The Latest on the NFL’s wild-card Sunday. (All times Eastern):
8 p.m.
There will be a familiar feel to the NFL playoffs next weekend: Every divisional-round game will be a rematch from the regular season, the first time that’s happened in six years.
In the NFC, it’s the Green Bay Packers at the Dallas Cowboys, and the Seattle Seahawks at the Atlanta Falcons. In the AFC, it’s the Houston Texans at the New England Patriots, and the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Kansas City Chiefs.
The first times around, Dallas beat Green Bay 30-16 in Week 6, Seattle beat Atlanta 26-24 the same week, New England beat Houston 27-0 in Week 3, and Pittsburgh beat Kansas City 43-14 in Week 4.
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7:55 p.m.
The Green Bay Packers have advanced in the NFL playoffs with a 38-13 victory over the New York Giants.
Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes to move the Packers into the next round, where they will face the Dallas Cowboys. Randall Cobb caught three of those touchdown passes from Rodgers, and that included a 42-yard Hail Mary right before halftime.
Eli Manning struggled for the Giants, although he did throw one touchdown pass. Clay Matthews sacked Manning for a forced fumble in the fourth quarter as the Giants were trying to rally.
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7:30 p.m.
There goes that man again!
Randall Cobb caught his third Aaron Rodgers’ touchdown pass of the game as the Packers have taken control of their wild-card playoff game against the Giants.
Cobb’s latest touchdown gave Green Bay a 31-13 lead with about nine minutes remaining.
It was Rodgers fourth touchdown throw, with the other score going to Davante Adams in the first half.
If the Packers hold on for the win, they will travel to Dallas for a divisional round game next week.
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6:55 p.m.
After ending the half with a Hail Mary pass to Randall Cobb, Aaron Rodgers found him for another score in the third quarter as the Packers took a 21-13 lead over the Giants.
Playing without Jordy Nelson, who left the game in the first half with a rib injury, Rodgers has made Cobb his big-play target.
After the Giants cut the lead to 14-13 with an Eli Manning scoring pass to Tavares King, Rodgers went to work. The drive ended in just four plays with a 30-yard pass to Cobb.
That made it 21-13, and the Packers added a field goal before the end of the quarter to lead 24-13.
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6:35 p.m.
Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson will not return to the NFC wild-card game against the New York Giants because of a rib injury.
Nelson took a shot to the left side his body by Giants safety Leon Hall’s helmet while trying to pull in a pass from Aaron Rodgers. The injury happened with 11:08 left in the second quarter.
Nelson stayed down on the sideline for a couple minutes while play continued. He then walked to a cart that took him inside the stadium, hunched over in the front seat with his hands on his face.
The Packers ruled Nelson out at the start of the third quarter.
Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie left in the first quarter with a bruised thigh. He was also questionable to return.
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5:40 p.m.
Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Nelson is headed back to the locker room after taking a shot to the left side of his body by New York Giants safety Leon Hall while trying to pull in a pass.
The injury happened with 11:08 left in the second quarter.
The Packers said Nelson had a rib injury, and his return was questionable. Nelson stayed down on the sideline for a few minutes while play continued. He then walked to a cart that took him inside the stadium, hunched over in the front seat with his hands on his face.
The Giants had a 6-0 lead with 7:24 left on two field goals by Robbie Gould.
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5:15 p.m.
The Green Bay Packers are taking their shots down the field against a New York Giants secondary that’s now without cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
He left after the Giants’ first defensive series with a bruised thigh, and the Giants say he is questionable to return.
The Packers so far haven’t been able to move the ball effectively against a defense holding opponents to an NFC-low 17.8 points per game, even with receiver Randall Cobb back from an ankle injury. The Packers had 11 total yards over their first two series. - Genaro Armas reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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4:14 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have ended Miami’s brief postseason return.
The Steelers beat the Dolphins 30-12 on Sunday in Miami’s first playoff game since 2008. The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000.
Antonio Brown caught a pair of touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell broke Franco Harris’ team record for rushing yards in a postseason game - a mark that had stood since the 1975 Super Bowl. Bell had two touchdowns and 167 rushing yards.
The Steelers avenged a 15-point loss at Miami earlier this season by racing to a fast start against the Dolphins. Pittsburgh had 219 total yards in the first quarter - the most in the first quarter of a playoff game since 1991.
