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National Football League playoffs The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaki ...
for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011. The postseason tournament concluded with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeating the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in
Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, 31–25, on February 6, at
Cowboys Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the hom ...
in
Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region ...
. This was the first Super Bowl in which the NFC representative was a #6 seed, and only the second time one has made the Super Bowl (the previous being the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers in
Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion f ...
). This was only the second
postseason The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
in NFL history that included a team with a losing record, and the first to occur with a full regular season. The
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
won their division with a 7–9 record, as all four teams in the
NFC West The National Football Conference - Western Division or NFC West is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Ang ...
had losing seasons in 2010. Only the
1982–83 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 1982 season began on January 8, 1983. The postseason tournament concluded with the Washington Redskins defeating the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, 27–17, on January 30, at the Rose Bowl in P ...
, following the strike-shortened
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
season, had previously included teams with losing records (under a modified 16-team tournament, with eight from each conference, the 1982 Cleveland Browns and
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
qualified with records of 4–5). Six days after winning the division, the Seahawks defeated the defending Super Bowl champion
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
to become the first playoff team with a losing record to win in the postseason. In the opening wildcard round of the playoffs, three of the four home teams had fewer wins than the away team. The exception was the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
match, where both were 10–6 (the Packers had defeated the Eagles in Week 1 of the season, but were on the road because they were the wild card team). But away teams finished 6–4 this playoff season for wins. This was the second time since the
1979 NFL season The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated as champions by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31–19 at the Rose Bowl. The Steelers ...
where neither of the number one playoff seeds advanced to their conference's respective championship game, the other time being in the
2008–09 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2008 season began on January 3, 2009. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, 27–23, on February 1, at Raymond James S ...
. Also, had the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
also won their conference championship game, it would have been the first Super Bowl between two #6 seeds, let alone two wild card teams. ''Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are
Eastern Standard Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and ...
( UTC−05)''


New overtime rules

This was the first time that the new postseason overtime rules were in effect, although none of the playoff games this season ended up going into the extra period. Under these new changes, instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss only scores a field goal on its first possession (the game will end if they score a touchdown). Instead, the other team gets a possession. If the coin toss loser then scores a touchdown, it is declared the winner. If the score is tied after both teams had a possession, then it goes back to sudden death.


Participants


Bracket


Schedule

In the United States,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games, then
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
broadcast the rest of the
AFC AFC may stand for: Organizations * Action for Children, a UK children's charity * AFC Enterprises, the franchisor of Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits * Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African multilateral development finance institution * A ...
playoff games. Fox televised the rest of the NFC games and
Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
.


Wild Card playoffs


Saturday, January 8, 2011


NFC: Seattle Seahawks 41, New Orleans Saints 36

The Seahawks made history by becoming the first 7–9 team ever to make the playoffs and then did it again by becoming the first to win a playoff game, racking up 31 first downs and 474 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown run by
Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "Beast Mode", he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Lync ...
late in the fourth quarter. This marked the fifth consecutive year a Super Bowl champion failed to win a playoff game in the next season. Two early Seahawk miscues enabled the Saints to build a 10-point lead. First
Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse. Mare, who was se ...
kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, giving New Orleans the ball at their 40-yard line. New Orleans then drove to the Seahawks' 8-yard line, but had to settle for a
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
field goal after
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
dropped a pass on third down that could have kept the drive going. Then three plays into the Seahawks' drive,
Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth r ...
's pass went through the hands of receiver
Ben Obomanu Benjamin Ebenezer Obomanu (born October 30, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Obomanu played college football for the Auburn Tigers. High school O ...
and into the arms of
Jabari Greer Jabari Amin Greer (born February 11, 1982) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played college football at Tennessee and was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Greer also play ...
, who returned the interception 10 yards to the Seattle 35. New Orleans subsequently drove 35 yards in nine plays, aided by a third down pass interference penalty on Walter Thurmond in the end zone, and scored with
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees i ...
' 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Heath Evans, giving them a 10–0 lead. Seattle fullback Michael Robinson returned Hartley's short kickoff 18 yards to the 43-yard line, and the Seahawks struck back with a 57-yard drive that ended with Hasselbeck's 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Carlson. The Saints countered as Brees completed four of five passes for 53 yards on an 83-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Julius Jones, who had been cut by Seattle early in the season, to again give the Saints a 10-point lead. But Hasselbeck led the Seahawks right back on a 70-yard scoring drive, featuring a 39-yard reception by tight end
Cameron Morrah Cameron Morrah (born March 18, 1987) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, by the Seattle Seahawks. He played ...
. On the next play, Hasselbeck threw his second touchdown pass to Carlson, cutting the score to 17–14. After an exchange of punts, Jones lost a fumble while being tackled by
Raheem Brock Raheem Fukwan Brock (born June 10, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League. He played college football at Temple. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL ...
that Seattle linebacker
David Hawthorne David Hawthorne (born May 14, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at TCU. Professional career Seattle Seahawks Hawthorne receiv ...
recovered on the Saints' 18-yard line, setting up a 29-yard field goal by Mare to tie the game. With 1:15 left in the second quarter, Hasselbeck launched a 45-yard touchdown pass to
Brandon Stokley Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of Lo ...
, giving Seattle their first lead of the game at 24–17. But a 40-yard reception by
Devery Henderson Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 9 seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for Louisiana State Univer ...
helped the Saints drive to the Seattle 3-yard line where Hartley made his second field goal to cut the score to 24–20 as time expired in the half. This was only the second playoff game in which both teams scored at least 20 points in the first two quarters. The Seahawks increased their lead to 31–20 on their opening drive of the second half, as Hasselbeck threw an 18-yard completion to Obomanu and finished the drive with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams. Then after forcing a punt, Mare kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 34–20 with 9:54 left in the quarter. The Seahawks got a chance to build a three-score lead after stopping Jones for no gain on fourth down and 1 on the Saints' 37-yard line, but they could only gain a few yards with their next drive, and a delay of game penalty on fourth down pushed them out of field goal range. New Orleans got the ball back at their 13-yard line following
Jon Ryan Jonathan Robert Ryan (born November 26, 1981) is a retired Canadian professional football punter. He played college football for the University of Regina Rams, and began his professional career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) after ...
's punt, and mounted an 83-yard drive that ended with Jones' second touchdown run of the game, making the score 34–27 with 13:11 left in regulation. Then they forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with good field position on their 44-yard line with Lance Moore's 8-yard punt return. On the second play of their ensuing drive, Brees threw a short pass to Jones, who took it 33 yards to the Seattle 23. But several plays later, Seattle's defense halted the drive at the 3-yard line, where the Saints settled for Hartley's third field goal to cut the score to 34–30. After an exchange of punts, Seattle got the ball with 4:20 left in the game. On the first play of the drive, Lynch was stuffed for no gain. But on the next play, he took off for a 67-yard touchdown run in which he broke seven tackles en route to the end zone. The crowd in Seattle was so loud during the run that local
seismographs A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground noises and shaking such as caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions. They are usually combined with a timing device and a recording device to form a seismograph. The outpu ...
recorded it as a small earthquake. This play has become colloquially known as the
Beast Quake The Beast Quake was a National Football League (NFL) touchdown scored by Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch against the New Orleans Saints during a 2010 NFC Wild Card playoff game. Occurring in the fourth quarter while Seattle was up ...
. With 1:52 left, Brees struck back with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Henderson, but the two-point conversion failed, keeping the score at 41–36. Then Carlson sealed the victory by recovering Hartley's onside kick attempt, enabling Seattle to run out the clock. Brees completed 39 of 60 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns. His 39 completions set a postseason record. Jones, who became the first player ever to score a touchdown in the postseason against a team that had cut him in the regular season, rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes for 61 yards. Hasselbeck completed 22 of 35 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. Lynch added 131 rushing yards and a touchdown for Seattle, who had not had a 100-yard rusher in any of their regular season games. This was the first postseason meeting between the Saints and Seahawks.


