NFL’S “GREAT EIGHT” TAKE CENTER STAGE

IN DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

 

“This is what football in the playoffs is all about.”

 

That’s what Arizona head coach KEN WHISENHUNT had to say after the Cardinals’ historic 51-45 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round last week. 

 

The victory propels the defending NFC Champion Cardinals to a Divisional Playoff matchup against the top-seeded New Orleans Saints on Saturday at the Louisiana Superdome, one of four games this weekend featuring the NFL’s “Great Eight,” the final eight teams in contention for a trip to Super Bowl XLIV. 

 

To advance, the Cardinals used an offensive display for the ages.  Arizona and Green Bay combined for an NFL postseason record 96 points and 13 touchdowns.  The game featured 1,024 yards of total offense, tied for the third-most in an NFL playoff game.  Yet, the decisive score came on a defensive touchdown when Arizona cornerback MICHAEL ADAMS forced a fumble that was returned 17 yards by linebacker KARLOS DANSBY for the game-winning touchdown. 

 

“Michael made a sack, the ball went in the air and I just made a play on the ball,” Dansby recalled after the game. 

 

Cardinals quarterback KURT WARNER completed 29 of 33 passes (87.9 percent) for 379 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions and improved his postseason record to 9-3.  He had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four), becoming just the sixth starting quarterback to accomplish that feat in a playoff game.  Warner outdueled Packers quarterback AARON RODGERS, who passed for a team postseason-record 422 yards and threw four touchdowns in his first career playoff start.  It marked just the second playoff game in the Super Bowl era in which both quarterbacks threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns. 

 

“Whew, is anyone else tired?” Warner joked afterwards.  “Man, what a football game.”

 

The high-scoring Arizona offense will be back in action this Saturday against the Saints, who led the NFL in scoring with 510 points. 

 

“They’re the real deal,” says New Orleans linebacker SCOTT FUJITA about Arizona.  “That offense looks like it’s firing on all cylinders.” 

 

A look at this weekend’s Divisional Playoffs:

 

 

“That’s probably one of the best games ever played in the playoffs,” said Arizona head coach KEN WHISENHUNT after last week’s win over the Packers. 

 

Awaiting the Cardinals are the Saints, who had a franchise-best 13 wins and scored 510 points, the ninth-most in a season in NFL history. 

 

Both teams are led on offense by the quarterback. 

 

Arizona’s KURT WARNER owns a 104.6 postseason passer rating, second-highest all-time, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer BART STARR (104.8).  Last week, Warner passed for 379 yards, his sixth 300-yard playoff game, tied with Hall of Famer JOE MONTANA and Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING for the most all-time.  He also joined DARYLE LAMONICA as the only quarterbacks to throw at least five touchdowns in a playoff game twice in a career. 

 

New Orleans’ DREW BREES, who was named to his fourth Pro Bowl, led the NFL with a franchise-record 109.6 passer rating and set a league mark with a 70.62 completion percentage.  He passed for 4,388 yards, his fourth consecutive 4,000-yard season, and 34 touchdowns, tying his own club record. 

 

“It’s the playoffs,” says Cardinals wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD, who has 628 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, the most by a player in his first five postseason games in NFL history.  “It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, what time you’re playing or what day you’re playing.  You suck it up.”

 

 

Last week, the Ravens knocked off the AFC East champion New England Patriots 33-14 at Gillette Stadium.  Now they’ll head to Indianapolis to face the No. 1 seed Indianapolis Colts, who boasted the league’s best record at 14-2. 

“We’re looking forward to it,” says Baltimore head coach JOHN HARBAUGH.  “Saturday night.  At the Colts.  We’ll be there, right on time.”

 

The Ravens rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns against the Patriots, including an 83-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage by running back RAY RICE.  It was the longest touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in a playoff game in NFL history.  The previous mark was an 82-yard pass from BOB WATERFIELD to GLENN DAVIS in the 1950 NFL Championship Game. 

 

The Colts have won seven in a row against Baltimore, including a 15-6 win in the 2006 Divisional Playoffs.

 

“Everything that’s happened previously, you can throw out the window,” says Indianapolis head coach JIM CALDWELL.  “Those records don’t matter.  All that matters is what happens from here on, and we know that we’re facing a solid team.”

