WEEK 22 REVIEW – SUPER BOWL

Wow, it is finally here after 22 weeks since the regular season started, we are down to two teams battling it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy and bragging rights after a hard fought season.  Like other seasons, we look forward to the Super Bowl commercials, the hoopla, half time entertainment, pomp and circumstance and hopefully a great game.  This season, like many others included its fair share of injuries, controversies and mistakes but we all made it through poised to watch, what on paper, should be a fantastic game with the AFC Champion Denver Broncos facing off against the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks.  Arguably the two best teams in the NFL this season with the powerhouse Offense of the Denver Broncos with multiple record setting performances versus the Defensive centered Seattle Seahawks who also have a pretty decent offense.  They always say “Defense Wins Championships” and we will soon see who the best of the best is, at least for this season.  I want to apologize that there is no Week 21 review but I have to admit I did not watch the Pro Bowl the previous week and don’t even know who won.  I know it is a throw away game for the most part but ever since the NFL moved the game to before the Super Bowl rather than after where the players from the Super Bowl, the best players typically, do not get to play, it lost some of its joy as the ultimate pick-up game and reward to the players for their accomplishments and a great place to wind down after the hard fought season.  Anyway, back to the game of games, the quintessential meeting of the best teams from each division playing for the number one ranking for the season, the winner of Super Bowl XLVIII.

NFC Champion Seattle Seahaks vs. AFC Champion Denver Broncos

Super Bowl XLVIII started off on a strange note when Hall of Fame New York Jets Quarterback, Joe Namath came out for the official coin toss in his opulent fur coat which I think is the same one he used to wear on the sidelines back in his playing days.  The referee described the formalities and handed Namath the official coin to flip and he did just that, flipped it up in the air and the ref caught the coin in mid-air because he had not determined the initial call, heads or tails.  Right there it started off on the wrong foot.  On the second try, Seattle won the toss and elected to kick the ball.

The game was now live and the kick was deep into the end zone and speedster Trindon Holliday decided to run the ball out of the end zone against a tough special teams unit and made it to the 11 yard line before getting tackled.  Not the best field position to start.  The Broncos powerhouse offense came out and lined up and Peyton Manning, with his usual flair began to analyze the Seahawks Defense and when he called out his first audible, he stepped toward the line and boom, the ball gets hiked right past his head right into the end zone on the first play.  Knowshon Moreno scrambled back into the end zone and jumped on the ball and was touched down by Cliff Avril for a Safety.  Sure, far better than a Seahawks recovery for a touchdown but still, far from the ideal start to the biggest game of the year.  The odds makers in Vegas had to be shocked and people with the squares pools finally had reason to not hate having a 2 in their numbers.  I would imagine the bets on the first score being a Safety were far and few between but probably paid really well for those crazy enough to bet on it.

So, just 12 seconds into Super Bowl XLVIII and the Broncos were down by 2 points and getting ready to punt the ball to Seattle.  Starting in great field position, the Seahawks were able to move the ball but settled for a 31 yard Matt Hauschka field goal and a 5 point lead with 10:21 left in the First Quarter.  The Broncos on their next drive went 3 and out and punted the ball.  Seattle moved the ball again into field goal position and Hauschka kicked a 33 yard field goal and the Seahawks led 8-0 at the end of one quarter.  In the Second Quarter, Marshawn Lynch ran in a 1 yard touchdown extending the Seahawks lead to 15 points.  Denver finally was able to start moving the ball a bit when Seattle’s Malcolm Smith intercepted a Peyton Manning pass and ran it back 69 yards for a touchdown with 3:21 left in the fist half.  Going into half time, the Seattle Seahawks had dominated the Denver Broncos and led 22-0.

During half time, Bruno Mars put on a decent show and the Red Hot Chili Peppers came out for one song which brewed controversy because they were unplugged and lip synching.  I know it is a big game and everything has to be perfect but having professional musicians lip synch their performance is just so wrong on so many levels.