AFC: New York Jets 17, Indianapolis Colts 16

As he had done several times before, Colts kicker
Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
gave his team a fourth quarter lead with less than a minute remaining by making a clutch field goal. But this time it was not enough, as New York managed to avenge their previous season loss to Indianapolis in the AFC title game by winning on a
Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
field goal as time expired in the game. The first quarter was scoreless as every drive by both teams ended with a punt. The game remained scoreless until just over five minutes remained in the half, when Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with ...
threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to
Pierre Garçon Pierre Andre Garçon (; born August 8, 1986) is a former American Football wide receiver. He played college football at Norwich University and Mount Union College, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Dra ...
. New York responded with a long drive to the Colts' 19-yard line, but with less than a minute left,
Justin Tryon Justin Deaon Tryon (born May 29, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. Early life Tryon ...
intercepted a pass from
Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
in the end zone to keep them scoreless going into halftime. New York managed to tie the game on their opening drive of the second half, starting with
Antonio Cromartie Antonio Cromartie (born April 15, 1984) is a former American football cornerback and current cornerback coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the first round by the San Dieg ...
's 41-yard kickoff return to the 37-yard line. The Jets subsequently drove 63 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 20-yard reception by tight end
Dustin Keller Dustin Kendall Keller (born September 25, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue. Keller has also been a member of the Mi ...
, on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by
LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
. Indianapolis countered with a 9-play drive to the New York 29-yard line, with Manning completing a 23-yard pass to Blair White and Joseph Addai rushing for 14 yards. Vinatieri finished the drive with a 47-yard field goal to give them a three-point lead. But the Jets responded with a 17-play, 87-yard drive that consumed almost 10 minutes and featured three third down conversions. Tomlinson capped off the drive with his second 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 14–10. With 5:22 left in the game, Vinatieri's 32-yard field goal cut the Colts' deficit to one point. Indianapolis' defense subsequently forced a punt after three plays, but a running into the punter penalty against them kept the drive going, allowing New York to take more time off the clock and forcing the Colts to use two timeouts. Indianapolis got the ball back with 2:36 left in the game, and retook the lead with a 48-yard drive as Manning completed two passes to tight end
Jacob Tamme Jacob Francis Tamme ( ; born March 15, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Kentucky and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Tamme also played for the Denver ...
for gains of 15 and 11 yards, along with a 12-yard completion to White. At the end of the drive, Vinatieri made a 50-yard field goal to give the Colts a two-point lead with 53 seconds left in regulation. However, the Jets stormed back to drive for the winning score, as Cromartie returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the 46-yard line. After that, Sanchez completed passes to
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...
and Santonio Holmes for gains of nine and 11 yards. Then after a 2-yard run by Tomlinson, he completed an 18-yard pass to Edwards, who made a leaping catch near the sidelines and managed to keep both feet in bounds at the Colts' 14-yard line with 29 seconds left on the clock. After letting the clock run down to three seconds, New York called their final timeout and sent Folk out to kick a 32-yard field goal, which sailed through the uprights as time expired to win the game for the Jets. Manning finished 18 of 26 for 221 yards and a touchdown. His top target was Garçon, who caught five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Reggie Wayne Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...
, the Colts' leading receiver in the regular season, was completely shut down while being covered by
Darrelle Revis Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American former football cornerback who played in National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football at Pittsburgh and was selected in th ...
, held to just one reception for one yard. Tomlinson rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns while also catching four passes for 17 yards, while running back
Shonn Greene Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the Jim ...
added another 70 yards on the ground. This turned out to be the last game Manning would play in a Colts uniform, as he missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury and signed with the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
on March 20, 2012. This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Jets and Colts, with New York previously winning two of the three meetings. This was also a rematch of the 2009 AFC Championship Game, which was won by Indianapolis 30–17.


