AFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES
| FOR USE AS DESIRED | FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
|
| AFC-N-22 12/27/00 | CONTACT: DAN MASONSON (212/450-2081) |
INDIANAPOLIS AT MIAMI SATURDAY, DENVER AT BALTIMORE SUNDAY IN AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS–AFC EAST (10-6) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS–AFC EAST (11-5)
SERIES
| COLTS | DOLPHINS | |
| LEADER | 42-21 (Includes playoffs) | |
| STREAKS | 4 of past 6 | |
| COACHES VS. OPP. | Mora: 4-5 | Wannstedt: 1-1 |
| VS. COMMON OPP. | Ind: 7-3 (Buf 2-0;
Det 1-0; GB 0-1; Min 1-0; NE 1-1; NYJ 1-1; Sea 1-0) Mia: 7-3 (Buf 2-0; Det 1-0; GB 1-0; Min 0-1; NE 2-0; NYJ 0-2; Sea 1-0) |
|
| PLAYOFF RECORD | 10-11 | 19-17 |
| LAST WEEK | W 31-10 vs. Vikings | W 27-24 at Patriots |
| LAST GAME | 12/17/00: Colts 20 at Dolphins 13. Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning throws TD pass & rushes for TD as Colts open 17-3 first-half lead. | |
| LAST GAME AT SITE | 12/17/00 | |
| LAST PLAYOFF | 1/2/72: Baltimore Colts 0 at Dolphins 21. Miami QB Bob Griese throws 75-yard first-quarter TD pass & Dolphins S Dick Anderson has 62-yard INT-return TD as Miami wins AFC Championship Game. | |
| BROADCAST | ABC (12:30 PM ET): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, Solomon Wilcots (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Howard David, Matt Millen, Boomer Esiason, John Dockery (Field reporter) | |
STAT LEADERS
| QBs | Manning: 357-571-4,413 (1L)-33-15-94.7 (2C) | Fiedler: 204-357-2,402-14-14-74.5 |
| RBs | James: 387-1,709 (1L)-4.4-13 | Smith: 309-1,139-3.7-14 (T2C) |
| WRs | Harrison: 102 (T1L)-1,413-13.9-14 (1C) | Gadsden: 56-786-14.0-6 |
| OFFENSE | 383.8 (2C) | 278.8 |
| TAKE/GIVE | -7 | +15 |
| DEFENSE | 334.8 | 289.8 |
| SACKS | Bratzke: 7.5 | Armstrong: 16.5 (1C) |
| INTs | Burris: 4 | Walker: 7 (T1C) |
| PR | Wilkins: 8.3 | Ogden: 17.0 |
| KOR | Pathon: 22.4 | Denson: 24.8 |
| PUNTING | Smith: 44.7 | Turk: 42.1 |
| KICKING | Vanderjagt: 121 (2C) (46/46 PAT; 25/27 FG) | Mare: 117 (33/34 PAT; 28/31 FG) |
NOTES
PAST 4 MEETINGS DECIDED BY 7 POINTS OR LESS & WON BY VISITOR……Three
of past 4 game-winning scores in series have come after 2-minute warning.
COLTS: Enter playoffs on 3-game win streak......Club earns consecutive playoff
berths for first time since 1995-96……Colts have first back-to-back 10+ win
seasons since 1976-77......Indy is first club in NFL history to have 4,000-yard passer
& 1,000-yard rusher & receiver in consecutive seasons……Club averaged
26.8 points per game – third in AFC (Denver, Oakland)......In 14 years as GM or
President, BILL POLIAN’s clubs have earned 8 playoff berths......Coach JIM
MORA aims for first career playoff victory......Passing game (267.6) topped AFC. QB
PEYTON MANNING has 23 victories since 1999 – tops in NFL. Manning only QB to take
every snap in 2000......RB EDGERRIN JAMES has NFL-record 35 TDs (26 rushing, 9
receiving) in first two seasons. He had NFL-high 1,709 rushing yards to become fifth
player all-time to win rushing titles in each of first 2 seasons (JIM BROWN,
1957-61; EARL CAMPBELL, 1978-80; ERIC DICKERSON, 1983-84; BILL PASCHAL,
1943-44). James has 441 rush yards in 4 games vs. Miami. Club 17-2 when James (128 yards
vs. Vikings in Week 17) rushes for 100 yards……Manning & James set individual
club passing & rushing yardage records in 2000......WR MARVIN HARRISON tied
club record with 14 receiving TDs (RAYMOND BERRY, 1959). Harrison (NFL-high tying
102 receptions) is fifth player in NFL history with back-to-back 100-catch
seasons......Defense held foes below 100 rush yards in 2 of past 3 games......Club limited
foes to 26.8 third-down conversion rate (11 of 41) over last 3 (vs. 41.4 percent in first
13).....Had 14 sacks in last 3 (vs. 28 in first 13).......K MIKE VANDERJAGT has
converted 51 of past 53 field goals......Club has three AFC All-Stars (Harrison, James,
Manning).
