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NFL Game Summary - Indianapolis at New England

(Sunday, January 16th)
Final Score: New England 20, Indianapolis 3

Foxboro, MA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score and the Patriot defense stymied the high-powered Indianapolis offense, as New England posted a 20-3 win over the Colts in an AFC Divisional Playoff game at a snowy Gillette Stadium.

Brady finished 18-of-27 for 144 yards and was not picked off. Corey Dillon rushed for 144 yards on 23 carries in his first playoff game for the second- seeded Patriots, who will visit Pittsburgh in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game beginning at 6:30 p.m. (et).

The contest will be a rematch from Week 8 when the Steelers recorded a convincing 34-20 win at Heinz Field and put an end to New England's NFL- record, 21-game winning streak.

"I think our defense is what made this game successful the way they played today," said Brady. "To give up three points against one of the best offenses in the history of football was great. What a win, what a win."

The Patriots, who are the defending Super Bowl champions, are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Denver captured consecutive Vince Lombardi trophies in 1997-98.

New England has now won 30 of its last 32 contests, including playoffs, and also extended the NFL's longest current homefield winning streak to 20 games.

Peyton Manning, who was named the league MVP for a second-straight year, struggled all day for the Colts and continued to have difficulties against a Bill Belichick coached team as he has never won in New England in seven trips.

Manning, who passed for an NFL-record 49 touchdowns and had a whopping passer rating of 121.1 this season, ended 27-of-42 for 238 yards with an interception. Indianapolis has dropped consecutive playoff games in Foxboro, also suffering a 24-14 setback in last year's AFC Championship Game.

The Colts, who were coming off a 49-24 thrashing of Denver in last weekend's opening round, have now lost six straight overall to the Patriots, included a season-opening loss this year.

The Patriots dominated every facet of the game as they controlled the ball for over 37 minutes and held the league's premier offense to only 276 net yards, nearly 130 short of their season average.

"They just outplayed us," said Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy. "I thought they were a little more physical than us in the second half and I thought Corey Dillon made a big difference."

After a scoreless first quarter that featured five total punts, New England finally cracked the scoreboard as Adam Vinatieri booted a 24-yard field goal with 10:40 left in the second.

The Patriots methodically moved 78 yards in a season-long 16 plays that took more than nine minutes off the game clock. Brady passed for 75 yards and Dillon chipped in 25 on the ground and appeared to add a one-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-goal, but New England was whistled for a false start before the play and settled for the short kick.

Indianapolis then went three-and-out and the Patriots were able to tack on three more points. Vinatieri capped a six-play, 48-yard march with a 31-yard field goal that made it 6-0 with 7:56 left in the second quarter.

The Colts, who struggled the entire first half, finally mounted a drive late in the second period and culminated it with Mike Vanderjagt's 23-yard field goal as the stanza expired to cut the deficit to 6-3. Manning engineered an 11-play, 67-yard drive, which included 34 yards passing to Brandon Stokley, but failed to get his team into the end zone.

New England added to its lead late in the third quarter as Brady found David Givens for a five-yard score for the game's first touchdown. On the lengthy 15-play, 87-yard series, Dillon rushed for 27 yards and Kevin Faulk contributed 23 yards on the ground to help the Patriots widen the gap to 13-3 with 1:30 left in the frame.

Brady then sealed the win midway through the fourth quarter as his one-yard plunge capped another long drive and made it 20-3. On the 14-play, 94-yard march, New England was able to chew up 7:24 off the clock courtesy of solid play calling, as the club picked up a pair of third-down conversions. Brady threw for 30 yards on the series and Dillon also helped out on the ground with 35 yards, including a key 27-yard run late in the drive that set up a 1st-and- goal at the one-yard line.

On the next series, the Colts blew any chance of a comeback as Reggie Wayne was hit after making a catch and fumbled the ball. Tedy Bruschi fell on the loose ball, his second fumble recovery of the game, for the Patriots, who then failed to capitalize and punted.

Indianapolis tried to get a touchdown in the waning seconds, but Manning was intercepted in the end zone by Rodney Harrison to put a fitting end to a disastrous game by the Colts' offense.

Harrison ended with nine total tackles, including seven solo, an interception and a forced fumble.