Sunday, January 9, 2011


AFC: Baltimore Ravens 30, Kansas City Chiefs 7

Baltimore dominated the game on both sides of the ball, massively out-gaining Kansas City in total yards (390 to 161), first downs (26 to 8), and time of possession (44:44 to 18:16). The Chiefs, who only lost 14 turnovers all year, turned the ball over five times and went home with their seventh consecutive playoff loss since the 1993 season. Their losing streak has covered 17 years, four different coaches, and two different owners. Baltimore took the opening kickoff and drove 64 yards to a first down at the Chiefs 1-yard line, with
Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football, Delaware after transferring from Pi ...
completing a 27-yard pass to
Anquan Boldin Anquan Kenmile Boldin Sr. (; born October 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State University and was drafted by the Arizona Ca ...
and three passes to tight end
Todd Heap Todd Benjamin Heap (born March 16, 1980) is a former American football tight end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Arizona State University, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in ...
for 32 yards. But they were stuffed twice for no gain and then Flacco's incomplete pass forced them to settle for a field goal from Billy Cundiff. The Ravens quickly forced a punt, but several plays into their next drive Chiefs linebacker
Tamba Hali Tamba Boimah Hali (born 3 November 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), where he earned All-American honors, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the ...
sacked Flacco and forced a fumble, which he recovered on the Baltimore 46. Following a 5-yard scramble by
Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots ...
,
Jamaal Charles Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles (born December 27, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Texas, where he won the 2006 Rose Bowl, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third ro ...
' 41-yard touchdown romp gave his team a 7–3 lead. It was the longest touchdown run ever allowed by the Ravens in the postseason. Later in the second quarter, the Ravens retook the lead with an 80-yard scoring drive.
Ray Rice Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
finished it with a 9-yard touchdown catch to give the Ravens a 10–7 lead with 19 seconds left before halftime. In the second half, Baltimore completely took over the game, adding 20 more unanswered points and holding Charles, who rushed for over 80 yards in the first half, to negative yardage in the last two quarters. Kansas City gained just 25 total yards in the entire half. On the fourth play of the opening second half drive, Cassel threw an interception to safety Haruki Nakamura. Kansas City managed to get the ball back when Charles forced and recovered a fumble from Nakamura during the return, but their second attempt at a drive fared no better and ended with a turnover on downs at the Ravens 38-yard line. Baltimore then drove to the Kansas City 11-yard line where Cundiff made his second field goal of the game. Then Ravens linebacker
Ray Lewis Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is an American former professional football player who played as a middle linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens for his entire 17-year career in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
forced a fumble while tackling
Dexter McCluster Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and also ...
that cornerback Chris Carr recovered on the Chiefs 17-yard line, setting up Cundiff's third field goal to increase their lead to 16–7. Just two plays into their next drive, Kansas City lost another turnover when Cassel threw an interception to
Dawan Landry Dawan Frank Landry (born December 30, 1982) is a former American football strong safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Georgia ...
, which led to Flacco's 4-yard touchdown pass to Boldin. Then after a three and out, the Ravens put the game away by mounting a 10-minute scoring drive that ended with
Willis McGahee Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Miami, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of t ...
's 25-yard touchdown burst with 4:26 left in the game, making the final score 30–7. Flacco completed 25 of 34 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first Raven ever to throw multiple touchdown passes in a playoff game. Heap had a career-high 10 receptions for 106 yards, setting the franchise record for receptions in a postseason game. Linebacker
Terrell Suggs Terrell Raymonn Suggs (born October 11, 1982), nicknamed "T-Sizzle", is an American former professional outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, and was recognized as a unanimous A ...
led the Ravens defense with four tackles and two sacks. Cassel completed just nine of 18 passes for 70 yards with three interceptions, and
Dwayne Bowe Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Louisiana State University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...
, the team's top receiver with 1,162 yards and an NFL-leading 15 touchdown catches during the season, did not have any receptions in the game. This was the first postseason meeting between the Ravens and Chiefs.


