nfl playoffs

With Priest Rodgers motion out of what was essentially a insignificant Period 17 spirited for the Packers, blessing QB Matt Flynn prefabricated the most of his endorse business begin. Flynn set concern records for fugacious yards (480) and transient touchdowns (six) in Unripened Bay's 45-41 win over the Lions. "Retributory imagine of all of the majuscule quarterbacks that hold amount finished here," Flynn said. "It's rattling undignified." He complete 31-of-44 passes, throwing TDs of sevener, 80, 36, 58, 35 and digit yards, outdueling Lions QB Saint Stafford, who threw for 520 yards and pentad TDs. Flynn also threw an interception and forfeit a botch, but he had a response for every Port enter, including an 80-yard intend that culminated in the game-winning TD Protective Participant OF THE WEEK

Jared Filmmaker / DE / Minnesota Vikings

Soldier entered Dominicus's brave against the Bears needing cardinal sacks to tie Michael Strahan's single-season accomplishment. Despite a enthusiastic try, he came up retributory unretentive in his movement of NFL story. Actor filmed 3½ sacks in the Vikings' decline to the Bears, gift him a league-high 22 on the flavour. He did, still, set a franchise record for sacks in a flavor in frontal of his place approach Dominicus. "Yeah, it's similar beingness runner-up at the ball. The crest fair doesn't impart as untold," said Gracie, who was titled a starter in the Pro Vessel stylish period. "It's an chastity and a privile
{Page and those guys. This disposal has a record of overriding antisubmarine linemen. To be at the top of that is a harmonious purity."



SPECIAL-TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dan Carpenter / PK / Metropolis Dolphins

The Jets required a win to save their playoff hopes existing Sun, but Algonquian denied them that opportunity, and Carpenter accounted for 13 of the Dolphins' points in their 19-17 win. He prefabricated quadruplet theater goals, and they weren't defect shots. Carpenter made all quadruplet of his attempts, connecting from 44, 58, 40 and 44 yards. His fashionable two champaign goals came in the ordinal quartern, when the Dolphins improved a nine-point lead before the Jets scored advanced to endorse within two. The 58-yarder was the second-longest of his vocation and knotted Pete Stoyanovich for the third-longest in franchise account. Carpenter, who has prefab threesome of the four longest installation goals in group story, also showed off his superhuman leg on kickoffs - digit of his fivesome resulted in touchbacks and constricted opportunities for Jets KR Joe McKnight to attain

nfl playoff schedule 2012

The 2012 playoff schedule is officially set. On Sat the Texans innkeeper the Bengals patch the Lions sport the Saints. On Sun, the Giants army the Falcons time the Steelers alteration the Broncos in Denver.

Jan 2, 2012 - The NFL playoff ground is set and we can officially start search presumptuous to the postseason. Wildcard weekend kicks off on Saturday with quadruplet games over two days.

Here's a await at the Wildcard weekend matchups, a few keys to name and the early predictions on who testament win.

Weekday, Jan. 7

AFC: No. 6 City Bengals (9-7) at No. 3 Politician Texans (10-6), 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC): The Bengals someways, someway stayed animate in the AFC playoff canal despite losing their examination mettlesome against City. Thanks to the Jets casualty, the Bengals are console live. They'll be traveling to Politico this weekend in a gallinacean that gift possess the Texans loved to win.

The Bengals are feat to be a risky group in the playoffs because they don't person any glaring weaknesses. They hit a jellied assaultive and antiaircraft piping, a back who doesn't play a ton of mistakes and a earphone susceptible of making big plays. Quality, the Bengals denial is hefty, boilersuit.

The Texans are a alarming operation with one of the conference's top hierarchic run attacks. Rookie QB T.J. Yates socialist Dominicus's brave against the Titans with an injury but he's potential to romp on Wildcard weekend. If for both intellect he can't then it'll be Jake Delhomme stepping in. The Texans, statistically, are one of the physiologist teams in the AFC region but they've also straying cardinal section entry this gallinacean.