Game Notes

Brady, who is 7-0 as a playoff starter, has never lost in six career games against Indianapolis...Belichick is 7-0 all-time in the playoffs with the Patriots...Manning is now 2-10 lifetime, including six straight setbacks, when facing Belichick as a head coach or defensive coordinator. In that span, Manning has struggled and has thrown as many interceptions as touchdown passes (19-19). Manning is 4-6 in his postseason career...The Colts have dropped nine straight games in New England and last won in Foxboro on November 19, 1995...The Patriots lead the all-time series 43-24...New England is 8-0 all- time when hosting a game played in snow and improved to 21-2 since 1993 when the game time temperature is 35 degrees or colder...New England defensive end Richard Seymour missed his second straight game with a strained knee...Edgerrin James had 39 rushing yards and caught seven passes for 69 yards in the loss...Stokley had a game-high eight receptions for Indianapolis.

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NFL Game Summary - Minnesota at Philadelphia

(Sunday, January 16th)
Final Score: Philadelphia 27, Minnesota 14

Philadelphia, PA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Donovan McNabb threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Philadelphia Eagles past the Minnesota Vikings, 27-14, in an NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Philadelphia advanced to its fourth consecutive NFC Championship Game and will entertain Atlanta next Sunday at 3 p.m. (et). The Falcons advanced with a 47-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Saturday.

The Eagles, who will be hosting the NFC title contest for a record third straight year, have failed to reach the Super Bowl the previous three seasons.

"We know what's at stake, we're a better team now," said Philadelphia linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. "This is our year."

McNabb finished 21-of-33 and was not picked off. Brian Westbrook rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries and also grabbed five passes for 47 yards and a touchdown for the top-seeded Eagles. Freddie Mitchell caught a TD pass and recovered a teammate's fumble in the end zone for another score in the win.

"I'm a special player," said Mitchell. "I've just got to thank my hands for being so great. I've just been chillin' being patient, being humble. I knew my time was going to come."

Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper was 24-of-46 for 316 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Culpepper also scrambled for 25 yards and a score on five attempts.

Marcus Robinson chipped in five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings, who were forced to play without running back Moe Williams. Williams played an instrumental role in Minnesota's Wild Card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend, but suffered a sprained right ankle. Randy Moss managed just three receptions for 51 yards in the loss.

The Eagles opened the scoring with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter, as McNabb found Mitchell in the end zone from two yards away on a 3rd-and-goal play. Philadelphia needed to march only 53 yards for the touchdown following a short 24-yard punt by Darren Bennett. Meanwhile, the drive was aided by a defensive holding penalty against Dontarrious Thomas on a third-down play from the Minnesota 36-yard line.

Following another punt by Bennett, the Eagles took over at their own eight- yard line. McNabb then engineered a 92-yard touchdown drive, culminating it with a seven-yard scoring toss to Westbrook that gave Philadelphia a 14-0 advantage with 14:16 left in the second quarter. The highlight of the seven- play march was a 52-yard pass from McNabb to Greg Lewis that took the ball to the Vikings' 21-yard line.

Minnesota responded on its next possession, as Culpepper capped a six- play, 58-yard drive with a seven-yard scamper into the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 10:37 remaining in the period. The key play of the series was a 40-yard connection from Culpepper to Robinson that placed the ball at the Eagles' 16-yard line.

J.R. Reed then returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Vikings' 46-yard line. After a pair of defensive pass interference penalties moved the ball to the 14-yard line, McNabb hit L.J. Smith with a short pass over the middle. Smith was then hit by Antoine Winfield and the ball flew out of his hands and into the air. Fortunately for Philadelphia, Mitchell was at the right place at the right time and caught the ball in the end zone for a touchdown to restore a 14-point lead with 10:08 left in stanza.

"That just goes to show you things are going our way," said McNabb.

The Vikings were able to march down the field on their next series and faced a 4th-and-goal from the three-yard line. Minnesota lined up in field-goal formation, but attempted a fake, as Gus Frerotte took the snap and went back to pass. However, he was unable to find an open receiver and eventually threw the ball out of the end zone.

It appeared that Moss was going to be the intended target, but he was confused on the play and came off the field prior to the snap. During the miscommunication, Vikings coach Mike Tice tried to call a timeout, but was unsuccessful. It was later determined that if Moss remained on the field, Minnesota would have been penalized for having 12 players.

The Eagles then took over at their own four-yard line with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half and proceeded to drive deep into Vikings' territory. With 10 seconds remaining and no timeouts left, McNabb hit Dorsey Levens with a short pass at the four-yard line. However, the running back was tackled immediately and time expired in the half with Philadelphia holding a 21-7 advantage.

