NFL playoffs, 2006-07

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The National Football League playoffs for the 2006 season led up to Super Bowl XLI, which was played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on February 4, 2007, with the Indianapolis Colts defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17.

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 San Diego Chargers (West winner) Chicago Bears (North winner)
2 Baltimore Ravens (North winner) New Orleans Saints (South winner)
3 Indianapolis Colts (South winner) Philadelphia Eagles (East winner)
4 New England Patriots (East winner) Seattle Seahawks (West winner)
5 New York Jets Dallas Cowboys
6 Kansas City Chiefs New York Giants

Contents

[edit] Wild Card playoffs

All four home teams won their wild card games for the first time since 2000 and the second time since the NFL expanded the playoffs to 12 teams in 1990. This meant for the first time, all eight divisional winners met in the divisional playoffs. When the NFL realigned in 2002, at least one wild-card team won in the wild-card round in each postseason from 2002 to 2005.

[edit] Saturday, January 6, 2007

[edit] AFC: Indianapolis Colts 23, Kansas City Chiefs 8

1 2 3 4 Total
Chiefs 0 0 8 0 8
Colts 6 3 7 7 23

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana


Starting Quarterbacks:


Despite quarterback Peyton Manning's three interceptions, the Colts dominated Kansas City on both sides of the ball, outgaining them in total yards, 435-126, and first downs, 28-7. Indianapolis' defense forced three turnovers, four sacks, and prevented Kansas City from gaining a single first down until late in the third quarter.

The Colts opened up the scoring on their first drive of the game with Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal. The next time they had the ball, they drove 68 yards to the Kansas City 2-yard line, but had to settle for another Vinatieri field goal to give them a 6-0 lead. After another Kansas City punt, Chiefs cornerback Ty Law gave his team a great scoring opportunity when he intercepted a pass from Manning and returned it 43 yards to the Colts 9-yard line. But Kansas City failed to get the ball into the end zone with three rushing attempts and came up empty when Lawrence Tynes' 23-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright. After another interception thrown by Manning and another Kansas City punt, the Colts increased their lead to 9-0 by driving 33 yards and scoring on Vinatieri's 50-yard field goal on the last play of the first half. The Chiefs ended the half with 16 total yards and no first downs. This was the first time in the Modern Era (post AFL-NFL merger) and the first time since 1960 that an NFL team had been held without an offensive first down in the first half of a playoff game.

On the Colts' opening possession of the second half, Manning threw his third interception of the game (and his second to Law), but the Chiefs could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt. Indianapolis then drove 89 yards in 12 plays and scored with Joseph Addai's 6-yard touchdown run, giving them a 16-0 lead.

After being completely dominated until this point, Kansas City finally struck back on their ensuing possession, getting their first first down of the game and driving 60 yards in 8 plays. Trent Green finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez, and then completed a pass to receiver Kris Wilson for a successful two-point conversion to cut their deficit to within one touchdown, 16-8. However, the Colts stormed right back, advancing 71 yards in 9 plays and scoring on Reggie Wayne's 5-yard reception to give them a 23-8 lead. Indianapolis' defense dominated the rest of the game, forcing three turnovers on the Chiefs' last three drives to clinch the victory.

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, who rushed for 1,789 yards during the year, could only gain 32 yards on 13 carries against the Colts' defense, which finished the season ranked last in the NFL against the run. Meanwhile, Addai finished his first postseason game with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also catching seven passes for 24 yards. Colts tight end Dallas Clark also had a big day with nine receptions for 103 yards.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 48 yd FG, 8:41. Colts 3-0. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:51.
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 19 yd FG, 2:09. Colts 6-0. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:57.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 50 yd FG, :00. Colts 9-0. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, :50.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • IND - Joseph Addai 6 yd TD run (Vinatieri kick), 4:14. Colts 16-0. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:56.
      • KC - Tony Gonzalez 6 yd TD pass from Trent Green (Kris Wilson 2 pt conversion pass from Trent Green), :08. Colts 16-8. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:06.
    • 4th Quarter

[edit] NFC: Seattle Seahawks 21, Dallas Cowboys 20

1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 3 7 7 3 20
Seahawks 3 3 7 8 21

at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington


Starting Quarterbacks:


Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, a four-year veteran who earned the starting job and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career during the regular season, botched the hold on a potential game-winning field goal with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter, allowing the Seahawks to escape with a victory.

Taking advantage of Dallas kicker Martin Gramatica's opening kickoff, which went out-of-bounds and gave Seattle the ball at their own 40, the Seahawks marched down the field on their opening drive and scored with Josh Brown's 23-yard field goal. Dallas was forced to punt on their ensuing possession, but Cowboys defensive back Anthony Henry intercepted Seattle's next pass and returned it to the Seahawks 43-yard line, setting up Gramatica's 50-yard field goal to tie the game.

Early in the second quarter, Seattle drove 54 yards and retook the lead with Brown's second field goal of the game. But after an exchange of punts, the Cowboys struck back. Aided by Jason Witten's 32-yard reception, Dallas drove 76 yards in ten plays and scored on Romo's 12-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton with only 11 seconds left in the half, giving the Cowboys a 10-6 lead. In the third quarter, Seattle drove 62 yards in 12 plays, featuring two fourth-down conversions by running back Shaun Alexander, and scored with Matt Hasselbeck's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jerramy Stevens, gving them a 13-10 lead. However, Dallas promptly took the lead right back after Miles Austin returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.

