BALTIMORE (13-4) AT PITTSBURGH (12-4)
When: 2:30 p.m.
TV: KCNC-4
The spread: Steelers by 3
Ravens win if: They can keep the game close enough to be patient in the run game. Baltimore’s Ray Rice is the only running back to have topped 100 yards rushing against the Steelers in the last 50 games — he did it in December 2009 — and the Ravens will need that kind of performance.
Steelers win if: Their pieced-together offensive line can handle the Ravens’ defensive front. The Broncos can see what might have been when they watch Pittsburgh’s rookie center Maurkice Pouncey in this one, but injuries have moved backups into the lineup this season, including left tackle Jonathan Scott.
Ravens player on the spot: C Matt Birk. Birk missed practice time with a knee injury in each of the last two weeks. He played against the Chiefs and is expected to play in this one. He has to handle Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton or the Ravens won’t get much done on offense.
Steelers player on the spot: Scott. He’s on his third team in the last four seasons after stints in Buffalo and Detroit. The Ravens figure to attack him in the pass rush, especially with Terrell Suggs, who was more than the Chiefs could handle in the wild-card game in Kansas City.
Bet you didn’t know: Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers have never lost a playoff game to a divisional opponent. They’re 8-0 in those games.
Key matchup: Scott vs. Suggs. The Steelers will almost certainly add a tight end or a running back to Suggs’ side of the formation. But Suggs, who this week sported a T-shirt with a one-fingered salute directed to Steelers fans, has been a force in playoff games. In eight career postseason games, Suggs has seven sacks. That total includes two against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the 2008 AFC championship game.
The call: Steelers 20-17
GREEN BAY (11-6) AT ATLANTA (13-3)
When: 6 p.m.
TV: KDVR-31
The spread: Falcons by 2 1/2
Packers win if: They can put together as balanced an offensive day as they did in their wild-card win over the Eagles. Rookie James Starks finished with 123 yards rushing Sunday night, giving QB Aaron Rodgers the room and down-and- distance situations he needed for a three-touchdown game.
Falcons win if: Their defense is up to the challenge of working as the postseason favorite. Opposing offenses have found some yardage when they power the ball directly at Atlanta 255-pound defensive end Kroy Biermann. Look for the Packers to use their three-back look often.
Packers player on the spot: Starks. The rookie had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at the University of Buffalo, but he didn’t play as a senior in 2009 because of a shoulder injury and was a medical concern for some teams coming into the draft. Starks ran 4.4 40s at 218 pounds in his pre-draft workouts and has quick feet into the hole.
Falcons player on the spot: QB Matt Ryan. There is plenty of pressure that comes with being the playoff favorite, and the Falcons have home-field advantage in the NFC. Ryan has been a virtual lock at home as a starter — he’s 20-2 — but will see a variety of blitzes and coverages from Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers that will challenge his composure.
Bet you didn’t know: Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez is the first player in NFL history to have at least 60 receptions in 12 consecutive seasons. He finished with 70 this season.
Key matchup: Falcons DL vs. Packers OL. The Falcons are a fast, agile defense that has been opportunistic all season. But they are undersized and will have to hold up at the point of attack. When the Falcons can flow to the ball and honor their gaps, they have controlled opposing runners. It’s when they get walled off that the trouble comes, especially if Atlanta can’t get linebacker Curtis Lofton to the ball.
The call: Packers 24-21