DOLPHINS: Seek to become third AFC team with 20 playoff victories (Oakland, Pittsburgh)......Miami 1 of 2 teams making fourth consecutive playoff appearance (Minnesota)......Club won first AFC East title since 1994......Dolphins have won 4 of past 5 home playoff games......JAY FIEDLER (Dartmouth) is first Ivy League QB to make playoff start since 1984 (JEFF KEMP, Dartmouth, L.A. Rams vs. Giants, 12/23). He is 6-3 all-time in home starts…….RB LAMAR SMITH had 11 TD runs in last 9 games. Smith makes first playoff appearance (seventh year)......WR ORONDE GADSDEN has TD catch in 3 of past 4 vs. Colts……Defense topped NFL with 28 INTs……"D" ranked third in NFL in points allowed (14.1)……Miami had No. 1 NFL defensive passer rating (57.5)……DEs TRACE ARMSTRONG (16.5) & JASON TAYLOR (14.5) finished 1-2 in AFC in sacks, becoming second duo to finish first and second in a conference (Carolina’s KEVIN GREENE & LAMAR LATHON in 1996). The duo’s 31 sacks topped all NFL tandems. Armstrong has 9 playoff sacks & needs 1.5 to tie RICHARD DENT for fourth in NFL postseason history……K OLINDO MARE has connected on past 11 FG attempts vs. Colts. Mare is the second most-accurate FG kicker in NFL history (.836; 117 of 140), behind RYAN LONGWELL, .847 .......Held foes avg. drive start to 26.1-yard line – tied with Denver for tops in AFC......Club has 5 Pro Bowlers (Armstrong, LARRY IZZO, SAM MADISON, BROCK MARION, Taylor)……Defense tied with Baltimore & Tampa Bay for NFL-high with 3 All-Star starters – DEs Armstrong & Taylor and CB Madison.
| BRONCOS | RAVENS | |
| LEADER | 1-0 | |
| STREAKS | 1-0 | |
| COACHES VS. OPP. | Shanahan: 1-0 | Billick: 0-0 |
| VS. COMMON OPP. | Den: 4-1 (Cin 0-1;
Cle 1-0; NYJ 1-0; SD 2-0) Balt: 6-0 (Cin 2-0; Cle 2-0; NYJ 1-0; SD 1-0) |
|
| PLAYOFF RECORD | 16-11 | 0-0 |
| LAST WEEK | W 38-9 vs. 49ers | W 34-20 vs. Jets |
| LAST GAME | 10/20/96: Ravens 34 at Broncos 45. Denver QB John Elway throws three TD passes & rushes for another score. | |
| LAST GAME AT SITE | -- | |
| LAST PLAYOFF | -- | |
| BROADCAST | CBS (12:30 PM ET): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, Armen Keteyian (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Dave Sims, Bob Trumpy, Irving Fryar (Field reporter) | |
STAT LEADERS
| QBs | Griese: 216-336-2,688-19-4-102.9 (1L) | Dilfer: 134-226-1,502-12-11-76.6 |
| RBs | Anderson (R): 297-1,500 (3C)-5.1-15 | Ja. Lewis (R): 309-1,364-4.4-6 |
| WRs | McCaffrey: 101 (2L)-1,317-13.0-9 | Sharpe (TE): 67-810-12.1-5 |
| OFFENSE | 410.4 (1C) | 313.4 |
| TAKE/GIVE | +19 (2L) | +23 (1L) |
| DEFENSE | 346.5 | 247.9 (2L) |
| SACKS | Pryce: 12.0 | Burnett: 10.5 |
| INTs | Buckley: 6 (T3C) | Starks: 6 (T3C) |
| PR | O’Neal (R): 10.4 | Je. Lewis: 16.1 (1L) |
| KOR | O’Neal (R): 24.0 | Harris: 23.3 |
| PUNTING | Rouen: 40.2 | Richardson: 40.2 |
| KICKING | Elam: 103 (49/49 PAT; 18/24 FG) | Stover: 135 (1L) (30/30 PAT; 35/39 FG) |
NOTES
FIRST EVER playoff meeting......First postseason game in Baltimore since 1977
(12/24 Colts 31 vs. Oakland Raiders 31)...... Game features NFL’s top 2 rookie
rushers – Denver’s MIKE ANDERSON (No. 1; 1,500 yards) &
Baltimore’s JAMAL LEWIS (No. 2; 1,368 yards).......Matchup features NFL’s
top 2 teams in takeways (Baltimore, No. 1, 49 & Denver, No. 2, 44).
