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 |