Early in the final period, Dallas defensive back Roy Williams intercepted a pass from Hasselbeck at the Cowboys 43-yard line. Eight plays later, Gramatica kicked a 29-yard field goal to increase his team's lead to 20-13. On Seattle's ensuing drive, a pass interference penalty on Dallas' Terence Newman gave them a first down on the 1-yard line. But Seattle failed to get into the end zone with their next four plays, turning the ball over on downs at the 2-yard line. On the first Dallas play after the turnover, Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn caught a short pass, but then lost a fumble. The ball was recovered by Seattle in the end zone for a touchdown, but after a Dallas challenge the referee ruled the play a safety, cutting the score to 20-15 and giving the ball back to the Seahawks at around the 50-yard line after the ensuing free kick and return. Four plays later, Hasselbeck's 37-yard touchdown pass to Stevens gave Seattle a 21-20 lead. The Seahawks attempted a two-point conversion to give themselves a three-point lead, but Hasselbeck's pass failed.

Dallas took the ensuing kickoff and marched down to the Seahawks' 8-yard line. On third down, Witten caught a pass that was initially ruled a first down on the 1-yard line, but after an instant-replay challenge, officials ruled Witten had been tackled at the 2-yard line, bringing up fourth down. With 1:19 left in the game, Gramatica lined up to attempt a 19-yard field goal, but Romo dropped the ball while setting it up for a hold. Romo picked up the fumble and tried to run with it for either a touchdown or a first down, but he was tackled at the 2-yard line by safety Jordan Babineaux, turning the ball over on downs and allowing Seattle to run the clock down to eight seconds before punting back to Dallas. On the last play of the game, Romo's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

"I know how hard everyone in that locker room worked to get themselves in position to win that game today and for it to end like that, and for me to be the cause is very tough to swallow right now," Romo said after the game. "I take responsibility for messing up at the end there. That's my fault. I cost the Dallas Cowboys a playoff win, and it's going to sit with me a long time. I don't know if I have ever felt this low." [1]

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • SEA - Josh Brown 23 yd FG, 11:13. Seahawks 3-0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:47.
      • DAL - Martín Gramática 50 yd FG, 4:50. Tied 3-3. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:21.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • SEA - Josh Brown 30 yd FG, 8:28. Seahawks 6-3. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 5:14.
      • DAL - Patrick Crayton 13 yd TD pass from Tony Romo (Gramática kick), :11. Cowboys 10-6. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:03.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • SEA - Jerramy Stevens 15 yd TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Brown kick), 6:08. Seahawks 13-10. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:45.
      • DAL - Miles Austin 93 yd kickoff return TD (Gramática kick), 5:57. Cowboys 17-13.
    • 4th Quarter
      • DAL - Martín Gramática 29 yd FG, 10:15. Cowboys 20-13. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:26.
      • SEA - Safety, Terry Glenn fumbled out of own end zone, 6:32. Cowboys 20-15.
      • SEA - Jerramy Stevens 37 yd TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck (2 pt conversion pass failed), 4:24. Seahawks 21-20. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:08.

[edit] Sunday, January 7, 2007

[edit] AFC: New England Patriots 37, New York Jets 16

1 2 3 4 Total
Jets 3 7 3 3 16
Patriots 7 10 6 14 37

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts


Starting Quarterbacks:


Tom Brady led the Patriots to victory, completing 22 out of 34 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while New England running backs Corey Dillon, Lawrence Maroney, and Kevin Faulk combined for 145 rushing yards. Receiver Jabar Gaffney, who caught only 11 passes during the season, finished his first career playoff game with 8 catches for 104 yards.

New England took the opening kickoff and stormed down the field, with Gaffney catching three passes for 34 yards on a 65 yard-drive that ended with with Dillon's 11-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, Jets defensive back Hank Poteat recovered a fumble from Dillon on the Patriots 15-yard line, setting up Mike Nugent's 28-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7-3. On their first possession of the second quarter, the Jets took a 10-7 lead after receiver Jerricho Cotchery (who finished with 100 receiving yards and 19 rushing yards) caught a pass from Chad Pennington and took it 77 yards for a touchdown. However, New England countered with Stephen Gostkowski's 20-yard field goal on their next drive to tie the game. Then, after forcing the Jets to punt, the Patriots marched to New York's 1-yard line. On third down with 11 seconds remaining in the half and no timeouts left, Brady took the snap, faked a handoff to Dillon, and then hit tight end Daniel Graham in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to give them a 17-10 halftime lead.

Nugent kicked a field goal on the Jets opening drive of the second half, but New England responded with another field goal from Gostkowski to retake their 7-point lead. On the Jets' ensuing possession, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin deflected a lateral from Pennington behind the line of scrimmage. Most of the players on both teams (including Colvin) thought the lateral was an incomplete forward pass and the play was over, but New England's Vince Wilfork realized the play was still ongoing and recovered the fumble. After picking up the ball, Wilfork ran 31 yards to the Jets 15-yard line before being tackled by Cotchery, setting up Gostkowski's third field goal to make the score 23-13.

