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Tom Brady and the New England Patriots overcame the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, and Eli Manning and the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers, 20-17, in OT to set up a rematch of the Patriots and Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
It's a rematch. New England and New York both took care of business on Sunday afternoon, setting up a rematch of epic proportions, the Patriots and Giants, who will do battle in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Of course, the two teams met in Super Bowl XLII, where the Giants shocked the world and ended the Patriots' pursuit of perfection with a 17-14 victory that send the G-men to immortality while New England finished with a huge stain on its otherwise impressive 18-1 record. Eli Manning (255 yards, 2 TDs) found Plaxico Burress in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds left.
The game-winning score was set up by the infamous David Tyree helmet catch, giving the Giants new life in the most improbable fashion. The loss was a blemish on Tom Brady's record, as the legendary quarterback lost his perfect record in Super Bowls. However, Brady will have the perfect change to avenge that loss as he appears in his fifth Super Bowl.
Brady and the Pats held on against the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. Brady threw for 239 yards and was picked off twice, but the Pats received a little help from above as Billy Cundiff missed the potential game-tying field goal with 15 seconds left, sending New England to the Super Bowl.
More: Patriots reactions to emotional 23-20 victory against the Ravens
Across the country, it took an extra quarter for the Giants to settles things with the San Francisco 49ers, but a Lawrence Tynes 31-yard field goal in overtime sent New York back to the Super Bowl in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Manning threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns while Victor Cruz had 142 receiving yards in the victory for New York.
New England and New York met once in the regular season, with Manning's bunch topping Brady's bunch by a score of 24-20. Manning threw for 250 yards, two scores and an interception and Cruz had 91 yards on six catches. Meanwhile, Brady had a big game, racking up 342 passing yards with two touchdown and two picks in the loss for New England.
While the Super Bowl isn't for two weeks, the build up has already begun. This will be fun.
For more Patriots coverage, visit our team page and Pats Pulpit. For 2012 NFL Playoffs coverage, follow our stream. Visit SB Nation New York and Big Blue View for Giants news.
Kyle Williams overtook Billy Cundiff for biggest screw up of the day, as the second-year received fumble the ball away on a punt return in overtime, leading to the game-winning 31-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes to lead the New York Giants past the San Francisco 49ers, 20-17, in overtime in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco.
Eli Manning threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns en route to his fifth road win in the postseason, which is an NFL record. New York overcame a 14-10 deficit late in the third quarter and put up 10 points from the fourth quarter one while allowing just three points on a David Akers field goal, which at the time tied the game at 17-17 with 5:39 to play in the fourth. Victor Cruz, a graduate of UMass, had 142 receiving yards on 10 catches in the win for New York.
Alex Smith performed admirably, throwing for 196 yards and two touchdowns to lead San Francisco. Frank Gore rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries and Vernon Davis racked up 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns on three catches.
New York will now face New England in the Super Bowl on February 5 in Indianapolis.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Finally, the New England Patriots are back where they belong: the Super Bowl. Tom Brady and the Pats overcame their mistakes to defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, to win the 2012 AFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots await the winner of the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 NFC Championship Game on Sunday, who they will play in Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Brady had an off game, after which he told the crowd that he "sucked," but believe it or not, his defense picked him up. With less than one minute to play, Sterling Moore broke up a pass from Joe Flacco (306 yards, 2 TDs) to Lee Evans that would have put the Ravens on top 26-23. However, with 15 seconds left, Baltimore still had a chance to send it to OT.
But it wasn't meant to be for the Ravens, who had a 32-yard field goal attempt from Billy Cundiff go wide left (with many insisting that Mrya Kraft, the late wife of Pats owner Robert Kraft, gave a friendly hand from above), and that was that.
Brady and the Patriots will have two weeks to prepare for their opponent. For now, enjoy!
For more Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit. For 2012 NFL Playoffs coverage, follow our stream. Visit Baltimore Beat Down for Ravens news.
At long last, the New England Patriots are back where they belong: the Super Bowl. Tom Brady and the Pats overcame several mistakes, but the defense came up big in the end as they held on for a 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 AFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.
Brady threw for 239 yards but turned the ball over twice, throwing two interceptions. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 68 yards and one score while Rob Gronkowski, who let the game with an apparent leg injury but returned, had 87 receiving yards. Vince Wilfork, meanwhile, was the defensive player of the game, totaling one sack and three tackles for a loss.
