NFL playoffs 2005-06: Encyclopedia II - NFL playoffs 2005-06 - Divisional playoffs

NFL playoffs 2005-06 - Divisional playoffs

NFL playoffs 2005-06 - Saturday January 14 2006

at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington

• Game time: 4:30 pm EST/1:30 pm PST (2130 UTC)
• Game weather: 44 °F (Rain)
• TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Darryl Johnston (color commentator), Tony Siragusa (field reporter)

The Seahawks overcame an early injury (concussion) suffered by NFL MVP and rushing champion Shaun Alexander, and three turnovers, to end their 21-year playoff victory drought. Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck led the offense, completing 16 out of 26 passes for 215 yards. He threw a 29-yard touchdown pass with Darrell Jackson in the second quarter, and he ran for the team's other touchdown in the third quarter. Despite this, the Redskins hung in the game to the very end. Washington scored first in the first quarter after a muffed punt set up John Hall's 26-yard field goal. Then the Redskins executed a four-play, 76-yard fourth quarter drive to score on wide receiver Santana Moss's 20-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Mark Brunell, a throw that bounced off the shoulder of Seattle cornerback Andre Dyson into Moss' arms. But then Hall missed a 36-yard field goal with 8:06 left in the game. Seattle then drove to the game-clinching field goal, led by fullback Mack Strong's career-long 32-yard run. The Seahawks' win was their first since a 1984 AFC Wild Card playoff win over the then-Los Angeles Raiders. Alexander would return for the NFC Championship Game the following week.

• Scoring
  • 1st Quarter
    • None.
  • 2nd Quarter
    • WAS - FG Hall 26, Redskins 3-0. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:02.
    • SEA - D. Jackson 29 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick), Seahawks 7-3. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:37.
  • 3rd Quarter
    • SEA - Hasselbeck 6 run (Brown kick), Seahawks 14-3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:20.
  • 4th Quarter
    • SEA - FG Brown 33, Seahawks 17-3. Drive: Six plays, 48 yards, 2:39.
    • WAS - Moss 20 pass from Brunell (Hall kick), Seahawks 17-10. Drive: Four plays, 76 yards, 2:17.
    • SEA - FG Brown 31, Seahawks 20-10. Drive: Nine plays, 60 yards, 5:07.

at INVESCO Field, Denver, Colorado

• Game time: 8:00 pm EST/6:00 pm MST (0100 Sunday UTC)
• Game weather: 51°F (Clear)
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (field reporter)

The Broncos converted four out of five turnovers into 24 points as they eliminated the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, and won their first playoff game since defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. This game also ended New England's league-record ten-game postseason winning streak.

After Asante Samuel intercepted a Jake Plummer pass in the second quarter, New England was able to score on an Adam Vinatieri field goal, after a vicious defensive struggle in the first half on both sides. With New England leading 3-0 with less than two minutes left in the first half, Patriots running back Kevin Faulk fumbled the ball near his own 40-yard line. Aided by a controversial pass interference penalty, the Broncos converted the turnover with running back Mike Anderson's one-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, Ellis Hobbs fumbled, setting up kicker Jason Elam's 50-yard field goal to give Denver a 10-3 halftime lead. Later with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was intercepted for the first time in the playoffs since Super Bowl XXXVIII. The interception was returned by Champ Bailey for 101 yards before New England tight end Ben Watson knocked the ball out of bounds one yard short of the goal line. Mike Anderson then ran for another one-yard touchdown on the next play. The usually accurate Vinatieri missed a fourth quarter field goal, his first in 21 field goal attempts in the playoffs. Later in the fourth quarter, Troy Brown muffed a Denver punt, setting up Rod Smith's four-yard touchdown pass from Plummer. The Broncos all but clinched the game when they intercepted Brady's desperation pass late in the fourth quarter.

Brady finished the game completing 20 out of 36 passes for 341 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, but lost his first NFL postseason game. Also, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick lost his first postseason game since taking over the team in 2000.

• Scoring
  • 1st Quarter
    • None.
  • 2nd Quarter
    • NE - FG Vinatieri 40, Patriots 3-0. Drive: Seven plays, 67 yards, 2:22.
    • DEN - Mike Anderson 1 run (Elam kick), Broncos 7-3. Drive: Two plays, 40 yards, 18 seconds.
    • DEN - FG Elam 50, Broncos 10-3. Drive: Four plays, seven yards, 59 seconds.
  • 3rd Quarter
    • NE - FG Vinatieri 32, Broncos 10-6. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:31.
    • DEN - Mike Anderson 1 run (Elam kick), Broncos 17-6. Drive: One play, one yard, four seconds.
  • 4th Quarter
    • DEN - Smith 4 pass from Plummer (Elam kick), Broncos 24-6. Drive: Three plays, 15 yards, 1:32.
    • NE - Givens 4 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick), Broncos 24-13. Drive: Two plays, 77 yards, 33 seconds.
    • DEN - FG Elam 34, Broncos 27-13. Drive: Eight plays, 61 yards, 4:45.

