DivisionalLead&Standings

FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-POST-2 1/6/04

HERE COME THE DIVISIONALS!

One wild week down, another coming up!

After a weekend that certainly fit its name, the NFL moves on to Act II of the 2003 playoffs this weekend with the Divisional Playoffs.

Last week’s Wild Card Weekend was just that – wild, no matter how you like your football. There were close games (Titans-Ravens)…overtimes (Packers-Seahawks)…and an offensive fireworks display (Colts-Broncos).

“The way it’s going now, anything can happen,” says Green Bay Packers quarterback BRETT FAVRE.

And the best teams will be there when it’s happening. The eight remaining playoff clubs have a combined 100-32 (.758) record, the best mark in the Divisional Playoffs in six years (1998: 101-31, .765). And five of those teams – St. Louis (.700), Tennessee (.700), Green Bay (.638), Indianapolis (.638) and Philadelphia (.638) – have been consistently good. They are the NFL’s winningest regular-season teams over the past five years (1999-2003). The final eight’s schedule:

NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF WEEKEND

Saturday, January 10

NFC: 4:30 PM ET	Carolina (12-5) at St. Louis (12-4) (FOX-TV)

AFC: 8:15 PM ET	Tennessee (13-4) at New England (14-2) (CBS-TV)

Sunday, January 11

AFC: 1:00 PM ET	Indianapolis (13-4) at Kansas City (13-3) (CBS-TV)

NFC: 4:45 PM ET	Green Bay (11-6) at Philadelphia (12-4) (FOX-TV)

The breakdown of the Divisionals:

· CAROLINA PANTHERS (12-5) at ST. LOUIS RAMS (12-4), Saturday, 4:30 PM ET, FOX: An NFC West matchup? No, but it used to be.

These two played in that division twice a year for seven years (1995-2001) when the Panthers came into the NFL, and are 7-7 lifetime. Carolina head coach JOHN FOX – whose wife ROBIN is from St. Louis – was a consultant for the Rams in 1996.

The Panthers – topping Dallas 29-10 in the Wild Card playoffs with no penalties and no turnovers (only the second team in playoff history to do so; Pittsburgh in Super Bowl X) – face a team that is a franchise-best 14-0 at home.

Carolina surrendered only 204 total yards to the Cowboys, but face a club that could revert to its “Greatest Show On Turf” days at a moment’s notice with receivers TORRY HOLT (No. 1 in the NFL in ’03 in catches [117] and receiving yards [1,696]) and ISAAC BRUCE.

The key could be the Panthers’ ability to stop running back MARSHALL FAULK, who owns the two most productive rushing games against Carolina in Panthers history.

· TENNESSEE TITANS (13-4) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-2), Saturday, 8:15 PM ET, CBS: On October 5, the Titans scored more than triple the amount of points (30) the Patriots allowed on average at home this year

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NFL PLAYOFF FACTOID

SHOWTIME FOR THE “SHOW-MEs”: This weekend, the “Show Me” state – Missouri – will have both of its NFL teams – the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS and ST. LOUIS RAMS -- in action together in the playoffs for the first time. The Rams arrived in St. Louis in 1995.
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(8.5) in a game won by New England 38-30 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots’ magic on offense and dominance on defense led them to the best record in the NFL this season, a club-record 12-0 active winning streak, and an undefeated season at home.

The Patriots’ defensive numbers at home this year are impressive. Aside from the Titans, the most points they allowed at Gillette were 16 to the New York Jets in their opener. Three of their last four home games were shutouts. In their final six games at home, they allowed one touchdown. In all, New England surrendered 68 points at home, the fewest by a club in a season since the NFL went to the 16-game schedule in 1978.

The Titans are also proud of their defense. It was ranked first in the NFL against the run (80.9), first in third-down efficiency (27.7), and was the only defense in the league with at least one sack in every game. Plus cornerback SAMARI ROLLE – one pickoff in the Wild Card game – tied for the second-most interceptions in the AFC with six.

As usual, it could come down to the quarterbacks, who, no matter what, always seem able to pull things out. The Titans’ STEVE MC NAIR, the Associated Press’ Co-NFL MVP with Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING, always seemed hurt this year, yet finished as the only QB with a 100.0 passer rating (100.4). The Pats’ TOM BRADY – 7-0 in overtime, the most such wins by a QB – did not throw an interception at home in 240 attempts.

· INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (13-4) at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-3), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS: 7-1 vs. 13-0. Or, the Colts’ road record this year vs. the Chiefs’ home victory streak.

The game comes 34 years to the day after the Chiefs won Super Bowl IV. And it comes a year and a week after the Colts were shut out by the Jets 41-0 in a Wild Card game. Indy made up for that in last week’s Wild Card with a 41-10 victory over Denver.

And did Colts quarterback Manning have a game! He became the first quarterback in history with two perfect passer ratings in a season, including the playoffs. And his third five-TD pass game was also a first in a season, including the playoffs.

But Manning – second in the NFL (29) to Green Bay’s Favre (32) in TD passes this year – and his offensive tandem of running back EDGERRIN JAMES and wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON will not have an easy time in KC.

First, there’s the red-clad crowd, as loud as any indoor stadium (“It’s one of the toughest places to play in the league,” says Manning). Then there’s the Chiefs’ seeming invincibility (13-0) at home. And as much as their 29th-ranked NFL defense seems suspect, Kansas City has surrendered an average of only 112.5 rushing yards at home this year. Plus, there’s “Mr. TD” himself with a week’s rest under his belt (the Chiefs practiced only once in their bye week) – PRIEST HOLMES, who this year became the NFL’s all-time season TD scorer (27).

Heavyweight matchup to watch: Chiefs Pro Bowl left tackle WILLIE ROAF protecting quarterback TRENT GREEN’s blind side against Pro Bowl right end DWIGHT FREENEY, who led Indy in sacks (11.0).

· GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-6) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (12-4), Sunday, 4:45 PM ET, FOX: AL HARRIS comes home! And will he get a lukewarm reception!

The hero of the Packers’ Wild Card overtime victory when he returned an interception for a touchdown, the cornerback was traded by the Eagles last offseason to the Pack. And will he be ripe for some brain-picking by Green Bay coaches! The one tip he’ll talk about? On Eagles quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB: “He’ll never quit,” says Harris.

That’s for sure. After the Eagles started the season at 0-2 while scoring all of 10 points, McNabb led a resurgence. Philadelphia won 12 of its final 14 games and gained the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles this year – going for their third consecutive NFC Championship Game -- can become the first team in history to reach a Super Bowl after being shut out in its opener.

Of course the “he’ll-never-quit” description certainly applies to McNabb’s counterpart, the Packers’ Favre. Since a Thanksgiving Day loss to Detroit, the Packers are the second-hottest team in the NFL (five in a row) to the Patriots, and Favre has thrown 11 touchdowns against three interceptions.

The key to the matchup could be each team’s running game. The Eagles have lost their sparkplug of the season for the playoffs, BRIAN WESTBROOK, so CORRELL BUCKHALTER and DUCE STALEY must pick up the slack. The Packers’ AHMAN GREEN – the NFC leader in TDs (20) and rushing (1,883 yards) -- ran for a then-club-record 192 yards (which he topped in Week 17 with 218 yards) in a 17-14 Monday night Eagles victory on November 10 in Green Bay. “We’ve all got to gang-tackle him,” says Eagles defensive end N.D. KALU.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2003 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern)

WILD CARD WEEKEND

AFC: Tennessee 20, BALTIMORE 17, January 3

NFC: CAROLINA 29, Dallas 10, January 3

AFC: INDIANAPOLIS 41, Denver 10, January 4

NFC: GREEN BAY 33, Seattle 27 (OT), January 4

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

Saturday, January 10:

NFC: Carolina Panthers (12-5) at St. Louis Rams (12-4), 4:30 P.M. ET (FOX)

AFC: Tennessee Titans (13-4) at New England Patriots (14-2), 8:15 P.M. ET (CBS)

Sunday, January 11:

AFC: Indianapolis Colts (13-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), 1:00 P.M. ET (CBS)

NFC: Green Bay Packers (11-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (12-4), 4:45 P.M. ET (FOX)

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Sunday, January 18, 3:00 P.M. ET, (CBS)

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Sunday, January 18, 6:45 P.M. ET (FOX)

SUPER BOWL XXXVIII: Sunday, February 1 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas 6:25 PM ET

AFC-NFC PRO BOWL: Sunday, February 8 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, 7:30 PM ET