NFC: Green Bay Packers 21, Philadelphia Eagles 16

Tramon Williams Tramon Vernell Williams Sr. (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana Tech, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undr ...
' interception in the end zone sealed the Packers victory with 33 seconds left in the game. Green Bay never trailed during the entire game, and got big performances from
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...
, who threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and
James Starks James Darell Starks (born February 25, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Buffalo and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a member of their Super B ...
, who rushed for 123 yards, which was more than his entire regular season total. Philadelphia got an early scoring opportunity when they recovered a muffed punt at the Packers 41-yard line. But their drive was halted at the 23 and ended with no points when
David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
missed a 41-yard field goal attempt. Later on, the Packers drove 68 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 27-yard run by Starks. With eight seconds left in the quarter, Rodgers threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to reserve tight end
Tom Crabtree Thomas Lewis Crabtree (born November 4, 1985) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers. E ...
, who had not caught a touchdown pass all season. In the second quarter, Williams' 8-yard punt return gave his team the ball at their 43-yard line, and they drove for another touchdown, scoring with Rodgers' 9-yard pass to
James Jones James Jones may refer to: Sports Association football *James Jones (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1955), British Olympic footballer * James Jones (footballer, born 1996), Scottish footballer for Wrexham * James Jones (footballer, born 1997), We ...
. Getting the ball back with just over five minutes left, Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick completed a 44-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin and rushed for 14 yards to set up a 29-yard field goal by Akers with 1:15 left in the half, putting the Eagles on the board for the first time. Late in the first half, with the Packers seeking to add to their lead, Rodgers threw a deep pass down the sideline to Jones for what would have been a sure touchdown, but the pass was dropped, keeping the score 14–3. The Eagles scored quickly in the second half, taking advantage of
Darryl Tapp Darryl Anthony Tapp (born September 13, 1984) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently an assistant defensive line coach for the San Franc ...
's fumble recovery while sacking Rodgers on the Packers 24-yard line. One play later, Vick cut the score to 14–10 with a touchdown pass to
Jason Avant Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He wa ...
. But Rodgers led his team back, completing two passes to
Donald Driver Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He ...
for 26 yards and a 16-yarder to fullback
John Kuhn John Allen Kuhn (born September 9, 1982) is a former American football fullback. After playing college football for Shippensburg University, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Kuhn earned a Super Bowl ...
before finishing the drive with a 16-yard screen pass to Brandon Jackson for a touchdown. Near the end of the quarter, the Eagles mounted a drive to the Packers 16-yard line, but came up empty when Akers missed another field goal, this one from 34 yards. With 8:50 left in the game, Vick completed five of eight passes for 68 yards on a 75-yard touchdown drive, scoring on a fourth down 1-yard run. On a two-point conversion attempt, Vick completed a pass to tight end
Brent Celek Brent Steven Celek (; born January 25, 1985) is an American football executive and former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati and was drafted by the Eagles in the ...
, but it was negated by a penalty against him for putting a foot out of bounds before he came back to catch the ball and their second attempt was incomplete, keeping the score at 21–16. Philadelphia had to use up all their timeouts on the Packers ensuring drive, but got the ball back with 1:45 left in the game. Receptions by
DeSean Jackson DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
and
Riley Cooper Riley Cooper (born September 9, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of two BCS National C ...
for gains of 28 and 11 yards moved the ball to the Green Bay 24-yard line. But with 33 seconds left, Williams intercepted a pass intended for Cooper in the end zone to put the game away. Vick finished with 290 passing yards and a touchdown, with one interception, and added 33 yards and another score on the ground. This was the third postseason meeting between the Packers and Eagles. Philadelphia won both prior meetings, including the 2003 NFC Divisional playoffs, 20–17 in overtime in the game known as " 4th and 26".


Divisional playoffs


Saturday, January 15, 2011


AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Baltimore Ravens 24

Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football ...
's 58-yard completion to Antonio Brown set up
Rashard Mendenhall Rashard Jamal Mendenhall (born June 19, 1987) is a former American football running back and current television writer who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Illinois and was drafted b ...
's game winning 2-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left in the game. Despite the game's high score, it was actually a defensive battle, with both teams combining for just 389 yards and scoring most of their points off turnovers. Roethlisberger was sacked six times, and Baltimore quarterback
Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football, Delaware after transferring from Pi ...
was sacked 5. Meanwhile, the Ravens were held to just 126 yards and were buried under a mountain of turnovers, penalties, and dropped passes. After forcing the Ravens to punt on the opening drive, Pittsburgh drove 80 yards on the way to Mendenhall's 1-yard touchdown run, assisted by a 37-yard pass interference penalty on Baltimore cornerback Josh Wilson. But the Ravens countered with a 68-yard scoring drive, aided by a 33-yard pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh's
Anthony Madison Anthony David Madison (born October 8, 1981) is a former American football defensive back. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He appeared in 2 Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizon ...
.
Ray Rice Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Then two plays into the Steelers next drive, Roethlisberger was hit by
Terrell Suggs Terrell Raymonn Suggs (born October 11, 1982), nicknamed "T-Sizzle", is an American former professional outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, and was recognized as a unanimous A ...
as he pulled his arm back to throw a pass, resulting in a fumble. Nearly all the players on both teams thought it was an incomplete pass since the ball went forward and headed back to their huddles, but Ravens defensive end
Cory Redding Cory Bartholomew Redding (born November 15, 1980) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft and played college football at Texas. Redding also played for the Se ...
realized the play was still ongoing and returned the ball 13 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Ravens safety Ed Reed recovered a fumble from Mendenhall at the Steelers 16-yard line, setting up Flacco's 4-yard touchdown pass to
Todd Heap Todd Benjamin Heap (born March 16, 1980) is a former American football tight end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Arizona State University, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in ...
that gave them a 21–7 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the Baltimore 25-yard line, but came up empty when
Shaun Suisham Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with 25 seconds left in the half. However, the Steelers dominated the third quarter, forcing three turnovers and holding the Ravens to negative yardage. Less than five minutes into the quarter, Rice lost a fumble while being tackled by Ryan Clark, and linebacker
LaMarr Woodley LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sec ...
recovered it on the Baltimore 23-yard line. After a 14-yard run by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Heath Miller Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football f ...
. Then after an exchange of punts, Clark intercepted a pass from Flacco and returned it 17 yards to the Ravens 25-yard line. Mendenhall started the drive with a 13-yard screen, and Roethlisberger finished it with an 8-yard third down touchdown pass to
Hines Ward Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ...
, tying the game at 21. Just two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Flacco fumbled a snap and Steelers defensive end
Brett Keisel Brett Keisel (born September 19, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...
recovered it at the Baltimore 23. This time the Steelers were unable to get a touchdown, as Roethlisberger was sacked by Suggs on third down and six after driving inside the 10-yard line, but Suisham kicked a 35-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh their first lead with 12:15 left in regulation. Later on, Baltimore's Lardarius Webb returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, only to have it called back by a holding penalty on Marcus Smith. Still, his return gave them good field position on the Steelers 29-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Flacco completed a 21-yard pass to Heap. But over the next three plays, Baltimore rushers were stuffed twice and then receiver
Anquan Boldin Anquan Kenmile Boldin Sr. (; born October 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State University and was drafted by the Arizona Ca ...
dropped a pass in the end zone, forcing them to settle for Billy Cundiff's field goal to tie the score with 3:54 remaining in the game. David Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 16 yards to the 35-yard line, and Pittsburgh retook the lead with a 65-yard drive featuring three key third down conversions. After starting out with two incompletions, Roethlisberger threw a 12-yard pass to Ward on third down and ten. Then Roethlisberger was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Redding and
Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or ...
and threw another incompletion, bringing up third down and 19 with 2:07 to go. On the next play, Roethlisberger dropped back and launched a 58-yard bomb to Brown at the 4-yard line. After a defensive holding penalty moved the ball to the 1, the Ravens defense kept Mendenhall out of the end zone for two more plays. But on third down, he scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers a 31–24 lead with 1:33 remaining in regulation. Le'Ron McClain returned Suisham's
squib kick A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receivi ...
12 yards to the Steelers 48-yard line, giving Baltimore a chance to drive for the tying touchdown. But their offense was unable to move the ball. After two incompletions and an 8-yard sack by
Ziggy Hood Evander "Ziggy" Hood (born February 16, 1987) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Missouri, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Hood has als ...
, receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a potential first down catch, ending any chance of a comeback. Roethlisberger completed 19 of 32 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Steelers linebacker James Harrison recorded five tackles, two assists, and three sacks. Suggs finished with five tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. With this win, Pittsburgh advanced to their fourth AFC Championship Game since 2004. This was the third postseason meeting between the Ravens and Steelers. Pittsburgh won both prior meetings, which includes winning 23–14 in the 2008 AFC Championship Game.