Joe Flacco had a commendable game, amassing 306 yards and two touchdowns through the air to lead Baltimore. Ray Rice rushed for 67 yards and Torrey Smith had 82 receiving yards and one touchdown in the loss for the Ravens.
New England will face the winner of the Giants and 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
For more Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit. For 2012 NFL Playoffs coverage, follow our stream. Visit Baltimore Beat Down for Ravens news.
The NFL season boils down to the two most important games of the season to date, as the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants all play Sunday to determine which teams will go to the Super Bowl on Championship Sunday.
In the first game, Tom Brady and the Patriots look to continue the success as they play host to Joe Flacco and the Ravens at 3 p.m. EDT (TV/Radio: CBS/98.5 The Sports Hub, WEEI) in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Brady and the Pats are coming off a blowout win over Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, 45-10, in the divisional round while Flacco and Baltimore beat the Houston Texans 20-13 last weekend to advance.
After that, Eli Manning leads the Giants into Candlestick Park to face Patrick Willis and the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. (FOX). San Francisco posted a thrilling victory over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints last weekend in the divisional round while the Giants upset the Green Bay Packers to reach the title game.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
It was the upset of the 2012 NFL Playoffs, as Eli Manning and the New York Giants took apart the team with the best record in the NFL and reigning Super Bowl MVP, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, en route to a 37-20 win that secured them a spot in the NFC Championship Game (against the San Francisco 49ers) for the second time since 2007.
Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns to lead New York past Green Bay. Meanwhile, Hakeem Nicks caught seven passes for 165 yards and hauled in two of Manning's touchdown passes and Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 63 yards.
Rodgers, meanwhile, threw for only 264 yards and two scores and also led the Packers in rushing with 66 yards on seven carries. Donald Driver had three catches for 40 yards and Greg Jennings had four catches for 40 yards for Green Bay.
New York travels to face San Francisco in the NFC Championship game next Sunday.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Joe Flacco threw for 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Baltimore Ravens fended off the Houston Texans, 20-13, in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon to secure a date with the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday in Foxboro, MA.
Andquan Boldin had four catches for 72 yards and a score for Baltimore, which racked up 277 total yards (140 passing, 87 rushing). Ray Rice rushed for 60 yards on 21 carries, and the Ravens had three fumbles in the game.
Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates threw for 184 yards on 17-of-35 passing but threw three interceptions for Houston, which had 315 total yards (184 passing, 131 rushing). Andre Johnson reeled in eight catches for 111 yards.
Flacco, who completed 14-of-27 passes, found Kris Wilson for a one-yard touchdown with 9:51 left in the first quarter after Neil Rackers connected on a 40-yard field goal for the Texans with 12:24 to go in the first, putting Baltimore up 7-3.
Billy Cundiff made a game-long 48-yard field goal with 6:02 to play in the first, extending the Ravens' lead to seven points. With 1:08 to go in the quarter, Flacco connected with Anquan Boldin on a 10-yard touchdown pass, giving the Ravens a 17-3 edge. Rackers made a 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter and Arian Foster rushed for a one-yard score, trimming Houston's deficit to 17-13 as the two teams headed for the locker rooms at halftime.
Cundiff made a 44-yard field goal with 2:52 to go in the fourth quarter, accounting for the only points in the second half for either team. The Ravens remained undefeated at home on the season with the victory.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
The Divisional Round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs is halfway over, with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers prevailing on Saturday. The schedule concludes on Sunday when the Houston Texans battle the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants look for the upset against the Green Bay Packers.
In the first game, the Texans and Ravens will battle for the right to meet the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next weekend. Houston finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and the No. 3 seed in the conference while Baltimore finished 12-4 and was the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. EDT and can be seen on CBS.
In the final game, Eli Manning and the Giants will duke it out with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at frigid Lambeau Field for the right to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, which will also be played next weekend. Green Bay had the best record in the NFL this season at 15-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, New York was 9-7 overall this season and earned the No. 4 seed in the NFC. Kick off is at 4:30 p.m. and the game will be aired on FOX.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Tom Brady had heard enough. Tim Tebow this, Tebow that. Tebow is the greatest quarterback ever, and he was going to come into GIllette Stadium and kick the teeth out of the New England Patriots. Tebow was the greatest quarterback ever.