NFL playoffs 2005-06 - Sunday January 15 2006

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST (1800 UTC)
• Game weather: Indoors (Domed stadium)
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Armen Keteyian (field reporter)

The Steelers jumped to a 21-3 lead, and held off a late rally in the closing minutes to beat the Colts. In the process, Pittsburgh became the first #6 playoff seed since the NFL expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990 to defeat a #1 seed, and also the first #6 seed to reach a conference championship game. The Steelers took a 14-0 lead in the first period with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El on the game's opening drive, and tight end Heath Miller's seven yard touchdown reception. The Colts could only manage a field goal in the second quarter while running back Jerome Bettis's one yard touchdown run late in the third period increased the Steelers' lead, 21-3.

The Colts rallied in the final period to cut the deficit 21-18, with quarterback Peyton Manning's 50-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark and running back Edgerrin James's 3-yard touchdown run (and Reggie Wayne's successful two-point conversion reception). James' touchdown came a few plays after an interception by Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu was overturned by instant replay (a reversal that the league would later admit was a mistake). But with 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked on fourth and 16 at the Colts' 2-yard line, and the ball was turned over to the Steelers on downs.

At this point, the game appeared to be over. However, the Steelers were forced to advance the ball towards another score instead of taking a quarterback kneel because the Colts still had three timeouts remaining. But on Pittsburgh's first play, Bettis lost the football when linebacker Gary Brackett popped it from Bettis' hands with his helmet en route to what would have been an insurance touchdown. Indianapolis defensive back Nick Harper recovered the ball and appeared to be on his way for a touchdown when Roethlisberger made a saving tackle at the Colts' 42-yard line. The Colts then advanced to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who had been perfect at home in the playoffs, missed a 46-yard game-tying field goal attempt with 17 seconds remaining.

• Scoring
  • 1st Quarter
    • PIT - Randle El 6 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), Steelers 7-0. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:35.
    • PIT - Miller 7 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), Steelers 14-0. Drive: Seven plays, 72 yards, 2:53.
  • 2nd Quarter
    • IND - FG Vanderjagt 20, Steelers 14-3. Drive: 15 plays, 96 yards, 9:39.
  • 3rd Quarter
    • PIT - Bettis 1 run (Reed kick), Steelers 21-3. Drive: Six plays, 30 yards, 3:21.
  • 4th Quarter
    • IND - Clark 50 pass from Manning (Vanderjagt kick), Steelers 21-10. Drive: Six plays, 72 yards, 2:17.
    • IND - James 3 run (Wayne pass from Manning), Steelers 21-18. Drive: Six plays, 80 yards, 1:39.

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Game time: 4:30 pm EST/3:30 pm CST (2130 UTC)
• Game weather: 42 °F (Partly cloudy, windy)
• TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Pam Oliver and Chris Myers (field reporters)

The Panthers recorded 434 yards of total offense, and avenged a 13-3 regular season defeat by the Bears, to advance to their third NFC Championship Game in their eleven-year existence. Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith scored on two of quarterback Jake Delhomme's three touchdown passes, the first coming 55 seconds into the contest. Panthers kicker John Kasay also contributed three second-quarter field goals. Although the Panthers lost key running back DeShaun Foster to a broken ankle in the third quarter, the team managed to hold out the Bears. Chicago took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored on quarterback Rex Grossman one yard touchdown pass to tight end Desmond Clark, cutting Carolina's lead to 16-14. The teams then exchanged touchdowns, with Smith's 39-yard reception and Bears running back Jason McKie's three yard touchdown run. But the Panthers then pulled away for good with tight end Kris Mangum's one yard touchdown reception with 8:04 left in the game.

• Scoring
  • 1st Quarter
    • CAR - Smith 58 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), Panthers 7-0. Drive: Two plays, 60 yards, 55 seconds.
  • 2nd Quarter
    • CAR - FG Kasay 20, Panthers 10-0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:01.
    • CAR - FG Kasay 38, Panthers 13-0. Drive: Eight plays, 40 yards, 4:26.
    • CHI - Peterson 1 run (Gould kick), Panthers 13-7. Drive: Nine plays, 67 yards, 4:29.
    • CAR - FG Kasay 37, Panthers 16-7. Drive: Eight plays, 51 yards, 1:57.
  • 3rd Quarter
    • CHI - Clark 1 pass from Grossman (Gould kick), Panthers 16-14. Drive: Eight plays, 68 yards, 3:39.
    • CAR - Smith 39 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), Panthers 23-14. Drive: Five plays, 56 yards, 3:24.
  • 4th Quarter
    • CHI - McKie 3 run (Gould kick), Panthers 23-21. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:44.
    • CAR - Mangum 1 pass from Delhomme (kick failed), Panthers 29-21. Drive: Seven plays, 62 yards, 4:19.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Divisional playoffs", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki