AFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

TENNESSEE AT NEW ENGLAND SATURDAY,

INDIANAPOLIS AT KANSAS CITY SUNDAY

IN AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

TENNESSEE TITANS–AFC SOUTH (13-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS–AFC EAST (14-2)

SERIES

SEASON STAT LEADERS
 

NOTES

GAME FEATURES clubs who ranked No. 2 (+17, NE) & No. 3 (+13, Tenn.) in NFL in turnover differential.  Game is Week 5 rematch, also played in New England, won by Patriots 38-30.  Titans won 6 in row after Week 5.  For Patriots, Week 5 began 12-game win streak; club has not lost since Week 4 (at Wash.).

TITANS:  Club reaches AFC Divisional playoff 4th time in 5 years & has won 2 of past 3 Divisional playoffs……Head coach JEFF FISHER leads NFL head coaches in wins (61) in past 5 years & aims to lead team to AFC Championship Game for 3rd time in past 5 seasons.  Under Fisher, club has posted six consecutive seasons with non-losing road record (6-3, .667 in ’03, including playoffs)……Last week at Baltimore, Pro Bowl starter QB STEVE MC NAIR completed passes to 8 receivers.  Named AP co-MVP, McNair led NFL in passer rating (100.4) & yards per attempt (8.04).  Club is 56-29 in regular season (.659) when McNair throws TD pass.  Recorded career-long playoff completion last week with 49-yard TD pass to WR JUSTIN MC CAREINS.  McNair was NFL’s highest-rated passer on 3rd down (117.7) with 12 TDs vs. 2 INTs & is AFC’s highest-rated in 4th qtr (96.8)……Including playoffs, club is 29-2 (.935) when RB EDDIE GEORGE has 27+ carries.  George averaging 91.0 rushing yards per game in 8 career playoff contests.  Rushed for 1,000+ yards (1,031) for 7th time in 8-year career.  George became 17th player in NFL history to rush for more than 10,000 career yards (10,009) & 2nd to do it without missing start (Pro Football HOFer JIM BROWN).  Rookie RB CHRIS BROWN (No. 93) had 61 yards on 11 carries (5.5 avg.) & 1 TD in WC win over Baltimore……Pro Bowl WR DERRICK MASON led AFC with 35 3rd-down receptions in 2003.  With 1,303 receiving yards, recorded most in club history since CHARLES HENNIGAN in 1964 (1,561).  Mason became 1st player in club history to record 3 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.  Led team with 8 TDs – all receiving.  WR McCareins scored career-high 7 TDs & was 2nd on team with 47 catches.  Has at least 1 catch in every game.  TE ERRON KINNEY notched 2 of 3 TD catches in final 3 weeks of reg. season.  Offensive line did not allow sack last week……Titans are NFL’s best vs. run (80.9 yds/game) & in WC win held NFL leading rusher & AP Offensive Player of Year JAMAL LEWIS to season-low 35 rushing yards.  LB KEITH BULLUCK led team in tackles for 2nd consecutive season & was named AFC All Star for 1st time.  DE JEVON KEARSE has totaled 9.5 sacks or more in 4 of 5 seasons.  Club was only team in NFL with 1.0+ sack in every game.  CB SAMARI ROLLE led club with 6 INTs.  In past 3 games, Rolle has recorded 6 passes defensed, including 3 INTs & 61-yd FR-TD……All Star P CRAIG HENTRICH led AFC with 37.8-yard net avg., tops among all playoff punters.  K GARY ANDERSON had game-winning 46-yard FG last week vs. Ravens w/ 29 seconds remaining.  Is NFL all-time postseason leader in points (151), FGs (32) & PATs (55).

