Participants
Bracket
Schedule
In a change from previous seasons, both AFC wild card games were played on the Saturday, and then both NFC Wild Card games were played on the Sunday (instead of having a game from each conference on the same day).Wild Card playoffs
For the first time since the wild card round expanded to four games in 1990–91, all four playoff games on wild card weekend were won by the visiting teams. It also marked the first time in that all of the wild card teams advanced past the first round of the playoffs (this was only possible from 1970–71 until 1977–78 and since 2002–03, because playoff formats between 1978–79 and 2001–02 included first-round games between two wild card teams due to there being 3 divisions in each conference at the time).Saturday, January 9, 2016
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 30, Houston Texans 0
Kansas City, who started the season 1–5 before winning their next 10 games, forced five turnovers and held the Texans to 226 total yards as they earned their first postseason win since the 1993 season (a game also played at Houston, against the Oilers), and the first shutout victory in an NFL playoff game in 10 years. It is the first (and to date only) time the Texans have been shut out at home. Chiefs running back Knile Davis gave his team a 7–0 lead just 11 seconds into the game by returning the opening kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown, making him the first player to score a touchdown on the first kickoff of an NFL postseason. The two teams went on to exchange punts, and then interceptions, as Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer was picked off byAFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Cincinnati Bengals 16
This game ended up being a rain-soaked vicious battle between two AFC North rivals, filled with injuries and personal fouls on both sides. After falling behind 15–0, the Bengals scored three times in the fourth quarter to take a 16–15 lead. But with less than a minute left in the game, two consecutive personal fouls against Cincinnati's defense got the Steelers close enough for Chris Boswell to make a 35-yard field goal with 18 seconds left on the clock. The game started off as a defensive battle with both teams punting at the end of its first eight drives. With less than six minutes left in the second quarter, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict forced a fumble from Markus Wheaton that safety George Iloka recovered on the Cincinnati 47-yard line. But a few plays later, Bengals quarterback A. J. McCarron threw an interception to Antwon Blake, who returned it 35 yards to the Bengals' 41-yard line. A 23-yard completion from Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown on the ensuing drive set up Boswell's 39-yard field goal. Following a punt, Roethlisberger completed a 16-yard pass to running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and a 24-yard pass to Wheaton – with a personal foul penalty on safety Shawn Williams adding another 15 yards – to set up Boswell's 30-yard field goal just before halftime. Despite the Steelers' slim 6–0 lead, they had dominated the stat sheet, holding Cincinnati to just 56 yards and two first downs. On the opening drive of the second half, the Bengals seemed primed to score when Jeremy Hill broke free for a 38-yard run to the Steelers' 29-yard line. But on the next play, McCarron lost a fumble due to a hit by linebacker Jarvis Jones. Defensive end Cam Thomas recovered the ball and ended up losing it while being tackled, then William Gay picked it up and returned it for a touchdown. However, replays showed that Thomas was down by contact before he lost the fumble, and a 15-yard penalty against Gay for excessive celebration moved the ball all the way back to Pittsburgh's 36-yard line. Receiver Martavis Bryant's 44-yard run on an end-around play then set up Boswell's 34-yard field goal that gave the Steelers a 9–0 lead. Following a punt, Roethlisberger completed a 60-yard pass to Brown on the Bengals' 10-yard line. Then he threw a pass in the back of the end zone to Bryant, who made a diving somersault catch and maintained possession for a touchdown by pinning the ball against one leg while falling to the ground. However, Pittsburgh's two-point conversion attempt failed, so the score remained 15–0. Cincinnati responded with a drive to the Steelers' 23-yard line, but committed another turnover when running back Giovani Bernard lost a fumble that was forced and recovered by linebacker Ryan Shazier, who leveled Bernard with a devastating helmet leading hit that knocked the running back out of the game and out of consciousness. Shazier was not penalized for the hit, much to the dismay of the home crowd. On the last play of the third quarter, Burfict sacked Roethlisberger for a 12-yard loss, forcing a punt from the