SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Jan. 14
Seattle (11-5-1) at Atlanta (11-5), 4:35 p.m. EST, Fox. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks advanced to the divisional round by topping Detroit for their 10th straight playoff home win. Seattle hits the road for this one, though, and will face All-Pro QB Matt Ryan and the No. 2-seeded Falcons (11-5), whom the Seahawks beat 26-22 in October. Atlanta coach Dan Quinn was Seattle coach Pete Carroll’s defensive coordinator from 2013-14 before being hired by the Falcons.
Houston (10-7) at New England (14-2), 8:15 p.m. EST, CBS. The Texans got their first playoff victory since the 2012 season as Brock Osweiler threw for a TD and ran for another against Oakland. Osweiler, who had been benched for two games, will be back at quarterback against Tom Brady and the Patriots, who are the AFC’s top seed. Houston has never won in the divisional round, while New England has reached the AFC title game in each of the last five seasons.
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STARS
Passing
- Aaron Rodgers, Packers, threw four touchdown passes, including a momentum-swinging 42-yard heave to Randall Cobb at the end of the second quarter, and finished 25 of 40 for 362 yards in Green Bay’s 38-13 win over the New York Giants.
- Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh’s 30-12 win over Miami.
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Rushing
- Le’Veon Bell, Steelers, ran for a franchise postseason-record 167 yards and two scores in a 30-12 victory over Miami.
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Receiving
- Randall Cobb, Packers, caught three touchdown passes, finishing with five catches for 116 yards in Green Bay’s 38-13 win over the New York Giants. Davante Adams added eight receptions for 125 yards and one TD.
- Antonio Brown, Steelers, had five receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 30-12 victory over Miami.
- Jarvis Landry, Dolphins, caught 11 passes for 102 yards in Miami’s 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh.
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Special Teams
- Andrew Franks, Dolphins, had field goals of 38 and 47 yards to account for all of Miami’s points until a late touchdown in a 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh.
- Christine Michael, Packers, returned a kickoff 31 yards to help set up Green Bay’s third touchdown in a 38-13 win over the New York Giants.
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Defense
- Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison, Steelers. Timmons had 14 total tackles and two sacks, while Harrison had 10 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble in Pittsburgh’s 30-12 win over Miami.
- Clay Matthews, Packers, had a strip-sack of Eli Manning and then recovered the fumble midway through the fourth quarter to help seal Green Bay’s 38-13 win over the New York Giants.
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STREAKS & STATS
Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown had touchdown catches of 50 and 62 yards in the Steelers’ 30-12 win over Miami, becoming the first player with two TD receptions of 50 or more yards in a playoff game since Minnesota’s Randy Moss in the 2000 divisional round against New Orleans. … The Dolphins are winless in the playoffs since a 23-17 overtime win over Indianapolis in the 2000 postseason. … New York’s 38-13 loss at Green Bay was its first defeat in the postseason since falling to Philadelphia in 2008. The Giants’ last playoff loss on the road was against the Eagles in 2006.
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MILESTONES
Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell broke Franco Harris’ franchise postseason record with 167 yards rushing in the Steelers’ 30-12 win over Miami. Harris ran for 158 yards in a Super Bowl win over Minnesota 42 years ago, and Bell reached that total by the end of the third quarter against the Dolphins.
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DIVINE INTERVENTION?
Aaron Rodgers, a master of the Hail Mary pass, gave Green Bay a 14-6 lead into halftime of the NFC wild-card game against the New York Giants after he hit Randall Cobb with a 42-yard touchdown pass. The pass went farther than that, though, after Cobb somehow pulled in the pass in the back of the end zone with three New York Giants defenders a couple feet in front of him. It was a familiar sight: Rodgers hit Jeff Janis on a Hail Mary against Arizona in the playoffs last season to force overtime. In December 2015, Rodgers also hit Richard Rodgers with a 61-yard pass to beat Detroit in Week 13.
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BIG BEN’S BOOT
Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger sported a walking boot on his right foot while talking to the media after the Steelers’ 30-12 win over Miami as a preventative measure. Roethlisberger tweaked the ankle while throwing an interception on Pittsburgh’s penultimate drive. He sprinted off the field afterward and said he will be ready to go against the Chiefs.
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SHUT DOWN
Miami’s Jay Ajayi managed 33 yards on 16 carries, or 171 yards less than he piled up against Pittsburgh in October, in the Dolphins’ 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh. … New York’s Odell Beckham Jr. was held to four catches for 28 yards in a 38-13 loss at Green Bay.
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SIDELINED
Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Nelson was knocked out of the Packers’ 38-13 win over the Giants with 11 minutes left in the second quarter with a rib injury. Nelson looked stunned as he rode back to the locker room on the front seat of a cart after getting hurt, hunched forward with his hands on his face. … Packers running back Ty Montgomery limped off the field early in the fourth quarter with an apparent left leg injury, but returned. He finished with 27 yards on 11 carries, and 41 yards on three receptions. … Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie limped off after the first defensive series with a thigh injury. He returned in the second half, but appeared to play mostly on special teams.
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SPEAKING
“It’s unbelievable. … He makes the throw, guys are misjudging it and one of us is able to come up with it.” - Green Bay’s Randall Cobb on his Hail Mary catch from Aaron Rodgers at the end of the first half of the Packers’ 38-13 win over the Giants.
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“We wanted to go out there and make a statement.” - Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell after the Steelers cruised to a 30-12 victory over Miami on Sunday.
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