Tennessee Titans (AFC South - 9-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West - 10-6) Saturday, January 6, 2018 4:35 PM ET Arrowhead Stadium Referee: Jeff Triplette LEADER: Chiefs lead all-time series, 29-22 STREAKS: Titans have won both meetings LEADER: Chiefs lead all-time series, 2-0 STREAKS: Chiefs have won both meetings SERIES HISTORY (INCL. PLAYOFFS) PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY LAST GAME: 12/18/16: Titans 19 at Chiefs 17 LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/18/16 LAST PLAYOFF: 1/16/94: Chiefs 28 at Houston Oilers 20 LAST PLAYOFF AT SITE: First meeting in Kansas City TENNESSEE TITANS PLAYOFF RECORD 14-19 W 15-10 vs. Jacksonville VS. COMMON OPP. 1-4 (Hou 1-1; Mia 0-1; Oak 0-1; Pit 0-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 20.9/22.3 OFFENSE 314.0 PASSING Marcus Mariota: 281-453-3232-13-15-79.3 RUSHING Derrick Henry: 176-744-4.2-5 RECEIVING Delanie Walker (TE): 74-807-10.9-3 DEFENSE 328.0 SACKS Derrick Morgan: 7.5 INTs TAKE/GIVE -4 (21/25) Kevin Byard: 8 (T1L) PR Adoree Jackson (R): 8.5 KR Adoree Jackson (R): 23.1 PUNTING (NET) Brett Kern: 49.7 (1L) (44.6) (1L) Ryan Succop: 136 (31/33 PAT; 35/42 FG) HEAD COACH: MIKE MULARKEY VS. OPP. 2-0 PLAYOFF RECORD 0-0 TITANS TEAM NOTES TITANS earned 1st playoff berth since 2008. TENNESSEE tied for 3rd in AFC with 43 sacks. TITANS were 1 of 2 teams in NFL (NEW ENGLAND) to have 3 players with 5+ rush TDs each - RB DE MARCO MURRAY (6), RB DERRICK HENRY (5) & QB MARCUS MARIOTA (5). MIKE MULARKEY makes postseason head coaching debut. TITANS had 3 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: DT JURRELL CASEY (3rd), P BRETT KERN (1st) & T TAYLOR LEWAN (2nd). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS PLAYOFF RECORD 9-17 HEAD COACH: ANDY REID VS. OPP. 1-6 PLAYOFF RECORD 11-12 W 27-24 at Denver VS. COMMON OPP. 3-2 (Hou 1-0; Mia 1-0; Oak 1-1; Pit 0-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 25.9/21.2 OFFENSE 375.4 PASSING RUSHING Alex Smith: 341-505-4042-26-5-104.7 (1L) Kareem Hunt (R): 272-1327 (1L)-4.9-8 RECEIVING Travis Kelce (TE): 83-1038-12.5-8 DEFENSE 365.1 SACKS Justin Houston: 9.5 INTs Marcus Peters: 5 TAKE/GIVE +15 (2L) (26/11) PR Tyreek Hill: 8.2 KR De Anthony Thomas: 23.5 PUNTING (NET) Dustin Colquitt: 45.2 (41.1) Harrison Butker (R): 142 (28/28 PAT; 38/42 FG) CHIEFS TEAM NOTES CHIEFS have won back-to-back division titles for 1st time in franchise history. KANSAS CITY ranked 5th in NFL in total offense (375.4 yards per game) & 6th in scoring (25.9 ppg). ANDY REID has led team to playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons. Has 11 career postseason victories, 2nd most among coaches in 2017 playoffs (BILL BELICHICK, 26). CHIEFS had 3 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: WR- KR TYREEK HILL (2nd), rookie RB KAREEM HUNT (1st) & TE TRAVIS KELCE (3rd). ON THE AIRWAVES TV: ESPN/ABC (4:35 PM ET): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters (Field reporter), Adam Schefter (Field reporter) WESTWOOD ONE: Dan Miller, Trent Green, Hub Arkush SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (Ten), 82 (KC) XM: 88 (WW1), 83 (Ten), 82 (KC)