Steelers' 5-yard line and temporarily knocking Roethlisberger out of the game with a shoulder injury. After Jordan Berry's 41-yard punt gave the Bengals a first down on the Pittsburgh 46-yard line, Will Allen committed a 42-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover A. J. Green. Hill then got the ball into the end zone with consecutive carries, the second a 1-yard touchdown run that made the score 15–7. The Steelers, now led by Landry Jones, started off their next drive well, as Jordan Todman rushed for a 25-yard gain on the second play. But an 11-yard sack by Carlos Dunlap and Pat Sims ultimately forced the Steelers to punt. McCarron started the Bengals' drive off with two completions to Hill for 24 total yards. Later on, he converted a 3rd-and-9 with an 18-yard completion to tight end Tyler Eifert, and eventually the Bengals got close enough for Mike Nugent to kick a 36-yard field goal, making the score 15–10 with 5:17 left. The Steelers had to punt after three plays on their ensuing possession, and Adam Jones' 24-yard return gave the Bengals the ball on the Pittsburgh 45-yard line. McCarron soon faced a 4th-and-2 situation, but converted with a 9-yard completion to Marvin Jones. Then when faced with 3rd-and-7, he launched a 25-yard touchdown pass to Green. After their two-point conversion failed, the Bengals held a 16–15 lead with 1:45 left. On the first play after the kickoff, Landry Jones threw an interception to Burfict on the Steelers' 26-yard line. He celebrated by running all the way through the tunnel. But with the game now seemingly in the Bengals' control, they gave the ball right back on the next play when Shazier forced a fumble from Hill that was recovered by Ross Cockrell. Now with the ball on his own 11-yard line with 1:23 left, Roethlisberger returned to lead his team 74 yards in nine plays for the game-winning score. After several short completions moved the ball to the 37-yard line, Pittsburgh faced a 4th-and-3, but overcame it on Brown's 12-yard reception. On the next play, with just 22 seconds left, Roethlisberger threw a pass intended for Brown. The pass was incomplete, but Burfict was flagged for a personal foul for contact with Brown's helmet. Brown was injured on the play, and as he was being attended and officials were dealing with both teams, Adam Jones was flagged for a personal foul after an altercation with Steelers linebackers coach Joey Porter, giving the Steelers another 15 yards and moving the ball to the Bengals' 17-yard line. On the next play, Boswell kicked a 35-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to win the game. Roethlisberger completed 18 of 31 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, while Brown caught seven passes for 119 yards and Todman was the game's leading rusher with 65 yards. Shazier had 13 tackles – nine of which were solo tackles – a pair of forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. McCarron completed 23 of 41 passes for 213 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Hill rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown, while also catching three passes for 27 yards. Green caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Burfict had six tackles, a sack, an interception, and a forced fumble. This marked another round of playoff futility for the Bengals, who lost their fifth playoff game in a row after starting the season 8–0 and finishing with a franchise record tying 12–4 record, despite losing starting quarterback Andy Dalton to a broken thumb injury in week 14. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis' playoff record fell to 0–7, the most losses ever by a coach without a postseason win. After the game, Dalton stated that "This locker room should feel a lot different right now. We won that game and then we didn't". Sportswriter Mike Freeman called this game "one of the dirtiest and ugliest contests in the modern era of the sport". Burfict received a 3-game suspension for his hit on Brown (including the Week 2 matchup between the two teams), while four players and two assistant coaches also received fines. Jones received the most severe fine at $28,000, while Steelers guard Ramon Foster was fined $17,000. Bengals defensive tackles Wallace Gilberry and Domata Peko each received an $8,600 fine, while Porter and fellow Steelers assistant coach Mike Munchak were fined $10,000 each. In the offseason, the league passed a rule banning any coaches except for the head coach from entering the field of play, and then only to check on an injured player, directly in response to the incident. On January 16, the NFL Vice President of Officiating, Dean Blandino, stated that the Martavis Bryant catch was not an actual catch. "I don't think this is a catch, if I just had a blank slate and I could say, do you think it's a catch or not a catch? I would say no catch." said Blandino. Unfortunately, that catch for a touchdown cost the game for the Bengals. This was the second postseason meeting between the Steelers and Bengals. Pittsburgh won the previous meeting 31–17 in the 2005 AFC Wild Card playoffs.Sunday, January 10, 2016