Seattle, who kicked to start the game got to receive the ball from Matt Prater who kicked it to Percy Harvin who returned the kick 87 yards for a Seattle toucdown just 12 seconds into the second half.  With almost a whole half left in the game, Seattle was up 29-0.  With 2:58 left in the Third Quarter, Russell Wilson threw a 23 yard pass to Jermaine Kearse and the Seahawks led 36-0 posting 7 unanswered scores from the Seahawks Offense, Defense and Special Teams units.  On the next possession, Denver was finally able to move the ball and Peyton Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas for a 23 yard touchdown and then Manning threw a 2 yard pass to Wes Welker completing the 2 point conversion and putting Denver on the board with 8 points at the very end of the Third Quarter.  Denver kicked an onside kick which was horrible and easily recovered by the Seahawks giving them great field position and Wilson was able to quickly move the ball against the hapless Broncos Defense and threw a 10 yard touchdown to Doug Baldwin from 10 yards out and bringing the score to 43-8 with 11:45 left in the Fourth Quarter.  There were no other scores in the game as Denver could not move the ball and Seattle ran the ball to waste the clock and with the final gun, the Seattle Seahawks had defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8.  Not the Broncos worst loss in a Super Bowl as they had previously lost 55-10 to the San Francisco 49ers back in 1988 but after such a great season from Peyton Manning and his offense, it was so anti climactic.  One might look back to earlier in the season when Seattle beat Denver 45-10 in pre season as a foreshadowing for this meeting but Seattle came to play and Denver was flat from the first snap.

Props to Seattle for winning the big game on all sides of the ball and showing the world they are a force to be reckoned with and to the Denver Broncos for such an entertaining season this year.  Hopefully Peyton Manning will return and get a shot at the big game again next year even though his team might look a little different with free agency for Knowshon Moreno and Eric Decker.  If you look back in Broncos history, John Elway, who had been to the big game before faced off against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in a loss only to come back and win 2 Super Bowls in a row along with Super Bowl MVP before he hung up his cleats.  Maybe Peyton Manning will have a similar crescendo to his tremendous career before it ends.  Congratulations are also due to Peyton Manning for a tremendous record setting season and for winning NFL MVP for 2013.  Thank you to both teams for such an entertaining season albeit a not so entertaining game at the end.  Also, congratulations to an old friend, Brian Schneider who is the Special Teams coach for the Seattle Seahawks and fellow CSU alumni for his efforts and contribution to their win.

SUPER BOWL XLVIII GAME SCORE

• Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8

WEEK 20 SUPER BOWL HIGHLIGHTS

• Russell Wilson completed 72.0% of his passes throwing for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns with zero interceptions.  He also ran the ball 3 times for 26 yards.
• Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 15 time for 39 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Demaryius Thomas caught 13 passes for 118 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Seattle Seahawks Defense shut down Peyton Manning holding him to a season low 280 yards and forced 2 interception along with completely stopping the Broncos running attack holding them to just 27 yards rushing in the game.
• Doug Baldwin caught 5 passes for 66 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 13.2 yards per reception.
• Jermaine Kearse caught 4 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 16.3 yards per reception.
• Wes Welker caught 8 passes for 84 yards and converted the 2 point conversion.
• Percy Harvin ran back a kickoff for a touchdown from 87 yards to open the second half of the game.

Until next year!  I can hardly wait and am already ready for some Football!

WEEK 20 REVIEW – CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS

After an entertaining Divisional Playoff weekend, it comes down to 4 teams battling it out to determine the AFC and NFC Champions who will then go on to face one another in Super Bowl XLVIII.

At this point in the season, there were two Conference Championship Playoff games and both games were very entertaining.

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos

The first game of the day involved the New England Patriots coming to Denver to face the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were the first on the board when Matt Prater kicked a 27 yard field goal with 3:43 left in the half. About halfway through the Second Quarter, Peyton Manning threw a 1 yard touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme putting the Broncos up 10-0. The Patriots were able to answer with points of their own when Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 47 yard field goal with 2:54 remaining in the half.  Peyton Manning moved the Broncos in to scoring range before the half ended and Prater kicked a 35 yard field goal with 25 seconds left in the half and the Denver Broncos led at halftime 13-3. Midway through the Third Quarter, Manning completed a 3 yard pass to Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos increased their lead to 17 points. In the Fourth Quarter, Prater kicked a 19 yard field goal and the Broncos led by 20 points.  Three minutes later Tom Brady threw a touchdown to Julian Edelman from 7 yards out decreasing the Broncos lead to 13 points. With seven minutes left in the game, Prater kicked a 54 yard field goal and increased the Broncos lead to 16 points. Tom Brady put together a good drive and with 3:07 left in the game ran in a touchdown from 5 yards out and then Shane Vereen failed to run in the two point conversion and the Broncos lead was cut back to 10 points.  The Patriots attempted an onside kick and the Broncos recovered the ball and were able to complete a couple of first downs and run out the clock to win 26-16 in the 15th meeting of Brady and Manning and sending Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to New Jersey and play in Super Bowl XLVIII.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

