Game: San Diego @ Cincinnati Scoring Summary

 

Review: The Chargers take advantage of four turnovers by the Bengals and shut them out completely in the second half to defeat them 27-10. The Charges head to the divisional playoffs to take on Denver next Sunday.

Game Leaders:

CHARGERS

Pass- Rivers: 12-16, 128 yards, 1 td

Rush- Brown: 8 carries, 77 yards, 1 td

Rec- Green: 3 receptions, 34 yards, 1 td

BENGALS

Pass- Dalton: 29-51, 334 yards, 1 td

Rush- Bernard: 12 carries, 45 yards

Rec- Jones: 8 receptions, 130 yards

Scoring Summary:

First Quarter:

SD TD Danny Woodhead- 5 yard run (Nick Novak PAT) 7

Second Quarter:

CIN TD Jermaine Gresham- 4 yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent PAT) 7

CIN FG Mike Nugent- (46 yards) 3

Third Quarter:

SD TD Ladarius Green- 4 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak PAT) 7

SD FG Nick Novak- (25 yards) 3

Fourth Quarter:

SD FG Nick Novak- (23 yards) 3

SD TD Ronnie Brown- 58 Yard run (Nick Novak PAT) 7

FINAL SCORE: Chargers 27 Bengals 10

Facts:

This game was the Chargers first post season win since a 23-17 overtime victory against the Colts in '08 and their first win in an open-air stadium since a 17-13 win in Pittsburgh for the AFC title in 1994. Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones recorded 130 yards off of 8 receptions, Bengals playoff record. A.J. Green only recorded 34 yards with 3 receptions.

Game: Saints @ Eagles Scoring Summary

 

Review: As time expires, Saints kicker Shayne Graham hits the game winning field goal grabbing the first post season road win for New Orleans in franchise history. The Eagles fall by 2 points in this matchup losing 26-24.

Game Leaders:

SAINTS

Pass- Brees: 20-30, 250 yards, 1 td

Rush- Ingram: 18 carries, 97 yards, 1 td

Rec- Graham: 3 receptions, 44 yards

EAGLES

Pass- Foles: 23-33, 195 yards, 2 tds

Rush- McCoy: 21 carries, 77 yards, 1 td

Rec- Cooper: 6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 td

Scoring Summary:

Second Quarter:

NO FG Shayne Graham- (36 yards) 3

PHI TD Riley Cooper- 10 yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery PAT) 7

NO FG Shayne Graham- (46 yards) 3

Third Quarter:

NO TD Lance Moore- 24 yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham PAT) 7

NO TD Mark Ingram- 4 yard run (Shayne Graham PAT) 7

PHI TD LeSean McCoy- 1 yard run (Alex Henery PAT) 7

Fourth Quarter:

PHI FG Alex Henery- (31 yards) 3

NO FG Shayne Graham- (35 yards) 3

PHI TD Zach Ertz- 3 yards pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery PAT) 7

NO FG Shayne Graham- (32 yards) 3

FINAL SCORE: New Orleans 26 Philadelphia 24

Facts:

Brees finished the game recording 250 yards and going 20-30. Brees was picked off twice in the first half. Foles had 3 more completions and 3 more attempts (23-33), recording only 195 yards. Eagles Tight End Brent Celek had a neck injury, he would have returned but the time ran out before the Eagles had the chance to send their offense out on the field again. Cornerback Keenan Lewis from the Saints suffered a head injury in the third and could not return.

Game: Kansas City @ Indianapolis Scoring Summary

 

Review: The Colts surprisingly upset the Chiefs after coming back from a 28-point deficit and winning this wild card game 45-44. This comeback marks the second-largest comeback in NFL playoff history, also leaving the Chiefs with their eighth straight loss in the post season.

The most valuable player in this game was Colts quarterback Andrew Luck with 443 yards and four touchdowns.