Tennessee Titans (AFC South - 9-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West - 10-6) TITANS NOTES QB MARCUS MARIOTA is making 1st career postseason start. Is 1 of 5 QBs in NFL history with 9,000+ pass yards (9,476) & 900+ rush yards (913) in 1st 3 seasons. Since entering league in 2015, has 39 TD passes vs. 0 INTs in red zone, highest TD/INT ratio in NFL over span. RB DE MARCO MURRAY has 225 scrimmage yards (112.5 per game) & 2 rush TDs in 2 career postseason games. Leads NFL with 43 rush TDs & ranks 2nd in league with 5,614 rush yards since 2013. Had 141 scrimmage yards (89 rush, 52 rec.) in last game vs. KC. RB DERRICK HENRY led team with career-high 744 rush yards. Had 3 65+ yard TDs from scrimmage in 2017, most in NFL. TE DELANIE WALKER led team with 74 catches & 807 rec. yards. Is 1 of 2 NFL TEs (TRAVIS KELCE) with 800+ rec. yards in each of past 4 seasons. WR ERIC DECKER has 30 catches for 415 rec. yards (83 per game) with 7 TD catches in his past 5 vs. KC. WR RISHARD MATTHEWS had 105 rec. yards in last meeting. LB WESLEY WOODYARD led team with career-high 121 tackles. Was 1 of 2 players in NFL (DEMARIO DAVIS) with 100+ tackles & 5+ sacks (5). LB AVERY WILLIAMSON is 1 of 4 in team history with 2+ seasons with 90+ tackles (92) & 3+ sacks (3). S KEVIN BYARD tied for NFL lead with 8 INTs, 3rd most by safety in team history. Had league-leading 3 multi-int games in 2017. Rookie CB ADOREE JACKSON was only NFL CB with 70+ tackles (70) & 15+ PD (17). DT JURRELL CASEY had 6 sacks, his 5th consecutive season with 5+ sacks. SACKS BY AFC DTs Geno Atkins (Cin)...9 Malik Jackson (Jax)...8 JURRELL CASEY (TEN)...6 Ndamukong Suh (Mia)...4.5 INTERCEPTIONS KEVIN BYARD (TEN)...8 Darius Slay (Det)...8 A.J. Bouye (Jax)...6 Eric Weddle (Bal)...6 CHIEFS NOTES QB ALEX SMITH led NFL with career-high 104.7 rating & was 1 of 3 QBs (TOM BRADY & DREW BREES) with 4,000+ pass yards (4,042) & fewer than 10 INTs (5). Has 3,000+ pass yards & fewer than 10 INTs in 5 consecutive seasons, longest streak in NFL history. Ranked 3rd in NFL with 67.5 comp. pct. (341 of 505). In 6 career postseason games, has 12 TD passes vs. 2 INTs for 94.5 rating. RB KAREEM HUNT led NFL with franchise rookie record 1,327 rush yards & is 2nd rookie not selected in 1st round (PAUL ROBINSON in 1968) to lead his league in rush yards since 1967. Led all rookies & ranked 3rd in NFL with 1,782 scrimmage yards. Aims for 5th in row with rush TD. TE TRAVIS KELCE led all NFL TEs with 83 catches & ranked 2nd with 1,038 rec. yards. Is 1 of 2 players in franchise history (TONY GONZALEZ) with consecutive seasons with 80+ catches & 1,000+ rec. yards. Has 75+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3 in postseason. WR-PR TYREEK HILL ranked 4th in AFC with career-high 1,183 rec. yards. Had 6 50+ yard TDs (5 rec., 1 PR), most in NFL. WR ALBERT WILSON aims for 3rd postseason game in row with TD catch. LB JUSTIN HOUSTON led team with 9.5 sacks. Since entering league in 2011, has 69.5 sacks, 5th most in NFL. Has 3 sacks in past 3 vs. Ten. CB MARCUS PETERS has 4 PD & INT in 3 career playoff games. Is only NFL player with 5+ INTs in each of past 3 seasons. Since entering league in 2015, leads league with 19 INTs & 55 PD. S DANIEL SORENSEN was 1 of 5 NFL safeties with 80+ tackles (88), sack (1.5) & INT (1). RUSH YARDS KAREEM HUNT (KC)...1,327 Todd Gurley (LAR)...1,305 Le Veon Bell (Pit)... 1,291 PASSER RATING ALEX SMITH (KC)...104.7 Drew Brees (NO)...103.9 Tom Brady (NE)...102.8
