Divisional Playoffs

PLAYOFF RUSHING DEBUTS: In his playoff debut against the Indianapolis Colts last week, Miami Dolphins running back LAMAR SMITH carried the ball a playoff-record 40 times for 209 yards, the second-highest playoff-game total ever. Smith needs 59 yards to pass CURTIS MARTIN for the fifth-best rushing total in a player’s first playoffs, and can move up further in the category. Following are the top five rushers in a player’s first playoffs:

Player	Team	Year	Att.	Yards	Avg.	TD
Eddie George	Tennessee	1999	108	449	4.2	3
Timmy Smith	Washington	1987	51	342	6.7	2
Duane Thomas	Dallas	1970	75	313	4.2	1
Ickey Woods	Cincinnati	1988	72	307	4.3	3
Curtis Martin	New England	1996	49	267	5.4	5

TOUCHDOWN MAKERS: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver RANDY MOSS has a touchdown reception in four consecutive playoff games, tied for the third best playoff streak all-time. With a TD catch against New Orleans Saturday, Moss will tie JAMES LOFTON for second place in the category. The top five streaks of consecutive playoff games with a touchdown reception:

Player	Team(s)	Years	Consecutive Games with TD
John Stallworth	Pittsburgh	1978-83	8
James Lofton	Green Bay-Buffalo	1982-90	5
Lynn Swann	Pittsburgh	1978-79	4
Harold Carmichael	Philadelphia	1978-80	4
Fred Solomon	San Francisco	1983-84	4
Jerry Rice	San Francisco	1988-89	4
John Taylor	San Francisco	1988-89	4
Randy Moss	Minnesota	1998-99	4 *
* Active

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: When the Tennessee Titans host the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, the two highest-rated defenses in the NFL will match up. Tennessee finished the season with the top-ranked overall defense (238.4 yards per game), followed by Baltimore (247.9). A comparison of the two defenses:

Tennessee Titans/NFL Rank	Category	Baltimore Ravens/NFL Rank
238.4 (1)	Total defense	247.9 (2)
86.9 (3)	Rushing defense	60.6 (1)
151.5 (1)	Passing defense	187.3 (8)
191 (2)	Points allowed	165 (1)
2 (T2)	Shutouts	4 (1)

The meeting between the Ravens and Titans also marks the sixth time in NFL history that the top two defenses in yards allowed have met in the playoffs. The last time was a 1985 NFC Divisional Playoff game in which the Chicago Bears (No. 1) defeated the New York Giants (No. 2) 21-0. The five times the top two defenses met in the playoffs:

#1 Defense	#2 Defense	Round	Date	Result
Bears	Giants	NFC Divisional	1/5/86	Bears 21-0
Rams	Cowboys	NFC Championship	1/7/79	Cowboys 28-0
Raiders	Packers	Super Bowl II	1/14/68	Packers 33-14
Bears	Redskins	NFL Championship	12/13/42	Redskins 14-6
Lions	Giants	NFL Championship	12/15/35	Lions 26-7

GEORGE GAINING GROUND: Tennessee Titans running back EDDIE GEORGE is averaging 112.3 rushing yards in his four career playoff games. This Sunday, George can become the fourth player in NFL history to average 100 or more yards per playoff game for a minimum of five games. His mark of 112.3 would rank second. Following are the top five all-time rushing yards per playoff game averages (minimum five games):

Player	Team(s)	Games	Yards	Yards per Game
Terrell Davis	Denver	8	1,140	142.5
John Riggins	Washington	9	996	110.7
Eric Dickerson	L.A. Rams-Indianapolis	7	724	103.4
Emmitt Smith	Dallas	17	1,586	93.3
Duane Thomas	Dallas	6	518	86.3

FAVORITE OPPONENTS: When the New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles in the weekend’s final Divisional Playoff game, the Giants will be seeking to extend their winning streak over the Eagles to nine games. With a win, the Giants will tie for the longest active winning streak of one team over another. Following are the top five active such streaks:

Teams	Consecutive Wins
Miami over Cincinnati	9
New England over San Diego	9
Miami over Arizona	8
New York Giants over Philadelphia	8
Pittsburgh over Atlanta	8