PATRIOTS:  Have won 12 consecutive games & 3rd team in NFL history to win 12 in row to end season – 1934 Chicago Bears advanced to NFL Championship & 1972 Miami Dolphins won Super Bowl VII.  Are 4th team since 1970 with 12-game winning streak in single season & previous 3 won Super Bowl (1972 Miami, 1985 Chicago, 1998 Denver).  Posted franchise-record 14 wins & were 8-0 at Gillette Stadium, 1st perfect season at home.  Allowed 68 points at home, fewest by team in 16-game schedule.  Are 17-3 (.850) in past 20 at home.  In past 6 at Gillette, have outscored opponents 108-22.  Have won past 22 when leading at halftime & past 27 when leading after 3 quarters......QB TOM BRADY is 25-4 (.862) in career after Nov. 1 (including playoffs).  Is 33-12 (.733) in career as starter, best among active QBs.  Has never lost playoff game (3-0) & was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI.  Did not throw INT at home in 241 attempts this season, most attempts without INT for season at home since 1970.  In only divisional playoff (1/19/02 vs. Oakland), set club records in attempts (52), completions (32) & yards (312)......RB ANTOWAIN SMITH led club in rushing for 3rd time in 3 seasons with NE.  Had 2 rushing TDs in last playoff vs. Titans (1/8/00 w/Bills) & in 2003 meeting, rushed for 80 yards & 1 TD.  When Smith rushes for TD, Pats are 16-2 (.889).......WR DAVID GIVENS led team with 6 receiving TDs & had 3 in final 2 games.  WR DEION BRANCH had career-best 803 receiving yards to lead Pats.  Has catch in all 25 career games.......Club was 2nd in NFL with club-record +17 turnover differential.  Defense allowed 14.9 points per game, lowest in team history, including franchise-best 3 shutouts.  Patriots led NFL with 29 INTs, most by team since 1964 (31).  DT RICHARD SEYMOUR selected to 2nd consecutive Pro Bowl & CB TY LAW named AFC All Star for 4th time in career.  Law & CB TYRONE POOLE tied for team lead & ranked 4th in AFC with 6 INTs.  Law had 65-yard INT-TD in last meeting.  LB TEDY BRUSCHI had 3 INTs, including 2 INT-TDs.   LB MIKE VRABEL led team with career-best 9.5 sacks & tied career-high with 2 INTs.  Defense held opponents to 56.2 passer rating......Rookie KR BETHEL JOHNSON (No. 45) had AFC-best 28.2 KR avg. as team led AFC with 32.8 KO start.  Last playoff home game was 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff vs. Raiders, final game at Foxboro Stadium.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS–AFC SOUTH (13-4) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS–AFC WEST (13-3)

SERIES

SEASON STAT LEADERS
 

NOTES

GAME FEATURES top 2 offenses in AFC: No. 1 Kansas City (369.4) vs. No. 2 Indianapolis (367.1) & top 2 passing offenses in NFL: No. 1 Colts (261.2) vs. No. 2 Chiefs (248.8).  Each team features Pro Bowl QB: Kansas City’s TRENT GREEN & Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING.  Only QBs with 4,000+ yards this season.

