VIEW FROM THE TOP: Since the NFL moved to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, No. 1 seeds in the NFC are 18-3 (.857) in the Divisional Playoffs. In the AFC, the No. 1 seed has compiled a 12-9 (.571) record.
Both No. 1 seeds are in action this weekend when the top-seeded Green Bay Packers host the New York Giants in the NFC and the No. 1-seed New England Patriots face the Denver Broncos in the AFC.
The No. 1 seeds in Divisional-round play since 1990:
|
YEAR |
AFC NO. 1 SEED |
DIVISIONAL RESULT |
NFC NO. 1 SEED |
DIVISIONAL RESULT |
|
1990 |
Buffalo |
Defeated Miami 44-34 |
San Francisco |
Defeated Washington 28-10 |
|
1991 |
Buffalo |
Defeated Kansas City 37-14 |
Washington |
Defeated Atlanta 24-7 |
|
1992 |
Pittsburgh |
Lost to Buffalo 24-3 |
San Francisco |
Defeated Washington 20-13 |
|
1993 |
Buffalo |
Defeated L.A. Raiders 29-23 |
Dallas |
Defeated Green Bay 27-17 |
|
1994 |
Pittsburgh |
Defeated Cleveland 29-9 |
San Francisco |
Defeated Chicago 44-15 |
|
1995 |
Kansas City |
Lost to Indianapolis 10-7 |
Dallas |
Defeated Philadelphia 30-11 |
|
1996 |
Denver |
Lost to Jacksonville 30-27 |
Green Bay |
Defeated San Francisco 35-14 |
|
1997 |
Kansas City |
Lost to Denver 14-10 |
San Francisco |
Defeated Minnesota 38-22 |
|
1998 |
Denver |
Defeated Miami 38-3 |
Minnesota |
Defeated Arizona 41-21 |
|
1999 |
Jacksonville |
Defeated Miami 62-7 |
St. Louis |
Defeated Minnesota 49-37 |
|
2000 |
Tennessee |
Lost to Baltimore 24-10 |
N.Y. Giants |
Defeated Philadelphia 20-10 |
|
2001 |
Pittsburgh |
Defeated Baltimore 27-10 |
St. Louis |
Defeated Green Bay 45-17 |
|
2002 |
Oakland |
Defeated N.Y. Jets 30-10 |
Philadelphia |
Defeated Atlanta 20-6 |
|
2003 |
New England |
Defeated Tennessee 17-14 |
Philadelphia |
Defeated Green Bay 20-17 (OT) |
|
2004 |
Pittsburgh |
Defeated N.Y. Jets 20-17 (OT) |
Philadelphia |
Defeated Minnesota 27-14 |
|
2005 |
Indianapolis |
Lost to Pittsburgh 21-18 |
Seattle |
Defeated Washington 20-10 |
|
2006 |
San Diego |
Lost to New England 24-21 |
Chicago |
Defeated Seattle 27-24 (OT) |
|
2007 |
New England |
Defeated Jacksonville 31-20 |
Dallas |
Lost to N.Y. Giants 21-17 |
|
2008 |
Tennessee |
Lost to Baltimore 13-10 |
N.Y. Giants |
Lost to Philadelphia 23-11 |
|
2009 |
Indianapolis |
Defeated Baltimore 20-3 |
New Orleans |
Defeated Arizona 45-14 |
|
2010 |
New England |
Lost to N.Y. Jets 28-21 |
Atlanta |
Lost to Green Bay 48-21 |
|
2011 |
New England |
??? |
Green Bay |
??? |
-- NFL --
POSTSEASON SUCCESS: Green Bay has won 13 NFL championships, the most all-time, and the club's .644 postseason winning percentage (29-16) is the best in NFL history.
The Packers currently have 29 playoff wins. With a win Sunday against the New York Giants, they can become the third team to record 30 postseason victories in NFL annals, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers (33) and Dallas Cowboys (33).
The teams with the most playoff victories in NFL history:
|
TEAM |
PLAYOFF WINS |
|
Dallas Cowboys |
33 |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers* |
33 |
|
*Green Bay Packers |
29 |
|
Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders |
25 |
|
San Francisco 49ers* |
25 |
*2011 postseason participant
-- NFL --
CHAMPIONSHIP GOAL:With a victory against New Orleans on Saturday, San Francisco would advance to its 13th NFC Championship Game. That total would be the third-most appearances in a Conference Championship Game since 1970.
The teams with the most appearances in a Conference Championship Game since 1970:
|
TEAM |
MOST APPEARANCES IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
15 |
|
Dallas Cowboys |
14 |
|
*San Francisco 49ers |
12 |
|
L.A./Oakland Raiders |
11 |
|
L.A./St. Louis Rams |
9 |
*Host New Orleans Saturday
-- NFL --
400 CLUB: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES passed for 466 yards in last weekend's 45-28 Wild Card victory over Detroit. Brees, who passed for 404 yards in a 2010 Wild Card loss to Seattle, became the third player in NFL annals to pass for at least 400 yards in multiple postseason games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (two) and PEYTON MANNING (two). Brees is the first to do so in consecutive games.
With 400 passing yards this weekend when New Orleans visits San Francisco, Brees would become the first player in NFL history to pass for 400 yards in three postseason games.