BRONCOS: Have won past 7 playoff contests & need victory to become second
club in NFL history with 8 postseason wins in a row (Green Bay, 9 consecutive, 1961-62,
’65-67)......Make first trip to Baltimore since 1983 (W 17-10 vs. Colts,
9/11/83)......Club had team record 153 more plays than foes......Denver has won at least
11 games in 4 of past 5 seasons.......Scored 30 points 10 times – matching ’98
for tops in club history......Team’s 410.4 yards-per-game avg. topped AFC. Led AFC
with 30.3 scoring avg......Broncos had 21 players score TDs – matching NFL record
(1987 Rams)......Broncs +19 turnover ratio second in NFL...... Their 265.2 passing avg.
tops in club history. QB BRIAN GRIESE‘s 1.2 percent INT ratio best in Denver
annals. His 4.75 TD-to-INT ratio (19 TDs, 4 INTs) second-best season in league history
(min. 15 TDs; STEVE DE BERG, 5.75-to-1, 1990)……RB MIKE ANDERSON
had 15 TD runs – matching ICKEY WOODS (1988) for second-most by rookie in NFL
history (ERIC DICKERSON, 18 in 1983). Anderson’s 1,500 rushing yards
fifth-best ever by rookie. He averaged 122.6 yards per start (1,471 yards in 12 starts).
Denver 6-0 when Anderson rushed for 100 yards.......Broncos second club in NFL
history with two 100-catch receivers in a season with WRs ED MC CAFFREY
(club-record 101) & ROD SMITH (100) (Detroit’s HERMAN MOORE & BRETT
PERRIMAN in 1995). Smith’s 1,602 receiving yards tops in club history,
McCaffrey’s 1,317 second......Club’s TEs finished with 99 combined catches for
1,124 yards & 7 TDs......Broncos have 4 AFC All-Stars (Griese, C TOM NALEN, DT
TREVOR PRYCE & Smith).
RAVENS: Have won 9 of past 11 at PSINet Stadium. Have won 7 in a row – top current streak in NFL……QB TRENT DILFER has won 8 of past 10 Dec./Jan. starts (including 1-1 in playoffs). He is 7-1 as Ravens starter……Club’s 33:19 avg. possession time finished second in NFL (Tennessee)……RB JAMAL LEWIS had 927 rush yards in last 8 games……TE SHANNON SHARPE tied for Denver record with 44 career TD catches in 10 seasons with club (1990-99)......Ravens set NFL 16-game season record with 165 points allowed (old record: 187 by ’86 Bears) ……Defense allowed only 11 TDs over last 13 games……Ravens had NFL-high 49 takeaways & 26 FRs......Club finished second in NFL in total defense (247.9) & led in rush defense (60.6)……Run defense yielded 970 yards – NFL-best in 16 game season (old record: 1,061 by ’95 49ers)......Defense topped NFL in yards per carry avg. (2.69) & has NFL-best 33 games in a row without allowing 100-yard rusher...…Allowed NFL-fewest 27 red-zone trips & had AFC-best 29.6 defensive-TD rate......Defense tied for NFL high with Miami & Tampa Bay with 3 All-Star starters – DT SAM ADAMS, LB RAY LEWIS & S ROD WOODSON.