NFC: Seattle Seahawks 10, Minnesota Vikings 9
In their final game at TCF Bank Stadium – prior to the Vikings' move to U.S. Bank Stadium for the 2016 season – Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal attempt with 22 seconds remaining as the Seahawks held on to win 10–9. The temperature at kickoff was , making this the third coldest game in NFL history. On their first possession Seattle went three-and-out, but punter Jon Ryan bobbled a low snap and was unable to get off a punt, giving Minnesota possession at the Seattle 29-yard line. The Vikings drove to the 4-yard line but had to settle for a Walsh field goal to open the scoring. After both teams punted on their next possession, Seattle drove to the Vikings' 30-yard line and faced a 4th-and-13. Rather than attempt a field goal, Russell Wilson threw a pass to Fred Jackson who was tackled short of a first down after a 7-yard gain. Neither team could score for the rest of the half, and Minnesota went to halftime leading 3–0. Both teams combined for 185 total yards in the half, the lowest in a playoff game since 2005. On the first possession of the second half Seattle drove into Minnesota territory and again went for it on fourth down, only for Wilson to be intercepted by Trae Waynes. Minnesota was then helped by a penalty for Cliff Avril roughing the passer, and Walsh kicked a 43-yard field goal to give them a 6–0 lead. Seattle went three-and-out on their next drive, and Minnesota began their drive in Seahawks territory after a horse collar tackle on the punt return. They settled for another Walsh field goal, this time from 47-yards out, to take a 9–0 lead into the fourth quarter. With the ball on the Vikings' 39-yard line on the ensuing drive, Wilson could not handle the snap and recovered it back at his own 45-yard line, but then found Tyler Lockett for a 35-yard completion. Two plays later Wilson threw a touchdown to Doug Baldwin, cutting the deficit to 9–7. On Minnesota's second play of the next drive Kam Chancellor forced an Adrian Peterson fumble which was recovered by Ahtyba Rubin at the Vikings' 40-yard line. Steven Hauschka converted on a 46-yard field goal to put Seattle ahead 10–9 with 8:04 remaining. Both teams punted on their next two drives, and Minnesota took possession with 1:42 left on their own 39-yard line. With a 19-yard pass interference call on Chancellor and a 24-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota advanced to the Seattle 9-yard line with 26 seconds remaining. Walsh, however, kicked the 27-yard field goal wide left, allowing Seattle to kneel out the clock and preserve the victory. Bridgewater finished as the leading passer with 146 yards, while Wilson recorded 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Seattle held Peterson, the league's leading rusher during the regular season, to just 45 yards on 23 carries. The win was Wilson's seventh playoff victory, the most by a quarterback within his first four seasons. Seattle became just the fifth team to win a playoff game despite scoring ten or fewer points, and the first since 1997. This was the first postseason meeting between the Seahawks and Vikings.NFC: Green Bay Packers 35, Washington Redskins 18
Green Bay erased an early 11–0 deficit by scoring on five consecutive possessions on the way to a 35–18 victory over the Redskins. Early in the first quarter, Tress Way's 57-yard punt and a 12-yard penalty against Green Bay pinned the Packers back at their own 8-yard line. A few plays later, Preston Smith sacked Aaron Rodgers in the end zone for a safety, giving Washington a 2–0 lead. On the ensuing drive the Redskins drove to the Green Bay 1-yard line with a 14-yard pass fromDivisional playoffs
In contrast to wild card weekend, all four of the home teams won their games this weekend.Saturday, January 16, 2016
AFC: New England Patriots 27, Kansas City Chiefs 20
