This will be the second playoff game in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks are rookies and their regular season stats are eerily similar. Robert Griffin III has 3,200 yards, a 65.6 completion percentage and a 102.4 passer rating compared to Russell Wilson’s 3,118 yards, 64.1 completion percentage and an even 100 passer rating. The largest individual statistical disparity is RG3’s 815 rushing yards, 326 more than Wilson and that could very easily be the difference in the game. Griffin and fellow rookie Alfred Morris will run the zone and read options that will put a ton of stress on the Seahawks front seven. And just when Seattle thinks it has it figured out, Griffin will pop up and hit one of his speedy receivers for a big play. The Seahawks will obviously benefit from the return of Brandon Browner, but it’s not like there was a glaring weakness in his absence. Seattle has won its last two road games, but it is hard to overlook the road losses against Miami, Detroit, St. Louis and Arizona. Four teams that have a combined record of 23-40-1. I like Washington in a very close game. Pick: Redskins

Ray Lewis is the greatest on-field leader I have ever been around and his return to the lineup will be more than just what shows up on the box score at the end of the game. He may have lost a step, but he makes up for it with his mental preparation and emotional leadership he displays throughout the game. Opposing rookie quarterbacks are just 5-10 when Ray Lewis is on the field and I don’t anticipate the Colts getting the sixth win. Ed Reed will be looking to bait Andrew Luck into bad decisions, and although Luck was been more than advertised in his rookie season, he has been charitable with the football. His 18 interceptions are the second most in the NFL and I would be surprised if he was able to complete his first career playoff game without throwing another one. When Luck is on target, it is highly likely that Reggie Wayne will be on the receiving end, but look for tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener as targets on third downs and in the red zone. Pick: Ravens

In his two games against the Packers this season, Adrian Peterson has rushed the ball 55 times for 409 yards and the Vikings will need to lean on him heavily once again. Christian Ponder played his best game of his career in Week 17 against the Packers, but struggled against them in Week 13 at Lambeau Field with 119 yards and two interceptions in the game. It is just the opposite for the Packers as they haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in 48 straight games and will once again rely on Aaron Rodgers to put up big numbers. Last week, Rodgers threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns. The season series is split at 1-1, but this is not the even match the record suggests. This will be the third time these teams play in six weeks, and I expect the Packers to make the appropriate defensive adjustments to minimize Peterson and make Ponder beat them. Something he is incapable of doing. Pick: Packers

Talk about two teams on opposite ends of the momentum spectrum. The Bengals enter as winners of seven of their last eight, while the Texans limp into the playoffs after losing three of the last four. J.J. Watt is my vote for defensive player of the year and he accounted for one sack, one batted pass, one interception and one defensive touchdown in last year’s wild-card game against the Bengals. But Cincinnati has a dominant defensive lineman of their own: Geno Atkins. With Atkins manning the middle, the Bengals lead the NFL in scoring defense over the second half of the season by giving up an average of just 12.8 points per game. Offensively, the Bengals will try to establish a running game behind what is the most punishing offensive line in the NFL while the Texans will stick to a balanced attack with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. All things considered, I like the Bengals in a close road win. Pick: Bengals