Currently, Brees possesses an NFL-record streak of 215 consecutive postseason passes without an interception, and can add to that total Saturday.
The players with multiple postseason games of at least 400 passing yards:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
POSTSEASON GAMES WITH 400 PASSING YARDS | |
|
Drew Brees* |
New Orleans Saints |
1/7/12 vs. Lions (466 yards) |
1/8/11 at Seahawks (404 yards) |
|
Peyton Manning |
Indianapolis Colts |
1/13/08 vs. Chargers (402 yards) |
1/9/05 vs. Broncos (458 yards) |
|
Dan Marino |
Miami Dolphins |
12/30/95 at Bills (422 yards) |
1/6/85 vs. Steelers (421 yards) |
*Plays at San Francisco Saturday
-- NFL --
BRADY BUNCH OF RECORDS: New England quarterback TOM BRADY has thrown for 4,407 yards in his postseason career. With 104 passing yards this weekend against Denver, he would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (4,510) for the fifth-most postseason passing yards in NFL history.
|
PLAYER |
CAREER |
POSTSEASON PASSING YARDS |
|
Brett Favre |
1991-2010 |
5,855 |
|
Joe Montana |
1979-1994 |
5,772 |
|
Peyton Manning |
1998-present |
5,389 |
|
John Elway |
1983-1998 |
4,964 |
|
Dan Marino |
1983-1999 |
4,510 |
|
Tom Brady |
2000-present |
*4,407 |
*Active this weekend
Brady has also thrown 30 postseason touchdown passes. With three touchdown passes this weekend, he would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer TERRY BRADSHAW (30), KURT WARNER (31), and Marino (32) for third-most postseason touchdown passes in NFL history.
|
PLAYER |
CAREER |
POSTSEASON TD PASSES |
|
Joe Montana |
1979-1994 |
45 |
|
Brett Favre |
1991-2010 |
44 |
|
Dan Marino |
1983-1999 |
32 |
|
Kurt Warner |
1998-2009 |
31 |
|
Tom Brady |
2000-present |
*30 |
|
Terry Bradshaw |
* *1970-1983 |
30 |
*Active this weekend
Brady has thrown a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive postseason games. With a touchdown pass this Sunday against Denver, he can record his 18th consecutive postseason game with a touchdown pass, already the second-longest streak in NFL history (BRETT FAVRE, 20).
|
PLAYER |
CAREER |
CONSECUTIVE POSTSEASON GAMES W/ TD PASS |
|
Brett Favre |
1991-2010 |
20 |
|
Tom Brady |
2000-present |
*17 |
|
Dan Marino |
1983-1999 |
13 |
|
Kurt Warner |
1998-2009 |
12 |
|
3 tied |
-- |
10 |
*Active this weekend
-- NFL --
FOSTER FOLLOW-UP: In his postseason debut last weekend, Houston running back ARIAN FOSTER rushed for 153 yards in the Texans' 31-10 Wild Card victory over Cincinnati.
This weekend against Baltimore, Foster could challenge for the most rushing yards in a player's first two postseason games in NFL history.
The players with the most rushing yards in their first two postseason games in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
POSTSEASON(S) |
RUSH YARDS IN FIRST TWO POSTSEASON GAMES |
|
Duane Thomas |
Dallas Cowboys |
1970 |
278 |
|
Terrell Davis |
Denver Broncos |
1996, 1997 |
275 |
|
Eddie George |
Tennessee Titans |
1999 |
268 |
|
Shonn Greene |
N.Y. Jets |
2009 |
263 |
|
Fred Taylor |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
1999 |
248 |
|
Arian Foster |
Houston Texans |
2011 |
*153 |
*Will play second career postseason game Sunday
-- NFL --
HEAD OF THE CLASS: New England Patriots head coach BILL BELICHICK has compiled a 15-6 (.714) record in his postseason career. Belichick ranks fifth all-time with 15 playoff victories, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers TOM LANDRY, DON SHULA, JOE GIBBS and CHUCK NOLL.
With a win against Denver on Saturday night, Belichick would tie Noll (16) for the fourth-most playoff wins all-time.
The head coaches with the most playoff wins in NFL history:
|
HEAD COACH |
TEAM(S) |
PLAYOFF WINS |
|
Tom Landry |
Dallas Cowboys |
20 |
|
Don Shula |
Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins |
19 |
|
Joe Gibbs |
Washington Redskins |
17 |
|
Chuck Noll |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
16 |
|
Bill Belichick |
Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots |
*15 |
*Active
GOOD COMPANY: Some other notes to keep in mind for this weekend's Divisional Playoffs:
For the second time (2006) since realignment in 2002, all eight remaining teams in this weekend's Divisional round are division winners.
For the first time in NFL history, the Divisional round will feature four Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks. New England's TOM BRADY (XXXVI, XXXVIII) will face Denver; New Orleans' DREW BREES (XLIV) will travel to San Francisco; and the New York Giants' ELI MANNING (XLII) and Green Bay's AARON RODGERS (XLV) will square off in Green Bay.
San Francisco (13-3) will host New Orleans (13-3) Saturday. The teams enter the game with a combined 26-6 (.813) regular-season record, tied for the second-highest combined winning percentage between opposing teams in a divisional playoff game.