Well, evidently, Brady wanted to prove a point. And boy, did he ever.
Brady tied an NFL record with six touchdown passes while throwing for 363 yards on 26-of-34 passing as the New England Patriots stomped out Tebow Time (again) and crushed the Denver Broncos, 45-10, in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.
Brady's massive performance only had one drawback, an interception, which led to Denver's first touchdown. New England amassed 509 total yards (363 passing, 146 rushing) while giving up 252 yards to Denver (363 passing, 146rushing).
Rob Gronkowski racked up 145 yards and three scores on 10 catches for New England. Deion Branch had 85 receiving yards on three catches. Aaron Hernandez had four catches for 55 yards and one touchdown and rushed for a team-high 61 yards on five carries for the Patriots.
Tebow finished the game with 136 passing yards on 9-of-26 passing. Willis McGahee had 76 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and Demaryius Thomas caught six passes for 93 yards in the Broncos' loss.
The Patriots opened the game with a quick score, with Brady finding Wes Welker (55 yards, TD) for a seven-yard touchdown catch with 13:14 to go in the first quarter, putting the Pats up 7-0. Brady then connected with Gronkowski for a 10-yard score with 7:17 left in the opening quarter.
After Brady's interception, the Broncos marched 24 yards on four plays and scored on a five-yard run from McGahee, cutting the Patriots' lead in half, 14-7, at the start of the second quarter. From then on out, it was all Brady.
Brady connected again with Gronkowski for a 12-yard touchdown with 7:49 left in the second and fired touchdowns to Branch (a 61-yard score with 2:06 left) and found Gronkowski again on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left before halftime to give New England a 35-7 advantage at the break.
In the third quarter, Brady threw a 17-yard touchdown to Hernandez with 11:53 to go and Matt Prater split the uprights on a 41-yard field goal, which cut the Broncos' deficit to 32 points. Stephen Gostkowski made his only field goal attempt of the game in the fourth quarter, connecting from 20 yards out with 12:44 to play in the game.
New England faces the winner of the Texans and Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Vernon Davis' heroics helped lead the San Francisco 49ers past the New Orleans Saints, 36-32, in the NFC divisional round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs on Saturday afternoon at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA.
Davis racked up 180 yards and two touchdowns -- including the game-winning 14-yard touchdown reception with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter -- on seven catches. As a result, the 49ers are going to the NFC Championship Game.
Alex Smith completed 24-of-42 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns for San Francisco, which racked up 407 total yards (264 passing, 143 rushing). Frank Gore rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries and also had seven catches for 28 yards while Michael Crabtree reeled in four footballs for 25 yards and one touchdown.
Drew Brees had a terrific performance for New Orleans, throwing for 458 yards and four touchdowns -- but he tossed two interceptions in the process. Marques Colston (136 receiving yards, TD), Darren Sproles (116 receiving yards TD) and Jimmy Graham (103 receiving yards, 2 TD) all topped 100-yards receiving and Chris Ivory was the Saints' leading rusher, totaling just 23 yards on nine carries.
San Francisco opened the game with 14 straight points, a lead which it took into the second quarter. New Orleans answered with two touchdowns of its own and 49ers' kicker David Akers tacked on a field goal, giving the Niners a 17-14 advantage at the break. Akers made another field goal in the third quarter, putting the 49ers up 20-14 entering the fourth.
Then, madness ensued. New Orleans put up 18 points in the quarter while San Francisco countered with 16 points. Brees found Darren Sproles for a 44-yard touchdown pass to put the Saints up by one, 24-23, with 4:11 remaining. Smith countered with a 28-yard run down the left sideline -- the longest rush by a 49ers quarterback in franchise postseason history - to put the 49ers back up, 29-24, with 2:18 to go.
Not to be outdone, Brees again found his man down field, connecting with Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard score that once again gave the Saints a lead -- 32-29 -- with 1:48 to play. Smith and company once again answered the call, marching down the field -- and using a big pass to Davis in the process -- before he found Davis for the game-winning score.
San Francisco will face the winner of the Packers and Giants next weekend.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
The 2012 NFL Playoffs resume on Saturday, with the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos all in action in the divisional round.