Atlanta Falcons (NFC South - 10-6) at Los Angeles Rams (NFC West - 11-5) Saturday, January 6, 2018 8:15 PM ET Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Referee: Ed Hochuli LEADER: Rams lead all-time series, 47-29-2 STREAKS: Falcons have won past 4 LEADER: Falcons lead all-time series, 1-0 STREAKS: Falcons won only meeting SERIES HISTORY (INCL. PLAYOFFS) PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY LAST GAME: 12/11/16: Falcons 42 at Rams 14 LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/11/16 LAST PLAYOFF: 1/15/05: Rams 17 at Falcons 47 LAST PLAYOFF AT SITE: First meeting in Los Angeles ATLANTA FALCONS PLAYOFF RECORD 9-13 W 22-10 vs. Carolina VS. COMMON OPP. 3-2 (Dal 1-0; Min 0-1; NO 1-1; Sea 1-0) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 22.1/19.7 OFFENSE 364.8 PASSING Matt Ryan: 342-529-4095-20-12-91.4 RUSHING Devonta Freeman: 196-865-4.4-7 RECEIVING DEFENSE 318.4 Julio Jones: 88-1444 (2L)-16.4-3 SACKS Adrian Clayborn: 9.5 INTs Deion Jones: 3 TAKE/GIVE -2 (16/18) PR Andre Roberts: 7.4 KR Andre Roberts: 22.6 PUNTING (NET) Matt Bosher: 44.9 (40.8) Matt Bryant: 137 (35/35 PAT; 34/39 FG) HEAD COACH: DAN QUINN VS. OPP. 1-0 PLAYOFF RECORD 2-1 FALCONS TEAM NOTES FALCONS earned playoff berth for 2nd consecutive season. ATLANTA ranked 3rd in NFC averaging 364.8 yards per game. FALCONS were 1 of 2 NFC teams (SEATTLE) with 2 players with 100+ tackles each: LB DEION JONES (138) & S KEANU NEAL (113). DAN QUINN has led team to playoffs in 2 of his 1st 3 seasons with Atl. FALCONS had 2 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: WR JULIO JONES (5th) & C ALEX MACK (5th). LOS ANGELES RAMS PLAYOFF RECORD 19-24 HEAD COACH: SEAN McVAY VS. OPP. 0-0 PLAYOFF RECORD 0-0 L 34-13 vs. San Francisco VS. COMMON OPP. 3-2 (Dal 1-0; Min 0-1; NO 1-0; Sea 1-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST OFFENSE 361.5 29.9 (1L)/20.6 PASSING Jared Goff: 296-477-3804-28-7-100.5 RUSHING Todd Gurley: 279-1305 (2L)-4.7-13 (1L) RECEIVING Todd Gurley (RB): 64-788-12.3-6 DEFENSE 339.6 SACKS Aaron Donald: 11 INTs Mark Barron, Lamarcus Joyner: 3 TAKE/GIVE +7 (28/21) PR KR PUNTING (NET) Pharoh Cooper: 12.5 (2L) Pharoh Cooper: 27.4 (1L) Johnny Hekker: 47.9 (44.3) (2L) Sam Ficken: 10 (4/5 PAT; 2/3 FG) RAMS TEAM NOTES RAMS won NFC West, 1st division title since 2003. LOS ANGELES led NFL averaging 29.9 points per game. RAMS are 2nd team in NFL history to lead league in scoring after scoring fewest points (14.0 points per game in 2016) in previous season (SAN FRANCISCO, 1964). SEAN MC VAY, at 31 years old, is youngest head coach in NFL history to lead his team to playoffs. RAMS had 5 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: PR-KR PHAROH COOPER (1st), DT AARON DONALD (4th), RB TODD GURLEY (2nd), P JOHNNY HEKKER (4th) & K GREG ZUERLEIN (1st). ON THE AIRWAVES TV: NBC (8:15 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (Field reporter) WESTWOOD ONE: Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, Scott Kaplan SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (Atl), 82 (LAR) XM: 88 (WW1), 83 (Atl), 82 (LAR)