Early in the fourth quarter, Nugent kicked his third field goal to cut New York's deficit back to within a touchdown, 23-16. However, the Patriots responded with a 13-play, 63-yard drive that took 6:23 off the clock and ended with Brady's 7-yard touchdown pass to Faulk. Then on the first play of the Jets' ensuing drive, New England defensive back Asante Samuel put the game away by intercepting Pennington's pass and returning it 36 yards for a touchdown.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • NE - Corey Dillon 11 yd TD run (Gostkowski kick), 11:53. Patriots 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 3:07.
      • NYJ - Mike Nugent 28 yd FG, 2:36. Patriots 7-3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:30.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • NYJ - Jerricho Cotchery 77 yd TD pass from Chad Pennington (Nugent kick), 14:45. Jets 10-7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, :17.
      • NE - Stephen Gostkowski 20 yd FG, 10:57. Tied 10-10. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:48.
      • NE - Daniel Graham 1 yd TD pass from Tom Brady (Gostkowski kick), :11. Patriots 17-10. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 6:54.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • NYJ - Mike Nugent 21 yd FG, 8:19. Patriots 17-13. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:41.
      • NE - Stephen Gostowski 40 yd FG, 4:22. Patriots 20-13. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:57.
      • NE - Stephen Gostowski 28 yd FG, :04. Patriots 23-13. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:39.
    • 4th Quarter
      • NYJ - Mike Nugent 37 yd FG, 11:39. Patriots 23-16. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:25.
      • NE - Kevin Faulk 7 yd TD pass from Tom Brady (Gostkowski kick), 5:16. Patriots 30-16. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:23.
      • NE - Asante Samuel 36 yd interception return TD (Gostkowski kick), 4:54. Patriots 37-16.

[edit] NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 23, New York Giants 20

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 7 3 0 10 20
Eagles 0 17 3 3 23

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Starting Quarterbacks:


Philadelphia built up a 20-10 fourth quarter lead and thwarted a late Giants comeback attempt, winning on a 38-yard field goal by David Akers on the last play of the game.

New York took the opening kickoff and scored quickly, driving 67 yards in seven plays and scoring with Eli Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress only 3:12 into the game. All of the remaining drives of the first quarter ended in punts, but early in the second period, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook's 49-yard touchdown burst tied the game at seven. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Philadelphia defensive back Sheldon Brown intercepted a pass from Manning and returned it to the Giants 37-yard line, setting up a 19-yard field goal by Akers to take a 10-7 lead. On New York's ensuing possession, a 41-yard run by halfback Tiki Barber sparked a 78-yard drive capped by Jay Feely's 20-yard field goal to tie the game with 4:45 left in the half. Philadelphia struck right back, with quarterback Jeff Garcia leading the Eagles down the field 80 yards in ten plays and finishing it off with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Donte' Stallworth, giving his team a 17-10 halftime lead.

Two big penalties by the Eagles in the second half allowed the Giants to stay close. Late in the third quarter, an illegal block-in-the-back by rookie Torrance Daniels nullified Westbrook's second touchdown of the game, which came on a 65-yard punt return. The Eagles still managed to score on their drive with a 48-yard field goal by Akers, increasing their lead to 20-10. The second penalty, a 47-yard pass interference call against Brown, came on the Giants' next possession giving the Giants offense the ball at the Philadelphia 14. The Eagles' defense dug in and forced the Giants to settle for Feely's second field goal of the game from 24 yards out, leaving the Giants down only one touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Later in the period, the Giants drove to the Eagles 23-yard line. Two false starts and a holding penalty pushed the them back to the 43, but Manning overcame the situation by completing three passes to Burress; the first went for 18 yards and the second for 14 and a first down, before the third, an 11-yard strike, found Burress in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game that tied the score with 5:04 to play. Philadelphia responded by driving 46 yards in ten plays, including a key first down by Westbrook, allowing the Eagles to take the clock all the way down to three seconds before calling on Akers to kick a 38-yard field goal as time expired.

In the final game of his career, Barber rushed for a career postseason high 137 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards. Westbrook rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 12 yards.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
    • 2nd Quarter
      • PHI - Brian Westbrook 49 yd TD run (Akers kick), 14:11. Tied 7-7. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:47.
      • PHI - David Akers 19 yd FG, 9:34. Eagles 10-7. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:59.
      • NYG - Jay Feely 20 yd FG, 4:45. Tied 10-10. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:49.
      • PHI - Donte' Stallworth 28 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia (Akers kick), 1:01. Eagles 17-10. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:44.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • PHI - David Akers 48 yd FG, 2:37. Eagles 20-10. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:35.
    • 4th Quarter
      • NYG - Jay Feely 24 yd FG, 14:49. Eagles 20-13. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:47.
      • NYG - Plaxico Burress 11 yd TD pass from Eli Manning (Feely kick), 5:04. Tied 20-20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:09.
      • PHI - David Akers 38 yd FG, :00. Eagles 23-20. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:57.

[edit] Divisional Playoffs

[edit] Saturday, January 13, 2007

[edit] AFC: Indianapolis Colts 15, Baltimore Ravens 6

1 2 3 4 Total
Colts 6 3 3 3 15
Ravens 0 3 0 3 6

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland


Starting Quarterbacks:


Adam Vinatieri's five field goals boosted the Colts to victory in the first NFL playoff game without a touchdown since the 1979 NFC title game.

Indianapolis forced the Ravens to punt on their opening possession, and Terrence Wilkins gave them good field position with a 21-yard return to their 46-yard line. The Colts subsequently drove to Baltimore's 5-yard line where Vinatieri kicked a field goal to give them a 3-0 lead. On the second play of the Ravens next drive, Indianapolis linebacker Gary Brackett recovered a fumble from tight end Todd Heap at the Baltimore 31-yard line, setting up another Vinatieri field goal to make the score 6-0.

