FOR USE AS DESIRED
January 25, 2002

 

PRESS BOX NOTES – NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE:  Since 1975, when homefield advantage in the playoffs was no longer predetermined, 16 of the 26 NFC teams (61.5 percent) to win homefield have won the conference championship and advanced to the Super Bowl.  Thirteen of those 26 (50.0 percent) have won the Super Bowl.  The St. Louis Rams will attempt to become the 17th NFC team with the top seed in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl and the 14th to win the game.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES:  The St. Louis Rams on Sunday will play in the franchise’s 14th championship game (NFL, 1933-69 and NFC, 1970-present).  The Rams are tied with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers for the third-most championship games played (13) and will move into sole possession of third place this weekend.  Following are the teams with the most championship game appearances:

 

TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

New York Giants

17

Dallas Cowboys

16

Chicago Bears

13

Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams

13

Green Bay Packers

13

 

FLYING HIGH:  The Philadelphia Eagles will play in their sixth championship game (NFL, 1933-69 and NFC, 1970-present) this weekend.  The Eagles have a 4-1 (.800) record in championship games, the best mark among NFC teams and the second-best record in the NFL (minimum five appearances).  Following are the top five championship-game records (minimum five games):

 

TEAM

W

L

PCT.

Denver

6

 

1

.857

Philadelphia

4

 

1

.800

Green Bay

10

 

3

.769

Buffalo

6

 

2

.750

Miami

5

 

2

.714

 

PLAYOFF PASSER RATINGS:  In four career playoff games, St. Louis Rams quarterback KURT WARNER has completed 119 of 191 passes (62.3 percent) for 1,644 yards with 13 touchdowns versus eight interceptions for a 95.1 passer rating, which ranks third all-time.  Following are the top postseason passer ratings in NFL history (minimum 150 attempts):

 

QUARTERBACK

TEAM(S)

PASSER RATING

Bart Starr

Green Bay

104.8

 

Joe Montana

San Francisco, Kansas City

95.6

 

Kurt Warner

St. Louis

95.1*

 

Ken Anderson

Cincinnati

93.5

 

Joe Theismann

Washington

91.4

 

                                    *Active

 

DYNAMIC DONOVAN:  Philadelphia Eagles quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB leads the NFL with a 92.9 passer rating in the playoffs and has rushed 12 times for 94 yards and one touchdown.  McNabb needs six yards to become the 10th quarterback all-time with 100 rushing yards in one postseason.  Following are the top five in the category:

 

QUARTERBACK

TEAM

YEAR

RUSH YARDS

Steve McNair

Tennessee

1999

209

Otto Graham

Cleveland

1950

169

Joe Montana

San Francisco

1984

144

Steve Young

San Francisco

1994

128

Kordell Stewart

Pittsburgh

1997

112

POSTSEASON PICKOFFS – PLAYERS: St. Louis Rams cornerback AENEAS WILLIAMS set an NFL playoff record with two interception-return touchdowns last week against Green Bay.  Williams has five interceptions in three career postseason games for a 1.67 interceptions-per-game average.  That mark is the best in NFL history (minimum three games).  Following are the top five in the category:

 

PLAYER

INTERCEPTIONS

GAMES

INT/GAME

Aeneas Williams

5

3

 

1.67*

Vernon Perry

6

4

 

1.50

Lindon Crow

3

3

 

1.00

Ken Gorgal

4

4

 

1.00

Bill Simpson

9

11

 

0.82

     *Active

 

POSTSEASON PICKOFFS – TEAMS: The Philadelphia Eagles (seven) and St. Louis Rams (six) are the top two teams in this year’s playoffs in interceptions.  Philadelphia needs three interceptions to move into a tie for the second-most pickoffs in a single postseason while St. Louis needs four.  The top teams with the most interceptions in one postseason:

 

TEAM
YEAR
INTERCEPTIONS

Miami Dolphins

1982

14

Kansas City Chiefs

1969

10

Miami Dolphins

1972

10

Oakland Raiders

1980

10

Washington Redskins

1991

10

Baltimore Ravens

2000

10

 

INTERCEPTION-RETURN TDs: The 2001 NFL playoffs have already featured five interception-return touchdowns.  The St. Louis Rams (three) and Philadelphia Eagles (one) have combined for four of them.  The total of five INT-TDs ranks second all-time for one postseason, and with three more, the 2001 playoffs can tie the 1982 postseason for the most.  Following are the top five playoffs with the most interception-return touchdowns:

 

SEASON
INT-TDs

1982

8

2001

5

1996

4

2000

4

Many tied

3

 

FLYIN’ BRIAN:  Philadelphia Eagles return specialist BRIAN MITCHELL ranks among the top players all-time in the playoffs in both punt and kickoff returns.  Mitchell’s 26 punt returns for 281 yards put him in second place and his 25 kickoff returns for 613 yards rank or tie him for third.  Following are the all-time postseason leaders in the categories:

 

PLAYER

PUNT RETURNS

 

PLAYER

PUNT RETURN YARDS

Dave Meggett

34

 

Dave Meggett

312

Brian Mitchell

26*

 

Brian Mitchell

281*

Theo Bell

25

 

Anthony Carter

259

Gerald McNeil

21

 

Jermaine Lewis

224*

Darrien Gordon

21*

 

Neal Colzie

221

 *Active

 

 

 *Active

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLAYER

KICKOFF RETURNS

 

PLAYER

KICKOFF RETURN YARDS

Kevin Williams

31

 

Fulton Walker

677

Fulton Walker

29

 

Kevin Williams

632

Dave Meggett

25

 

Brian Mitchell

613*

Eric Metcalf

25*

 

Eric Metcalf

565*

Brian Mitchell

25*

 

David Palmer

517

            *Active                                                                              *Active

 

GEORGE HALAS TROPHY:  Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback BART STARR, the MVP of Super Bowls I and II, will present the winner of the NFC Championship Game with the GEORGE HALAS TROPHY.  The presentation will take place on the field after the game.  Halas, the late owner of the Chicago Bears and a founder of the NFL, is the second-winningest coach in NFL history (324-151-31) behind DON SHULA (347-173-6).  He won six NFL championships with the Bears and is a charter enshrinee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

HONORARY CAPTAINS:  Honorary captains for the Eagles will be defensive back TOM BROOKSHIER, a member of the 1960 world championship team, and HAROLD CARMICHAEL, the Eagles’ career leader in receptions and receiving yards.  Rams Director of scouting and former running back LAWRENCE MC CUTCHEON and two Pro Football Hall of Famers, running back ERIC DICKERSON and tackle JACKIE SLATER, will represent the Rams.