Playing in an NFL record-tying 30th postseason game, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed 28 of 42 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, without being sacked or throwing any interceptions, and also rushing for a score as he led the team to their fifth consecutive AFC championship game. New England scored on their opening drive, moving the ball 80 yards in 11 plays. When faced with 3rd-and-13 on the Chiefs' 43-yard line, Brady completed a 32-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski, and later found Gronkowski in the end zone for an 8-yard score. Kansas City responded with a 17-play, 64-yard drive, including quarterback Alex Smith's 15-yard run on 3rd-and-13. The Patriots defense managed to halt the drive on their own 16-yard line, forcing the Chiefs to settle for Cairo Santos' 34-yard field goal to make the score 7–3. In the second quarter, Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt's 33-yard kick pinned the Patriots back on their own 4-yard line, with a penalty against New England taking away another two yards. But it did not stop New England from driving 98 yards in 11 plays on a drive where they faced only two third downs. The key play of the drive was a 42-yard completion from Brady to receiver Keshawn Martin. Brady later ran the ball 10 yards to the Chiefs' 1-yard line on a scramble, and then took the ball into the end zone on the next play, giving the Patriots a 14–3 lead. Knile Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards, then Charcandrick West subsequently rushed for a 17-yard gain and Smith completed a 26-yard pass to Jason Avant; the team drove to a 32-yard Santos field goal that made the score 14–6 at halftime. Kansas City started off the second half with a drive to the Patriots' 40-yard line. But linebacker Dont'a Hightower made a critical play, forcing and recovering a fumble from Davis after he caught a 9-yard pass. Taking the ball at the Chiefs' 31-yard line, Brady completed five consecutive passes for double-digit gains, the last one a 16-yard touchdown throw to Gronkowski that gave the team a 21–6 lead. Kansas City struck right back, converting two third downs and one fourth down on an 80-yard drive featuring a 26-yard reception by Avant. Smith finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Albert Wilson, cutting their deficit to 21–13 with two minutes left in the third quarter. A few plays into the fourth quarter, Stephen Gostkowski gave the Patriots a 24–13 lead with a 40-yard field goal at the end of a drive that was sparked by Brady's 29-yard completion to running back James White. Kansas City had to punt on their next drive, and Danny Amendola returned the ball 22 yards to the Chiefs' 32-yard line, setting up another Gostkowski field goal that upped the New England lead to 27–13. Kansas City responded with a drive to the New England 49-yard line, but ended up turning the ball over on downs. Following a punt Kansas City got the ball back with 6:29 left. They proceeded to drive 80 yards in 16 plays for a score, including a 13-yard catch by Avant on 4th-and-8 and a 19-yard reception by Wilson. West finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run that made the score 27–20, with 1:13 remaining. Kansas City attempted an onside kick, but failed to recover it. With all three of their timeouts left, they still had a chance to force a punt, but on the second play of New England's ensuing drive, Brady's 12-yard pass off a deflection to Julian Edelman sealed the victory for the Patriots, and ended Kansas City's 11-game winning streak. Edelman was the top receiver of the game with 10 receptions for 100 yards. Gronkowski caught seven passes for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns; with eight career postseason touchdowns, Gronkowski – in his sixth season – set an all-time record for postseason touchdowns by a tight end. Smith completed 29 of a career-high 50 pass attempts for 246 yards and a touchdown. Avant, who caught just 15 passes during the season, was the Chiefs' leading receiver with four receptions for 69 yards. West was the leading rusher of the game with 61 yards and a touchdown, adding two receptions for 15 yards. This was the first postseason meeting between the Chiefs and Patriots.NFC: Arizona Cardinals 26, Green Bay Packers 20 (OT)
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 41-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Janis that tied the game on the last play of regulation was quickly answered by Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who threw a 75-yard completion to Larry Fitzgerald on the first play of overtime and then a 5-yard touchdown pass to him to win the game. This gave Palmer his first career playoff win at age 36, after 13 seasons in the NFL. After each team punted on their first possession, Patrick Peterson's 12-yard punt return gave the Cardinals a first down on the Packers' 42-yard line. Arizona then drove 42 yards in 11 plays, including a 2-yard run by David Johnson on 4th-and-1, to go up 7–0 on Palmer's 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Floyd. Following another exchange of punts, Green Bay drove 85 yards in 17 plays, featuring a 19-yard scramble by Rodgers, to cut the score to 7–3 on Mason Crosby's 28-yard field goal. This drive had two big plays nullified by penalties; one of which was a 51-yard one-handed catch by Randall Cobb that was wiped out by offsetting penalties on both teams. Not only did this eliminate the catch, but Cobb – the Packers' leading receiver during the season – was injured on the play and missed the rest of the game. Later on, Rodgers threw a pass that Peterson intercepted and returned 100 yards for a touchdown, but this was eliminated by an illegal use of hands penalty on defensive linemanSunday, January 17, 2016