Later in the period, Cory Ross' 18-yard punt return gave the Ravens a first down on Colts 42-yard line. Six plays later, Matt Stover kicked a 40-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to cut their deficit to 6-3. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Baltimore safety Ed Reed intercepted a pass from Peyton Manning at the Ravens' 45-yard line. Baltimore subsequently moved to the ball to the Colts' 4-yard line, but then gave it back when Steve McNair's third-down pass was intercepted by Antoine Bethea. Following the turnover, the Colts marched 63 yards in 13 plays and scored with Vinatieri's third field goal, which hit the cross bar and bounced through the uprights, to give them a 9-3 halftime lead.

Indianapolis took the second half kickoff and drove 54 yards, featuring a 27-yard catch by tight end Dallas Clark. Vinatieri finished the drive with a 48-yard field goal to increase their lead to 12-3. After an exchange of punts, the Ravens cut the score to 12-6 by driving 62 yards and scoring on a 51-yard field goal from Stover. Then, on the third play of the Colts' ensuing possession, Reed recorded his second interception from Manning, giving his team a first down on their 39-yard line. However, just like his previous pick, the Ravens could not take advantage of the turnover. Five plays later, McNair's pass was intercepted by defensive back Nick Harper.

After each team punted once, the Colts put the game away with a 47-yard drive that took 7:16 off the clock and included three successful third down conversions. Vinatieri finished the drive with his fifth field goal, giving Indianapolis a 15-6 lead with only 23 second left in regulation. Colts defensive end Robert Mathis then sealed the victory by forcing and recovering a fumble from McNair on the Ravens' final play.

This game was seen as a grudge match for the city of Baltimore. The Colts fled the city under cover of darkness and a snow storm 23 years earlier. The Indianapolis Colts advanced to their second AFC Championship game in four years. The Ravens have now lost three straight playoff games.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 23 yd FG, 8:04. Colts 3-0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:43.
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 42 yd FG, 5:36. Colts 6-0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:38.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • BAL - Matt Stover 40 yd FG, 14:56. Colts 6-3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:15.
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 51 yd FG, 3:15. Colts 9-3. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:00.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 48 yd FG, 10:57. Colts 12-3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:03.
    • 4th Quarter
      • BAL - Matt Stover 51 yd FG, 13:03. Colts 12-6. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 7:46.
      • IND - Adam Vinatieri 35 yd FG, :23. Colts 15-6. Drive: 13 plays, 47 yards, 7:16.

[edit] NFC: New Orleans Saints 27, Philadelphia Eagles 24

1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 14 7 3 24
Saints 3 10 14 0 27

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana


Starting Quarterbacks:


The Saints gained 208 rushing yards and 435 total yards, both postseason franchise records, en route to a 27-24 victory, allowing them to advance to the conference championship game for the first time in the team's 40-year history.

In the first quarter, a 28-yard run from New Orleans' Deuce McAllister set up a 33-yard field goal from John Carney to open up the scoring. Later in the period, two big plays from the Saints, a 25-yard run by Reggie Bush and a 35-yard reception by Devery Henderson, set up Carney's second field goal 15 seconds into the second quarter, making the score 6-0.

Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Donte Stallworth to give his team a 7-6 lead. The Saints responded with a 78-yard drive and scored on a 5-yard run by Bush to retake the lead at 13-7, but the Eagles stormed right back, driving 80 yards in 11 plays. On third down, running back Brian Westbrook took a handoff and dove into the end zone for a touchdown, giving them a 14-13 lead with 50 seconds left in the half. New Orleans took the ensuing kickoff and drove to their own 47-yard line. With 2 seconds left, quarterback Drew Brees threw a Hail Mary pass to the end zone. Receiver Marques Colston initially caught the ball, but it squirted out of his arms as he fell to the ground, and was ruled an incompletion.

Philadelphia took the second-half kickoff and scored in just 3 plays with a 62-yard touchdown romp from Westbrook, increasing their lead to 21-13. However, the Saints responded with a 5-yard touchdown run by McAllister on their next drive. Then after forcing a punt, New Orleans drove to the Eagles' 29-yard line. After two penalties (a holding call against the Saints and an illegal contact call against the Eagles), McAllister rushed for 25 yards and followed it up with an 11-yard touchdown reception, giving the Saints a 27-21 lead.

With 11:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia scored on a 24-yard field goal from David Akers, cutting their deficit to 3 points. After an exchange of punts, the Saints drove from their 29 to the Eagles 35-yard line with 3:24 left in the game. New Orleans was in great position to take more time off the clock and increase their lead, but Bush fumbled a high pitch from Brees and Philadelphia's Darren Howard recovered the ball, giving his team a chance to drive for a tying field goal. However, the Eagles were unable to get a first down and chose to punt the ball back with 1:57 left. The Saints then clinched the victory by hanging onto the ball for the rest of the game.

McAllister finished the game with 143 rushing yards, five receptions for 20 yards, and two touchdowns. Bush amassed 95 all-purpose yards and a score. Brees completed 20 of 32 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. Westbrook rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. Stallworth caught 3 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • NO - John Carney 33 yd FG, 9:24. Saints 3-0. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:05.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • NO - John Carney 23 yd FG, 14:46. Saints 6-0. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:33.
      • PHI - Donte' Stallworth 75 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia (Akers kick), 13:38. Eagles 7-6. Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:08.
      • NO - Reggie Bush 4 yd TD run (Carney kick), 5:19. Saints 13-7. Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 8:19.
      • PHI - Brian Westbrook 1 yd TD run (Akers kick), :50. Eagles 14-13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:29.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • PHI - Brian Westbrook 62 yd TD run (Akers kick), 13:25. Eagles 21-13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:35.
      • NO - Deuce McAllister 5 yd TD run (Carney kick), 9:36. Eagles 21-20. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:49.
      • NO - Deuce McAllister 11 yd TD pass from Drew Brees (Carney kick), 1:05. Saints 27-21. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 6:21.
    • 4th Quarter
      • PHI - David Akers 24 yd FG, 11:08. Saints 27-24. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:50.

