The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday and Sunday with Wild Card Weekend. On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts play at the Miami Dolphins and the St. Louis Rams visit the New Orleans Saints in battles of divisional rivals. On Sunday, Wild Card Weekend continues with the Denver Broncos at the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Philadelphia Eagles.

Super Bowl XXX, between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, was the first in a string of super-competitive Super Bowls that have produced some of the championship’s most memorable games and moments. In fact, in four of the past five Super Bowls, both teams have been within seven points or less of each other in either the third or fourth quarters.

The Minnesota Vikings (38) will tie the San Francisco 49ers for the second-most playoff games played by one franchise when they host a Divisional game on January 6. Dallas holds the record with 53 postseason games played.

The New York Giants are participating in their 25th NFL postseason, which moves them to within one of the NFL record of 26 held by the Dallas Cowboys. The St. Louis Rams are participating in their 24th postseason, which ranks third all-time.

The Denver Broncos have won seven consecutive playoff games and need one to move into sole possession of second place on the all-time list, one behind the Green Bay Packers’ record nine.

Following is a list of this year’s 12 playoff teams and their postseason records:

Following are players chasing playoff records and milestones:

• Minnesota WR RANDY MOSS has a touchdown reception in four consecutive playoff games, tying him with five others for the third-longest streak in playoff history. He can tie JAMES LOFTON for second-most consecutive games with five.

• Tennessee K AL DEL GRECO has made a field goal in eight consecutive playoff games and needs one in his next game to tie KEVIN BUTLER and SCOTT NORWOOD for second (behind TONI FRITSCH, 13). Del Greco’s 53-yard field goal against the Jets in 1991 is the third-longest in playoff history.

• Philadelphia KR BRIAN MITCHELL holds the record for the longest kickoff return in postseason history with a 100-yard return as a member of the Redskins against the Buccaneers in 1999.

ROOKIE RUSHERS: MIKE ANDERSON of the Denver Broncos and JAMAL LEWIS of the Baltimore Ravens rushed for 1,500 and 1,364 yards, respectively, in their first seasons – marking the second time in NFL history that two rookies surpassed the 1,300-yard mark in the same season (ERIC DICKERSON, 1,808; and CURT WARNER, 1,449, in 1983). Now, the duo takes aim at the most prolific postseasons by rookie rushers.

THE SKINNY ON THE HEAVYWEIGHTS: Seven of the top 10 rushing teams in the NFL this season earned playoff berths. In front of every successful running game – literally – is a group of talented offensive linemen. Following are the average weights of projected offensive line starters for the 12 playoff clubs (based on opening-day roster weights):

FRESHMAN GLORY: Rookie head coaches JIM HASLETT of New Orleans and MIKE MARTZ of St. Louis meet Saturday in the NFC’s opening Wild Card game. Both will vie to join DON MC CAFFERTY (Super Bowl V) and GEORGE SEIFERT (XXIV) as the only rookie head coaches to take their teams to Super Bowl titles. They are the eighth and ninth coaches since 1990 to lead their teams to the playoffs in their inaugural year.