Silva: Breaking down NFL's wild-card playoff games The strengths, weaknesses, X-factors and keys to winning updated 4:16 p.m. There's no shortage of storylines for the first batch of NFL playoff games, but let's go inside the matchups and explore the crucial areas for each team. Here's breakdown of the wild-card games on Saturday and Sunday, which focuses on each team's strengths, weaknesses, X-factors and the keys to winnning. For those who crave even more inside analysis, check out these signature plays teams will be using. Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans When: Saturday 4:30 p.m. on NBC Bengals must: Limit Houston's run game. This, obviously, is easier said than done. The Texans finished second in the league in regular-season rushing offense as one of just two teams to produce two backs who gained at least 900 yards. Change-of-pace runner Ben Tate is the thunder to feature back Arian Foster's lightning, displaying aggressive, punishing power and surprising speed en route to a 5.4 yards-per-carry average. Foster is the home-run hitter, ranking fifth in the NFL in rushing despite missing three games. Exceptionally versatile, Foster also ranked third among running backs in receiving yards. With rookie T.J. Yates at quarterback, Tate and Foster are the Texans' offensive foundation. If the Bengals take that away, they'll stay competitive throughout. Texans must: Make Andy Dalton beat them -- without A.J. Green. After an impressive start to the year, Dalton faded as defenses figured him out. Whereas the rookie completed 61.5 percent of his passes with a 12:7 touchdown-to-turnover ratio in Cincinnati's first nine games, Dalton's completion rate fell to 54.8 percent with eight TDs and eight turnovers in his final seven outings. The Texans are equipped to check Green with top cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who routinely shadows opposing top receivers. When the Bengals and Texans met in Week 14, "J-Jo" held Green under 60 yards, and Green got most of them on a 50-50 third-quarter jumpball for a gain of 36. Houston's defense ranks third against the pass, so this will be a difficult matchup for Dalton. X-Factor: Texans No. 2 tailback Ben Tate. In these teams' aforementioned Week 14 meeting, the Bengals held Foster in check (41 yards, 15 carries) but were burned by his "backup" Tate for 97 total yards on 11 touches, including an explosive 44-yard first-quarter burst to set up an early field goal. Houston's game plan entering most weeks is typically to get Foster 20 carries and Tate 10, though the latter may pose more matchup problems for Cincinnati's quick but relatively smallish front seven. Yates separated his left shoulder in Week 17, so the Texans will likely make an effort to limit his number of pass drops. This could lead to more opportunities for Tate off the bench. Prediction: Texans 23, Bengals 16 Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints When: Saturday, 8 p.m. on NBC Lions must: Establish their running game early and stay with it. Scott Linehan's Lions offense was the most lopsided in football this season, leading the league in pass attempts, but ranking 31st in runs. That needs to change. The Saints' primary weakness is run defense after opponents averaged nearly five yards per regular-season carry against Gregg Williams' unit. Williams blitzes more than any defensive coordinator in the NFL, often resulting in over-pursuit by linebackers and safeties. As well as being a way to create ball movement, running the ball consistently and successfully would be an effective means to keep Drew Brees off the field. In all likelihood, Brees is going to win any pass-happy shootout. Saints must: Keep Calvin Johnson in check. The Saints executed a take-Megatron-away defensive approach in their Week 13 matchup with these same Lions, double- and triple-teaming Johnson and holding him under 70 yards. Williams used cornerbacks in press coverage with safeties over the top and linebackers in a "cut" technique, jumping in the way of Johnson's slant routes. Detroit's other pass catchers, such as Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson, are largely possession threats with limited playmaking skills. Johnson can single-handedly dominate a game. X-Factor: Lions tailback Kevin Smith. In addition to Williams' constant blitzing, the Saints' run defense has suffered due to middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma's decline. Battling chronic knee problems in his eighth season, Vilma no longer possesses sideline-to-sideline range and was never an elite run stuffer. The Vilma liability is especially problematic because the Saints insist on using him as an every-down linebacker, playing on all base downs and in nickel and dime packages. In Vilma's 11 starts this season, New Orleans has allowed 1,170 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 