[edit] Sunday, January 14, 2007

[edit] NFC: Chicago Bears 27, Seattle Seahawks 24 (OT)

1 2 3 4 OT Total
Seahawks 0 14 10 0 0 24
Bears 7 14 0 3 3 27

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois


Starting Quarterbacks:


Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime propelled the Bears to their first NFC championship game since the 1988 season. This was also their first playoff win since 1995.

Chicago running back Thomas Jones capped off the opening drive of the game with a 9-yard touchdown run. Seahawks receiver Nate Burleson gave his team great field position with a 41-yard kickoff return to the 47-yard line, but the Bears forced Seattle to punt after three plays. Then, after forcing Chicago to punt, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasslebeck tied the score with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Burleson on the first play of the second quarter. However, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, giving his team a 14-7 lead.

Later in the quarter, Grossman lost a fumble while being sacked by lineman Julian Peterson, and Seattle's Chuck Darby recovered the ball at the Bears' 26-yard line. Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander subsequently took the ball into the end zone with four running plays, the last one a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Seattle decided to squib kick the ensuing kickoff to prevent a long return, but Bears tight end Gabe Reid gave Chicago good field position with a 20-yard return to the 43-yard line. After the two-minute warning, Grossman completed a 21-yard pass to Muhsin Muhammad and followed it up with a 18-yard completion to Rashied Davis, advancing the ball to the 7-yard line. Following a timeout, Jones scored his second rushing touchdown, giving the Bears a 21-14 halftime lead.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, Josh Brown's 54-yard field goal cut the Seahawks deficit to 21-17. Then, after forcing a punt, receiver Deion Branch caught two passes for 33 yards on a 7-play, 51 yard drive that ended with Alexander's second touchdown on a 13-yard run, making the score 24-21. Chicago responded by advancing the ball to the Seahawks 10-yard line, but cornerback Pete Hunter ended the drive by intercepting a pass intended for Muhammad. However, Bears defensive back Ricky Manning Jr. intercepted Hasslebeck's next pass and returned it to the 32-yard line. Chicago ended up getting pushed back to the 36 and decided to punt rather than risk a 54-yard field goal attempt.

In the fourth quarter, Chicago lost a scoring opportunity when Devin Hester's 63-yard punt return touchdown was nulified by an illegal block penalty on Manning. Instead, they ended up driving 48 yards and scoring with Gould's 41-yard field goal to tie the game. Seattle responded with a drive to Chicago's 46-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs when Alexander was tackled for a 1-yard loss by Lance Briggs on 4th-and-1 with under two minutes left in regulation. However, Chicago was unable to get a first down and had to punt. Seattle then drove to the Bears 45-yard line, but Tank Johnson sacked Hassleback for a 9-yard loss with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, and the game ended up going into overtime.

Seattle won the coin toss, but had to punt after three plays. On the punt, Chicago defender Israel Idonije broke through the offensive line and attempted to block the kick. He didn't quite make it there in time, but he forced Ryan Plackemeier to rush his punt, which ended up going just 18 yards to the Chicago 36-yard line. Two plays later, a 30-yard reception by Davis set up Gould's game-winning 49-yard field goal.

Grossman finished the game with 284 passing yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Berrian caught five passes for 105 yards. Alexander rushed for 108 yards, caught a pass for 12 yards, and scored two touchdowns. Burleson returned six kickoffs for 166 yards and caught a 16-yard touchdown pass.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • CHI - Thomas Jones 9 yd TD run (Gould kick), 8:35. Bears 7-0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:25.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • SEA - Nate Burleson 16 yd TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Brown kick), 14:54. Tied 7-7. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:54.
      • CHI - Bernard Berrian 68 yd TD pass from Rex Grossman (Gould kick), 14:36. Bears 14-7. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, :18.
      • SEA - Shaun Alexander 4 yd TD run (Brown kick), 2:29. Tied 14-14. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:50.
      • CHI - Thomas Jones 7 yd TD run (Gould kick), :48. Bears 21-14. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:41.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • SEA - Josh Brown 40 yd FG, 9:56. Bears 21-17. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:59.
      • SEA - Shaun Alexander 13 yd TD run (Brown kick), 4:57. Seahawks 24-21. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:25.
    • 4th Quarter
      • CHI - Robbie Gould 41 yd FG, 4:24. Tied 24-24. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 5:51.
    • Overtime
      • CHI - Robbie Gould 49 yd FG, 10:02. Bears 27-24. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:49.

[edit] AFC: New England Patriots 24, San Diego Chargers 21

1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 3 7 3 11 24
Chargers 0 14 0 7 21

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California


Starting Quarterbacks:


In arguably the most talked-about matchup of the divisional playoffs, the New England Patriots faced a powerful San Diego Chargers team, who were unbeaten at home in the regular season. The favored Chargers boasted a roster that included league MVP running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who shattered several league records, nine Pro Bowlers, and five All-Pro players. However, questionable coaching decisions and four turnovers, three of which were converted into Patriots scoring drives, eventually led to the demise of the Chargers and kept their playoff curse alive for another year. San Diego ended up losing despite outgaining the Patriots in in rushing yards, 148-51 and total yards, 352-327, while also intercepting three passes from Tom Brady.