2003 FINAL NFL STANDINGS

AFC East
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head	Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
yz*-New England	14-2-0		5-1-0	0-0-0	11-1-0	.504	.484	7	13	0	110	39
Miami	10-6-0		4-2-0	0-0-0	7-5-0	.388	.512	11	20	0	50	35
Buffalo	6-10-0	1	2-4-0	0-0-0	4-8-0	.438	.570	19	35	0	-36	27
New York Jets	6-10-0	1	1-5-0	0-0-0	6-6-0	.396	.527	16	31	0	-16	29

AFC North
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head	Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
y-Baltimore	10-6-0		4-2-0	0-0-0	7-5-0	.400	.457	8	14	0	110	41
Cincinnati	8-8-0		3-3-0	0-0-0	6-6-0	.469	.457	22	41	0	-38	40
Pittsburgh	6-10-0		3-3-0	0-0-0	5-7-0	.365	.500	19	34	0	-27	33
Cleveland	5-11-0		2-4-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.363	.539	22	41	0	-68	27

AFC South
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head	Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
y-Indianapolis	12-4-0	2	5-1-0	0-0-0	9-3-0	.448	.492	14	22	0	111	48
x-Tennessee	12-4-0	-2	4-2-0	0-0-0	8-4-0	.401	.473	11	18	0	111	48
Jacksonville	5-11-0	1	2-4-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.450	.543	22	43	0	-55	31
Houston	5-11-0	1	1-5-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.463	.570	28	55	0	-125	29

AFC West
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head	Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
yz-Kansas City	13-3-0		5-1-0	0-0-0	10-2-0	.385	.418	12	20	0	152	63
x-Denver	10-6-0		5-1-0	0-0-0	9-3-0	.406	.500	11	19	0	80	42
Oakland	4-12-0	1	1-5-0	3-9-0	3-9-0	.484	.516	26	51	-97	-109	29
San Diego	4-12-0	1	1-5-0	3-9-0	2-10-0	.359	.504	24	47	-110	-128	38

NFC East
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head		Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
yz*-Philadelphia	12-4-0			5-1-0	0-0-0	9-3-0	.438	.477	9	18	0	87	43
x-Dallas	10-6-0			5-1-0	0-0-0	8-4-0	.388	.461	12	23	0	29	31
Washington	5-11-0			1-5-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.488	.531	24	46	0	-85	30
New York Giants	4-12-0			1-5-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.500	.555	29	59	0	-144	26
NFC North
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head		Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
y-Green Bay	10-6-0			4-2-0	0-0-0	7-5-0	.438	.488	7	15	0	135	53
Minnesota	9-7-0			4-2-0	0-0-0	7-5-0	.500	.457	14	29	0	63	51
Chicago	7-9-0			2-4-0	0-0-0	4-8-0	.366	.488	23	45	0	-63	29
Detroit	5-11-0			2-4-0	0-0-0	4-8-0	.463	.535	27	51	0	-109	29

NFC South
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head		Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
y-Carolina	11-5-0			5-1-0	0-0-0	9-3-0	.398	.445	12	25	0	21	33
New Orleans	8-8-0			3-3-0	0-0-0	7-5-0	.375	.500	13	28	0	14	39
Tampa Bay	7-9-0			2-4-0	0-0-0	6-6-0	.438	.508	11	22	0	37	36
Atlanta	5-11-0			2-4-0	0-0-0	4-8-0	.463	.539	25	50	0	-123	35

NFC West
Team	Overall Record	Head to Head		Division Record	Common Games Record	Conf Record	Strength of Victory	Strength of Schedule	Conf PF + PA Rank	Overall PF + PA Rank	Common Game Net Pts	Overall Net Pts	TD
yz-St. Louis	12-4-0			4-2-0	0-0-0	8-4-0	.443	.434	9	19	0	119	47
x-Seattle	10-6-0			5-1-0	0-0-0	8-4-0	.406	.465	11	22	0	77	48
San Francisco	7-9-0			2-4-0	0-0-0	6-6-0	.473	.512	14	30	0	47	44
Arizona	4-12-0			1-5-0	0-0-0	3-9-0	.531	.543	32	64	0	-227	25
x-Clinched playoff berth			z-Clinched first-round bye
y-Clinched division title			*-Clinched homefield advantage