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3:35 p.m.
Le’Veon Bell ran all over a record Franco Harris held for nearly 42 years.
Bell topped Harris for most rushing yards in a playoff game on a third quarter touchdown run Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The run put Bell at 165 yards for the game, the most in a postseason Steelers game since Harris in the 1975 Super Bowl.
Harris ran for 158 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 12, 1975, and his mark held until Bell ran roughshod over Miami.
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2:50 p.m.
The NFL’s oldest starting linebacker preserved the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-6 halftime lead against the Miami Dolphins.
James Harrison sacked Miami quarterback Matt Moore with the Dolphins deep in Pittsburgh territory late in the first half to keep the Steelers comfortably in front. The 38-year-old Harrison raced in unblocked on Moore and jarred the ball loose. Pittsburgh defensive end Stephon Tuitt recovered at Steelers 13.
The turnover prevented the Dolphins from getting back into a game in which they were dominated for much of the opening 30 minutes.
The Steelers outgained Miami 286-159 in the first half.
- Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh
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2:10 p.m.
Matt Moore missed just one play after a brutal hit by Bud Dupree in Miami that left the quarterback appearing dazed as he was tended to on the ground.
Moore was scrambling when Dupree hit him helmet first square in the jaw. He lay on the ground for some time before sitting up and taking his time to recover.
Reviewed by Dolphins doctors on the sideline, he was given his helmet back and returned to the game after missing just one snap. He finished the drive that led to a Miami field goal that cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 20-6.
Dupree was flagged on the hit for roughing the passer.
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1:55 p.m.
The Steelers learned a hard lesson in their loss to the Miami Dolphins earlier this season.
The Dolphins beat Pittsburgh by 15 points in Miami in a game in which Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was hardly used. Bell got just 16 touches in that first meeting.
Pittsburgh has made him a workhorse in Sunday’s playoff game against Miami.
He had every touch on an 83-yard touchdown drive that put the Steelers up 20-3. A review of a 26-yard touchdown run was overturned because Bell was tackled just short of the goal line.
The Steelers gave him the ball on the next two plays - he was stuffed on the first carry, but appeared to score on the second. It was not ruled a touchdown, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin asked for a review and Bell finally had his touchdown.
In all, the Steelers have 258 yards total offense and three touchdowns. Bell has 99 total yards, and had 10 carries for 78 yards on his scoring drive.
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1:23 p.m.
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown couldn’t have asked for a better start to their playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.
The duo connected on a pair of touchdowns in the first eight minutes to take a 14-0 lead over the Dolphins.
Roethlisberger is 7-for-7 for 162 yards and two touchdown passes to Brown. Brown has 119 yards on three catches - and 112 of those yards came on his touchdown scores.
Brown’s first touchdown covered 50 yards on a screen pass from Roethlisberger. On the next drive, he scored on a 62-yard play.
The Dolphins scored a field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 with about three minutes left in the first quarter.
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1:15 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted little time putting the Miami Dolphins on their heels at chilly Heinz Field.
The Steelers went 85 yards in five plays for a touchdown on their opening possession. Wide receiver Antonio Brown covered the last 50, taking a screen pass from Ben Roethlisberger then sprinting down the left sideline to the end zone to give Pittsburgh an early 7-0 lead.
The Steelers offense hardly seemed bothered by the single-digit wind chills at kickoff. Roethlisberger worked exclusively out of the shotgun on the drive and completed all three of his passes.
Miami is trying to win its first playoff game since 2000.
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12:30 p.m.
The NFL’s wild-card round finishes up with two cold-weather games as the Miami Dolphins visit Pittsburgh and the Giants travel to Green Bay to renew one of the NFL’s best postseason rivalries.
Miami (10-6) beat the Steelers (11-5) 30-15 on Oct. 16 as Jay Ajayi ran for 204 yards . Despite that result, the Steelers - finally healthy - are favored by 10 at home, where it is 14 degrees. Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill is still dealing with a sprained knee, so backup Matt Moore will play.
The Packers are favored by four against the Giants. It is 10 degrees in Green Bay. That’s warmer than in 2008, when the Giants won at Lambeau when it was minus-23 with the wind-chill factor.
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