The action continued in the second game of the day which pitted the San Francisco 49ers against the Seattle Seahawks. The game started fast and San Francisco moved the ball with ease and Phil Dawson kicked a 25 yard field goal to put the 49ers on the board less than 3 minutes into the game. Early in the Second Quarter, Anthony Dixon ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out and put the 49ers up 10-0 with 10:03 left in the first half. Seattle was able to end the shut out when Steven Hauschka kicked a 32 yard field goal and the 49ers led 10-3 at the half. In the Third Quarter Marshawn Lynch ran in a touchdown from 40 yards out and changed the feel of the game at that point tying the game at 10 points. Three minutes later, Anquan Boldin caught a pass from Colin Kaepernick and was able to score a touchdown from the 26 yard line giving the 49ers a 7 point lead. The Seahawks countered quickly and Hauschka kicked a 40 yard field goal with 3:56 left in the quarter. San Francisco was not able to move the ball and ended up punting and the Seahawks were able to capitalize when Jermaine Kearse caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson and took the lead for the first time in the game with a score of 20-17.  San Francisco was not able to move the ball with any regularity in the second half and the Seahawks got the ball back with 6 minutes left in the game and with 3:37 remaining, Hauschka kicked a 47 yard field goal and increased the Seahawks lead to 6 points. Even with sufficient time on the clock, the 49ers were not able to get a first down and gave the ball back to Seattle who ran the clock and won the game 23-17 and will be moving on to face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII in two weeks.

Sunday February 2nd

SUPER BOWL XLVIII
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF GAME SCORES

• Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 26-16
• Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17

WEEK 20 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF HIGHLIGHTS

• Peyton Manning completed 74.4% of his passes throwing for 400 yards and 2 touchdowns with zero interceptions.
• Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Demaryius Thomas caught 7 passes for 134 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 19.1 yards per reception.
• Colin Kaepernick threw for 153 yards and 1 touchdown along with 2 interceptions.  He also rushed 11 times for 130 yards in the game.
• Julian Edelman caught 10 passes for 89 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Doug Baldwin caught 6 passes for 106 yards averaging 17.7 yards per reception.
• Tom Brady completed 63.2% of his passes for 277 yards and 1 passing touchdown and he also ran in a touchdown.

WEEK 19 REVIEW – DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

After an entertaining Wildcard Playoff weekend, it comes down to 8 teams battling it out to take the next step toward the AFC Championship and NFC Championship games which will determine this year’s Super Bowl contenders.  In and of itself, winning the Conference is a feather in the cap for any team and the Super Bowl becomes a formality to crown a single victor for the season.

There were four Divisional Playoff games and honestly, all four games were very entertaining even if the scores did not reflect that sentiment.

New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Divisional Playoff Weekend started with the New Orleans Saints who finished the regular season 11-5 facing the Seattle Seahawks who finished their season at 13-3.  In what on paper looked to be one of the best match ups of the weekend, proved to fall a little short.  In the First Quarter, Steven Hauschka kicked two field goals from 38 and 49 yards respectively giving the Seahawks a 6-0 lead after one quarter.  The second field goal came with 37 seconds left in the quarter and less than a minute later, Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown from 15 yards out putting the Seahawks up 13-0 with 14:17 left in the half.  New Orleans could not put anything together in the first half and Hauschka kicked a 26 yard field goal with 1:18 left in the first half and Seattle led 16-0 at the half.  In the Third Quarter both defenses stepped up allowing no points from either team and in the Fourth Quarter, New Orleans finally put points on the board when Khiry Robinson ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out.  The Saints went for 2 points after the touchdown and converted making the score 16-8 with 13:11 left in the game.  Toward the end of the game, Marshawn Lynch scored again running the ball 31 yards for a touchdown and the Seahawks were up 23-8 with 2:40 left in the game.  The Saints put together a drive with Drew Brees connecting with Marques Colston from 9 yards out for a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the game trailing by 8 points.  The onside kick attempt was thwarted and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints 23-15 and move on to the NFC Championship game next week.