NFC: Carolina Panthers 31, Seattle Seahawks 24
The Panthers jumped out to a 31–0 halftime lead and held off a second half rally from the Seahawks to prevail 31–24 and advance to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2005. Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart ran for 59 yards to the Seahawks 16-yard line on the first offensive play of the game, then scored a touchdown from four yards out to give Carolina an early lead. Then, on the Seahawks' second play, Luke Kuechly intercepted a pass from Russell Wilson and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown, giving Carolina a 14–0 lead less than four minutes into the game. After forcing a Seahawks punt, Carolina mounted a 15-play, 86-yard drive which featured a 27-yard reception by tight end Greg Olsen and culminated in a Stewart 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Wilson then threw his second interception on the first play of the next drive, this time to Cortland Finnegan on the Seattle 29-yard line, and a Graham Gano 48-yard field goal put Carolina up 24–0. After a Seahawks three-and-out, Carolina drove 54 yards and scored another touchdown with aAFC: Denver Broncos 23, Pittsburgh Steelers 16
In a tough defensive struggle in which both teams could only get the ball into the end zone once, Denver pulled ahead by scoring 11 points in the final three minutes of the game. At the end of the game's opening possession, Broncos safety Omar Bolden returned a punt 42 yards to the Pittsburgh 30-yard line, setting up Brandon McManus' 28-yard field goal. Later in the first quarter, Britton Colquitt's 57-yard punt pinned the Steelers back at their own 3-yard line. Pittsburgh was unable to get a first down with their ensuing drive, and Jordan Berry's 27-yard punt gave Denver a first down on the Steelers 31. Despite their excellent starting position, Denver could not get into the end zone and ended up with another McManus field goal to take a 6–0 lead. Pittsburgh took the ball back and stormed 80 yards in just five plays. First, Ben Roethlisberger completed a 23-yard pass to receiver Martavis Bryant. Then Bryant took a handoff on a reverse and raced 40 yards to the Broncos 16-yard line. Fitzgerald Toussaint finished the drive with two carries; the first for 15 yards and the second a 1-yard score that gave Pittsburgh a 7–6 lead with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. On Pittsburgh's next possession, Roethlisberger's 58-yard completion to Darrius Heyward-Bey set up a 43-yard Chris Boswell field goal that increased their lead to 10–6. Denver had a chance to respond with a drive to the Steelers 37-yard line, but they turned the ball over with an incomplete pass on 4th-and-3. Late in the second quarter, Berry booted a 50-yard punt that gave the Broncos the ball at their own 5-yard line. But a 34-yard burst by running back C. J. Anderson sparked a 62-yard drive then ended with McManus' 51-yard field goal, cutting the score to 10–9 on the last play of the first half. After forcing Denver to punt of the first drive of the second half, Pittsburgh put together a 69-yard scoring drive featuring a 58-yard reception by Bryant. Boswell finished it with a 28-yard field goal, increasing the Steelers lead to 13–9. Denver had to punt again on their next drive, but Colquitt once again gave the team a big assist, this time with a 51-yard punt that put the ball on the Steelers 6-yard line. Pittsburgh could not get a first down, and Berry's 43-yard punt gave the ball back to Denver on their own 47-yard line. The Broncos were only able to move the ball 30 yards with their ensuing drive, but it was enough for McManus to make a 41-yard field goal, trimming their deficit to 13–12. Pittsburgh took the ball back and drove to the Broncos 34-yard line, but were halted there and decided to punt instead of trying a long field goal. The Broncos also ended up punting, and Pittsburgh drove back to the Denver 34-yard line with three consecutive Roethlisberger completions for 39 total yards. But on the next play, the first turnover of the game occurred when safety Bradley Roby forced a fumble from Toussaint that was recovered by linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Now with 9:52 left in the game, 39-year old Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took to the field and led the team 65 yards in 13 plays for the go-ahead score. The key play of the drive was a 31-yard completion from Manning to rookie receiver Bennie Fowler on 3rd-and-12 from the Broncos 33-yard line. Running back Ronnie Hillman also made a big impact, with five carries for 18 yards. After Fowler's