NFC: Green Bay Packers 48, Atlanta Falcons 21

The Packers blew out Atlanta by racking up 442 total yards, 28 first downs, and a franchise playoff record 48 points.
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...
was nearly perfect, completing 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground. Green Bay never punted the ball, and got a big performance from cornerback
Tramon Williams Tramon Vernell Williams Sr. (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana Tech, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undr ...
, who picked off two passes from Matt Ryan and returned one of them 70 yards for a touchdown. But early in the game, it seemed things would go in Atlanta's favor. After
Michael Koenen Michael J. Koenen (born July 13, 1982) is a former American football punter. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Western Washington. Early years Koenen attended Ferndale High Sc ...
's 33-yard punt pinned the Packers back at their own 8-yard line, Rodgers threw a short pass to Greg Jennings, who took off for a 30-yard gain. But he fumbled the ball after being hit from behind by Stephen Nicholas and
Brent Grimes Brent Omar Grimes (born July 19, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Shippensburg University and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Grimes was allocated to the Hamburg ...
recovered the ball at the Green Bay 48-yard line. On the Falcons ensuing drive, a 22-yard reception by Michael Jenkins and a fourth down conversion run by
Ovie Mughelli Ovie Phillip Mughelli (born June 10, 1980) is a former American football fullback who last played for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Wake Forest University, he was drafted in the fo ...
set up a 12-yard touchdown run by Michael Turner. Green Bay responded with an 81-yard scoring drive that took nearly eight minutes. Rodgers completed all seven of his passes for 48 yards on the drive, the last one a 6-yard touchdown toss to
Jordy Nelson Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Kansas State, where he ...
, who caught the ball near the sidelines and just managed to stretch the ball into the pylon while being shoved out of bounds. However, Atlanta quickly retook the lead when
Eric Weems Eric Grimes Weems (born July 4, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver, special teamer, and return specialist. He played college football at Bethune–Cookman and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007 ...
returned
Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...
's kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, the longest scoring play in NFL playoff history. But the Packers suddenly stormed back with 35 unanswered points. Rodgers quickly completed two passes to Jennings for 22 yards and then hit
James Jones James Jones may refer to: Sports Association football *James Jones (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1955), British Olympic footballer * James Jones (footballer, born 1996), Scottish footballer for Wrexham * James Jones (footballer, born 1997), We ...
for a 34-yard gain to the Falcons 16-yard line. Two plays later, fullback
John Kuhn John Allen Kuhn (born September 9, 1982) is a former American football fullback. After playing college football for Shippensburg University, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Kuhn earned a Super Bowl ...
scored a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Atlanta responded with a drive to the Packers 19-yard line. But on the next play,
Charles Woodson Charles Cameron Woodson (born October 7, 1976) is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Michiga ...
sacked Ryan for a 7-yard loss. Then on third down, Williams stepped in front of a pass intended for Jenkins and made a leaping interception in the end zone. Rodgers took over and went back to work, completing six consecutive passes on an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with his 20-yard touchdown completion to Jones, giving the Packers a 21–14 lead with 42 seconds left before halftime. Aided by two pass interference penalties against Green Bay, Atlanta drove to the Packers 26-yard line. But once again the defense prevented a score. First linebacker Clay Matthews sacked Ryan for a 9-yard loss. Rather than attempt a 50-yard field goal, the Falcons tried one last play to move the ball closer. But Williams intercepted Ryan's pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the half. In the second half the Packers picked up right where they left off. Rodgers was sacked by
John Abraham John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian actor, film producer, writer and former model working in Hindi films. He has won a National Film Award and received five Filmfare nominations. After modelling for advertisements and companies, ...
for a 10-yard loss on the first play. But it didn't stop Rodgers from completing five of six passes for 56 yards on an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with his 7-yard touchdown run, making the score 35–14. Atlanta was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive after a Green Bay replay challenge overruled a first down catch by Jenkins, and Koenen's punt went just 21 yards to midfield. Green Bay subsequently drove 50 yards and scored with Rodgers' 7-yard pass to Kuhn. This time, the Falcons finally managed to respond. Ryan completed seven consecutive passes on their next drive, the last one a 6-yard touchdown throw to
Roddy White Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White (born November 2, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at UAB, and was drafted by the Falcons in the first r ...
. But Green Bay dominated the rest of the game, forcing two more turnovers that were both converted into field goals by Crosby, making the final score 48–21. Jennings finished with eight receptions for 101 yards, while Nelson added eight receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown. This game gave Rodgers 10 touchdown passes in his first three playoff games, setting an NFL postseason record. Matthews had three tackles and two sacks. Weems had six kickoff returns for 195 yards. Turner, who rushed for over 1,300 yards during the season, was held to just 39 yards on 10 carries. The Falcons' loss marked the third time in the last four seasons that the NFC's top seed would not advance past its first playoff game. This was the third postseason meeting between the Packers and Falcons, with both teams having split the two prior meetings. The most recent before this game ended 27–7 in favor of Atlanta in the 2002 NFC Wild Card playoffs in Green Bay's first ever playoff loss at
Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...
.


