WHAT TO LOOK FOR – DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
LOWER SEED SUCCESS: The INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (11-6)
and PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-7) both earned victories on Wild
Card Weekend as the No. 6 seed in their respective conferences.
The Colts, who travel to Kansas City on Saturday (4:35 PM
ET, NBC), and the Eagles, who play at New Orleans on Sunday (4:40 PM ET, FOX),
look to become the first No. 6 seeds to reach the Conference Championship
since 2010, when both the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets accomplished the
feat.
The No. 6 seeds to reach the Conference Championship since
the 12-team playoff format began in 1990:
|
SEASON
|
TEAM
|
CONFERENCE
|
ADVANCED TO
|
|
2010
|
Green Bay
|
NFC
|
Won Super Bowl XLV
|
|
2010
|
New York Jets
|
AFC
|
Conference Championship
|
|
2008
|
Baltimore
|
AFC
|
Conference Championship
|
|
2008
|
Philadelphia
|
NFC
|
Conference Championship
|
|
2005
|
Pittsburgh
|
AFC
|
Won Super Bowl XL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2018
|
Indianapolis
|
AFC
|
???
|
|
2018
|
Philadelphia
|
NFC
|
???
|
In the AFC, the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (13-4,
No. 5 seed), who face New England on Sunday (1:05 PM ET, CBS), and the
sixth-seeded Colts are both still alive. With victories by both teams in the
Divisional Playoffs, it would mark the first Conference Championship game
featuring a No. 5 and No. 6 seed since the 12-team playoff format began in
1990.
-- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS --
WINNING WAYS: The DALLAS COWBOYS, who
defeated Seattle 24-22 on Wild Card Weekend, and the NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS, who had a bye last week, will each be playing in the Divisional
Playoffs.
Dallas, who plays at the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night
(8:15 PM ET, FOX), has 35 playoff wins and can tie the PITTSBURGH
STEELERS (36) for the most postseason victories all-time. New England,
who hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday (1:05 PM ET, CBS), has 34
postseason victories and can surpass the GREEN BAY PACKERS (34)
for the third-most playoff wins all-time.
The teams with the most postseason wins in NFL history:
|
TEAM
|
WINS
|
LOSSES
|
WIN PCT.
|
SUPER BOWL WINS
|
|
Pittsburgh
|
36
|
25
|
.590
|
6
|
|
Dallas
|
35
|
27
|
.565
|
5
|
|
Green Bay
|
34
|
22
|
.607
|
4
|
|
New England
|
34
|
20
|
.630
|
5
|
|
San Francisco
|
30
|
20
|
.600
|
5
|
-- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS --
TOUCHDOWN LEADERS: Kansas City quarterback PATRICK
MAHOMES and the Chiefs are set to face off against Indianapolis
quarterback ANDREW LUCK and the Colts in the Divisional
Playoffs on Saturday (4:35 PM ET, NBC).
Mahomes, who led the NFL with 50 touchdown passes, and Luck,
who ranked second with 39 touchdown passes in 2018, have the most combined
regular-season passing touchdowns (89) among any opposing quarterbacks in a
playoff game in the Super Bowl era.
With Mahomes and Luck ranking first and second in
regular-season touchdown passes, Saturday will mark the fifth time since
2002 that the top two passing touchdown leaders from the regular season will
face off in the postseason.
The postseason games between the top
two regular-season passing touchdown leaders since 2002:
|
SEASON
|
PLAYER (TEAM)
|
TD PASSES
|
PLAYER (TEAM)
|
TD PASSES
|
PLAYOFF ROUND
|
|
2016
|
Aaron Rodgers (GB)
|
40
|
Matt Ryan (Atl.)
|
38
|
NFC Championship
|
|
2014
|
Andrew Luck (Ind.)
|
40
|
Peyton Manning (Den.)
|
39
|
AFC Divisional
|
|
2009
|
Drew Brees (NO)
|
34
|
Peyton Manning (Ind.)
|
33*
|
Super Bowl XLIV
|
|
2009
|
Drew Brees (NO)
|
34
|
Brett Favre^ (Min.)
|
33*
|
NFC Championship
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2018
|
Patrick Mahomes (KC)
|
50
|
Andrew Luck (Ind.)
|
39
|
AFC Divisional
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
|||||
|
*Tied for 2nd
|
|||||
-- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS --
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER: New England quarterback TOM
BRADY and the Patriots welcome quarterback PHILIP RIVERS and
the Los Angeles Chargers to Gillette Stadium on Sunday (1:05 PM ET, CBS).
Brady, who will be 41 years and 163 days old on Sunday, and
Rivers, at 37 years and 36 days old, combine for a total of 28,688 days old,
the oldest combined age by opposing starting quarterbacks in a postseason
game in NFL history.