The Vikings were marching on their first offensive series of the second half, before Culpepper was picked off by linebacker Ike Reese at the Eagles' 28-yard line. It marked the first interception suffered by Culpepper in his last 132 attempts.

After forcing a punt, Minnesota had the ball at its own 23-yard line. On the seventh play of the drive, Culpepper was again picked off, this time by Trotter, who returned the ball 35 yards to the Vikings' 31-yard line.

On the next play from scrimmage, McNabb hooked up with Mitchell, who then raced down the left sideline and dove for the goal line. The ball hit the chalk and officials originally signaled a touchdown. However, the play was challenged and reversed after it was determined that Mitchell fumbled just shy of the goal line. The ball rolled over the pylon for a touchback and Minnesota gained control at its own 20-yard line with 3:53 left in the third quarter.

The Vikings again put together a nice drive, as they reached the Philadelphia 19-yard line and faced a 3rd-and-10. Culpepper was then sacked for a 12-yard loss on the next play and Minnesota elected to go for it on 4th-and-22. However, Culpepper's pass intended for Moss in the end zone was knocked away.

"Mistakes, penalties at the wrong time, taking some points off the board, stopping a drive, having a nice play called back," said Tice referring to Minnesota's miscues. "We made some mistakes when we had a little bit of rhythm going. We didn't finish anything."

After taking over on downs, McNabb was able to guide the offense into field goal range and David Akers split the uprights from 21 yards out to increase the lead to a commanding 24-7 with 13:20 remaining in the fourth period.

Akers added a 23-yarder with 6:39 left, before Culpepper completed the scoring with a 32-yard TD pass to Robinson with 1:59 left. Following the score, Minnesota attempted an onside kick, but Mitchell recovered it and the Eagles ran out the remaining time.

Game Notes

The Eagles and Vikings met one previous time in the postseason and Philadelphia posted a 31-16 victory in an NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 3, 1981. The Eagles proceeded to make it to the Super Bowl, before losing to the Oakland Raiders...Philadelphia dropped the NFC Championship Game to St. Louis in 2002, was ousted by Tampa Bay in 2003 and eliminated by Carolina in 2004...Under head coach Andy Reid, the Eagles are now 9-0 following a bye, including the playoffs...Mitchell ended with five catches for 65 yards...Culpepper, who also eclipsed the 300-yard mark against the Eagles in Week Two, is the only signal-caller to throw for 300 yards against Philadelphia this season.

NFL Game Summary - NY Jets at Pittsburgh

(Saturday, January 15th)

Final Score: Pittsburgh 20, NY Jets 17 (OT)

Pittsburgh, PA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Jeff Reed booted a 33-yard field goal 11:04 into overtime as Pittsburgh outlasted the New York Jets, 20-17, in a thrilling AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field.

Reed's kick ended a 14-play, 72-yard drive on the Steelers' first possession of the extra session and sent top-seeded Pittsburgh into the AFC Championship for the first time since 2002. The Steelers will host the winner of Sunday's divisional tussle between Indianapolis and New England for a berth in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The Jets, playing their NFL-record third consecutive overtime affair, had two opportunities to win the game during the fourth quarter, but Doug Brien missed a pair of field goals in the final two minutes, including a 43-yarder with four seconds remaining in regulation.

"We were very fortunate," said Steelers head coach Bill Cowher. "I have to commend the effort of the New York Jets. We won the game and that is the most important thing."

Brien's second shank came after Steelers rookie Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter by David Barrett, who returned the ball 24 yards to the Pittsburgh 37.

Roethlisberger, the first-year sensation who guided Pittsburgh to its 15th consecutive triumph, looked like a rookie through most of his first playoff start. He finished 17-of-30 for 181 yards and a score while also throwing a another pick, this one resulting in an 86-yard touchdown by Reggie Tongue that gave New a York a 17-10 lead with 3:52 remaining in the third quarter.

"It wasn't me out there today," Roethlisberger said. "Luckily our defense did a good job of holding them today."

However, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year redeemed himself by tossing a shovel pass to Hines Ward for a four-yard touchdown to tie the game with six minutes to go in the fourth period, then engineering the game-winning drive in overtime.

Ward had 10 receptions for 105 yards while Jerome Bettis ran for 101 yards on 27 carries and a score for the Steelers, who are unbeaten since a Week 2 loss at Baltimore back in September.

