The regular season is in the bag and the 12 teams that will be playing for a chance to make it to the Super Bowl are set. The Wild Card weekend match-ups are definitely interesting and include a pair of teams that haven’t been in the playoffs in years.

The Detroit Lions are making their first appearance since 1999 and although the Bengals did go to the playoffs in 2009, they haven’t won a playoff game since 1991. Prior to 2009, the Bengals last playoff appearance was in 2006 where the Steelers blew them out 31 to 17. The Bengals all-time postseason record is 5-8. Can you say Ickey Woods, Boomer Esiason, and Chris Collinsworth?

The last time the Detroit Lions made it to the playoffs was the year Barry Sanders left the game. The Hall of Fame running back suddenly retired on the eve of training camp that year. Having gained 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving), Barry retired within striking distance of Walter Payton’s career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. The Detroit Lions 1999 Wild Card playoff appearance lose to the Washington Redskins saw Gus Frerotte throw for 251 yards, Cory Schlesinger rush for 23 yards off 7 attempts, and Herman Moore catch 3 balls for 69 yards. The outcome of this game would have been different with “THE Barry Sanders.” For those that are curious, the Detroit Lions last raised the Lombardi trophy in 1957. Yikes!

The Texans have come close in the past, but this will be their first ever appearance in the playoffs. Although the Texans didn’t hit the field until 2002, the NFL’s 32nd franchise was officially christened the Houston Texans in 2000 when they unveiled the team’s name, colors and logo. In that same year, the Texans recorded their first preseason win, defeating the New Orleans Saints 13-10 at the Louisiana Superdome. That same year they become the first NFL team in 41 years to win their expansion debut, stunning the Dallas Cowboys. They also won on the road for the first time, defeating Jacksonville. I am sure the franchise never thought it would take them 11 years to secure their first playoff berth.

The Broncos have a “mile high” history of making it to the playoffs. The last time the Broncos made the playoffs in 2005, they also won their division. It’s been 13 years (1998) since the Broncos were conference champs. That same year they won the Super Bowl. In 1997 they were also division and Super Bowl Champs. Although 5 of the 6 Super Bowl appearances by the Broncos were with John Elway at the helm, they have only won the big game twice. In 1997 (XXXII) and 1998 (XXXIII), John Elway along with running back Terrell Davis led the Broncos to wins over the Green Bay Packers (31 to 24) and the Atlanta Falcons (34 to 19) to become Super Bowl Champions.

In Super Bowl XXXII, Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards, caught two passes for 8 yards, and became the first player in Super Bowl history to score three rushing touchdowns. His performance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. The next year, Davis rushed for 2,008 yards becoming a member of the 2000 rushing yards club, earned the league MVP honor, his third straight AFC rushing title, his first NFL rushing title, and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press for the second time. However, it was John Elway who was named MVP of the Super Bowl at 38 years old. Ironically, the former QB is now the executive vice president of football operations of the Denver Broncos, but the question remains whether or not current QB Tim Tebow will be able to follow in his footsteps on the field.

11 playoff appearances, 4 divisional championships, and 1 conference championship, the Atlanta Falcons have never won the big one. Their lone Super Bowl appearance in 1998 was a lost to John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Many of you know that in 1989 the Falcons drafted CB Deion Sanders (a.k.a. “Prime Time”) who helped them tremendously over a four-year span by setting franchise records. What you may not know is that the Falcons drafted Brett Favre as the thirty-third overall pick in 1991. During his rookie season, he played in two games where he had 5 passing attempts with 0 receptions and 2 interceptions. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers the next year. Before Jim Mora gave one of the best post game press conference speeches of all-time and coining his now famous statement “Playoffs” in 2001, his son Jim L. Mora coached the Atlanta Falcons to a record of 11–5 and a first round bye in the playoffs in 2004. Atlanta hosted and defeated the St. Louis Rams 47–17 in the divisional round, and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost 27–10 on the road to the Philadelphia Eagle.

With all these facts and figures one may believe he can predict the outcome of the playoffs, but the reality is with a pair of teams entering the postseason on three-game losing streaks, nine teams with double-digit win totals, and one team even having a .500 record on any given Sunday a team can win or loose.

Interested in my picks and predictions for the Wild Card weekend or curious to know how I ended the regular season? Make sure to check back in a few days for my picks, predictions, and a recap of all the madness that was the 2011 NFL regular season.

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