Atlanta Falcons (NFC South - 10-6) at Los Angeles Rams (NFC West - 11-5) FALCONS NOTES QB MATT RYAN has 41,796 career pass yards & surpassed PEYTON MANNING (41,626) for most pass yards by player in his 1st 10 seasons in NFL history. Passed for 4,095 yards, his franchise-record 7th consecutive season with 4,000+ yards. In his past 3 games vs. Rams, has 864 pass yards (288 per game), 7 TDs & 0 INTs for 114.4 rating. Has 1,410 pass yards (352.5 per game), 12 TDs & 1 INT for 129.2 rating in his past 4 playoff games. Aims for his 5th in row in postseason with 100+ rating. RB DEVONTA FREEMAN had 1,182 scrimmage yards, his 3rd consecutive season with 1,000+ scrimmage yards. In 3 career playoff games, has 330 scrimmage yards (110 per game) & 3 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec.). RB TEVIN COLEMAN aims for his 4th playoff game in row with TD. WR JULIO JONES led NFC with 1,444 rec. yards. Has 9,054 career rec. yards & reached 9,000 yards in his 95th game, fastest in NFL history. In his past 4 postseason games, has 30 receptions for 516 yards (129 per game) & 5 TDs. WR MOHAMED SANU has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 playoff games. LB DEION JONES ranked 2nd in NFC with career-high 138 tackles. Has FF, INT & 3 PD in 3 career playoff games. S KEANU NEAL led NFC safeties with 113 tackles. Had career-high 13 tackles in SB LI. LB TAKKARIST MC KINLEY was only NFL rookie with 5+ sacks (6) & 2+ FFs (2). DE ADRIAN CLAYBORN led team with career-high 9.5 sacks. CB ROBERT ALFORD ranked 4th in NFL with 20 PD. FASTEST TO 9,000 CAREER REC. YARDS IN NFL HISTORY JULIO JONES...95 games HOFer Lance Alworth...98 games MOST PASSING YARDS IN 1ST 10 SEASONS IN NFL HISTORY MATT RYAN...41,796 yards Peyton Manning...41,626 yards RAMS NOTES QB JARED GOFF ranked 3rd in NFC in rating (100.5) & tied for 5th in NFL in TD passes (28). Had 3 games with 300+ pass yards, 3+ TD passes & 0 INTs, most in NFC. RB TODD GURLEY led NFL with 2,093 scrimmage yards & 19 TDs. Is 3rd different player in NFL history to have 2,000+ scrimmage yards (2,093), 10+ rush TDs (13) & more than 5 TD catches (6) in single season (HOFers O.J. SIMPSON, 1975 & MARSHALL FAULK, 2000 & 2001). Had 83 scrimmage yards & rush TD in last game vs. Atl. WR ROBERT WOODS had career-best 781 rec. yards & tied career-high with 5 TDs. WR COOPER KUPP ranked 2nd among NFL rookies in rec. yards (869), 4th in receptions (62) & tied for 4th in TD catches (5). Set franchise rookie records in receptions, rec. yards & TD catches. WR SAMMY WATKINS has TD in 4 of his past 5. DT AARON DONALD led team & tied career-high with 11 sacks & had 5 FFs, most among NFL DTs. Had sack in last game vs. Atl. Since entering league in 2014, leads NFL DTs with 39 sacks. LB ROBERT QUINN has 6 sacks & 2 FFs in his past 6. Had sack in only career game vs. Atl. (9/15/13). Since 2011, is 1 of 3 in NFL with 60+ sacks (62.5) & 20+ FFs (20). LB ALEC OGLETREE led team with 95 tackles, his 4th time in past 5 seasons leading Rams in tackles. LB MARK BARRON has 2 FRs in his past 3 vs. Atl. CB TRUMAINE JOHNSON led team with 14 PD. TODD GURLEY is the third different player in NFL history to have at least 2,000 scrimmage yards, 10 rushing touchdowns and more than 5 touchdown catches in a single season. The other 2 players to accomplish the feat are Pro Football Hall of Famers: O.J. SIMPSON (1975) and MARSHALL FAULK (2000 and 2001). TOTAL TDs (2017) TODD GURLEY (LAR)... 19 Alvin Kamara (NO)...14 DeAndre Hopkins (Hou)... 13 SCRIMMAGE YARDS (2017) TODD GURLEY (LAR)... 2,093 Le Veon Bell (Pit)...1,946 Kareem Hunt (KC)...1,782