Chad Pennington threw for 182 yards on 21-of-33 passing and an interception for the Jets, who advanced to the divisional round with a 20-17 overtime win at San Diego last week. Justin McCareins snared four passes for 82 yards.

The Steeler defense limited the NFL's regular season rushing champion, Curtis Martin, to 77 yards on 19 attempts and kept New York's offense out of the end zone all day long. The Jets' other touchdown came on a 75-yard punt return by Santana Moss in the second quarter.

After New York stalled on the opening possession of overtime and was forced to punt, Pittsburgh moved close to scoring range with a pair of key conversions on third down.

Ward kept the drive alive with a 17-yard catch to midfield on 3rd-and-6 and Verron Haynes moved the chains by scampering eight yards on a shotgun draw to the Jets' 36. Three straight runs by Duce Staley put the ball inside the 20- yard line and the Steelers eventually got to the 15 before bringing on Reed, whose kick landed just inside the right post.

The first quarter belonged to the Steelers, who took advantage of a costly New York turnover to build a 10-0 lead at period's end.

Pittsburgh began the scoring on its second drive of the day, a seven-play, 37-yard series ending in Reed's 45-yard field goal with 5:18 left in the opening quarter. After a 15-yard strike from Roethlisberger to Ward started things off and placed the ball just across midfield, Bettis ran twice for 15 yards to put the Steelers in scoring range.

On the ensuing possession, Pennington was picked off by Troy Polamalu, who returned the ball 14 yards to the Jets' 25. The turnover set up a three-yard burst by Bettis into the end zone with under two minutes remaining in the first.

New York countered with its best offensive series of the first half, an 11- play set which consumed nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. Pennington completed three straight short passes to put the Jets inside the Pittsburgh 25, but two Steeler sacks forced the visitors to settle for a 42-yard field goal from Brien less than five minutes into the second quarter.

Moss then delivered the biggest play of the first half when he fielded Chris Gardocki's punt at his own 25-yard line, then sprinted towards the sideline before cutting back to his right and outracing the coverage unit for a 10-10 deadlock which lasted into the second half.

Roethlisberger, who hit just 4-of-12 passes before the break, completed his first five throws after intermission and drove the Steelers to the New York 33 late in the third quarter. However, he misread the coverage on an intended pattern for Antwaan Randle El and threw to an awaiting Tongue on the 14-yard line. The safety then broke free down the right sideline and rumbled all the way into the end zone to put New York on top for the first time.

It remained a 17-10 Jets lead until Pittsburgh marched 66 yards in 12 plays to pull even. Roethlisberger opened the series with a 20-yard scramble across midfield, then later found Plaxico Burress for an 11-yard gain on third down to the New York 29. The Steelers powered down to the four-yard line via Bettis and Staley before Ward caught Roethlisberger's shovel toss and dived across the goal line with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"He is unflappable," said Cowher of his young quarterback. "He has an ability to move onto the next series after making a mistake."

A 22-yard connection from Pennington to McCareins and a 17-yard screen to Martin gave the Jets a potential opportunity to reclaim the lead, but Brien's 47-yard boot just before the two-minute warning hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced onto the field.

Barrett then grabbed Roethlisberger's overthrown pass on the next play to give New York another chance. After reaching the Pittsburgh 24-yard line, the Jets ran the clock down and sent out Brien, who badly missed his try to the left.

Game Notes

New York has never won in seven all-time games in Pittsburgh...The Steelers lead the overall series 16-2, including a 17-6 win at Heinz Field on December 12...Pittsburgh fell 24-17 to New England at home in its last AFC Championship appearance on January 27, 2002...Jets defensive end John Abraham was inactive due to a sprained right knee, while Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell missed the game with an injured groin.

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NFL Game Summary - St. Louis at Atlanta

(Saturday, January 15th)

Final Score: Atlanta 47, St. Louis 17

Atlanta, GA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Warrick Dunn rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard run, and Michael Vick threw for a pair of scores while running for 119 yards, as the Atlanta Falcons rolled to a 47-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in an NFC Divisional Playoff game at the Georgia Dome.

Allen Rossum returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and set an NFL playoff record with 152 punt return yards for the Falcons, who will take on the winner of Sunday's playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

Marc Bulger completed 23-of-35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams, who just could not keep up with the explosive Falcons.