Sunday, January 16, 2011


NFC: Chicago Bears 35, Seattle Seahawks 24

Chicago dominated the game from start to finish, outgaining Seattle in total yards 437 to 276 and scoring 28 unanswered points over the first three quarters. After forcing Seattle to a three-and-out on the opening drive, Chicago scored on their third play of the game when tight end Greg Olsen ran past safety Lawyer Milloy, caught a pass from
Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...
, and took it 58 yards to the end zone. Later in the quarter, Bears receiver
Devin Hester Devin Devorris Hester Sr. (born November 4, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely regarded as the greatest return specialist i ...
returned a punt 26 yards to midfield. Following a 33-yard reception by Olsen and a fourth down conversion run by Cutler,
Chester Taylor Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...
scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, Chicago got the ball back on their own 37-yard line early in the second quarter. Cutler started the drive with a 22-yard completion to Olsen, and later finished it with a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 21–0 lead. In the second half, Chicago increased their lead to 28–0 with Cutler's second touchdown run at the end of a 14-play, 70-yard drive. After being completely dominated up to this point, Seattle managed to mount a comeback. First, Leon Washington's 62-yard kickoff return set up a 30-yard field goal by
Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse. Mare, who was se ...
. Then Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry intercepted a pass from Bears running back
Matt Forte Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted ...
and returned it 23 yards to the Bears 33-yard line. Aided by a defensive holding penalty on
Tim Jennings Timothy DeShawn Jennings (born December 24, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Georgia, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Jennings has also played f ...
that nullified his interception, Seattle cut the score to 28–10 with
Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth r ...
's 2-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams. But after forcing a punt,
Tommie Harris Tommie Harris, Jr. (born April 29, 1983) is a former American football defensive tackle who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and was recognized as a conse ...
sacked Hasselbeck on third down at his own 13-yard line, and
Jon Ryan Jonathan Robert Ryan (born November 26, 1981) is a retired Canadian professional football punter. He played college football for the University of Regina Rams, and began his professional career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) after ...
's punt went just 35 yards to the Seattle 48. Two plays later, Cutler threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis, putting Chicago up 35–10. With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Seattle refused to give up. Hasselbeck completed six consecutive passes on the next drive, the last a 17-yard touchdown strike to Williams. After forcing a punt, Hasselbeck completed a 46-yarder to
Ben Obomanu Benjamin Ebenezer Obomanu (born October 30, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Obomanu played college football for the Auburn Tigers. High school O ...
and followed it up with a 9-yard touchdown pass to
Brandon Stokley Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of Lo ...
, bringing the score to 35–24. But Chicago put the game away by recovering Mare's onside kick with 1:25 left in the game. Cutler finished his first career playoff game completing 15 of 28 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also rushed for 43 yards and two scores. His 43 rushing yards were the most by a Bears quarterback in the postseason since
Sid Luckman Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his twelve seasons with the Bears, ...
in 1943. He also joined
Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Graha ...
as one of two players ever to run and throw for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game. Olsen had three receptions for 113 yards, all in the first half. Forte rushed for 80 yards, caught three passes for 54 yards, and threw one pass which was intercepted. Harris had two sacks, which were his only tackles of the game. Hasselbeck threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Stokley had eight catches for 85 yards and a score. To date, this is the Bears' last playoff victory. This was the second postseason meeting between the Seahawks and Bears. Chicago won the only prior meeting 27–24 in overtime in the 2006 NFC Divisional playoffs.