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots

The second game of the day was the Indianapolis Colts who finished the regular season 11-5 pitted against the New England Patriots who finished the regular season 12-4.  The game started quickly as LeGarrette Blount scored a touchdown from 2 yards out just 1:19 minutes into the game putting the Patriots up 7-0 in rapid fashion.  Blount scored another touchdown from 2 yards out with 7:17 left in the First Quarter and New England was up 14-0.  The Colts countered and 3 minutes later, Andrew Luck completed a pass to LaVon Brazil for 38 yards and a touchdown cutting the lead to 7 points at the end of one quarter.  Blount, who had a monster game, scored another touchdown from 2 yards out with 10:54 remaining in the half increasing the Patriots lead to 14 points.  With 5:35 left in the first half, Adam Vinatieri kicked a 36 yard field goal and the Patriots led 21-10.  The Colts were able to shut down the Patriots on their next possession and on a bad snap, Punter Ryan Allen was not able to field the snap and fumbled the ball through the end zone and the Colts chalked up a Safety and added 2 points to their total.  In the second half, the Colts started out and converted a field goal from 21 yards and the cut the Patriots lead to 6 points.  3 minutes later, Stevan Ridley scored a touchdown from 3 yards out and also ran in the 2 point conversion and the Patriots led 29-15.  One minute later, the Colts scored again when Andrew Luck completed another touchdown pass to LaVon Brazil from 35 yards cutting the lead to 7 points.  At this point it looked as if the Colts were mounting a comeback but LeGarrette Blount quickly took the wind from their sails running 73 yards for a touchdown, his fourth of the day with 12:55 left in the game.  The Colts threw an interception on the next possession and Stevan Ridley scored another touchdown from 1 yard out increasing the Patriots lead to 21 points with 11:12 left in the game.  The rest of the game was a defensive battle and the New England Patriots went on to beat the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 and move on to the AFC Championship game next week.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Carolina Panthers

On Sunday January 12th, the Divisional Playoffs continued starting with the San Francisco 49ers who finished the regular season 12-4 pitted against the Carolina Panthers who also finished the regular season 12-4.  Carolina started off slow and San Francisco put up the first points of the game with a 49 yard field goal from Phil Dawson with 9:12 left in the First Quarter. Dawson kicked another field goal from 33 yards with 4:33 remaining in the quarter and the 49ers led 6-0 after one quarter.  In the Second Quarter, the Panthers were able to move the ball and Cam Newton threw a 31 yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith and the Panthers led 7-6. Carolina was able to convert a 24 yard field goal from Graham Gano with 3:41 left in the half and the Panthers led 10-6.  With 5 seconds left in the first half, Colin Kaepernick threw a 1 yard pass to Vernon Davis for a touchdown giving the 49ers a 13-10 lead at the half.  Mid way through the Third Quarter, Kaepernick scrambled and ran in a touchdown from 4 yards out increasing the lead to 10 points.  The 49ers Defense was stingy and shut down the Panthers Offense for the most part.  Phil Dawson added three points with a 34 yard field goal in the Fourth Quarter and the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Carolina Panthers 23-10 and move on to the NFC Championship game next week.