catch, the Broncos would not face another third down on the drive until the last play of the drive, when Anderson converted a 3rd-and-goal with a 1-yard touchdown run. Then Manning completed a pass to Demaryius Thomas for a 2-point conversion, giving the Broncos a 20–13 lead with three minutes left on the clock. Pittsburgh started off their next drive with an 18-yard catch by Bryant, but ended up facing 4th-and-5 on their own 43-yard line with less than two minutes left. They tried to pick up a first down, but Ware sacked Roethlisberger for a 13-yard loss. Taking over at the Steelers 30-yard line, Denver forced Pittsburgh to use up all their timeouts with three consecutive running plays. Then McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal that gave the Broncos a 23–13 lead with 53 seconds to go. A 20-yard pass interference penalty on safety T. J. Ward and a 22-yard reception by Bryant enabled Boswell to bring the deficit back to one score with a 47-yard field goal. But Anderson eliminated any chance of a comeback by recovering Boswell's ensuing onside kick. Manning completed 22 of 37 passes for 222 yards. Emmanuel Sanders caught five of them for 85 yards. Anderson was the top rusher of the game with 72 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 11 yards. Ware had three tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. McManus tied a playoff record with five field goals. Roethlisberger finished the game 24 of 37 for 339 yards. Bryant caught nine passes for 154 yards and had two carries for 40 yards. Linebacker James Harrison had seven tackles and a sack. This was the eighth postseason meeting between the Steelers and Broncos. Denver won four of the prior seven meetings, including the last meeting 29–23 in OT in the 2011 AFC Wild Card playoffs.Conference championships
Sunday, January 24, 2016
AFC: Denver Broncos 20, New England Patriots 18
Denver's defense sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady four times, knocked him down 20 times, intercepted two of his passes, forced a turnover on downs twice in the fourth quarter, and broke up a 2-point conversion attempt with 12 seconds left that enabled them to escape with a narrow 20–18 win, while the Patriots' defense sacked and knocked down Peyton Manning three times. With the win, the Broncos advanced to their second Super Bowl in three years and tied the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Patriots for the most Super Bowl appearances with eight. On Denver's first drive, quarterback Peyton Manning completed 4 of 6 passes for 60 yards on an 83-yard drive and then ended with his 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels. Later in the quarter, Manning threw the ball on a screen pass to Ronnie Hillman that was broken up and then picked up by linebacker Jonathan Freeny. The play was initially ruled an incompletion, but a replay challenge from Bill Belichick changed the play to a New England fumble recovery on the Broncos 22-yard line, as officials ruled Manning's throw was a backwards pass instead of a forward pass. Brady completed a 20-yard pass to running back Brandon Bolden on the next play, with a penalty on Denver moving the ball up to the 1-yard line, and then Steven Jackson ran the ball into the end zone on the next play. However, Stephen Gostkowski, one of only five kickers to go through the regular season without missing an extra point, missed the extra point wide right, keeping the team behind with a score of 7–6. Denver had to punt on their next drive, but a few plays into the second quarter, Brady threw a pass that was intercepted by linebacker Von Miller and returned four yards to the Patriots 16-yard line. Manning then scored on another touchdown pass to Daniels, this one from 12 yards, to give the Broncos a 14–6 lead. New England responded with a 48-yard drive, with Brady completing a 19-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski and later scrambling for an 11-yard gain on 3rd-and-10. But on 3rd-and-3 from the Broncos 22-yard line, Miller sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss, forcing the team to settle for 14–9 score on Gostkowski's 46-yard field goal. The next time New England got the ball, Brady was intercepted by safety Darian Stewart, who returned the ball eight yards to the Broncos 44-yard line. But a false start penalty and a sack by Alan Branch shut the drive down and Denver ended up punting. Britton Colquitt's 48-yard kick pinned the Pats back at their own 12-yard line, and following another punt, the Broncos got the ball back again on their 44-yard line. This time they managed to move the ball 23 yards and score on Brandon McManus' 52-yard field goal with 33 seconds left in the half, making the score 17–9 going into halftime. On New England's first drive of the third quarter, Brady completed a 31-yard pass to Gronkowski