AFC: New York Jets 28, New England Patriots 21

Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
completed 16 of 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Jets to victory, avenging a 45–3 loss to New England in December. On the Patriots’ first drive,
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
threw his first interception since Week 6 of the regular season, which linebacker David Harris picked off and returned 58 yards before tight end
Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...
made a touchdown-saving tackle at the 12-yard line. New York was unable to score off the turnover, as they were unable to get a first down and
Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Several plays into New England's next drive, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Crumpler at the Jets' 12-yard line. But after a 5-yard run by
Danny Woodhead Daniel Jacob Henry Woodhead (born January 25, 1985) is an amateur golfer who has qualified for the United States Golf Association championship tournaments, and was a former professional American football running back. He played college football a ...
, Crumpler dropped a pass in the end zone and then Brady was sacked by
Shaun Ellis MeShaunda "Shaun" Pizarrur Ellis (born June 24, 1977), nicknamed Big Katt, is a former American football defensive end who spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...
, forcing them to settle for
Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...
's 34-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead. In the second quarter, a third down sack of Brady by
Drew Coleman Drew Antrion Coleman (born April 22, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. After playing college football for Texas Christian, he was selected by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2006 ...
forced New England to punt from their own 16, and
Jerricho Cotchery Jerricho Cotchery (born June 16, 1982) is a coach and former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004 to 2015. He played colleg ...
returned the ball to the Patriots 49-yard line. A few plays later, Sanchez's 37-yard completion to
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...
set up his 7-yard touchdown pass to
LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
. Later on, New England attempted a fake punt with a direct snap to safety
Patrick Chung Patrick Christopher Chung (born August 19, 1987) is a Jamaican-American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Oregon and wa ...
on fourth down and four. But Chung fumbled the snap and was tackled on his own 25-yard line, and the Jets converted the turnover with Sanchez's 15-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 33 seconds left in the half, making the score 14–3. Late in the third quarter, New England drove 80 yards in 11 plays, with Brady completing a 37-yard pass to
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...
and two passes to
Deion Branch Anthony Deion Branch Jr. (born July 18, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL), who currently serves as director of player development and alumni relations at the University of Louisville. He was ...
for 28 yards on the way to a 2-yard touchdown pass to Crumpler. Then
Sammy Morris Samuel Morris III (born March 23, 1977) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fif ...
scored a two-point conversion run, cutting their deficit to 14–11. But the Jets quickly countered, with Sanchez throwing a short pass to Cotchery, who took it 58 yards to the Patriots 13-yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez threw a high pass for Santonio Holmes, who managed to catch the ball and land in the end zone while falling out of bounds, giving New York a 10-point lead two minutes into the fourth quarter. After the kickoff, New England drove to the Jets 34-yard line with an eight-minute drive, but then faced fourth down and 13. Rather than risk a 52-yard field goal attempt, they attempted to get the first down, but Branch dropped a pass from Brady and the Patriots turned the ball over. New England's defense then made a key defensive stand, forcing a quick three-and-out, and
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Kent State as a Quarterback and ...
returned
Steve Weatherford Steven Thomas "Steve" Weatherford (born December 17, 1982) is a former American football punter. He played college football at Illinois and was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Weatherford has been a member o ...
's punt 41 yards to the New York 43-yard line before being tackled by Weatherford himself. Brady then led New England to the 17-yard line where Graham made his second field goal to cut their deficit to seven points. However, Jets corner
Antonio Cromartie Antonio Cromartie (born April 15, 1984) is a former American football cornerback and current cornerback coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the first round by the San Dieg ...
recovered Graham's onside kick attempt and returned it 23 yards to the Patriots 20-yard line.
Shonn Greene Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the Jim ...
then scored with a 16-yard run, making the score 28–14 with 1:41 left in the game.
Brandon Tate Brandon Tate (born October 5, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina. Early years and family Tate att ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to the 41-yard line, sparking a 59-yard scoring drive that ended with Brady's 13-yard touchdown pass to Branch with 24 seconds left. But Graham's second attempt at an onside kick also failed, ending any chance of a miracle comeback. Brady finished the game 29 of 45 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. His one pick ended his NFL record of consecutive passes without an interception at 340. Cotchery had five receptions for 96 yards, Harris had nine tackles, three assists, and an interception, while Ellis added five tackles and two sacks. With this win, the Jets advanced to their second consecutive AFC Championship Game in Sanchez's first two years as a starter. This would be the last time the Patriots would get eliminated prior to the AFC Championship Game until 2019. Until 2020, this was the last playoff win by an AFC East team other than New England. In the
2021-22 NFL playoffs Increment or incremental may refer to: *Incrementalism, a theory (also used in politics as a synonym for gradualism) *Increment and decrement operators, the operators ++ and -- in computer programming *Incremental computing *Incremental backup, wh ...
AFC Wild Card round, the AFC East Division Champion Buffalo Bills defeated the Patriots 47-17 in Highmark Stadium. This was the third postseason meeting between the Jets and Patriots. New England won both prior meetings, including a 37–16 victory in the 2006 AFC Wild Card playoffs.