San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos

The second game of the day proved to be much more exciting with the San Diego Chargers who finished the regular season 9-7 facing off against the Denver Broncos who finished the regular season 13-3 with their 3 regular season losses coming from the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers.  The Denver Broncos have been one of the most successful teams this season and typically get off to a fast start scoring on most of their opening drives but that was not to be in this game.  Torid rivals over the years, the game went back and forth and with 2:25 left in the First Quarter, Peyton Manning completed a 2 yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas and the Broncos led 7-0 after one quarter.  The Broncos Defense did a great job putting pressure on Philip Rivers and shutting down his passing game.  With 6 minutes remaining in the half, Wes Welker caught a 3 yard touchdown pass from Manning and the Denver Broncos led 14-0 at the half.  With almost no time left on the clock, Manning threw an interception at the back of the end zone and San Diego kept themselves in the game trailing 14-0 at the half.  Six minutes into the second half, Matt Prater kicked a 45 yard field goal increasing the Denver lead to 17 points.  Throughout the game, it looked like Denver would dominate and early in the Fourth Quarter, San Diego put their first points on the board when Philip Rivers threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen cutting the Denver lead to 10 points.  Denver countered when Knowshon Moreno ran in a touchdown from 3 yards out bringing the lead back to 17 points with 8:12 remaining in the game.  Two minutes later, Rivers connected again with Allen for a 16 yard touchdown and cut the Denver lead to 10 points.  San Diego then kicked an onside kick and recovered the ball and moved into field goal position and Nick Novak was able to convert a 30 yard attempt for three points and the Chargers trailed by 7 points with the Broncos leading 24-17.  With almost 4 minutes left on the clock, the Chargers put their hopes on their Defense and they were unable to stop the Broncos from making 2 first downs and the Denver Broncos were able to run out the clock and beat the San Diego Chargers 24-17 and move on to the AFC Championship game next week.

The Divisional Playoff weekend was exciting and now the winners move on to the Conference Championship games to determine who goes to the Super Bowl.

Sunday January 19th

AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots (12-4) at Denver Broncos (13-3)

NFC Championship Game
San Francisco 49ers (9-7) at Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

The winners of the Conference Championship games will go onto face each other in Super Bowl XLVIII February 2nd in New York.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME SCORES

• Seattle Seahawks defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-15
• New England Patriots killed the Indianapolis Colts 43-22
• San Francisco 49ers beat the Carolina Panthers 23-10
• Denver Broncos won over the San Diego Chargers 24-17

WEEK 19 DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF HIGHLIGHTS

• LeGarrette Blount carried the ball 24 times for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns.
• Keenan Allen caught 6 passes for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns averaging 23.7 yards per reception.
• Drew Brees completed 55.8% of his passes for 309 yards and 1 touchdown.
• Marshawn Lynch ran the ball 28 times for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
• T.Y. Hilton caught 4 passes for 103 yards averaging 25.8 yards per reception.
• Peyton Manning completed 69.4% of his passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing 1 interception in the Broncos win against the San Diego Chargers.
• Ted Ginn caught 4 passes for 104 yards averaging 26.0 yards per reception.
• Marquis Colston caught 11 passes for 144 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 13.1 yards per reception.
• Andrew Luck threw for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns with 4 interceptions in the Colts loss to the New England Patriots.
• Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 136 yards averaging 17.0 yards per reception.

WEEK 18 REVIEW – WILDCARD PLAYOFFS

It is hard to believe the regular season for the 2013 season is over and we can all hope the rest of the Playoffs are as entertaining as the Wildcard match ups.  The Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos all got an extra week off waiting to see who they will face in the first round of the Divisional Playoff games.