In the first game of the day, Patrick Willis and the 49ers face Drew Brees and the high-octane Saints offense at 4:30 p.m. EDT (FOX). San Francisco finished the season with a 13-3 record and a 7-1 mark at home while New Orleans was also 13-3 and 5-3 on the road. The 49ers earned the luxury of the No. 2 seed, while the Saints are the third seed in the NFC.
In the second game, Tom Brady and the Patriots play host to Tim Tebow and the Broncos at 8:00 p.m. (CBS) at Gillette Stadium. New England was 13-3 in the regular season and clinched the AFC's No. 1 overall seed while Denver has ridden Tebow into the divisional round after he led the Broncos to a 29-23 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
While it's Tim Tebow who has received all the media attention during Denver's run to (and now through) the playoffs, there's a lot more to the Broncos than the miracle worker under center. It's difficult to work a comeback after three quarters of complete offensive ineptitude, after all, if the other team has taken the opportunity to build up a big lead.
Cue the defense.
Allowing an average of just 17 points in their wins with Tebow, the Denver defense was integral part of five of the former Gator's comeback wins, and offered him a chance to seal their spot in the playoffs with a win against Kansas City. Like their quarterback, however, the defense suffers from serious consistency issues. From 17 points is wins, to 32 in losses, this is a unit that will hold a team to 200 yards in one game, and then give up 600 in the next.
In fact, it may surprise you to learn that despite being a target of ridicule for much of the year, the Patriots' defense grades out rather better than the Broncos in the most important stat of all: points allowed. It's not hard to see why, either. Staunch against the run and weak against the pass, the Patriots punish teams that try to take advantage of their apparent vulnerability by putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks with the combo of Vince Wilfork and Mark Anderson, and making opportunistic plays when they force poor decisions. It's why the Patriots' turnover advantage is more than twice that of the next best AFC team. Denver comes in at a lowly -12, good for second to last.
For the Patriots, then, the game will be all about whether their front seven can get to Tim Tebow much in the way that the Steelers' did not. While a healthy Steelers defensive line may look more impressive than New Englands, Pittsburgh entered the game incredibly thin at the position thanks to numerous injuries, and then lost two more players as the game progressed. New England, while down Andre Carter, still have Wilfork, Anderson, and the rest of their starting seven in good health. In Week 15, this led to four sacks and-after a fast start-a mediocre night for Tim Tebow, who was forced to throw the ball away or into the ground time and again.
Even their weakness in the secondary does not necessarily play into Tebow's predilection for the long ball as much as it might seem. After all, while the Steelers were felled in overtime by bringing their whole defense up, daring Tebow to throw, the Patriots' secondary is hardly likely to commit the same mistake. With the pass defense often giving receivers large cushions at the line, the Patriots could force Tebow to adapt to making quick reads and accurate, well-timed short passes against a defense which won't give him quite the same space that Pittsburgh did.
Even if Tebow manages here, however, the Broncos will have to keep Brady from tearing them to pieces on every drive as he did the last time they played. They cannot do this by taking away his offensive weapons-Rob Gronkowski is nearly unguardable, Aaron Hernandez has stepped up when teams have focused on limiting Gronkowski, and then you still have to deal with Wes Welker. No, just like New England, the Broncos have to get at the quarterback.
This is something they've done with some regularity, of course, thanks to the combination of defensive lineman Elvis Dumervil and linebacker Von Miller. But the New England offensive line is no typical challenge. Ranked amongst the best in the game at protecting their quarterback, they held Denver to two sacks in Week 15, and hardly seem likely to allow Brady to take the same beating as Ben Roethlisberger took behind a line lacking Maurkice Pouncey. They will get to him on occasion, but when they don't it will be up to the rest of the unit to keep him from piling up the yards. And unless Brady is having a very off day, it's going to be hard to do that.
There's a curious dichotomy in the perception of these two defenses. New England's is lambasted as a unit that can't keep up or compete for a Championship, while Denver's is often hailed as the real driving force behind Tim Tebow's miracles. And yet, when stacked up against eachhother, New England comes away looking like perhaps the smarter bet. The game will be the same for each unit this Saturday, if for different reasons: get after the quarterback. And as of right now, it's looking like New England could have the advantage in that fight.
Tim Tebow has taken America by storm this season, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that Tebow i now America's favorite professional athlete according to an ESPN Sports Poll, with three percent of Americans listing him as their favorite.