In the first quarter, after San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer opted to go for it on 4th-and-11 instead of attempting a 47-yard field goal, quarterback Phillip Rivers lost a fumble while being sacked by Mike Vrabel, setting up Stephen Gostkowski's 51-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the period. In the second quarter, Chargers receiver Eric Parker's 13-yard punt return set up a 48-yard scoring drive that ended with LaDainian Tomlinson's 2-yard touchdown run, giving his team a 7-3 lead. Then, on the Patriots' next drive, linebacker Donnie Edwards intercepted a pass from Brady and returned it to the 41-yard line. But the Chargers ended up punting after Rivers was sacked on third down by defensive back Artrell Hawkins. Later in the quarter, Tomlinson rushed twice for 13 yards and took a screen pass 58 yards to the Patriots' 6-yard line, setting up a 6-yard touchdown run by Michael Turner with 2:04 left in the half. New England responded with a 72-yard scoring drive, with receiver Jabar Gaffney catching four passes for 46 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown reception with six seconds left in the half, cutting their deficit to 14-10.

In the second quarter, Brady threw his second interception of the game. But once again, the Chargers were forced to punt after Rivers was sacked on third down. Mike Scifres' 36-yard punt pinned New England back at their own 2-yard line, and San Diego subsequently forced a punt, but Parker muffed the kick and New England's David Thomas recovered the fumble at the Chargers' 31-yard line. New England's drive seemed to stall after Brady fumbled on 3rd and 13. Patriots' tackle Matt Light recovered it and Chargers' defensive back Drayton Florence drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting Patriots' tight end Daniel Graham. The drive continued and Gostkowski eventually kicked a 34-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 14-13. Then, on San Diego's next drive, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin made an acrobatic interception of a River's pass at the New England 36-yard line. The Patriots then drove to the Chargers 41-yard line, but were halted there and had to punt. After the punt, Rivers completed two passes to tight end Antonio Gates for 31 yards and a 31-yard pass to Vincent Jackson, setting up Tomlinson's second rushing touchdown to give the Chargers an 8-point lead, 21-13.

New England responded by driving to San Diego's 41-yard line. On a fourth-down conversion attempt, Brady's pass was intercepted by Marlon McCree, but Troy Brown stripped the ball, and receiver Reche Caldwell recovered it. Schottenheimer then wasted a timeout challenging a relatively clear-cut play. Four plays later, Brady threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Caldwell. On the next play, running back Kevin Faulk took a direct snap and scored the two-point conversion, tying the game. Then, after forcing a punt, Brady completed a 19-yard pass to Daniel Graham. Two plays later, Caldwell caught a 49-yard strike down the right sideline to set up Gostkowski's third field goal to give them a 24-21 lead with only 1:10 left in the fourth quarter. With no timeouts left, San Diego drove to the Patriots 36-yard line on their final possession, but Nate Kaeding's 54-yard field goal attempt fell short with three seconds remaining in the game.

After the game, the Patriots erupted in a controversal celebration, mocking the "Lights Out" dance of LB Shawne Merriman and stomping on the Chargers mid-field logo which made Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson confront Patriots players which would possibly erupt a new rivalry between the two teams.

Gaffney finished with ten catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Tomlinson rushed for 123 yards, caught two passes for 64 yards, and scored two touchdowns.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
    • 2nd Quarter
      • SD - LaDainian Tomlinson 2 yd TD run (Kaeding kick), 7:19. Chargers 7-3. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:31.
      • SD - Michael Turner 6 yd TD run (Kaeding kick), 2:04. Chargers 14-3. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:23.
      • NE - Jabar Gaffney 6 yd TD pass from Tom Brady (Gostkowski kick), :08. Chargers 14-10. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 1:56.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • NE - Stephen Gostkowski 34 yd FG, 2:11. Chargers 14-13. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 3:09.
    • 4th Quarter
      • SD - LaDainian Tomlinson 3 yd TD run (Kaeding kick), 8:35. Chargers 21-13. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:44.
      • NE - Reche Caldwell 4 yd TD pass from Tom Brady (Kevin Faulk 2 pt conversion run), 4:36. Tied 21-21. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:40.
      • NE - Stephen Gostkowski 31 yd FG, 1:10. Patriots 24-21. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 2:16.

[edit] Conference Championships

For the first time since 1996, both home teams won in the two conference championship games.

With the Patriots and Colts each winning divisional playoff games on the road, it marked the third time in since the merger that both divisional playoff games in a respective conference were won by the road team. In 1987, the Washington Redskins won in Chicago, 21-17, and the Minnesota Vikings won in San Francisco, 36-24. In 1971, the Baltimore Colts won in Cleveland, 20-3, and the Miami Dolphins won in Kansas City, 27-24, in double overtime. However in 1971, there was no seeding based on record, the matchups in the divisional round were rotated on a yearly basis.

[edit] Sunday, January 21, 2007

[edit] NFC: Chicago Bears 39, New Orleans Saints 14

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. CST (2000 UTC)
  • Game weather: 28°F (Cloudy, snow)
  • Attendance: 61,817
1 2 3 4 Total
Saints 0 7 7 0 14
Bears 3 13 2 21 39


Starting Quarterbacks:


Although the Saints outgained Chicago in total yards, 375-335, their four turnovers (three fumbles and one interception) were far too much for them to overcome.

On the opening drive of the game, Saints receiver Devery Henderson caught a 40-yard pass at the Bears' 32-yard line. But three plays later, Bears lineman Israel Idonije sacked quarterback Drew Brees on the 36-yard line, and the Saints decided to punt rather than attempt a 54-yard field goal.