 

Indianapolis quarterback PEYTON MANNING will face a tough Baltimore defense that recorded three interceptions last week.  Manning passed for 4,500 yards, 33 touchdowns and had a 99.9 passer rating this season en route to his fourth AP NFL MVP award, a league record. 

 

 

Two franchises familiar with the postseason will meet on Sunday.  The Cowboys are appearing in the playoffs for the 30th time, tied for the most all-time.  The Vikings earned their 26th berth, tied for the fourth-most in league annals. 

 

In front of the largest non-Super Bowl postseason crowd (92,951) in NFL history, the Cowboys treated the home fans to a 34-14 victory over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.  Running back FELIX JONES rushed for 148 yards, the most by a Cowboy in his first career playoff game, including a 73-yard touchdown run, the longest in team postseason history. 

 

“I think we’re playing as good as anybody right now,” says Dallas head coach WADE PHILLIPS, who earned his first postseason win and, along with his father BUM, became the first father-son duo to each win a playoff game as head coach.  “We know Minnesota is undefeated at home.  They have a lot of weapons and are a very good football team.”

 

For the Vikings, quarterback BRETT FAVRE ranks second in NFL postseason history with 438 completions, 721 attempts, 5,311 yards and 39 touchdowns.  Running back ADRIAN PETERSON, who set a team single-season record with 18 rushing touchdowns and ran for 1,383 yards, joined Pro Football Hall of Famers EARL CAMPBELL and BARRY SANDERS as the only players to rush for at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of their first three NFL seasons. 

 

“They’re doing great things on offense and they have a solid defense,” says Vikings All-Star defensive tackle KEVIN WILLIAMS of the Cowboys.  “But we’re ready to play.  They’re a good team.  Hopefully they bring their ‘A’ game because we’re going to bring ours.  We’ll have a good game.”

 

 

The Chargers have won 11 consecutive games and enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the league.  They’ll face a Jets team that is coming off a 24-14 Wild Card win at Cincinnati. 

 

“I think we’ve proven we belong,” says Jets head coach REX RYAN.  “The Chargers have won 11 straight, earned the right to host a game and got a bye week, so they’re feeling really good.  But we feel really good about where we are.  We think we’re at our best right now and I think the Chargers are at their best, so it’s going to be one heck of a matchup.” 

 

Against the Bengals, the Jets were led by two rookies – quarterback MARK SANCHEZ (139.4 passer rating, highest ever by a rookie in a playoff game, min. 14 attempts) and running back SHONN GREENE (135 rushing yards, most by a rookie in a playoff game since FRED TAYLOR in 1999).   The Jets became the second team in NFL postseason history to have a rookie throw a touchdown pass and another rookie rush for a TD in the same game.  The only other team to accomplish the feat was the Giants in the 1933 NFL Championship Game (HARRY NEWMAN and MAX KRAUSE). 

 

“They’re a really good team that’s played really good football the past few weeks,” says Chargers Pro Bowl quarterback PHILIP RIVERS about the Jets. 

 

Rivers, who was named an All-Star for the second time in his career, passed for a career-high 4,254 yards, the third-highest single-season total in team history.  Wide receiver VINCENT JACKSON (1,167) and tight end ANTONIO GATES (1,157) became the second pair of teammates in club history to each record at least 1,150 receiving yards in a season. 

FINAL 2009 NFL STANDINGS

 

American Football Conference

 

East Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-New England Patriots	10	6	0	.625	427	285	8-0-0	2-6-0	7-5-0	4-2-0	Lost 1
x-New York Jets	9	7	0	.563	348	236	4-4-0	5-3-0	7-5-0	2-4-0	Won 2
Miami Dolphins	7	9	0	.438	360	390	4-4-0	3-5-0	5-7-0	4-2-0	Lost 3
Buffalo Bills	6	10	0	.375	258	326	3-5-0	3-5-0	4-8-0	2-4-0	Won 1
North Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-Cincinnati Bengals	10	6	0	.625	305	291	6-2-0	4-4-0	7-5-0	6-0-0	Lost 1
x-Baltimore Ravens	9	7	0	.563	391	261	6-2-0	3-5-0	7-5-0	3-3-0	Won 1
Pittsburgh Steelers	9	7	0	.563	368	324	6-2-0	3-5-0	6-6-0	2-4-0	Won 3
Cleveland Browns	5	11	0	.313	245	375	3-5-0	2-6-0	5-7-0	1-5-0	Won 4
South Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
z-Indianapolis Colts	14	2	0	.875	416	307	7-1-0	7-1-0	10-2-0	6-0-0	Lost 2
Houston Texans	9	7	0	.563	388	333	4-4-0	5-3-0	6-6-0	1-5-0	Won 4
Tennessee Titans	8	8	0	.500	354	402	5-3-0	3-5-0	4-8-0	2-4-0	Won 1
Jacksonville Jaguars	7	9	0	.438	290	380	5-3-0	2-6-0	6-6-0	3-3-0	Lost 4
West Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-San Diego Chargers	13	3	0	.813	454	320	6-2-0	7-1-0	9-3-0	5-1-0	Won 11
Denver Broncos	8	8	0	.500	326	324	4-4-0	4-4-0	6-6-0	3-3-0	Lost 4
Oakland Raiders	5	11	0	.313	197	379	2-6-0	3-5-0	4-8-0	2-4-0	Lost 2
Kansas City Chiefs	4	12	0	.250	294	424	1-7-0	3-5-0	3-9-0	2-4-0	Won 1

 

National Football Conference

 

East Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-Dallas Cowboys	11	5	0	.688	361	250	6-2-0	5-3-0	9-3-0	4-2-0	Won 3
x-Philadelphia Eagles	11	5	0	.688	429	337	6-2-0	5-3-0	9-3-0	4-2-0	Lost 1
New York Giants	8	8	0	.500	402	427	4-4-0	4-4-0	6-6-0	4-2-0	Lost 2
Washington Redskins	4	12	0	.250	266	336	3-5-0	1-7-0	2-10-0	0-6-0	Lost 3
North Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-Minnesota Vikings	12	4	0	.750	470	312	8-0-0	4-4-0	9-3-0	5-1-0	Won 1
x-Green Bay Packers	11	5	0	.688	461	297	6-2-0	5-3-0	9-3-0	4-2-0	Won 2
Chicago Bears	7	9	0	.438	327	375	5-3-0	2-6-0	5-7-0	3-3-0	Won 2
Detroit Lions	2	14	0	.125	262	494	2-6-0	0-8-0	1-11-0	0-6-0	Lost 6
South Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
z-New Orleans Saints	13	3	0	.813	510	341	6-2-0	7-1-0	9-3-0	4-2-0	Lost 3
Atlanta Falcons	9	7	0	.563	363	325	6-2-0	3-5-0	6-6-0	3-3-0	Won 3
Carolina Panthers	8	8	0	.500	315	308	5-3-0	3-5-0	8-4-0	4-2-0	Won 3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	13	0	.188	244	400	1-7-0	2-6-0	3-9-0	1-5-0	Lost 1
West Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Home	Away	Conf	Div	Streak
y-Arizona Cardinals	10	6	0	.625	375	325	4-4-0	6-2-0	8-4-0	4-2-0	Lost 1
San Francisco 49ers	8	8	0	.500	330	281	6-2-0	2-6-0	7-5-0	5-1-0	Won 2
Seattle Seahawks	5	11	0	.313	280	390	4-4-0	1-7-0	4-8-0	3-3-0	Lost 4
St. Louis Rams	1	15	0	.063	175	436	0-8-0	1-7-0	1-11-0	0-6-0	Lost 8

 

x - Clinched Playoff Spot; y - Clinched Division; z - Clinched Home Field

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS (JANUARY 9-10)

 

Saturday, January 9	Sunday, January 10
N.Y. Jets 24, CINCINNATI 14	Baltimore 33, NEW ENGLAND 14
DALLAS 34, Philadelphia 14	ARIZONA 51, Green Bay 45 (OT)

 

2009 DIVISIONAL ROUND SCHEDULE (JANUARY 16-17)

(All times local)

 

Saturday, January 16	Sunday, January 17
Arizona at New Orleans, 3:30 PM (FOX)	Dallas at Minnesota, 12:00 PM (FOX)
Baltimore at Indianapolis, 8:15 PM (CBS)	New York Jets at San Diego, 1:40 PM (CBS)