Their were four Wildcard Playoff games and honestly, all four games were very entertaining and three of the four games were close with winning margins ranging from one to three points and all three came down to the end to determine the winners.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Wildcard Weekend started with the #5 Kansas City Chiefs who finished the regular season 11-5 facing the #4 Indianapolis Colts who finished their season also at 11-5. The Colts hosted the game which was a shoot out from the beginning.  Midway through the First Quarter, Alex Smith connected with Dwayne Bowe for a 6 yard touchdown pass and K.C. was up 7-0. Minutes later Andrew Luck threw a 10 yard touchdown to T.Y. Hilton to tie the game at 7.  The Chiefs returned fire and Ryan Succop kicked a 19 yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the First Quarter giving them a 10-7 lead. Early in the Second Quarter, Luck threw an interception.  Alex Smith quickly capitalized on the mistake and threw a pass to Donnie Avery that went 79 yards for a touchdown giving the Chiefs a 17-7 lead just  21 seconds into the Second Quarter. The Colts got the ball back and Luck threw another interception.  Kansas City took advantage again and Smith completed a 5 yard touchdown pass to Anthony Sherman with 13:05 left in the half and the Chiefs led 24-7.  On the next possession, Luck was able to move the ball into field goal position and Adam Vinatieri kicked a 37 yard field goal cutting the Chiefs lead to 14. With 1:51 remaining in the half, Knile Davis ran in a touchdown from 4 yards out and the Chiefs were winning 31-10 at halftime.  The Kansas City Chiefs received the opening kickoff in the second half and quickly marched the ball down the field and Smith completed a 10 yard touchdown pass to Davis and the Chiefs led 38-10 and for all intents and purposes, the game was over, or was it?   Down by 28 and with most of the second half left to play, the Colts drove down the field and Donald Brown ran in a touchdown from 10 yards out and the Chiefs lead was cut to 21 points.  Four minutes later Brown caught a 3 yard touchdown pass from Luck and the score was now 38-24 as the Colts trailed by 14 with 7:32 left in the Third Quarter.  The Chiefs were able to kick a field goal on their next possession from 42 yards in increased their lead to 17 with 4:12 left in the quarter. Less than 2 minutes later, Luck completed a 12 yard pass to Coby Fleener for a touchdown and the Chiefs lead was now down to 10 points at the end of the Third Quarter.  One of the most exciting plays of the game happened in the Fourth Quarter when Andrew Luck handed the ball off Brown who fumbled near the goal line and Luck picked it up and dove into the end zone for a touchdown from 5 yards out cutting the Chiefs lead to 3 points with 10:38 left in the game. At this point, the Chiefs had lost all of their steam but were able to kick a 43 yard field goal with 5:36 remaining in the contest and the lead was back up to 6 points.  On the next drive, Andrew Luck threw a pass to T.Y. Hilton who scored a touchdown from 64 yards out and gave the Indianapolis Colts their first lead of the day with 4:21 left on the clock and the score at 45-44.  The Colts were able to keep the Chiefs from scoring again and won the game and moved on to face the New England Patriots in the Divisional Playoff match up.  Down 28 points at one point, the Chiefs overcame the largest deficit ever in a Playoff game to win and advance to the next round to challenge Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The second game of the day was equally exciting with the #6 New Orleans Saints who finished the regular season 11-5 pitted against the #3 Philadelphia Eagles who finished the regular season 10-6.  The First Quarter was back and forth and basically a shut out for both teams. The first points went on the board mid way through the Second Quarter when Shayne Graham kicked a 36 yard field goal putting the Saints up 3-0.  On the subsequent drive, the Eagles marched down the field and Riley Cooper caught a 10 yard pass from Nick Foles for a touchdown giving the Eagles a 7-3 lead with 1:48 left in the half.  The Saints took advantage of the remaining time on the clock and moved the ball into field goal range and Graham kicked a field goal from 46 yards with no time left in the first half bringing the Saints to within 1 point.  The real action started in the Third Quarter with Drew Brees connecting for a touchdown from 24 yards out to Lance Moore and the Saints regained the lead at 13-7.  Philadelphia was unable to do much on their next drive and punted.  The Saints proceeded to move the ball again and Mark Ingram scored a touchdown from the 4 yard line giving the Saints a 20-7 lead with 3:54 remaining in the quarter.  On the next possession, the Eagles were able to maneuver the field and LeSean McCoy ran in a touchdown from the 1 and cut the Saints lead to 6 points with 32 seconds left in the quarter.  Early in the Fourth Quarter, the Alex Henery kicked a 31 yard field goal and cut the Saints lead to 3 points.  The Saints countered with a field goal of their own from 35 yards out and re-established a 6 point lead.  On the next possession, Nick Foles connected for a touchdown to Zach Ertz from 3 yards out giving Philadelphia the lead with 4:54 left in the game.  The Saints then methodically moved the ball eating up the play clock and kicked a game winning field goal from 32 yards out with no time left on the clock.  The New Orleans Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-24 and move on to the Divisional rounds next week to face Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.

