|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National Football Conference |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#16 Detroit Lions
|
21 | #1 Philadelphia Eagles
|
37 | Eagle Region Philadelphia, PA |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was a definite battle at the beginning. The new and improved Lions have something to prove...problem is they faced the top-seeded Eagles in their effort to show off that improvement. The Lions came out like gang-busers and put the Philadelphia crowd on the edge of their seats in the first half. Unable to run the ball against the tough Philly D, the Joey Harrington threw for 472 yards. Harringtons yards came at a price though as 5 of his passes were picked off, including 3 by Sherman Brown. Brown returned 2 of those INT's for TD's. Az Hakim led the Lions in recieving with 6 catches for 210 yards, while the new Eagle Terrell Owens had 7 catches for 193 yards. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #8 New Orleans Saints | 24 | #9 San Fransisco 49ers | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Some would definitely call this an upset. The 49ers fresh off their loss of Terell Ownes showed no sign of a let down. Tim Rattay threw for 356 yards against a bad Saints defense. The majority of those balls went to tight end Jed Weaver. Weaver led the way for the niners catching 10 balls for 107 yards. Rookie RaShaun Woods was also solid catching 5 balls for 90 yards. The Saints couldn't get anything going until late, but by then it was over. Duece McAllister did have 108 yards on the ground, but the passing game struggled in the first 3 quarters. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #1 Philadelphia Eagles | 38 | #9 San Fransisco 49ers | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense, Defense, Denfense. That is what this game was all about, as the Eagles scored two defensive touchdowns, including one to close the first half and give them a 7 point lead. The Eagles also returned a punt for a score. The Philadelphia offense has been very dissapointing in this tournament to date. The addtion of Terell Owens is taken, but in this offense, I don't know if they playbook is set to take advantage of him. Give the 49ers some credit, they appeared to just run out of gas as they only trailed 24-17 heading into the 4th quarter. Again it was Tim Rattay passing balls to Jed Weaver. Weaver finished with his second consecutive 100 yard game for the niners. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #11 Atlanta Falcons | 48 | #6 Seattle Seahawks | 41 | Packer Region Green Bay, WI |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This was another hell of a shootout. These two high-powered offenses combined for some real excitement for the very quiet Green Bay crowd. A healthy Mike Vick rushed for 132 yards on 14 carries as the Falcons upset the Seahawks. Vick caused definite problems for the Seattle defense, as they were forced to drop back into coverage after early completions to Peerless Price and Brian Finneran showed Vick's arm is live again. In the valient effort by the Hawks, Matt Hasslebeck threw for 393 yards, including 192 of those to Koren Robinson. The game came to an exciting end on 4th and 20 from the Hawks own 30 yard line. Hasslebeck completed a 55 yard pass to Bobby Engram who was caught and tackled at the 5 yard line in his effort to tie the game and send it to overtime. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #13 New York Giants | 14 | #4 Green Bay Packers | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This one wasn't even close! How bad are the G-men? Ouch. Rookie Eli Manning was thrown into the mix right away, as Kurt Warner suffered an injury during the first series. The Packer defense was all over the Giant rookie allowing only 2 for 15 passing from him. Warner did make a comeback, but it didn't matter. The packers were lead by the ground attack of Ahman Green who rushed for 135 yards on 13 carries. The Packers may be a team to watch in this tournament. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #4 Green Bay Packers | 24 | #11 Atlanta Falcons | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In what some have called the worst snow storm since the snow bowl, the Falcons marched into Lambuea and upset the Pack. The Falcons were lead by none other than their superstar Mike Vick. Vick rushed for 143 yards on 14 carries in the snow covered field, including a 66 yard run that put the Falcons ahead for good. While Vick was only 2 for 14 through the air, his ground game combined with Warrick Dunn were enough to send the Pack home early. The Packers had trouble catching the ball in the snow. A case of cold hands I guess. Favre did throw for 328 yards, but the lack of a running game hurt the Packers in the 3rd quarter as the snow came harder and they were forced into too many 3 and out situations. DeAngelo Hall sealed the deal with 2 4th quarter interceptions, one of them leading to a touchdown. The Falcons are Ward's pick to advance in to the National Conference Final. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #12 Chicago Bears | 14 | #5 Dallas Cowboys | 48 | Panther Region Charlotte, NC |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domination is really the only way to describe this game. In a game which saw plenty of good seats still available to fans, Chicago Bear head coach Lovey Smith thought about sending Rex Grossman up there to watch the game. Grossman was stupified by the swarming and underrated Cowboy defense. Grossman ended the game on the bench, but not before he put up a 12.9 quarterback rating while throwing 5 picks. The Dallas special teams shined as well as Zabriel Smith returned two Chicago punts for Touchdowns. With the departure of Troy Hambrick, the city of Dallas was wondering how the backfield would hold up. "You tell me", said 2nd year back Avion Cason, who racked up 95 yards on the ground while getting into the end zone 2 times as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #10 Washington Redskins | 14 | #3 Carolina Panthers | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In another classic battle, this game was a back and forth fest until the 4th quarter. Symbolizing much of the first round games, the Panter Defense came up huge with an interception to stall a Redskin drive in the 4th. Trailing 14-13 at the time, the Panthers turned the turnover into a Stephen Davis touchdown, and added an empty netter at the end to seal the deal. Stephen Davis lead the Carolina ground game. Davis rushed for 112 yards and super-sub DeShaun Foster added 43, as the Panters dominated the time of possesion on the 2nd half. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Carolina Advances |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 17 | #7 Minnesota Vikings | 28 | Ram Region St. Louis, MO |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a matchup that truly said good defense versus good offense, the team with the better offense advanced to the next round. The Buccaneers started the game with a flurry. The defense was popping, but the problem was the offense was not clicking. New running back Charlie Garner tried getting things going on the ground with 35 yards early, but Chad Hovan and the Viking's defense became very stingy and Garner ended with only 60 yards on the ground. Tampa Bay also had trouble getting the ball into the end zone, but managed to take a 17-14 lead with 2:30 left in the game after Martin Gramatica launched a 56 yard FG. The Vikings took the ball on the ensuing possesion and combined passes to Randy Moss, Michael Bennet, and Kelly Campbell to march down the field and score just after the 2:00 warning. Down 21-17, the Buccaneers had to move quickly. They got to the 50 yardline before a Brad Johnson INT sealed the deal for the Vikings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #15 Arizona Cardinals | 7 | #2 St. Louis Rams | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This one may have been over before it started. The Greatest Show on Turf came out with something to prove. "We saw them talking trash in the lockerroom", said Ram reciever Torry Holt, in response to the Vikings celebration in the game prior. Holt went out and racked up 276 yards recieving on a very weak Cardinal defense. The Rams racked up a 55-7 lead at the half. Lots of frustration for the young Cardinal recieving core, as Fitzgerald and Bolding could only combine for 10 catches between them. The Rams looked very good and appear to be clicking on all cylanders as they now face the Minnesota Vikings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #2 St. Louis Rams | #7 Minnesota Vikings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| American Football Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #15 San Diego Chargers | 14 | #1 New England Patriots | 27 | Patriot Region Foxboro, MA |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can you say score indicates much closer game than it acually was? The Chargers did start hot. A 65 yard pass completion from rookie quarterback Phillip Rivers to LaDanian Tomlinson, and the Chargers were on top 7-0. But that was very short lived. The Patriots used a deadly run attack against the undermaned San Diego defense in route to this victory. New Patriot Corey Dillon brought chants of "Corey, Corey" from the Foxboro crowd. Dillon, a University of Washington grad, rushed for 154 yards on a Patriot recored 42 attempts. He also got into the endzone on the Charger defense which had no answer for the former Husky great. "It's nice to be in a town that loves you again", said Dillon when asked about his feelings toward the new stadium. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #8 Cincinnati Bengals | 42 | #9 New York Jets | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In what some thought would be a boring game, this turned out to be one of the best. With former Bengal Corey Dillon in the crowd, the Bengals used a running game and a re-vamped passing game to wear out the Jets defense. The suprise didn't come from the success on the ground, instead it came from Carson Palmer and the Bengal passing game. Peter Warrick has found his running mate finally. Both Warrick and Chad Johnson had over 100 yards recieving each as this game put some serious numbers on the board. Not to be outdone, Jet quarterback Chad Pennington threw for an amazing 364 yards, while being hurt for almost the entire 3rd quarter. Pennington used a combination of passes down field to Santana Moss and Curtis Conway as well as backfield dump offs to LaMont Jordan. The Jets were driving late in the game, but a 4th and 6 incomplete pass to Moss over the middle sealed the deal and set up a Bengal vs. Patriots regional final. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New England Advances |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #11 Oakland Raiders | 48 | #6 Tennessee Titans | 40 | Raven Region Baltimore, MD |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hello Kerry Collins, hello Warren Sapp, hello to the "new and improved" Oakland Raiders. That is what the Titans were saying after the Raiders sent them home early from the tourney. The Raider offense was close to ustoppable as Kerry Collins threw for 375 yards against a depleted Titan defense. Jerry Porter and Guy Gabriel each had 121 yards recieving as the Tennessee backs focused on stopping Brown and Rice. The Raiders took the early lead in this game and never looked back, as the Titans were playing catchup the entire game. The extreme lack of a running game was noticable for the Titans who relied on two people the entire game. Steve McNair did his share by throwing for 304 yards, and Derrick Mason did his part by catching 202 yards of those, but that was about it for the Titans who head home early. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| # 13 Jacksonville Jaguars | 35 | #4 Baltimore Ravens | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Who let the Jags out? The score in this one does not symbolize the lop-sidedness of this victory. The Jags dominated from the beginning. The Jaguars took the opening drive 85 yards for a Fred Taylor touchdown. The Ravens answered with a long drive of their own capped by a Jamal Lewis touchdown run. The Jags got the ball back and completed a long bomb to Reggie Williams to go ahead 14-7. On the ensuing possession, the Jags knocked Anthony Wright out of the game and it was over for the Ravens. The high touted Raven defense was no match for Byron Leftwich and the Jaguar offense. Using multiple threats, the Jags put 28 points up in the first half, en route to a 28-13 leat going into halftime. The Ravens added some scores late in the 4th, but the final score game as time expired. The Jaguars looked very impressive in their win and look to advance against the Raiders. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jacksonville Advances |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| # 12 Denver Broncos | 31 | #5 Buffalo Bills | 27 | Colt Region Indianapolis, IN |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If football were a story of the 1st half, the Bills would be advancing. Instead, they are heading home for the Summer, as the Broncos overcame a 17-3 halftime defecit to advance. Struggling to get anything going in the first half, the Broncos used a two headed monster in the backfield to wear down the Bill defense. Without any real threats through the air, Denver was forced to focus on using Garrison Hearst to control the game. He did just that while gathering 99 yards on the ground and scoring twice. Hearst was spelled at times by the smaller and quicker Quinten Griffin at times to keep the Bill defense on their heels. After going ahead 31-20, the Broncos knocked out Bill quarterback Drew Bledsoe, forcing rookie J.P. Lossman to come in and take snaps. Lossman led the Bills down the field for a touchdown, but it was too late as the Broncos ran the clock out on their next possesion. Travis Henry ran for 110 yards for the Bills, and spiced up the Henry vs. Magahee controversy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #10 Cleveland Browns | 14 | #3 Indianapolis Colts | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This ranks up there in domination with the Rams/Cardinals game. The Brown defense had no match for Peyton and the boys here. The Colts used a nice combination of Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison, as the Syracuse native racked up over 200 yards recieving. Combined with Edgerrin James and his 85 yards on the ground....the Browns never had a chance. New Brown quarterback Jeff Garcia was under heavy pressure all day, as the lack of a running game allowed the Colts to send rushers non stop and record 8 sacks on the former 49er qb. One bright spot for the Browns was the play of rookie TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. Winslow caught 12 balls for 110 yards, but that was it for Cleveland. The Colts look to advance a long way in this tournament. They now move onto play the winner of the Pittsburgh/KC game in what could be a doozy! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indianapolis Advances |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #10 Pittsburgh Steelers | 34 | #7 Miami Dolphins | 31 | Cheif Region Kansas City, MO |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a battle of two teams that have completely opposite keys to success, it was almost a reverse of fortune for the two in terms of stats. The Dolphins who usually are anchored into a solid running game, used the arm of Josh Booty to pass for almost 400 yards on the Steeler Defense. In fact, the Dolphins took a 24-20 lead late in the 3rd quarter after a 85 yard touchdown pass from Booty to Chris Chambers. The Steelers answered with a quick drive down the field, but came away with no points as Tommy Maddox threw his second interception of the game to start the 4th quarter. Miami couldn't capitalize though. The Steelers combined a passing attack of primarily Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antione Randle El to rack up 340 yards through the air, and a ground attack of Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis to get 89 yards on the ground. Bettes was huge in a late 4th quarter drive, knocking people over and rolling into the end zone with the go ahead touchdown with under 1:00 to play. Ricky Williams was a non factor for the Dolphins, rushing for only 29 yards and fumbling twice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #15 Houston Texans | 10 | #2 Kansas City Cheifs | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Houston game plan was obvious, control the ball and keep it out of the deadly Cheif offense. That was only half of what it should have been. They forgot to score, as the Cheifs dodge a bullet and advance to round 2 of the tourney. The Texans used Dominick Davis on the ground and Andre Johnson through the air to frustrate the Cheif defense, but could not get into the end zone. The only Texan touchdown came late in the game. K.C. was driving with just under 2:00 to go, a big stop by the Texan D forced the Cheifs to kick a field goal and go ahead 10-3. On the ensuing possession, David Carr hooked up with Johnson on a 70 yard touchdown catch to tie things up with under a minute to play. On 3rd and 10 with time ticking down, Trent Green completed a 60 yard pass to Johnnie Morton. Texan cornerback Aaron Glenn appeared to pull up laim on the play as Morton was tackled with only :03 showing on the clock. A quick timeout and a 30 yard field goal by the future hall of famer Morton Anderson, and the Cheifs are advancing to Day 2, but not before a serious scare. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional Final | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #2 Kansas City Cheifs | #10 Pittsburgh Steelers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