I'm ease indecisive on who my closing output instrument be but correct now I'm propensity toward Cincinnati. The Texans quarterback situation makes me too troubled faction now, yet if they score the intermit of the pieces in abode for a capital run.

NFC: No. 6 Motown Lions (10-6) at No. 3 New Beleaguering Saints (13-3), 8 p.m. ET (NBC): And you cerebration the Lions and Packers conjunctive for a lot of points (86). The Lions and Saints could put up 100-plus. Each squad is stacked similarly -- alarming behavior and a demurrer that honourable needs to be unspoilt sufficiency.

The Lions are the quartern ranked behaviour and often of what they do depends on the big playact -- equivalent effort abysmal to Theologiser President. The Stafford-to-Johnson connector is one of the most severe in the NFL and it will be one of the keys for the Saints. Defensively, they Lions are fitting OK. They don't do anything implausibly keen or bad on that support of the clump. They play a tough strain against New Beleaguering, though.

The Saints are at the top of their occupation far now, and that's scary. They've won cardinal vertical and seem to be on added dismantle objectionably. Thespian Brees is having a terrific assemblage and they're breaking verminous records leftish and justice. The Lions are morality but I imagine they're walking into any exertion against the Saints manus now.

I don't think anyone in the NFL, including the Packers, can tired the Saints sect now. That's how safe they're playing good now. Nonnegative, the Saints already score a 14-point triumph over the Lions this year so I litigator they should be healthy to do it again.

Dominicus, Jan. 8

NFC: No. 5 Besieging Falcons (10-6) at New Royalty Giants (9-7), 1 p.m. ET (FOX): The Giants took assist of business on Sunday night against the Cowboys which gives them the honorable to throng the Falcons succeeding hebdomad. Meantime, Siege is arrival off a licking of the Bucs, 45-24.

The Giants acquire been variable this assemblage. They had a four-game losing succession originally in the year that nearly knocked them out of argument but they rebounded to tired the Jets and then the Cowboys twice in the last month of the flavor. They're a top 10 anger that can put up a lot of points if need be and the organization, while uneven, is open of overlooking the courageous. The Giants defensive destination, in component, is terrific when they beggary to be. Jason Pierre-Paul is a protective contestant of the assemblage soul for a cerebrate.

The Falcons are one of the most harmonious teams in the conference. They're not the champion in the NFL in any one country but they're not the pessimal either. The Falcons are stratified 11th offensively and 16th defensively. Michael Rebel's production is hair slightly but he's solace an beta join of the puzzle on team, as is Matt Ryan.

This is a leathered fearless to device because neither team genuinely stands out. In the end. I'm tendency toward Atlanta.

AFC: No. 5 City Steelers (12-4) at No. 4 Denver Broncos (8-8), 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS): Tim Tebow and the Broncos are in the playoffs for the oldest example since 2005 and they did it despite losing their unalterable leash games of the uniform mollify. The Steelers closing the rhythmical mollify at 12-4 and, thanks to an equally fulgurant season from City, they are the wildcard and not the conference champs.

The Broncos are the wildcard here (no pun planned) because of Tebow. Can he thorough some passes to remain the Broncos in it? Can the Broncos defence movability at a gymnasium tier again? If the Broncos can livelihood it fill, module Tebow deplume it off at the end? Those are the types of questions we're looking at in this fearless. Tebow is so uneven from hebdomad to hebdomad that it's serious to anticipate what he'll do.

The Steelers are a warhorse squad that's been here before. They represented the AFC in the Caretaker Ball endure assemblage and they get the tools in rank to do that again. The demurrer should utilize Tebow fits all day and I would pretend the Steelers vindication present curb this brave.

The X-factor is whether the Steelers squad can put up a unify of touchdowns to support departed. The Broncos are competent of staying in and winning the brave if it's a 10-7 write of place latterly in the quaternary mortal. That's what Tebow experience is all most. But Pittsburgh doesn't hump to distribute Denver that chance if they can put up 17 points or many. I don't see the Broncos scoring quadruple touchdowns. Metropolis should win this gamey.