Buffalo Bills (AFC East - 9-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South - 10-6) Sunday, January 7, 2018 1:05 PM ET EverBank Field Referee: John Hussey LEADER: Bills lead all-time series, 8-7 STREAKS: Bills have won 3 of past 4 LEADER: Jaguars lead all-time series, 1-0 STREAKS: Jaguars won only meeting SERIES HISTORY (INCL. PLAYOFFS) PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY LAST GAME: 11/27/16: Jaguars 21 at Bills 28 LAST GAME AT SITE: 10/25/15: Jaguars 34, Bills 31 LAST PLAYOFF: 12/28/96: Jaguars 30 at Bills 27 LAST PLAYOFF AT SITE: First meeting in Jacksonville BUFFALO BILLS PLAYOFF RECORD 14-15 W 22-16 at Miami VS. COMMON OPP. 2-3 (Cin 0-1; Ind 1-0; LAC 0-1; NYJ 1-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 18.9/22.4 OFFENSE 302.6 PASSING Tyrod Taylor: 263-420-2799-14-4-89.2 RUSHING LeSean McCoy: 287-1138-4.0-6 RECEIVING LeSean McCoy (RB): 59-448-7.6-2 DEFENSE 355.1 SACKS Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson: 4 INTs Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer: 5 TAKE/GIVE +9 (25/16) PR Brandon Tate: 9.7 KR Brandon Tate: 19.6 PUNTING (NET) Colton Schmidt: 44.7 (40.5) Stephen Hauschka: 116 (29/29 PAT; 29/33 FG) HEAD COACH: SEAN McDERMOTT VS. OPP. 0-0 PLAYOFF RECORD 0-0 BILLS TEAM NOTES BILLS earned playoff berth for 1st time since 1999. BUFFALO ranked 5th in AFC with +9 TO differential. Allowed only 14 pass TDs in 2017, 2nd fewest in NFL. SEAN MC DERMOTT is 2nd head coach in franchise history to take team to postseason in 1st full season (WADE PHILLIPS in 1998). BILLS had 3 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: S MICAH HYDE (1st), G RICHIE INCOGNITO (4th) & RB LE SEAN MC COY (6th). JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS PLAYOFF RECORD 5-6 HEAD COACH: DOUG MARRONE VS. OPP. 0-0 PLAYOFF RECORD 0-0 L 15-10 at Tennessee VS. COMMON OPP. 4-1 (Cin 1-0; Ind 2-0; LAC 1-0; NYJ 0-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST OFFENSE 365.9 26.1/16.8 (2L) PASSING Blake Bortles: 315-523-3687-21-13-84.7 RUSHING Leonard Fournette (R): 268-1040-3.9-9 RECEIVING Marqise Lee: 56-702-12.5-3 DEFENSE SACKS INTs 286.1 (2L) Calais Campbell: 14.5 (T2L) A.J. Bouye: 6 (T3L) TAKE/GIVE +10 (33/23) PR Jaydon Mickens (R): 10.3 KR Corey Grant: 24.9 PUNTING (NET) Brad Nortman: 44.1 (38.9) Josh Lambo: 79 (22/24 PAT; 19/20 FG) JAGUARS TEAM NOTES JAGUARS won AFC South, 1st division title since 1999 (AFC Central). JACKSONVILLE led NFL with 7 defensive TDs (5 FR, 2 INT) & ranked 2nd in league with 55 sacks & 21 INTs. DOUG MARRONE is 3rd coach in franchise history to lead team to playoffs (TOM COUGHLIN & JACK DEL RIO). JAGUARS had 4 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: CB A.J BOUYE (1st), DE CALAIS CAMPBELL (3rd), DT MALIK JACKSON (1st) & CB JALEN RAMSEY (1st). ON THE AIRWAVES TV: CBS (1:05 PM ET): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (Field reporter), Jay Feely (Field reporter) WESTWOOD ONE: Ian Eagle, Mike Mayock, Steve Tasker SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (Buf), 82 (Jax) XM: 88 (WW1), 83 (Buf), 82 (Jax)