With 5:28 remaining in the first quarter, Bears defensive back Nathan Vasher recovered a fumble from Marques Colston and returned it 14 yards to the Saints' 36-yard line. Several plays later, Robbie Gould kicked a 19-yard field goal to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. Then, Chicago's Danieal Manning recovered a fumble from Michael Lewis on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Gould's second field goal to increase the lead to 6-0. New Orleans was forced to punt on their next possession, and Devin Hester gave his team good field position with a 10-yard return to the Saints' 49-yard line. Two plays later, tight end Desmond Clark's 30-yard reception moved the ball to the 19. Once again, New Orleans kept Chicago's offense out of the end zone, but Gould kicked his third field goal to give the Bears a 9-0 lead. Then, after forcing another punt, Chicago stormed down the field on a drive in which running back Thomas Jones carried the ball on eight consecutive plays, gaining 69 yards and finishing it off with a 2-yard touchdown run. This time, New Orleans managed to respond, with Brees completing 5 passes for 73 yards on their ensuing possession, the last one a 13-yard touchdown pass to Colston, to cut their deficit to 16-7 by halftime.

Two plays after forcing a punt from Chicago on the opening drive of the second half, running back Reggie Bush caught a pass from Brees and took it 88 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to two points. Then after forcing another punt, New Orleans drove to the Bears' 29-yard line. But this time, they failed to score, as Brees threw three incompletions and Billy Cundiff missed a 47-yard field goal attempt.

From this point on, Chicago dominated the rest of the game. After the ensuing kickoff, Brad Maynard's 51-yard punt pinned the Saints back at their own 5-yard line. Two plays later, Brees committed an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Two possessions later, Chicago stormed 85 yards in five plays, with quarterback Rex Grossman completing four consecutive passes for 73 yards, the last one a 33-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian, increasing their lead to 25-14.

The next time the Bears had the ball, they scored another touchdown with a 12-yard run by Cedric Benson on a drive that was set up after Brees lost a fumble while being sacked by Adewale Ogunleye. Then, on New Orleans' next drive, Brees was intercepted by defensive back Nathan Vasher. After the ensuing possession, Maynard's 46-yard punt pinned the Saints at their own 8-yard line, and the Saints could only reach their own 30 before turning the ball over on downs. Five plays later, Jones closed out the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run, making the final score 39-14.

Jones rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Brees threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Bush caught seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. The Saints were the first team in NFL history to play in a conference title game after losing 13 games the season before.

In addition, Reggie Bush became the fifth Heisman Trophy winner to play in a conference championship game the year after winning the trophy. Mike Garrett, who also went to Southern California, did so with the Chiefs in 1966 (technically it was the AFL title game since the league didn't merge until 1970), Tony Dorsett did with the Cowboys in 1977, Earl Campbell did with the Houston Oilers in 1978 and Ron Dayne did with the Giants in 2000. Campbell and Bush are the only two of those to not advance to the Super Bowl in that season.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • CHI - FG Gould 19, :41. Bears 3-0. Drive: 11 plays, 35 yards, 4:44.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • CHI - FG Gould 43, 13:40. Bears 6-0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:53.
      • CHI - FG Gould 24, 8:52. Bears 9-0. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:25.
      • CHI - Jones 2 run (Gould kick), 1:56. Bears 16-0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:55.
      • NO - Colston 13 pass from Brees (Carney kick), :46. Bears 16-7. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:10.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • NO - Bush 88 pass from Brees (Carney kick), 12:20. Bears 16-14. Drive: 2 plays, 93 yards, :53.
      • CHI - Safety, Brees intentional grounding enforced in own end zone, 5:27. Bears 18-14.
    • 4th Quarter
      • CHI - Berrian 33 pass from Grossman (Gould kick), 14:23. Bears 25-14. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:24.
      • CHI - Benson 12 run (Gould kick), 11:37. Bears 32-14. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:04.
      • CHI - Jones 15 run (Gould kick), 4:19. Bears 39-14. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 3:02.

[edit] AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, New England Patriots 34

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST (2330 UTC)
  • Game weather: Indoors (Domed stadium)
  • Attendance: 57,433
1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 7 14 7 6 34
Colts 3 3 15 17 38


Starting Quarterbacks:


The Colts gained 455 offensive yards, 32 first downs, and managed to overcome a 21-3 deficit to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1970 season. Their 18-point comeback was the largest ever in an NFL conference championship game, and tied the record for the fourth largest NFL postseason comeback. [1] The Colts' win was especially satisfying coming against New England, who had eliminated them from the playoffs in the 2003 AFC title game and the 2004 divisional round.

Midway through the first quarter, the Patriots drove 71 yards to the Colts' 4-yard line, featuring a 35-yard run by Corey Dillon. On third down, running back Laurence Maroney fumbled a handoff, but the ball rolled into the end zone where offensive lineman Logan Mankins recovered it for a touchdown. The Colts responded by driving 56 yards and scoring with Adam Vinatieri's 42-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7-3. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots drove to a fourth down on the Colts' 34-yard line. Rather than attempt a 52-yard field goal, New England decided to go for it and Tom Brady completed a 27-yard pass to Troy Brown. On the next play, Dillon scored on a 7-yard touchdown run. Then, two plays after the ensuing kickoff, cornerback Asante Samuel intercepted a pass from Peyton Manning and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown, giving New England a 21-3 lead. Later in the quarter, Indianapolis drove 80 yards in 15 plays, with Vinatieri finishing the drive with a 26-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21-6 with 11 seconds left in the half.

