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What To Look For -- Divisional Playoffs
Divisional, 2008, 01/07/2009

January 7, 2009


WHAT TO LOOK FOR – DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS



THE CHAMP IS HERE!: The New York Giants begin their postseason against division-rival Philadelphia this Sunday. The Giants won three road games as the NFC’s fifth seed en route to their Super Bowl XLII triumph last season, but as the top seed this year, they have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Giants are only the fourth Super Bowl champion to be ranked as the top seed in the following playoffs since the NFL moved to six playoff participants per conference in 1990.

The defending Super Bowl champions to be seeded first in the following playoffs, with four repeating (No. 1 seed designation began in 1975):



YEAR
TEAM
PRECEDING SUPER BOWL
PLAYOFF RESULT

1975
Pittsburgh
Defeated Minnesota 16-6 in Super Bowl IX
Defeated Dallas 21-17 in Super Bowl X

1983
Washington
Defeated Miami 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII
Lost to Los Angeles Raiders 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII

1989
San Francisco
Defeated Cincinnati 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII
Defeated Denver 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV

1990
San Francisco
Defeated Denver 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV
Lost to New York Giants 15-13 in NFC Championship Game

1993
Dallas
Defeated Buffalo 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII
Defeated Buffalo 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII

1998
Denver
Defeated Green Bay 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII
Defeated Atlanta 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII

2008
New York Giants
Defeated New England 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII
???




-- NFL --



SUPER QBs STILL IN HUNT: Six of the eight Divisional Playoff teams start a quarterback who has previously started in a Super Bowl. That number tops the previous NFL high of five such quarterbacks in 1993.


The most starting QBs in a divisional round to previously start a Super Bowl:


YEAR
QUARTERBACKS

2008
6 (Kerry Collins, Jake Delhomme, Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner)

1993
5 (Troy Aikman, Jeff Hostetler, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana, Phil Simms)




-- NFL --



ROOKIES ON A ROLL: Baltimore Ravens rookie head coach JOHN HARBAUGH and his rookie quarterback JOE FLACCO can reach two milestones when they play the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.

Flacco can become the first rookie quarterback to win his first two playoff games and Harbaugh can become only the fifth rookie head coach to reach that mark.



The rookie head coaches to win at least their first two playoff games:



YEAR
COACH, TEAM
WINS

1970
Don McCafferty, Baltimore Colts
3

1989
George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers
3

1977
Red Miller, Denver Broncos
2

2002
Bill Callahan, Oakland Raiders
2

2008
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
1



AIR IT OUT: The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers boast 2008’s top two NFC receiving-yardage leaders in the Cardinals’ LARRY FITZGERALD (1,431) and Panthers’ STEVE SMITH (1,421).


Fitzgerald and ANQUAN BOLDIN and Smith and MUHSIN MUHAMMAD combine for 4,813 yards, the fifth most in an NFL playoff matchup by the top two receivers of each team.


The most combined receiving yards for the top two receivers on opposing playoff teams:


DATE
YARDAGE
MATCHUP

1/14/90
5,088
San Francisco (Jerry Rice, John Taylor) vs. L.A. Rams (Henry Ellard, Flipper Anderson)

12/30/00
4,969
New Orleans (Joe Horn, Willie Jackson) vs. St. Louis (Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce)

1/6/85
4,950
Miami (Mark Clayton, Mark Duper) vs. Pittsburgh (John Stallworth, Louis Lipps)

1/16/00
4,867
St. Louis (Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk) vs. Minnesota (Randy Moss, Cris Carter)

1/10/09
4,813
Carolina (Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad) vs. Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin)




-- NFL --



TANK TERRORIZING TEAMS: Pittsburgh’s No. 1 NFL defense will have to contend this Sunday with San Diego running back-kick returner-punt returner DARREN SPROLES (nicknamed “Tank”), who is coming off a 328 combined-yard performance on Wild Card Weekend.

Sproles’ 328-yard game plus his 139-combined-yard performance in the 2007 AFC Championship Game ranks him second all-time in combined yards (467) in a two-playoff-game span. He can move into first in the category with 173 combined yards against Pittsburgh.


The most total yards over two-game spans in NFL playoff history:



SEASON
PLAYER (TEAM)
TOTAL YARDS

1987
Anthony Carter (Minnesota Vikings)
500

2007-08
Darren Sproles (San Diego Chargers)
467

1974-75
Terry Metcalf (St. Louis Cardinals)
430

1994-95
O.J. McDuffie (Miami Dolphins)
427

1983
Marcus Allen (Los Angeles Raiders)
425

2008
Darren Sproles (San Diego Chargers)
328*


* Through one game



-- NFL --



REED-ING THE QUARTERBACK: A large part of the success of the Baltimore Ravens’ defense can be attributed to its Pro Bowl safety ED REED. Reed had two interceptions, including a return touchdown, last week against Miami to bring his total to five interceptions in three playoff games.


The most interceptions per game in playoff history (min. three games):


NAME
INTERCEPTIONS
GAMES
INT/G

Ed Reed
5
3
1.67

Vernon Perry
6
4
1.50

Lindon Crow
3
3
1.00

Ken Gorgal
4
4
1.00

Aeneas Williams
6
6
1.00




-- NFL --



“HEINZ” WARD: Super Bowl XL MVP HINES WARD of Pittsburgh seeks to move into exclusive territory against San Diego on Sunday at Heinz Field.


Ward (896) needs 104 yards to become only the eighth wide receiver in history to reach 1,000 playoff receiving yards. He has topped 100 yards in five of 11 playoff games, including 258 yards in his past two. Ward also is two touchdowns shy of becoming the sixth wide receiver to reach 10 or more postseason receiving touchdowns.


Ward is one of the four Super Bowl MVPs remaining in the 2008 NFL playoffs (KURT WARNER, Super Bowl XXXIV; RAY LEWIS, Super Bowl XXXV; and ELI MANNING, Super Bowl XLII).



FLY, EAGLES, FLY: The Philadelphia Eagles aim to qualify for the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in the past 10 seasons, since ANDY REID became head coach in 1999. The New England Patriots (five) and Pittsburgh Steelers (three) are the only other NFL teams with more than two conference championship game appearances in that span. The Eagles made four consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances between 2001 and 2004.


The NFL teams to qualify for the most conference championship games in the past 10 seasons (since 1999):


TEAM
NO. OF APPEARANCES
SUPER BOWL APPEARANCES

New England Patriots
5
Four (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII)

Philadelphia Eagles
4
One (XXXIX)

Pittsburgh Steelers
3
One (XL)

Seven teams tie with two conference championship game appearances

Ten teams tie with one conference championship game appearance



-- NFL --



KERRY GOES FOR THREE: With a win Saturday over Baltimore, Tennessee Titans quarterback KERRY COLLINS -- who has the most tenure of all the 2008 playoff quarterbacks (14 seasons) – can become the first quarterback in history with at least one playoff win for three different teams.

Collins had one playoff win with the Carolina Panthers in 1996 and two with the New York Giants in 2000.



-- NFL --


DOMINATING DEFENSES: The playoff field in the AFC boasts the top three scoring defenses in the NFL (Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Baltimore) as well as the top scoring offense in the AFC (San Diego).


When San Diego travels to Pittsburgh on Sunday it will mark the first time in the NFL playoffs since Denver (top offense) faced Baltimore (top defense) in the 2000 AFC Wild Card round that a conference’s top scoring offense goes against the top scoring defense.


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