Buffalo Bills (AFC East - 9-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South - 10-6) BILLS NOTES QB TYROD TAYLOR will make 1st career postseason start. Led NFL with 0.95 INT pct. (4 INTs in 420 att.). Has 1.4 career INT pct., lowest in NFL history (min. 1,000 att.). Was 1 of 4 NFL QBs with 2,500+ pass yards (2,799) & 400+ rush yards (427) in 2017. RB LE SEAN MC COY ranked 4th in NFL with 1,138 rush yards & 1,586 scrimmage yards. Has 5 career seasons with 1,500+ scrimmage yards, 2nd most among active players. Has 174 scrimmage yards (87 per game) & rush TD in his past 2 postseason games. Aims for 4th in row vs. Jax. with 100+ scrimmage yards. RB MIKE TOLBERT has 3 rush TDs in his past 3 vs. Jax. WR KELVIN BENJAMIN had 2 TD catches in his last playoff game (2014 NFC Div. with Car., 1/10/15). TE CHARLES CLAY led team with 558 rec. yards, his 5th consecutive 500+ rec. yard season. LB PRESTON BROWN led NFL with career-high 144 tackles. Has 100+ tackles in each of 1st 4 seasons. S JORDAN POYER set career-highs in tackles (95), INTs (5) & sacks (2). Was only NFL player with 90+ tackles (95) & 5+ INTs (5). Poyer & S MICAH HYDE (5) were only pair of NFL teammates with 5+ INTs each. CB TRE DAVIOUS WHITE tied for NFL rookie lead with 18 PD & tied for 2nd with 4 INTs. DT KYLE WILLIAMS has 43.5 career sacks, most by DT in franchise history. Has 5 TFL in past 6 vs. Jax. Had 1st career rush TD in Week 17. INTERCEPTION PCT. LEADERS TYROD TAYLOR (BUF)... 0.95% Alex Smith (KC)... 0.99% Tom Brady (NE)... 1.38% JORDAN POYER was only NFL player with 5+ INTs (5) & 2+ sacks (2) in 2017. JAGUARS NOTES QB BLAKE BORTLES will make 1st career postseason start. Passed for 3,687 yards & has 3,500+ pass yards in each of past 3 seasons. Has 14,928 pass yards since entering league in 2014, 4th most in NFL history by player in 1st 4 seasons. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Buf. with 2+ TDs passes. RB LEONARD FOURNETTE led all rookies with 9 rush TDs & ranked 2nd with 1,040 rush yards. Is 1 of 2 rookies in franchise history (FRED TAYLOR) with 1,000+ rush yards. RB CHRIS IVORY had rush TD in last meeting. RB T.J. YELDON had 115 rush yards & TD in only career home game vs. Buf. WR MARQISE LEE led team with 56 catches. Had rec. TD in last meeting. WR KEELAN COLE ranked 4th among NFL rookies with 748 rec. yards. Had 17.8 rec. yard avg., highest among rookies (min. 25 catches). TE MARCEDES LEWIS has 3 TD catches in past 4 vs. Buf. Rookie WRPR JAYDON MICKENS was 1 of 3 NFL players with 10+ yard PR avg. (10.3) & PR-TD (1) in 2017 (min. 10 PR). DE CALAIS CAMPBELL led AFC with franchise-record & career-high 14.5 sacks. DE YANNICK NGAKOUE led NFL with 6 FFs. Was 1 of 2 NFL players (AARON DONALD) with 10+ sacks (12) & 5+ FFs (6). Had sack in last meeting. CB A.J. BOUYE has 2 INTs, FF & 6 PD in his past 2 postseason games. Aims for 3rd in row in postseason with INT. S BARRY CHURCH has 16 tackles, sack & FF in 3 career postseason games. FEWEST PPG ALLOWED Minnesota...15.8 JACKSONVILLE... 16.8 Los Angeles Chargers... 17.0 MOST TAKEAWAYS Baltimore...34 JACKSONVILLE...33 Detroit...32 INTERCEPTION LEADERS Kevin Byard (Ten)...8 SACK LEADERS Chandler Jones (Az)... 17 Darius Slay (Det)...8 CALAIS CAMPBELL (JAX)...14.5 A.J. BOUYE (JAX)... 6 Demarcus Lawrence (Dal)... 14.5 Eric Weddle (Bal)...6
