. The only teams Arizona has beaten since mid-October? The 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams. That doesn't bode well for a franchise that's celebrating its first trip to the playoffs since 1998. Neither team has a particularly good, or consistent, defense, but the Falcons allowed 6.3 fewer points (20.3 to 26.6) per game than the Cardinals. Both clubs finished in the top-ten of the league offensively, but Atlanta has a much more balanced attack, which will be the difference. Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood will control the ground game, far out-producing Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. Kurt Warner might gain more yards than rookie Matt Ryan, but the Falcons need less out of their first-year passer than Ken Whisenhunt needs from his former NFL MVP. --Falcons 28, Cardinals 17 Indianapolis @ San Diego, Saturday 8:00PM EST This game is the NFL's gift to all fans, because regardless of what team you prefer, this has the potential to be one of the best battles of the entire season. San Diego shocked Indianapolis in last year's postseason, and these teams have won a combined thirteen straight games. As hot as the teams are, the matchup between Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers should trump all other storylines. Rivers finished the regular season as the league's highest-rated passer (105.5), while Manning finished fifth (95). Their statistics are eerily similar, with Philip topping in yards (4,009 to 4,002) and fewest interceptions (11 to 12). Peyton, meanwhile, completed passes more often (66.8 to 65.3) and has a much more lengthy playoff resume. Neither team has been dangerous on the ground this season, but I'd give San Diego the edge with a gimpy LaDainian Tomlinson over a banged-up Joseph Addai. The difference while be on the other side of the ball however, with the Colts holding a major advantage on defense. Tony Dungy's crew has had issues getting off the field on third down, but they have allowed just 6 passing touchdowns against 15 interceptions this season, while the Chargers surrendered 25 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 247.4 yards per game. Only the Seahawks employed a worse pass defense this season. --Colts 34. Chargers 26 Baltimore @ Miami, Sunday 1:00PM EST In my opinion, this game is the toughest to call. The Ravens are unlikely to be fooled by any trickery, and it feels strange to say that they have the more explosive offense. Baltimore has won five of their last six games, while Miami has come out on top in nine of ten. Suffice to say, both teams are playing terrific football right now. The Dolphins posted an 11-5 record in a tougher division, but the Ravens went 11-5 while facing the Steelers twice and the competitive NFC East in out-of-conference play. Joe Flacco's rookie season with Baltimore has been reminiscent of the season Ben Roethlisberger had with Pittsburgh four years ago. In case you have forgotten, Big Ben led the Steelers to a 15-1 record before falling to the Patriots in the AFC Title Game. Chad Pennington has shown that he is no slouch, but navigating through the Ravens' stingy defense will be his toughest challenge of the season. Tony Sparano would be smart to keep the ball in the hands of either Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams, but Baltimore has only allowed four rushing touchdowns (leading the league) all season. Scoring will be at a premium, and I don't see the Dolphins having a chance unless their defense performs better than they have all year long. --Ravens 20, Dolphins 12 Philadelphia @ Minnesota, Sunday 4:30PM EST If you have been keeping tabs, I don't have a single team winning on their home field. The Vikings will be playing their first home postseason game in eight years, but fans at the Metrodome will have a difficult time celebrating a victory over the more-experienced Eagles. Jim Johnson's defense has been strong against the run this season (92.3 yards per game and just 7 touchdowns, 4th in the NFL) and could cause problems for the league's leading rusher. Adrian Peterson can be unstoppable at times, but has shown difficulty holding onto the ball in his second season. He has 10 touchdowns and 9 fumbles in 363 carries, and the Eagles' ball-hawking defense will be looking to punch the pigskin out of his grasp. Philadelphia forced 22 fumbles in 2008, which doesn't bode well for one of most dynamic players in the game today. Minnesota's run defense is even better than Philadelphia's thanks to the acquisition of Jared Allen, but it's been well-documented that Andy Reid would prefer to have Donovan McNabb passing than Brian Westbrook rushing. In order to counteract McNabb's arm, the Vikings will likely send Allen, who's 14.5 sacks were fifth in the league, after him. If Philadelphia is able to take Allen out of the game, they could soar over the Vikings on the strength of their passing game. Minnesota had difficulty stopping teams through the air in the regular season, but they do have a slight advantage in that department against these Eagles. Brad Childress coached McNabb for several years, and should be able to exploit his weaknesses easier than anyone else. However, he showed no advantage in Week 8 of last season when the Eagles won 23-16 over the Vikings. McNabb went 23-for-36 with 333 yards and a touchdown in that game. Tarvaris Jackson, making his first playoff start, should be much easier to contain. --Eagles 23, Vikings 17 Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM?s Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: [email protected]