carries (5.13 YPC). In backup Jo-Lonn Dunbar's five starts inside, the numbers allowed fall to a more passable 568 yards on 123 rushing attempts (4.62 YPC) and only two scores. The Lions can best attack this weakness by running Smith directly at Vilma. Prediction: Lions 37, Saints 34 Atlanta Falcons at NY Giants When: Sunday, 1 p.m. on FOX Falcons must: Keep Matt Ryan upright. Atlanta's offensive line played better down the stretch, but part of that was due to weak opponents. In their final seven games, the Falcons faced just one defense ranked higher than 19th in sacks. Ryan took only eight sacks during that span after absorbing 18 in the first nine weeks. The Giants finished the regular season third in the statistic, despite 11 missed games from star ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. Osi and Tuck are healthy now, while Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jason Pierre-Paul has emerged as the club's best pass rusher. In terms of run and pass yardage rankings, the Giants' defense may appear to be vulnerable on paper. But there isn't a more fearsome pass rush left in the playoffs. Giants must: Get Ahmad Bradshaw going. The Falcons ranked sixth in regular-season run defense, but sprung leaks during the final month. In the last four games, Panthers, Jags, Saints, and Bucs backs combined to rush for 398 yards on 65 carries (6.12 YPC) against Atlanta, which also lost strong-side linebacker Stephen Nicholas to a lingering knee injury. Nicholas won't play against the G-Men. Bradshaw struggled to stay healthy for much of the season, but overtook Brandon Jacobs to be New York's lead back in the last three games and is integral to the Giants' chances. Big-play receivers Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham can be deadly off play-action fakes, but need opponents to fear New York's running game to execute. X-Factor: Giants safety Kenny Phillips. Phillips hasn't been recognized with a Pro Bowl berth in his four-year career, but he's on his way after a breakout season. In addition to setting career highs in tackles (82), pass breakups (11), and interceptions (4), Phillips was graded as the NFL's sixth-best safety by ProFootballFocus.com. Phillips spends a lot of time "in the box" supporting the run, and will be key to New York's defense of Michael Turner. In coverage, Phillips' responsibilities will likely include guarding Tony Gonzalez and providing "help" against Roddy White. An exceptionally versatile, well-rounded safety, expect Phillips' name to be called often by Sunday's broadcasters. Prediction: Giants 30, Falcons 21 Pittsburgh Steeles at Denver Broncos When: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. on CBS Steelers must: Keep Tim Tebow confined to the pocket. Tebow has been at his most dangerous in shotgun-spread formations, from which he can break off large yardage chunks when opposing back sevens play deep to defend four receivers' "go" routes. In terms of classic rushing offense, Denver is likely to struggle. Over its final nine regular-season games, the Steelers' defense permitted just 817 yards and two touchdowns on 232 rushing attempts (3.52 YPC). Particularly after losing Pro Bowl right guard Chris Kuper to a broken leg in Week 17, the Broncos probably won't even stay competitive Sunday without dramatically altering their ultra-conservative offensive mentality, an approach that has emphasized ball control over putting points on the scoreboard. Broncos must: Have its best game of the year in pass coverage. Aside from Champ Bailey, every member of Denver's secondary has struggled. Cornerback Andre' Goodman, 33, has been aggressively targeted by opposing passing games, rookie strong safety Quinton Carter is clearly best suited to play in the box, and David Bruton would be a special teamer-only on a team with a good secondary. Brian Dawkins won't play due to a neck injury. The Steelers have been a throw-first team all year, racking up a franchise high for pass attempts since the 2002 season. If Denver can't put pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and cover Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders, the Steelers are going to pour points on the Broncos. X-Factor: Steelers tailback Isaac Redman. While much was made by the media this week of Rashard Mendenhall's torn ACL, it's conceivable that the Steelers will be better off with Redman at feature back. Redman lacks home-run speed, but is a superior receiver and pass blocker than Mendenhall, better fitting Pittsburgh's new style of offense. Redman has also been an upgrade in terms of per-play production. Whereas Mendenhall averaged 4.07 yards per carry this season, Redman posted a 4.35 mark and is arguably a preferred option at the goal line with a more decisive, no-nonsense running style. Mendenhall too often danced around the line of scrimmage. Prediction: Steelers 24, Broncos 13