Miami at Jacksonville
Saturday, 12:35 p.m. ET, CBS

	Bucs rookie Shaun King will face the Redskins in his first NFL playoff game.

Matchup to watch: Miami offensive line vs. Jacksonville defensive line
Dan Marino was not put under a lot of pressure in Seattle. The Dolphins now face a much better football team than the Seahawks. Offensively, the Jaguars can put more pressure on Miami to score points. Defensively, the Jaguars will bring more pressure, with defensive coordinator Dom Capers' array of blitz schemes.

The key is Marino not turning the football over. When the Dolphins have struggled and lost games, Marino has turned the ball over. He did a great job of taking care of the football against Seattle. He must protect the ball against the Jags. The Dolphins will not be able to run the ball effectively, so their offensive success falls on Marino's shoulders. More importantly, it will be the responsibility of the offensive line to pass protect.

Stat to watch: Pass-interference calls against Miami
This is not a statistic that is kept, but it's important. If a pass is thrown down the field and there is a pass-interference call, it doesn't go as credit toward the total offensive yards. Because Miami will put cornerbacks Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and Terrell Buckley in man-to-man coverage against Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, the Jaguars' receivers have the ability to make plays down the field. Production from the receivers will be critical, and a pass-interference call will be considered production from the Jacksonville offense.

Darkhorse player: Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady
If the Dolphins decide to play man-to-man coverage outside, Brady, who has been nicked up and started only 12 games, can become a big part of the Jacksonville offense. Brady had only 32 catches and one touchdown, but he can have a favorable matchup inside against a linebacker.

Edge: Jaguars
They are the better football team. Defensively, they will be able to control Miami's offense. The absence of All-Pro tackle Tony Boselli is a concern because the Jaguars love to run behind him. Plus, Dolphins defensive ends Trace Armstrong and Jason Taylor are excellent pass rushers. But with Mark Brunell being a left-handed quarterback, he won't be missing his blind-side tackle. Leon Searcy is expected to play, and the Pro Bowler will be covering Brunell's back side.

Washington at Tampa Bay
Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox

Matchup to watch: Bucs DTs Warren Sapp and Brad Culpepper vs. Redskins C Cory Raymer and Gs Tre' Johnson and Keith Sims
Brad Johnson is not a mobile quarterback, and he will face a lot of pressure up the middle. I would look for the Redskins to run a lot of play-action passes to put a running back as an extra blocker in the middle of the field to protect against Sapp and Culpepper.

Stat to watch: Rushing yards
If the Redskins are unable to run the football, I don't think Johnson will be able to drop back and have time to pass. He is a tough quarterback, but he won't run away from defenders. The Redskins make their mark by pass protection off the play-action fake, so running the football is crucial to Washington. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has to run the football for its offense to be effective.

The Bucs, with rookie Shaun King at quarterback, aren't built to be able to drop back and throw. Their receivers are only adequate, and the Redskins cornerbacks are better than most in the league. Washington must be careful not only of Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, but also of King's ability to run with the football.

Darkhorse player: Redskins tight end Stephen Alexander
Alexander must step up and become a bigger part of the offense. Tampa Bay likes to play two-deep coverage -- the cornerbacks up and the safeties back. That means the middle of the field will be exposed, and Alexander should be matched up one-on-one against a linebacker, probably middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson.

Edge: Bucs
Tampa Bay should be able to take away the Redskins' big plays. The 'Skins have not been a patient offense. Their offense requires them to get big chunks of yards, and I don't think the Bucs will give it to them. This game could be a lot like the Buffalo-Tennessee game, with the Redskins being more like the Bills and the Bucs being more like the Titans. The Redskins have a big back in Stephen Davis and an ability to throw downfield. The key for the Redskins is Davis' health. If Davis can't play and the Redskins have to go with Skip Hicks, they will lose a lot of their offense. In every game Davis has started and then left due to injury, the Redskins have not performed well.

Minnesota at St. Louis
Sunday, 12:35 p.m. ET, Fox

Matchup to watch: Vikings offensive line vs. Rams defensive line
The key will be Minnesota's ability to protect quarterback Jeff George. The Rams offense has created so much attention, but their defense doesn't get the credit. Kevin Carter (16 sacks) will be matched up with Korey Stringer in the best individual matchup in the trenches.

Minnesota relies on big plays. If George has time in the pocket, he will find the open receiver, short or deep. If he throws the ball downfield, Randy Moss has the athletic ability to come down with the ball. Because of his experience as a punt returner, Moss can judge the ball in the air, while many defensive backs have difficulty judging the flight of the ball. That happened to Cowboys cornerback Kevin Mathis last weekend.

Stat to watch: Passing yards
Another stat to watch will be Marshall Faulk's rushing yards, especially against a Vikings defense that has struggled stopping the run. But both teams like to throw the ball, and that will be the difference. If Kurt Warner outpasses George, the Rams will win.

Darkhorse players: Dexter McCleon
The Rams cornerback should be matched up against Cris Carter, while Pro Bowl cornerback Todd Lyght will most likely draw Moss. When you talk about the Vikings, there is always discussion about the matchup between their receivers and the opposing cornerbacks. McCleon will have an opportunity to make some big plays in pass coverage.

Edge: Vikings
I like the Vikings because of their ability to make big plays. St. Louis is great team, but Minnesota can go down the field more effectively. The difference will be Moss and Carter on the outside. A team can only hold them down so long. While the Vikings defense might be susceptible, they have been more proficient since moving John Randle back inside to defensive tackle.

Tennessee at Indianapolis
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

Matchup to watch: Titans DE Jevon Kearse vs. Colts RT Adam Meadows
Meadows will have a full day because Kearse is for real. What makes Kearse so special is not just his athletic ability, but his relentlessness. Lawrence Taylor is the only other player I have seen in the NFL who possesses the same skills as Kearse. From a physical standpoint, I think Kearse is more imposing. But from a hustle standpoint, Kearse is similar to Taylor in that he chases down everything.

Stat to watch: Sacks
If Tennessee is able to sack and pressure Peyton Manning, that could stall the Colts' high-powered offense. What the Titans were able to do against Buffalo was turn Thurman Thomas into a blocker instead of a receiver. With their blitzes and relentless pressure from Kearse on the outside, the Titans will try to do that to Edgerrin James, a valuable receiver out of the Colts' backfield. The Titans brought enough defenders to make sure Thomas was not part of the Bills' passing game.

Darkhorse player: Yancey Thigpen
Because of the way Buffalo played, he was really quiet in the first round. The Titans receiver, who hasn't been healthy all season, is due to have a breakout game. How he goes will depend on how well the Titans manage themselves in the passing game.

Edge: Titans
I don't think the way the Bills beat the Colts in the final regular-season game was a fluke. Indianapolis is a young team, and James has played a long season.. Defensively, without injured linebacker Cornelius Bennett, the Colts are a different team. Without Bennett, the Colts defense loses big-play ability and on-field leadership. The absence of Bennett is a boost to the Titans offense, which make great use of tight end Frank Wycheck in the passing game.

Titans cornerback Samari Rolle has great one-on-one cover skills and can play with Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. Denard Walker did a great job on Jimmy Smith when the Titans played Jacksonville. There is always the X-factor of Steve McNair running the football. McNair didn't look comfortable against Buffalo. I have picked the Titans to be in the Super Bowl, and my feelings haven't changed.