that set up Gostkowski's 38-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 17–12. This would be the only score of the quarter as both teams punted on each of their next two drives. On the last play of the quarter, Denver receiver Jordan Norwood returned Ryan Allen's 43-yard punt six yards to the Broncos 39-yard line. Denver then drove 48 yards in 10 plays, including a 31-yard burst by running back C. J. Anderson, to score on McManus' 31-yard field goal, making the score 20–12 with 10:02 left on the clock. New England took the ball back and drove to the Broncos 16-yard line. But on 4th-and-1, Chris Harris tackled Julian Edelman for a 1-yard loss. Following a punt, New England got into the Broncos red zone again, this time driving all the way to the 14-yard line. This drive also ended with a turnover on downs, this time an incomplete pass on 4th-and-6. Following a three-and-out, Edelman returned Colquitt's 52-yard punt 16 yards to midfield with 1:52 left in the game. Brady threw three consecutive incompletions, but on 4th-and-10, he launched a 40-yard bomb to Gronkowski on the Broncos 10-yard line. A few plays later, the Patriots faced 4th-and-goal from the 4-yard line, but Brady proved up to the task again, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski that made the score 20–18 with 12 seconds left on the clock. On the subsequent 2-point conversion attempt, Brady took a snap out of shotgun formation and threw a pass to Edelman, but the ball was deflected by Aqib Talib into the arms of defensive back Bradley Roby for an interception. Had New England converted the 2-point conversion, the game would have been sent to overtime for the first time in an AFC Championship in 29 years. New England then lost their last chance of the game when Gostkowski's onside kick attempt was recovered by Shiloh Keo. Manning, who threw only one touchdown pass at home during the season, finished the game 17 of 32 for 176 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 11 yards. Anderson was the top rusher of the game with 72 yards on 16 carries, and also caught three passes for 18 yards. Miller had five tackles, 2½ sacks, and an interception. Brady finished his NFL record 31st postseason game 27 of 56 for 310 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, while also leading the team in rushing with 13 yards. Gronkowski caught eight passes for 144 yards and a score. Linebacker Jamie Collins had eight tackles and two sacks. With this win, Manning became the first quarterback to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl multiple times. Denver won despite being outgained in total yards 336 to 244. With the loss, the Patriots become the 11th consecutive team to surrender the Vince Lombardi Trophy to a new champion (the 2004 Patriots were the last repeat World Champion until the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs). This was the fifth postseason meeting between the Patriots and Broncos. The home team had won all four prior meetings, in which Denver had won three of the prior four, including 26–16 in the 2013 AFC Championship Game. This was also the fifth and final postseason meeting between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning; all four were won by the home team, one of which was the 2006 AFC Championship Game in Indianapolis which Manning's Colts won en route to winning Super Bowl XLI.NFC: Carolina Panthers 49, Arizona Cardinals 15
Carolina dominated the game from start to finish, outgaining Arizona in total yards 476 to 287 and forcing seven turnovers in the first NFC Championship played at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers accomplished this despite the loss of all-pro linebacker Thomas Davis and veteran safety Roman Harper, who both suffered game-ending injuries in the first half. On the Panthers first drive, quarterbackSuper Bowl 50: Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
Denver took the opening kickoff and started out strongly. Peyton Manning completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Owen Daniels and a 22-yard throw to receiver Andre Caldwell. A pair of carries by C. J. Anderson moved the ball up 20 yards to the Panthers 14-yard line, but Carolina's defense dug in over the next three plays. First, linebacker Shaq Thompson tackled Ronnie Hillman for a 3-yard loss. Then after an incompletion, Thomas Davis tackled Anderson for a 1-yard gain on third down, forcing Denver to settle for a 3–0 lead on a Brandon McManus 34-yard field goal. The score marked the first time in the entire postseason that Carolina was facing a deficit.Television coverage
All playoff games aired on network television. This was the NFL's standard policy through the end of the previous television contract in 2013. After airing one game exclusively on cable onReferences
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