To put this news in perspective, David Scott of ESPN writes that there have only been 11 different athletes who have taken home this honor, among them are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. That's pretty good company, no?
"To put this in perspective, Tim Tebow rose to the top before the end of his second pro season. It took Tiger Woods three years, LeBron James eight years and Kobe Bryant 11 years," said Rich Luker, founder and director of the ESPN Sports Poll. "I think we may be at the front end of a new era in sports stars." (via ESPN Front Row)
The more Tim Tebow wins, the richer he gets. At least when it comes to the playoffs. Tebow reportedly rakes in $250,000 for each playoff win. He already collected his first quarter million dollars on Sunday after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime, 29-23. Will he do it again against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots?
No, he probably won't. But it's a possibility.
Tebow had to play at least 70 percent of the team's snaps to activate the contract clause that allows him to collect the big playoff pay day, which he did (in total, Tebow played 73 percent of the team's snaps). If Denver goes on to win the Super Bowl, that would be an extra one million dollars that Tebow would earn on top of his $1,618,750 base salary.
The wild card round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs has come and gone, and we've already had a thriller thanks to one Tim Tebow. Four teams advanced to the divisional round this weekend -- the Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints.
Sunday's slate of games featured an AFC and NFC Wild Card game, with one being a dud and the other turning out to be an absolute thriller. Here's a recap of Sunday's NFL action.
Broncos 29, Steelers 23 (OT): Tim Tebow Shines Again On Biggest Stage - Tim Tebow took a break from his late-game heroics for the final three or so weeks of the season, but Tebow Time returned with a vengeance on Sunday. Tebow had one of his best games ever, throwing for 316 yards (get the Biblical reference? John 3:16. Crazy) and two touchdowns while rushing for 50 yards and one score as the Broncos defeated the Steelers, 29-23, in overtime. Tebow, of course, had a hand in the game-winning touchdown. A big hand, actually. Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime. Now, Tebow Time heads to Foxborough as the Broncos will face the Patriots next weekend. Will Tebow bring his magic to GIllette Stadium? Unlikely, but you never know.
Giants 24, Falcons 2: Matt Ryan Falls To 0-3 In Postseason - Matt Ryan has fallen into an early career playoff slump, as the former Boston College Eagles star quarterback has lost the first three playoff games that he's played in. Ryan threw for 199 yards and Julio Jones had seven catches for 64 yards for Atlanta. Meanwhile, Eli Manning threw for 277 yards and three scores while Hakeem Nicks racked up 115 yards and two scores on six catches. New York will take on the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers, next weekend in a battle for the NFC Championship Game. Green Bay should be a heavy favorite entering the game, but as the Giants proved in 2007, odds don't matter to them.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Somehow, someway, he got it done. Again. Tim Tebow threw the game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass -- the longest of his two year career -- to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to lead the Denver Broncos past the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-23, in the AFC Wild Card round at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO on Sunday afternoon.
Tebow, who was facing the possibility of being benched if he did not do well in the game, had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 316 yards (10-of-21) and two scores passing and running for 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushes. Thomas had four catches for 204 yards while Willis McGahee had 61 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Denver fell behind 7-3 after the first quarter, but put up 20 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 13-point lead heading into halftime. The Steelers scored a touchdown in the third quarter and had one touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter while giving up three points in the quarter, ultimately forcing overtime.
Ben Roethlisberger had 289 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception for Pittsburgh, which had 400 total yards (244 passing, 156 rushing). Isaac Redman rushed for 121 yards on 17 carries and Emmanuel Sanders racked up 81 yards on six catches for the Steelers.
Denver faces the AFC's No. 1 seed, the New England Patriots, on Saturday in Foxboro, MA.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Eli Manning and the New York Giants picked apart the Atlanta Falcons in their playoff opener, cruising to a 24-2 victory in the NFC Wild Card round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday afternoon.
Manning threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-32 passing for New York, which racked up 442 total yards (172 rushing, 270 passing). Hakeem Nicks collected 115 yards and two touchdowns on six catches and Brandon Jacobs rushed for 92 yards on 14 carries for New York.
Matt Ryan, a former start quarterback at Boston College, had 199 passing yards on 24-of-41 passing for Atlanta, which was held to 247 total yards. Julio Jones had seven catches for 64 yards and Michael Turner had 41 rushing yards.
