Quote:Home-field advantage?

Since the NFL adopted its current 12-team playoff format in 1990, home teams are 58-30 in the wild-card round (.659 winning percentage). In the last eight seasons, however, home teams in the wild-card round have experienced diminished success, winning 17 out of 32 games (.531 winning percentage). While all home teams won in the wild-card round in the 2011 playoffs, three of four road teams were victorious in the 2010 wild-card round.

Rodgers a lone wolf in NFC playoffs

The six AFC playoff quarterbacks have 51 combined playoff starts among them, with 30 postseason wins. The six NFC playoff quarterbacks have nine combined playoff starts (six by Aaron Rodgers) with only four wins (all by Rodgers).

Well, this is a first

2012 is the first time in NFL history that the teams making the top two picks in the NFL draft (the Indianapolis Colts selected Andrew Luck; Washington Redskins selected Robert Griffin III) both made the postseason in the same campaign.

We meet again

The Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans also played each other in the 2011 AFC wild-card playoffs. Before this weekend, teams have met in the wild-card playoffs in consecutive seasons only three times in NFL history. Each time, the team that won the first matchup repeated as the winner in the subsequent season. In 2011, the Texans beat the Bengals, 31-10.

Andy Dalton

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton grew up in Katy, Texas, a 30-minute drive from Houston's Reliant Stadium. Dalton's 3-1 record in that stadium includes two high school victories plus guiding TCU to a Texas Bowl win in 2007. Dalton's only loss in Reliant Stadium was last season, when the Bengals fell, 31-10, to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild-card round.

Let's play two

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Green Bay Packers six days after defeating the Packers in Week 17. It is the 18th time that two teams will face off in their first postseason game after meeting in the final regular-season game. The team that won the final regular-season game also won the postseason rematch eight of 17 times.

Running partner

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had 409 yards rushing against the Green Bay Packers this season (204.5 yards per game), tied for the fourth-most rushing yards ever by one player against a single opponent in a season. Peterson had 21 rushes for 210 yards and a touchdown in Week 13, and 34 rushes for 199 yards and a touchdown in Week 17 vs. Green Bay. Only the Baltimore Ravens' Jamal Lewis (vs. the Cleveland Browns in 2003), Buffalo Bills' O.J. Simpson (vs. the New England Patriots in 1973) and San Diego Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson (vs. the Oakland Raiders in 2003) have had more rushing yards against an opponent in a single season.

How's that for starters?

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be the first QB selected first overall in the common draft era (since 1967) to start a playoff game his rookie season.

The Colts are the seventh team in the common draft era to have the first overall pick in the NFL draft and make the playoffs the following season. Of those teams, Indianapolis is one of two that selected a quarterback, and is the only team for which the quarterback suited up for the team that drafted him. Eli Manning was drafted first overall in 2004 by the San Diego Chargers, who reached the playoffs with Drew Brees starting at quarterback.

Adam Vinatieri

Adam Vinatieri's 45 career postseason successful field goal attempts are the most in NFL history. Vinatieri has played in 24 career postseason games, which is tied for the second-most all-time, behind Jerry Rice's 29 games. When Vinatieri takes the field for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, he will pass Larry Cole, Brett Favre, Gene Upshaw and Charlie Waters to take sole possession of second place on the career postseason games list.

Springboard for success

Either because of the enduring success of the Baltimore Ravens defense or proximity to linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens' defensive coordinator position has been a launching pad for future head coaches. Marvin Lewis (1996-2001), Mike Nolan (2002-2004), Rex Ryan (2005-2008) and Chuck Pagano (2011) all became head coaches after guiding Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense. Only Marvin Lewis stopped elsewhere on his way to becoming an NFL head coach, spending one year as the Washington Redskins' assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before taking over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rated rookies

The Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III (102.4) and Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson (100.0) are the first two rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to finish the season with a passer rating of 100.0 or above.

Playoff rivals

Each of the Washington Redskins' past two playoff games have been against the Seattle Seahawks. The Redskins have lost both times, in the 2005 NFC divisional playoffs (20-10) and the 2007 NFC wild-card playoffs (35-14).

Who needs that first-round playoff bye?

Winners in the wild-card playoff round have won eight Super Bowls, and at least one Super Bowl participant in five of the past six Super Bowls played during the wild-card round. Both the 2011 New York Giants and 2010 Green Bay Packers played in the wild-card round.

Stumbling into the playoffs

Since 1990, 28 teams have lost three or more of their last four games of the regular season and made the playoffs, including the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens this season. Only one of the 26 teams from 1990 through 2011 have won more than playoff game, the 2009 New Orleans Saints, who went on to win Super Bowl XLIV. From 1990 through 2011, 11 of those 26 teams lost their first playoff game.

(01-02-2013 11:37 PM)Jesus Wrote:  Funny thing about Aaron Rodgers all of his playoff victories came in one season. Other than 2010 he is one and done or not in the playoffs. In fact you take away the win over us and he is pretty average in the playoffs. I think the Vikes win.

(01-03-2013 09:53 AM)Jesus Wrote:  Maybe average isn't the right word. He dominated us and had shown he can control a game even with bad defense in the other wins. Had they not had that run in 2010 how would Rodgers look? Would the word be that he can't win the big game? I don't think they win because the D lets him down again. The packers are vulnerable. Plus his line is the worst in football. I think if we face them we can generate enough pressure and coverage to shut Rodgers down.

(01-03-2013 02:13 PM)Xanthri Wrote:  I think the Texans MAY and I stress MAY be able to pull off one solid game against the Bengals (who really have been up and down - sometimes darn right awful). Other than that I agree with your picks.

Especially the WASH pick, I think RG3 and Morris are built for their home turf, I heard the announcers saying last week that players were having a hard time with footing....I have to think that puts Seattle at a disadvantage because their guys built for speed will have to limit that speed in order to make cuts.

Marshawn Lynch splits (I realize he played on turf more but his AVG drops 1.4 yards and his rec yards avg drops 4.2 yards. May not see like much...
BY SURFACE ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST
ON GRASS 99 406 4.1 20 1 8 46 5.8 13 0 3 1
ON TURF 216 1,184 5.5 77 10 15 150 10.0 27 1 2 1

Alfred Morris Splits (surprised he had lower average on turf) - he has ran on grass a bunch more than Lynch has though....looking at AVG they are close but I believe Morris will out gain Lynch in this outing....call it a hunch....I just think that grass will factor in.

BY SURFACE ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST
ON GRASS 245 1,195 4.9 39 10 9 67 7.4 20 0 3 2
ON TURF 90 418 4.6 30 3 2 10 5.0 5 0 1 1

Russell Wilson on Grass
BY SURFACE ATT YDS AVG LNG TD
ON GRASS 30 151 5.0 20 0
ON TURF 64 338 5.3 25 4

RG3 on Grass
BY SURFACE ATT YDS AVG LNG TD
ON GRASS 84 573 6.8 76 5
ON TURF 36 242 6.7 28 2

Receivers are a bit of a toss up averages of top two slightly favor SEA (even on grass - though splits didn't discuss yards after catch on grass - which is bigger factor) - Seattle's run and WASH run def are close....

Overall they are very evenly matched....and RG3 is at home on his field. I have to day Seattle has been not as good on the road (that is not to say they can't turn it around....) For me it is unbelievable how WASH defense is responding despite losing 2 of their biggest contributers very early in the season.....