San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

On Sunday January 5th, the Wildcard Playoffs continued starting with the #6 San Diego Chargers who finished the regular season 9-7 pitted against the #3 Cincinnati Bengals who finished the regular season 11-5.  The First Quarter was quiet as each team tried to establish their offensive presence and with 48 seconds remaining in the quarter, the Chargers were the first to put points on the board when Danny Woodhead ran in a touchdown from 5 yards out giving the Chargers a 7-0 lead.  The Second Quarter was dominated by the Bengals and Jermaine Gresham caught a 4 yard pass from Andy Dalton with 5:59 remaining in the half tying the game at 7 a piece.  Mike Nugent capped off the quarter with a 46 yard field goal with no time remaining in the half and the Bengals led at half time 10-7.  The rest of the game belonged to San Diego.  Ladarius Green scored a touchdown on a 4 yard pass from Philip Rivers to bring the score to 14-10.  Minutes later, Nick Novak kicked a 25 yard field goal giving the Chargers a 7 point lead at the end of three.  With just 44 seconds off the clock, Novak kicked a 23 yard field goal and the Chargers led 20-10.  After a few possession trade offs, San Diego capped off the game with a 58 yard run for a touchdown from Ronnie Brown and the San Diego Chargers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10 and move on to the Divisional Playoff round to face Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers

The second game of the day proved to be much more exciting with #5 San Francisco 49ers who finished the regular season 12-4 facing off against the #4 Green Bay Packers who finished the regular season 8-7-1.  San Francisco got off to an early lead with a 22 yard field goal from Nick Dawson with 9:00 minutes left in the First Quarter.  Dawson was able to kick a 25 yard field goal with 2:17 left in the quarter and the 49ers led 6-0 at then end of one quarter.  In the Second Quarter, Aaron Rodgers connected with his favorite target, Jordy Nelson, from 5 yards out for a touchdown and the Packers led 7-6 with 5:50 left in the half.  The 49ers countered with a 10 yard touchdown run from Frank Gore putting them back up 13-7.  With no time remaining in the first half, Mason Crosby kicked a 34 yard field goal brining the deficit to 3 points at the half.  The Third Quarter was relatively quiet and with 12:06 left in the Fourth Quarter, John Kuhn scored on a 1 yard run and the Packers had the lead 17-13.  The 49ers quickly countered with a touchdown of their own when Vernon Davis caught a 28 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick putting them back on top 20-17.  With 5:06 left in the game, Mason Crosby tied the game with a 24 yard field goal.  On the ensuing possession, San Francisco maneuvered into position to kick a 33 yard field goal with no time remaining giving the San Francisco 49ers the lead and the win over the Green Bay Packers to move onto the next round in the playoffs to face off against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

The Wildcard Playoff weekend was exciting and now the winners move on to face the Division winners in the Divisional matchups against four well rested and prepared teams.

Saturday January 11th
New Orleans Saints (11-5) at Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) at New England Patriots (12-4)

Sunday January 12th
San Francisco 49ers (12-4) vs. Carolina Panthers (12-4)
San Diego Chargers (9-7) vs. Denver Broncos (13-3)

The winners will go onto the Divisional Championships beginning Sunday January 19th.

WILDCARD PLAYOFF GAME SCORES

• Indianapolis Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 45-44
• New Orleans Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagle 26-24
• San Diego Chargers easily beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10
• San Francisco 49ers won over the Green Bay Packers 23-20

WEEK 18 HIGHLIGHTS

• Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts overcame a 28 point deficit to beat the Kansas City Chiefs who was undefeated until Week 11 of the season and moved on to the Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots.  In the game, Luck completed 64.4% of his passes for 443 yards and 4 touchdowns while throwing 3 interceptions in the game.
• Mark Ingram ran the ball 18 times for 97 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
• Colin Kaepernick completed 53.3% of his passes for 227 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception. He also ran 7 times for 98 yards averaging 14.0 yards per carry.
• Marvin Jones caught 8 passes for 130 yards averaging 16.3 yards per reception.
• Andy Dalton threw for 334 yards and 1 touchdown with 2 interceptions.
• Michael Crabtree caught 8 passes for 125 yards averaging 15.6 yards per reception.
• Dwayne Bowe caught 8 passes for 150 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 18.8 yards per reception.
• T.Y. Hilton caught 13 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns averaging 17.2 yards per reception.  Hilton had a 64 yard catch and run for a touchdown in the game to give the Colts the first lead of the day and the win over the Chiefs to move into the Divisional round.
• Alex Smith completed 65.2% of his passes for 378 yards and 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions in the Chiefs loss to the Colts.