The Falcons scored first, as former New England Patriots safety James Sanders forced Manning to intentionally ground the football in his own endzone, resulting in a safety and a 2-0 lead for Atlanta with 13:50 left in the first quarter.
Nicks caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Manning with 2:55 left in the opening quarter, capping off a 13-play, 85-yard drive that lasted 7:32 and gave the Giants a five-point advantage. Neither team scored again before halftime.
Lawrence Tynes connected on a 22-yard field goal with 7:55 left in the third quarter and Manning connected with Nicks for a 72-yard score with 2:58 to go in the third. Manning fired his final touchdown pass to Mario Manningham from 27 yards out with 10:04 left in the fourth quarter, bringing the scoring to a close.
New York faces the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers, next weekend in the NFC Divisional Round.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
With half of the Wild Card round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs complete, we turn our attention to the second day of play, which features four teams in action -- the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.
MORE: NFLPlayoffs 2012: Texans, Saints Are Victorious On Saturday
In Sunday's first game, former Boston College Eagles star quarterback Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons battle Eli Manning and the New York Giants at 1:00 p.m. EDT at MetLife Stadium. In the second game, Ben Roethelisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers will face Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos at 4:30 p.m. EDT at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO.
NFL PLAYOFFS 2012 - WILD CARD ROUND - SUNDAY
NFC: Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants - 1:00 p.m. (TV/Radio: FOX/WEEI): Sunday's game between the Falcons and Giants will be broadcast nationally on FOX, with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver bringing you all of the action.
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos 4:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: CBS/WEEI): Sunday's game between the Steelers and Broncos will also be on national television, with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms serving as the broadcast team on CBS.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
The first day of the 2011-2012 NFL Playoffs is in the books, with two teams -- the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints -- taking care of business and defeating their opponents to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
In the first game of the day, Houston defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-10, at Reliant Stadium. Arian Foster rushed for 153 yards and scored two touchdowns on 24 carries for Houston, which racked up 340 total yards (188 rushing yards). Andre Johnson had five catches for 90 yards and one score while quarterback T.J. Yates threw for 159 yards and a score.
Despite the loss, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton racked up 257 yards on 27-of-42 passing but threw three interceptions. AJ Green had five catches for 47 yards and Jermaine Gresham racked up 46 yards on five catches for Cincinnati.
In the final game of the day, New Orleans rallied past the Detroit Lions for a 45-28 victory. Drew Brees completed 33-of-43 yards for 466 yards and three touchdowns for the Saints, who had an impressive 626 total yards. Marques Colston had 120 receiving yards and Robert Meachem had four catches for 111 yards. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and Calvin Johnson had 12 catches for a staggering 211 yards and two touchdowns in defeat.
On Sunday, the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons at 1:00 p.m. EDT and the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Denver Broncos at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
The 2011-2012 NFL Playoffs begin on Saturday, with four teams in action. The Cincinnatti Bengals, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos will all be in action this weekend, but only two games will be played Saturday.
As for the New England Patriots, they have a bye week courtesy of clinching the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC after finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record. Nevertheless, they will be interested in the outcome of these games.
MORE: 2011-2012 NFL PLAYOFFS BRACKET
Here is your weekend schedule for all eight games this weekend.
NFL PLAYOFFS 2011-2012 - WILD CARD ROUND
SATURDAY
AFC Wild Card: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m. EDT
NFC Wild Card: Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints, 8:00 p.m. EDT
SUNDAY
NFC Wild Card: Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants, 1:00 p.m. EDT
AFC WIld Card: Pitsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. EDT
For more 2011-2012 NFL Playoff coverage, follow along with our playoff stream.
Super Bowl 2012: Conan O'Brien Picks Patriots To Beat Giants In Super Bowl
by Gethin Coolbaugh
Conan O'Brien is sticking with his hometown team (or at least, his former hometown), as he predicted on Twitter that the New England Patriots would defeat the New York Giants by seven points in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.
Conan O'Brien Patriots by 7. This is my pick for the Superbowl. And for any future U.S. revolutionary wars.
Jan 27 via web Favorite Retweet
O'Brien grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts and attended Harvard University. Despite all of that, he would still wind up hosting some sort of comedy show on a channel nobody gets ... I'm just kidding. Keep the good words flowing, Conan!
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Jan 27 2:14p