LEADER: Panthers lead all-time series, 24-22 STREAKS: Saints have won past 2 Carolina Panthers (NFC South - 11-5) at New Orleans Saints (NFC South - 11-5) Sunday, Sunday, January January 7, 2018 7, 2018 4:40 4:40 PM ET PM Mercedes-Benz ET Superdome Superdome Referee: Referee: Tony XXX Corrente SERIES HISTORY (INCL. PLAYOFFS) PLAYOFF SERIES HISTORY First Meeting in Postseason LAST GAME: 12/3/17: Panthers 21 at Saints 31 LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/3/17 CAROLINA PANTHERS PLAYOFF RECORD 9-7 L 22-10 at Atlanta VS. COMMON OPP. 10-2 (Atl 1-1; Buf 1-0; Chi 0-1; Det 1-0; GB 1-0; Mia 1-0; Min 1-0; NE 1-0; NYJ 1-0; TB 2-0) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 22.7/20.4 OFFENSE 323.7 PASSING Cam Newton: 291-492-3302-22-16-80.7 RUSHING Cam Newton (QB): 139-754-5.4-6 RECEIVING Christian McCaffrey (R) (RB): 80-651-8.1-5 DEFENSE 317.1 SACKS Mario Addison, Julius Peppers: 11 INTs Luke Kuechly: 3 TAKE/GIVE -1 (21/22) PR Christian McCaffrey (R): 7.4 KR Fozzy Whittaker: 18.3 PUNTING (NET) Michael Palardy: 46.0 (42.4) Graham Gano: 121 (34/37 PAT; 29/30 FG) HEAD COACH: RON RIVERA VS. OPP. 7-7 PLAYOFF RECORD 3-3 PANTHERS TEAM NOTES PANTHERS earned playoff berth for 4th time in past 5 seasons. CAROLINA ranked 4th in NFL in rush yards (131.4 per game). PANTHERS ranked 3rd in NFL in sacks (50) & were only team in NFC with 2 players with 10+ sacks each: DE MARIO ADDISON (11) & DE JULIUS PEPPERS (11). RON RIVERA is 1st head coach in franchise history with 4 playoff appearances. PANTHERS had 1 player selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: LB LUKE KUECHLY (5th). NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PLAYOFF RECORD 7-9 HEAD COACH: SEAN PAYTON VS. OPP. 11-13 PLAYOFF RECORD 6-4 L 31-24 at Tampa Bay VS. COMMON OPP. 8-4 (Atl 1-1; Buf 1-0; Chi 1-0; Det 1-0; GB 1-0; Mia 1-0; Min 0-1; NE 0-1; NYJ 1-0; TB 1-1) PTS. FOR/AGAINST 28.0/20.4 OFFENSE PASSING RUSHING RECEIVING 391.2 (2L) DEFENSE 336.5 Drew Brees: 386-536-4334-23-8-103.9 (2L) Mark Ingram: 230-1124-4.9-12 (2L) Michael Thomas: 104 (3L)-1245-12.0-5 SACKS Cameron Jordan: 13 INTs Marshon Lattimore (R): 5 TAKE/GIVE +7 (25/18) PR Ted Ginn, Jr.: 5.4 KR Tommylee Lewis: 23.6 PUNTING (NET) Thomas Morstead: 47.0 (42.2) Wil Lutz: 140 (47/50 PAT; 31/36 FG) SAINTS TEAM NOTES SAINTS won NFC South for 1st time since 2011. NEW ORLEANS ranked 2nd in NFL averaging 391.2 yards per game. ALVIN KAMARA (1,554) & MARK INGRAM (1,540) became 1st pair of RB teammates in NFL history with 1,500+ scrimmage yards each. SEAN PAYTON has won franchise-record 4 division titles. SAINTS had 6 players selected to 2018 Pro Bowl: QB DREW BREES (11th), RB MARK INGRAM (2nd), DE CAMERON JORDAN (3rd), RB ALVIN KAMARA (1st), CB MARSHON LATTIMORE (1st) & WR MICHAEL THOMAS (1st). ON THE AIRWAVES TV: FOX (4:40 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (Field reporter), Chris Myers (Field reporter) WESTWOOD ONE: Kevin Kugler, Dan Fouts SIRIUS: 88 (WW1), 83 (Car), 82 (NO) XM: 88 (WW1), 83 (Car), 82 (NO)