St. Louis was also without wide receiver Isaac Bruce, who was sidelined with a groin injury. Bruce caught 89 passes for 1,292 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, but his absence likely did not factor in the Rams' decisive setback.

The Falcons, who scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions, outgained St. Louis by a 397-325 margin in total yards, including 327-77 on the ground. A number of franchise postseason records were set by Atlanta, including most points in a game and in a half (28).

"You saw a team that plays together," said the Falcons' Jim Mora, who emerged victorious in his first playoff game as a head coach. "We like to say in the locker room that the best player on our team is our team."

Vick finished 12-of-16 passing for 82 yards.

"This is a very exciting time for us," said Vick. "This is something we've worked for all year. Why not go out there and enjoy the moment?"

Atlanta jumped out to a 7-0 lead on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Vick to Alge Crumpler three minutes into the contest. The score, which capped a five- play, 76-yard drive, was preceded two plays earlier by an electrifying 47-yard run by Vick.

But St. Louis answered quickly, using a five-play, 81-yard march to tie the game at 7-7 less than three minutes later. Bulger finished off the drive by hitting Kevin Curtis in stride on a 57-yard scoring strike.

The offensive explosion continued when Dunn broke loose for a 62-yard TD run that put the Falcons up 14-7 with 7:52 still remaining in the first quarter.

The Rams drove to the Atlanta 43 on their next possession, but the drive stalled and they were forced to punt.

The Falcons, however, continued to pour it on and Dunn capped a 13-play, 80- yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from 19 yards out, to make it 21-7 with 9:58 left in the second quarter. Atlanta converted on third down three times during the march, including a 14-yard pass from Vick to Michael Jenkins on 3rd-and-10 from the Rams' 34.

But St. Louis put together an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive on its next possession and pulled to within 21-14 on Bulger's 28-yard TD pass to Torry Holt.

Atlanta, though, continued to make Swiss cheese out of the St. Louis defense and marched down to the Rams' 29. After a false-start penalty, Vick took off on a 15-yard run. However, he tripped on the turf and fumbled as he landed near the sideline. The ball was recovered by the Rams' Tommy Polley at the 18 to bring the Falcons' drive to a halt.

But St. Louis went three-and-out on the subsequent series, as Steven Jackson was stopped for no gain on 3rd-and-1 from the Rams' 27.

The Falcons quickly made St. Louis pay for not capitalizing on the turnover when Rossum returned the punt 68 yards for a touchdown, putting Atlanta up 28-14 with 59 seconds left in the second quarter.

It was the first punt return for a touchdown in Falcons postseason history.

But the Rams moved 43 yards in nine plays and made it a 28-17 game at the half on Jeff Wilkins' 55-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

Any momentum from Wilkins' field goal was wasted on the St. Louis' first possession of the second half. After nearly fumbling away the kickoff, the Rams went three-and-out when Jackson dropped a 3rd-and-3 pass that would have been good for a first down.

Rossum then returned the subsequent punt 39 yards to the St. Louis 32, setting up a six-yard TD pass from Vick to Peerless Price that made it a 34-17 contest nearly five minutes into the third quarter.

Rams head coach Mike Martz challenged the ruling on the field that Price caught the pass with both feet in bounds, but the play was reviewed and the call upheld.

After another failed series on offense for St. Louis, Rossum struck again with a 45-yard punt return. That set up Jay Feely's 38-yard field goal that put Atlanta up 38-17 with 5:54 left in the third.

With 11:39 left to play, Brady Smith sacked Bulger in the end zone for a safety that put the Falcons up 40-17. T.J. Duckett's four-yard TD run with 1:54 left capped the scoring.

"In all phases of the game, we got whipped," said St. Louis safety Antuan Edwards.

Jackson was limited to just 32 yards on nine carries, while Marshall Faulk rushed seven times for 30 yards in the loss. Curtis, taking the place of the injured Bruce in the Rams' lineup, finished with seven catches for 128 yards.

Game Notes

Mora's father, Jim Mora Sr., went 0-6 in the postseason with New Orleans (0-4) and Indianapolis (0-2)...The Falcons were hosting a playoff game for the first time since a 20-18 win over San Francisco in the 1998 Divisional Playoffs. The younger Mora was the 49ers' secondary coach in that game...Dunn's 62-yard run was the longest in Falcons postseason history...Bulger came up hobbled on a run just before Wilkins' field goal at the end of the first half. He had his left hand taped up at halftime...Atlanta's Chris Mohr's first punt of the game came with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

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