COLTS:  Had franchise postseason-record 41 points & 479 yards in Wild Card win over Denver......Won 1st AFC South division title.  Set franchise record with 447 points scored.  Head coach TONY DUNGY is 3rd coach in franchise history to reach 10+ wins in each of 1st 2 seasons (DON MC CAFFERTY, 1970-71 & TED MARCHIBRODA, 1975-76).  Dungy has taken his team to playoffs in 6 of past 8 seasons......QB Manning, who was named co-MVP by AP (STEVE MC NAIR), completed 22 of 26 (84.6 pct.) for 377 yards & 5 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 158.3 passer rating, 2nd perfect passer rating game in postseason history (min. 15 att.).  Set Colts playoff records for comp. pct., yards, TDs & rating.  Tied NFL postseason record with 4 TDs in 1st half.  Passed for NFL-best 4,267 yards & became 1st player in NFL history with 5 consecutive 4,000-yard seasons.  Had AFC-high 29 TD passes & has thrown 25+ TD passes in each of past 6 seasons, only player in NFL history to accomplish feat.  Has thrown 68 career TD passes to WR MARVIN HARRISON (10 in 2003), 3rd-most by any NFL duo......RB EDGERRIN JAMES had 3rd career 1,000-yd season (1,259) & became club’s all-time leading rusher (6,172).  Colts are 27-5 (.844) when James scores TD......Pro Bowl WR Harrison had 7 catches for 133 yards & 2 TDs in WC win.  Including playoffs, has 101 catches, his 5th consecutive season with 100+ receptions.  Has NFL-best 563 receptions (reg. season) over past 5 years (112.6 per season).  Had 1,272 receiving yards, 3rd in AFC, & became Colts all-time leader with 10,072 yds.  Had 5th consecutive 1,000-yard season & there have only been 9 1,000-yard seasons in team history.  WR BRANDON STOKLEY had career-best 144 yards & 2 TDs in WC win.  Had 87-yard TD, longest in team playoff history.  Colts had 4,000-yard passer (Manning), 1,000-yard rusher (James) & 1,000-yard receiver (Harrison) for 4th time in 5 years......Pro Bowl DE DWIGHT FREENEY led team in sacks for 2nd consec. season (11.0) & recorded 8th double-digit sack season in Colts history (Freeney has 2).  Is 1st Colt DE to be named AFC All-Star since 1977......All-Star K MIKE VANDERJAGT has converted NFL-record 43 consec. FGs, including playoffs.  Has not missed kick in ’03 (51/51 PAT; 39/39 FG).

CHIEFS:  Won 5th AFC West title & 1st since 1997.  Finished 13-3 for 3rd time in franchise history (1995, 97).  Club makes 14th playoff appearance.  Had perfect season at home (8-0), 4th time Chiefs have accomplished feat.  Team has won 13 consecutive games at home, longest streak in franchise history & 2nd-longest active NFL streak (St. Louis, 14).  KC has outscored opponents 433-184 in those 13 (19.2-point margin of victory per game).  Head coach DICK VERMEIL is 1 of 4 coaches to take 3 different teams to playoffs & aims to lead 3rd team to Super Bowl (1980 Philadelphia, 1999 St. Louis).......Offense scored team-record 484 points & Chiefs became 1st team since 1981-82 (SD) to lead NFL in scoring in back-to-back seasons.  QB Green had career-best 4,039 passing yards & ranked 2nd in NFL.  Had AFC 3rd-best 92.6 passer rating & tied for 3rd with 24 TDs.  Green’s 63.1 comp. pct. was career-high.  Makes 1st career postseason start......Pro Bowl RB PRIEST HOLMES set NFL single-season records in rushing & total TDs (27).  In 3 seasons with KC, Holmes has franchise-record 61 TDs.  Since 2001, when joining Chiefs, Holmes leads NFL in rushing yards (4,590), receiving yards for RB (1,976), scrimmage yards (6,566) & TDs (61).  Had 2,110 scrimmage yards in 2003, his 3rd consecutive 2,000-yard season & 2nd longest streak in NFL history (MARSHALL FAULK, 4).  FB TONY RICHARDSON named AFC All Star for 1st time......Pro Bowl TE TONY GONZALEZ led NFL TEs in catches (71), yards (916) & TDs (10).  Has 468 receptions in career, most in Chiefs history......Offensive line, which features All Stars T WILLIE ROAF & G WILL SHIELDS, has started 32 consecutive games together.  Roaf & Shields each will make 9th career Pro Bowl appearance......All Star WR-KR-PR DANTE HALL had franchise record 2,446 combined net yards (1,478 KR, 472 PR, 423 rec., 73 rush) & tied NFL record with 4 kick return TDs (2 PR, 2 KR).  Led NFL with 16.3 PR avg. & was 2nd in AFC with 25.9 KR avg......Team led NFL with +19 turnover differential, NFL-best 5th time since 1990 team has led league.  Defense had 4 players with 5.0+ sacks.  CB DEXTER MC CLEON & S GREG WESLEY tied for team lead & 4th in AFC with 6 INTs.  S JEROME WOODS selected to 1st Pro Bowl & 1st KC All Star safety since 1989 (DERON CHERRY).  Chiefs tied for NFL-high with 8 All Stars.