Game Leaders:

COLTS

Pass- Luck: 29-45, 443 yards, 4 tds

Rush- Brown: 11 carries, 55 yards, 1 td

Rec- Hilton: 13 receptions, 224 yards, 2 tds

CHIEFS

Pass- Smith: 30-46, 378 yards, 4 tds

Rush- Davis: 18 carries, 67 yards, 1 td

Rec- Bowe: 8 receptions, 150 yards, 1 td

Scoring Drives:

First Quarter:

KC TD Dwayne Bowe- 6 yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop PAT) 7

IND TD T.Y Hilton- 10 yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

KC FG Ryan Succop- (19 yards) 3

Second Quarter:

KC TD Donnie Avery- 79 yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop PAT) 7

KC TD Anthony Sherman- 5 yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop PAT) 7

IND FG Adam Vinatieri- (37 yards) 3

KC TD Knile Davis- 4 yard run (Ryan Succop PAT) 7

Third Quarter:

KC TD Knile Davis- 10 yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop PAT) 7

IND TD Donald Brown- 10 yard run (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

IND TD Donald Brown- 3 yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

KC FG Ryan Succop- (42 yards) 3

IND TD Coby Fleener- 12 yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

Fourth Quarter:

IND TD Andrew luck- 5 yard fumble recovery (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

KC FG Ryan Succop- (43 yards) 3

IND TD T.Y. Hilton- 64 yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri PAT) 7

FINAL SCORE: Colts 45 Chiefs 44

Facts:

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri became the first player in NFL history to score 200 points in the post season, now sitting at 205 points. This game marks the first win in a playoff game for the Colts without Manning since January 7, 1996. It only gets worse for the Chiefs leaving them 0-4 to the Colts in playoff matchups.

Game: San Francisco @ Green Bay

Game: San Francisco @ Green Bay 

Preview: The Green Bay Packers host the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild-card showdown that could be one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history. The National Weather Service forecast called for a high temperature in Green Bay Today of 2 degrees, with north-northwest winds making it feel more like minus-15 to minus-20.The coldest NFL game on record is the 1967 championship game, known as the “Ice Bowl” won by the Packers 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field on New Year’s Eve. The temperature dipped to minus-13, and the wind chill that day was minus-48.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has three straight failures in game-planning to stop Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers' versatile quarterback. Back in the 2012 opener, Kaepernick came in for one play and sprung a 17-yard run, which set up David Akers' 63-yard field goal to end the half. Four months later, the 49ers unleashed Kaepernick on Capers, using the read-option to total 323 rushing yards, 579 total yards and 45 points. Kaepernick finished with 417 combined yards (record 181 rushing) and four touchdowns (two rushing). Hellbent on ensuring the read-option wouldn't embarrass his defense again, Capers spent an offseason preparing to stop the evolving trend in the 2013 season opener. While the Packers contained the look and mostly shut down the run, Kaepernick instead put up career numbers passing the football, throwing for 412 yards and three touchdowns.Overall, Kaepernick has accounted for 878 yards (203 rushing) and seven total touchdowns in the last two games against the Packers.

The Packers finished 2013 ranked 24th in points (26.8 per game) and passing yards (247.3) and 25th in total yards (372.3) and rushing yards (125.0).There's simply very little that Green Bay's defense can claim to be above-average at, especially with Clay Matthews on the sidelines. The 49ers may not rack up yards  24th in the NFL this season, but they can score (25.4 per game), win in the running game (137.6) and protect the football (second in the NFL in giveaways with 18). This will likely be another bad matchup for the Packers defense. Capers must find a way to limit his defense's predictable shortcomings on Sunday. Running the football will be important to both sides but may be more so for the Packers.

Green Bay hasn't had problems throwing against the 49ers, who have given up 283 passing yards a game to the Packers over the last three meetings. And considering San Francisco allowed nearly 750 passing yards in the last two games of 2013, that trend will likely continue Sunday. This season, Green Bay went 0-4 when rushing for less than 100 yards in a game. On the flip side of that equation, the 49ers allowed 139.3 rushing yards a game in their four losses in 2013. And in the 12 wins, that average dropped to just 81.5. The 49ers rank fourth overall in rushing defense and ninth in yards per carry allowed. The Packers have run the football considerably better this season, ranking in the top 10 of rushing for all but one week of 2013. But large chunks of their rushing yards have come against the likes of the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and the  Dallas Cowboys.The 49ers' front seven is an entirely different animal. A winning performance today will likely require Green Bay's best effort on the ground. The Packers have rushed for just 70.6 yards a game in the last three with the 49ers, including just 63 in the 2013 opener. Overall, Green Bay has just 49 total rushes over those three games—which highlights both the ineffectiveness of the run against the 49ers and Mike McCarthy's unwillingness to stick with it. 

Spread: -3

Prediction: Unless the 49ers crumble under the frozen conditions, the Packers won't be good enough on defense to hang with a bonafide Super Bowl contender. 49ers win this one 34-20.