On the opening drive of the second half, the Colts marched down the field and scored with a 1-yard run by Manning. Then, after forcing a punt, a 25-yard reception by Dallas Clark and a 19-yard run by Dominic Rhodes moved the ball to the Patriots' 32-yard line. Following a pass interference penalty on defensive back Ellis Hobbs in the end zone, Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to defensive lineman Dan Klecko, who had lined up at the fullback position on the play. Then, receiver Marvin Harrison caught a 2-point conversion pass to tie the game at 21.

Hobbs returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the Colts' 21-yard line. Four plays later, Brady threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jabar Gaffney, who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone. Although he landed out of bounds, officials ruled that he was pushed out while in the air, and the Patriots took a 28-21 lead. Rhodes started out the Colts' next drive with two receptions for 23 yards and a 9-yard run. Then, Clark caught a 23-yard pass at the 9-yard line. Three plays later, Rhodes fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line, but center Jeff Saturday recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game.

After an exchange of punts, New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski made a 28-yard field goal to give them a three-point lead. The Colts responded with a 36-yard field goal by Vinatieri, set up by Clark's 52-yard reception, to tie the game at 31. Hobbs returned Vinatieri's kickoff 41 yards to the Patriots' 46-yard line. Then, Brady completed a 25-yard pass to tight end Daniel Graham. Indianapolis managed to halt the drive at their 25-yard line, but Gostkowski kicked a 43-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 34-31 lead with 3:22 left in the game. New England's defense subsequently forced a punt, but the Patriots ended up punting back to the Colts after running only a minute off the clock.

Manning started off the drive with three consecutive completions for 58 yards, with a roughing-the-passer penalty on the third play adding another 12, moving the ball 70 yards in a span of 19 seconds and bringing up a first down at the Patriots' 11-yard line. Three plays later, Joseph Addai's 3-yard touchdown run gave the Colts their first lead of the game with only one minute remaining. Brady responded by leading his team to the Colts' 45-yard line, but defensive back Marlin Jackson ended New England's chance of a comeback by intercepting his next pass with 17 seconds left on the clock.

Manning completed 27 of 47 passes for 349 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, and scored a rushing touchdown. Clark caught six passes for 137 yards. Brady completed 21 of 34 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Hobbs returned six kickoffs for 220 yards.

The Colts were the first #3 seed since the NFL expanded the playoffs in 1990 to host a conference championship game and the first overall since the Washington Redskins did so in 1987. It was also the first time since said season where a team hosted a championship game after playing a road game in the divisional round.

  • Scoring
    • 1st Quarter
      • NE - Mankins fumble recovery in end zone for touchdown (Gostkowski kick), 7:24. Patriots 7-0.
      • IND - FG Vinatieri 42, :48. Patriots 7-3. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 6:30.
    • 2nd Quarter
      • NE - Dillon 7 run (Gostkowski kick), 10:18. Patriots 14-3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:30.
      • NE - Samuel 39 interception return (Gostkowski kick), 9:25. Patriots 21-3.
      • IND - FG Vinatieri 26, :07. Patriots 21-6. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 2:59.
    • 3rd Quarter
      • IND - Manning 1 run (Vinatieri kick), 8:13. Patriots 21-13. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 6:47.
      • IND - Klecko 1 pass from Manning (Harrison pass from Manning), 4:00. Tied 21-21. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:50.
      • NE - Gaffney 6 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 1:25. Patriots 28-21. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:25.
    • 4th Quarter
      • IND - Saturday fumble recovery in end zone for touchdown (Vinatieri kick), 13:24. Tied 28-28.
      • NE - FG Gostkowski 28, 7:45. Patriots 31-28. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:44.
      • IND - FG Vinateri 36, 5:35. Tied 31-31. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:11.
      • NE - FG Gostkowski 43, 3:53. Patriots 34-31. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 1:42.
      • IND - Addai 3 run, 1:00. Colts 38-34. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:17.

[edit] Super Bowl XLI

Further information: Super Bowl XLI

The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears, 29–17. Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith became the first African American coaches to reach the Super Bowl, with Dungy becoming the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl.

[edit] Bracket

                                   
January 7 - Gillette Stadium   January 14 - Qualcomm Stadium          
 5  N.Y. Jets  16
 4  New England  24
 4  New England  37     January 21 - RCA Dome
 1  San Diego  21  
AFC
January 6 - RCA Dome  4  New England  34
January 13 - M&T Bank Stadium
   3  Indianapolis  38  
 6  Kansas City  8 AFC Championship
 3  Indianapolis  15
 3  Indianapolis  23   February 4 - Dolphin Stadium
 2  Baltimore  6  
Wild Card Playoffs  
Divisional Playoffs
January 7 - Lincoln Financial Field  A3  Indianapolis  29
January 13 - Louisiana Superdome
   N1  Chicago  17
 6  N.Y. Giants  20 Super Bowl XLI
 3  Philadelphia  24
 3  Philadelphia  23     January 21 - Soldier Field
 2  New Orleans  27  
NFC
January 6 - Qwest Field  2  New Orleans  14
January 14 - Soldier Field
   1  Chicago  39  
 5  Dallas  20 NFC Championship
 4  Seattle  24
 4  Seattle  21  
 1  Chicago  27  



[edit] See also

[edit] Team season pages

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book, 347. ISBN 1-933405-32-5. 

[edit] External links

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