Conference Championships


Sunday, January 23, 2011


NFC: Green Bay Packers 21, Chicago Bears 14

Green Bay's defense knocked Chicago starting quarterback
Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...
out of the game and intercepted three passes, one of which was returned for a score, and another which ended a last minute drive for a potential tying touchdown. With this win, the Packers became the first NFC #6 seed to advance to the Super Bowl by defeating the top three seeded teams on the road. Packers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to t ...
opened up the game with two completions to Greg Jennings for gains of 26 and 22 yards. A few plays later, he threw a 22-yard completion to
Jordy Nelson Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Kansas State, where he ...
at the Bears 2-yard line, setting up his 1-yard touchdown run to give the Packers an early 7–0 lead. Later on,
Tim Masthay Timothy James Masthay (born March 16, 1987) is a former American football punter. He played college football at Kentucky. Masthay was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He has also played for the Green Bay Pac ...
's 32-yard punt pinned Chicago back on their own 2-yard line. The Bears were unable to move the ball, and
Tramon Williams Tramon Vernell Williams Sr. (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana Tech, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undr ...
returned
Brad Maynard Bradley Alan Maynard (born February 9, 1974) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft, and has also been a member of the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and the Cleveland ...
's punt six yards to the 44. Rodgers then completed passes to Brandon Jackson and Nelson for gains of 16 and 15 yards on the way to a 4-yard touchdown run by
James Starks James Darell Starks (born February 25, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Buffalo and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was a member of their Super B ...
. With time running out in the half, Rodgers threw a pass that was intercepted by
Lance Briggs Lance Marell Briggs (born November 12, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats and was select ...
and returned to the Chicago 43. But Cutler returned the favor with an interception thrown to
Sam Shields Samuel George Shields III (born December 8, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Miami. Shields was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He won Super B ...
and the score remained 14–0 going into halftime. Cutler was injured on the play and although he returned for a few plays in the third quarter, he ended up having to sit the rest of the second half out. After forcing Chicago to punt on the opening second half drive, Green Bay drove to the Bears 6-yard line. But linebacker
Brian Urlacher Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former football linebacker who spent his entire 13-season career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where h ...
ended the drive by intercepting Rodgers and returning the ball 39 yards before Rodgers made a touchdown saving tackle on the 45. However, Chicago could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt. Cutler's replacement, Todd Collins, ended up being ineffective, throwing four consecutive incompletions before being benched in favor of Caleb Hanie with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Hanie's 32-yard completion to
Johnny Knox Johnny Otis Knox II (born November 3, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Abilene Christian University. He was selected by the Chica ...
moved the ball to the Packers 1-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by
Chester Taylor Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...
that cut the score to 14–7. But three drives later, Hanie threw a short pass over the middle that was intercepted by nose tackle
B. J. Raji Busari Alamu Raji Jr. (born July 11, 1986) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Boston College. Raji was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He won Super ...
and returned 18 yards for a touchdown. Hanie responded with four consecutive completions on the Bears next drive and finished it with a 35-yard touchdown throw to Earl Bennett, making the score 21–14. Then after forcing a punt, Chicago got the ball back with 2:53 remaining in the game and managed to drive to the Packers 29-yard line. But Green Bay's defense managed to hang on for the win, ending the drive with Shields' second interception with 37 seconds left in regulation. Jennings caught eight passes for 130 yards. Bears running back
Matt Forte Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted ...
rushed for 70 yards and caught 10 passes for 90. Shields had four tackles, two interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble. Urlacher had nine tackles, a sack, and an interception. At 338 pounds, Raji became the heaviest player in NFL history to score a touchdown. In possibly the NFL's first player-on-player
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
attack, Cutler was being criticized for not returning within seconds after leaving the game instead of waiting for explanations in postgame media sessions. Bears coach
Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...
later stated that the choice was not Cutler's decision. Smith made the decision to bench Cutler after consulting the medical and training staff. An MRI revealed the following day that he had sprained his MCL. The Bears would not return to the playoffs again until 2018. This was the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Bears, with Chicago having won the prior meeting 33–14 in the 1941 Western Division playoff.


AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, New York Jets 19

Pittsburgh jumped to an early 24–0 lead and held off a desperate comeback rally to earn their third Super Bowl bid in the last six years. Steelers running back
Rashard Mendenhall Rashard Jamal Mendenhall (born June 19, 1987) is a former American football running back and current television writer who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Illinois and was drafted b ...
rushed eight times for 28 yards on their opening drive, which took over nine minutes off the clock and ended with his 1-yard touchdown run. Then he rushed four times for 22 yards and caught an 18-yard pass on a drive to the Jets 32-yard line. Linebacker Bryan Thomas ended the drive with an interception, but the Steelers forced a punt and drove for another score, aided by Mendenhall's 35-yard burst.
Shaun Suisham Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
finished the drive with a 20-yard field goal to make the score 10–0. Following another punt,
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football ...
completed a 24-yard pass to tight end
Heath Miller Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football f ...
, a 20-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders, and a 14-yard throw to Mendenhall on the way to a 2-yard touchdown run. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff,
Ike Taylor Ivan "Ike" Taylor (born May 5, 1980) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and spent his entire 12-year career in Pi ...
sacked Jets quarterback
Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
on a defensive back blitz and forced a fumble, which cornerback William Gay returned 19 yards for a touchdown, increasing their lead to 24–0 with just over a minute left in the half. This time New York managed to respond, with Sanchez completing four passes for 39 yards on a drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal by
Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
, cutting the score to 24–3 going into halftime. New York took the second half kickoff and scored with just five plays.
Shonn Greene Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the Jim ...
started off the drive with a 23-yard run, while Sanchez finished it with a pair of completions to Santonio Holmes, the first for 16 yards, and the second a 45-yard touchdown completion. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the Jets 37-yard line, but turned the ball over when safety
Brodney Pool Brodney Depaul Pool (born May 24, 1984) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. He played college football at Oklahoma. Early years Pool attended Westbury High Scho ...
intercepted a pass from Roethlisberger inside the 10. After an exchange of punts, the Jets converted two fourth downs on a 17-play drive to a first down on the Steelers 2-yard line. But Pittsburgh's defense made a key goal line stand. First Greene tried to run up the middle, but was stuffed at the 1-yard line. Then Sanchez threw an incomplete pass and another that was batted down by linebacker
LaMarr Woodley LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sec ...
. On fourth down,
LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
tried to run through the middle, but
Brett Keisel Brett Keisel (born September 19, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...
and
Casey Hampton Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977) is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and recei ...
tackled him for no gain, turning the ball over. On the next play, Roethlisberger fumbled a snap and was downed in the end zone for a safety. New York then drove 58 yards following the free kick and scored with Sanchez's 4-yard touchdown pass to
Jerricho Cotchery Jerricho Cotchery (born June 16, 1982) is a coach and former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004 to 2015. He played colleg ...
, cutting their deficit to 24–19 with 3:06 left in the game. But the Steelers managed to pick up two key first downs on their next drive with a 14-yard reception by Miller and a 14-yard catch by Antonio Brown on third down and six with less than two minutes left, enabling them to run out the rest of the clock. Mendenhall rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 32. Sanchez threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Pool had six tackles and an interception. As of 2022, this is the Jets' most recent playoff appearance. This was the second postseason meeting between the Jets and Steelers, with Pittsburgh winning the only prior meeting 20–17 in overtime in the 2004 AFC Divisional playoffs.


Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25

This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Steelers and Packers.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-11 NFL playoffs National Football League playoffs
Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...