Carolina Panthers (NFC South - 11-5) at New Orleans Saints (NFC South - 11-5) PANTHERS NOTES QB CAM NEWTON has 10 TDs (8 pass, 2 rush) in 6 career playoff games. Led NFL QBs with career-high 754 rush yards & tied for lead with 6 rush TDs. Has 3 seasons with 700+ rush yards, tied for most by QB in NFL history (MICHAEL VICK). Has 12 pass TDs vs. 2 INTs for 105.7 rating & has 2 rush TDs in his past 4 at NO. RB JONATHAN STEWART has 5 rush TDs in 6 career postseason games. Has 398 scrimmage yards (99.5 per game) & 5 rush TDs in his past 4 at NO. RB CHRISTIAN MC CAFFREY ranked 2nd among NFL rookies with 80 receptions, 4th most all-time by rookie RB. Ranked 4th among NFL rookies with 1,086 scrimmage yards. Set franchise rookie records in scrimmage yards (1,086) & catches (80). WR DEVIN FUNCHESS led team with career-high 840 rec. yards & 8 TD catches. Had rec. TD in last game vs. NO. TE GREG OLSEN has 37 receptions for 462 yards (92.4 per game) & 3 TDs in his past 5 games vs. NO. Has 231 rec. yards (77 per game) & TD in his past 3 playoff games. LB LUKE KUECHLY led team with 125 tackles, his 6th season with 100+ tackles, tied with LB THOMAS DAVIS for most in team history. In 6 career playoff games, has 57 tackles (9.5 per game), 2 sacks, FR & 3 INTs, incl. 2 INTTDs. DE JULIUS PEPPERS had 11 sacks & is 1 of 4 in NFL history with 10+ sacks in 10+ seasons. Has 4.5 sacks, & 2 FFs in his past 7 postseason games. DE MARIO ADDISON has 4 sacks, FF & FR in his past 3 vs. NO. MOST CATCHES, ROOKIE RB (ALL-TIME) Reggie Bush (2006)...88 Earl Cooper (1980)...83 ALVIN KAMARA (2017)... 81 CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY (2017)... 80 MOST SCRIMMAGE YARDS IN 2017, ROOKIES Kareem Hunt (KC)...1,782 ALVIN KAMARA (NO)...1,554 Leonard Fournette (Jax)...1,342 CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY (CAR)...1,086 SAINTS NOTES QB DREW BREES ranked 4th in NFL with 4,334 pass yards & extended his NFL-record streak to 12 seasons with 4,000+ yards. Had 72.0 comp. pct., highest in single season in NFL history. Has 1,521 pass yards (304.2 per game), 13 TDs & 3 INTs for 108.6 rating in his past 5 vs. Car. In 11 career playoff games, has 3,534 pass yards (321.3 per game), 24 TDs & 6 INTs for 100.7 rating. RB MARK INGRAM set career-highs in rush yards (1,124) & scrimmage yards (1,540). Has 777 scrimmage yards (86.3 per game) & 5 rush TDs in his past 9 vs. Car. RB ALVIN KAMARA ranked 2nd in NFL with 14 total TDs & was 2nd among NFL rookies with 1,554 scrimmage yards. Joined HOFer GALE SAYERS (1965) as only rookies in NFL history with 5+ rush TDs (8), 5+ TD catches (5) & KR-TD (1). WR MICHAEL THOMAS ranked 3rd in NFL with 104 catches. Has 196 career receptions, most by player in 1st 2 seasons in NFL history. Has 3 TDs in 4 career games vs. Car. WR TED GINN, JR. spent 3 seasons with Car. (2013, 2015-16) & had 19 TDs. DE CAMERON JORDAN tied for 4th in NFL with career-high 13 sacks. Was only NFL DL with 10+ PD (11). Has 2.5 sacks in his past 2 playoff games. CB MARSHON LATTIMORE lead team & all NFL rookies with 5 INTs. Tied for lead among NFL rookies with 18 PD. S VONN BELL ranked 1st among NFL safeties with career-high 4.5 sacks. Led team with 78 tackles. ALVIN KAMARA (1,554) and MARK INGRAM (1,540) became the first running back teammates in NFL history to each record at least 1,500 scrimmage yards in the same season