The oldest combined age by opposing starting quarterbacks in
a postseason game in NFL history:
|
DATE
|
QUARTERBACK
|
TEAM
|
QUARTERBACK
|
TEAM
|
COMBINED DAYS OLD
|
|
1/13/19
|
Tom Brady
|
New England
|
Philip Rivers
|
Los Angeles Chargers
|
28,688*
|
|
1/24/16
|
Peyton Manning
|
Denver
|
Tom Brady
|
New England
|
28,603
|
|
1/9/99
|
John Elway^
|
Denver
|
Dan Marino^
|
Miami
|
27,704
|
|
1/16/94
|
Warren Moon^
|
Houston Oilers
|
Joe Montana^
|
Kansas City
|
27,306
|
|
1/22/17
|
Tom Brady
|
New England
|
Ben Roethlisberger
|
Pittsburgh
|
27,162
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
|||||
|
*Total days as of Sunday, January 13
|
|||||
-- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS --
RATED WELL: Philadelphia quarterback NICK
FOLES and the Eagles head to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday
(4:40 PM ET, FOX) to face New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES and
the Saints.
Foles, who has the highest postseason passer rating (105.2)
in NFL history, and Brees, who ranks fifth with a 100.7 passer rating,
are two of five quarterbacks to have a passer rating of 100 or higher in
the postseason (minimum 150 attempts).
The quarterbacks with the highest
career postseason passer rating (minimum 150 attempts):
|
QUARTERBACK
|
COMP.
|
ATT.
|
YARDS
|
TDS
|
INTS
|
RATING
|
|
|
Nick Foles
|
125
|
179
|
1,432
|
10
|
3
|
105.2
|
|
|
Bart Starr^
|
130
|
213
|
1,753
|
15
|
3
|
104.8
|
|
|
Kurt Warner^
|
307
|
462
|
3,952
|
31
|
14
|
102.8
|
|
|
Matt Ryan
|
237
|
351
|
2,672
|
20
|
7
|
100.8
|
|
|
Drew Brees
|
354
|
537
|
4,209
|
29
|
9
|
100.7
|
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
|||||||
Foles (69.8 percent) has the highest postseason
completion percentage in league annals (minimum 150 attempts) and Brees
(65.9 percent) ranks fifth.
The quarterbacks with the highest
career postseason completion percentage (minimum 150 attempts):
|
QUARTERBACK
|
COMP.
|
ATT.
|
PCT.
|
|
|
Nick Foles
|
125
|
179
|
69.8
|
|
|
Matt Ryan
|
237
|
351
|
67.5
|
|
|
Kurt Warner^
|
307
|
462
|
66.5
|
|
|
Ken Anderson
|
110
|
166
|
66.3
|
|
|
Drew Brees
|
354
|
537
|
65.9
|
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
||||
-- DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS --
SHOWDOWN IN SO CAL: Dallas running back EZEKIEL
ELLIOTT and the Cowboys head to Southern California to take on
defensive tackle AARON DONALD and the Los Angeles Rams on
Saturday night (8:15 PM ET, FOX).
Elliott, who led the NFL with 1,434 rushing yards in 2018,
rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ Wild Card Weekend victory over
Seattle. Elliott has recorded at least 125 rushing yards in each of his first
two playoff appearances and can become the fourth player in NFL history to
record three consecutive postseason games with at least 125 rushing yards.
The players with the most
consecutive postseason games with at least 125 rushing yards in NFL history:
|
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
DATES
|
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 125+ RUSH YARDS
|
|
Terrell Davis^
|
Denver
|
1/11/98-1/17/99
|
4
|
|
Arian Foster
|
Houston
|
1/7/12-1/5/13
|
3
|
|
John Riggins^
|
Washington
|
1/15/83-1/30/83
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ezekiel Elliott
|
Dallas
|
1/15/17-1/5/19
|
2*
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
|||
|
*Active streak
|
|||
Donald, who led the league with 20.5 sacks and earned the
2018 Deacon Jones Award as the NFL’s sack leader, became the 11th different
player since 1982 to record at least 20 sacks in a single season.
With a Rams win on Saturday, Donald would join Pro
Football Hall of Famer LAWRENCE TAYLOR (1986) as the only
players to record at least 20 sacks and advance to the Conference Championship
in the same season since 1982.
The players to record at least 20
sacks and advance to the Conference Championship in the same season since 1982:
|
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
SEASON
|
SACKS
|
ADVANCED TO
|
|
Lawrence Taylor^
|
New York Giants
|
1986
|
20.5
|
Won Super Bowl XXI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aaron Donald
|
Los Angeles Rams
|
2018
|
20.5
|
???
|
|
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
|
||||
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