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NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES
CAROLINA AT PHILADELPHIA IN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMESUNDAY, JANUARY 18
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PANTHERS |
EAGLES |
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LEADER |
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2-1 |
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STREAKS |
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Past 2 at home |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Fox: 0-1 |
Reid: 1-1 |
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VS. COMMON OPP. |
Car: 7-3 (Atl 1-1,
Dal 0-1, NO 2-0, NYG 1-0, TB 2-0, Phi 0-1, Was 1-0) |
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PLAYOFF RECORD |
3-1 |
14-14 |
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LAST WEEK |
W 29-23 (OT) at Rams |
W 20-17 (OT) vs. Packers |
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LAST GAME |
11/30/03: Eagles 26 at Panthers 16. Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb connects with 9 different receivers for 182 yards & 1 TD as Eagles win 7thconsecutive game. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
10/27/96: Eagles 20, Panthers 9. Philadelphia QB Ty Detmer throws for career-high 342 yards to spark Eagles. Philadelphia WR Irving Fryar catches 7 passes for 143 yards. |
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LAST PLAYOFF |
-- |
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BROADCAST |
FOX (6:45 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). CBS Radio (English): Joel Meyers, Bob Trumpy, John Dockery (Field reporter). CBS Radio (Spanish): Clemson Smith Muniz, Roberto Abramowitz. |
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SEASON STAT LEADERS
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QBs |
Delhomme: 266-449-3,219-19-16-80.6 |
McNabb: 275-478-3,216-16-11-79.6 |
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RBs |
Davis: 318-1,444 (3C) – 4.5-8 |
Buckhalter: 126-542-4.3-8 |
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WRs |
S. Smith: 88-1,110-12.6-7 |
Thrash: 49-558-11.4-1 |
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OFFENSE |
321.3 |
314.7 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
-5 |
+4 |
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DEFENSE |
295.3 |
331.7 |
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SACKS |
Rucker: 12.0 |
Simon: 7.5 |
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INTs |
Grant, Manning (R), Minter: 3 |
M. Lewis, Vincent: 3 |
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PR |
S. Smith: 10.0 |
Mahe (R): 9.2 |
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KOR |
Smart: 23.1 |
Thrash: 24.0 (3C) |
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PUNTING |
Sauerbrun: 44.6 (1C) |
D. Johnson: 40.6 |
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KICKING |
Kasay: 125 (2C) (29/30 PAT; 32/38 FG) |
Akers: 114 (42/42 PAT; 24/29 FG) |
NOTES
CLUBS MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN PLAYOFFS……Eagles are 1st team since Green Bay (1995-97) to play in 3 consecutive NFC Championships. Seek 1st trip to Super Bowl since dropping 27-10 decision to Oakland in SB XV (1/25/81)……Panthers earn trip to title game for 2nd time in 9-year history & 1st since 1996 season (L, 30-13 to GB). Seek 1st trip to Super Bowl.
PANTHERS: Club led NFL with 4 overtime appearances in reg. season, winning league-record 3 on road. Continued OT success last week, with road double-OT win vs. Rams……Won 7 reg-season games by 3 points-or-less, equaling NFL single-season record (7, Ariz, 1998)……JOHN FOX has led club to NFC Championship in his 2nd season as head coach……QB JAKE DELHOMME posted passer rating of 95.0+ in consecutive playoff games, completing 16 of 26 attempts for 290 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT for 96.6 passer rating vs. Rams. Had 104.5 passer rating (18 of 29 for 273 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs) vs. Cowboys. Had 7 4th-quarter TD passes in reg season, tied for 2nd-most in NFL & 88.2 4th quarter passer rating (77 of 131, 1,009 yards, 7 TDs & 4 INTs). Avgd. 7.17 yards per pass attempt (449 attempts, 3,219 yards), 4th-most in NFC. Spent 2 seasons in NFL Europe League. Was backup to Rams QB KURT WARNER with 1998 Amsterdam Admirals & helped 1999 Frankfurt Galaxy to championship with victory in World Bowl ‘99……RB STEPHEN DAVIS has club-record & career-high 1,444 rushing yards & 7 100-yard games in reg. season. His team has 21-6 record (.778), including 2-0 in playoffs, when he rushes for 100. Rushed for 115 yards in last meeting. Second-year RB DE SHAUN FOSTER has 636 yards from scrimmage in 2003 (429 rush, 207 rec). Came on for injured Davis vs. Rams & rushed for 95 yards.……WR STEVE SMITH posted career-highs with 88 receptions, 1,110 yards & 7 TD catches. Has 100-yard receiving games in 1st 2 career playoff games & can tie NFL playoff record with 3rd 100-yard game in row. Posted 6 catches for 163 yards vs. Rams, including game-winning 69-yard OT TD catch. WR MUHSIN MUHAMMAD avgs. 15.5 yards per catch (54 for 837). Has 20-career 100-yard games, including playoffs. Had 5 catches for 70 yards vs. Rams & recovered fumble in end zone for TD. WR RICKY PROEHL participated in playoffs from 1999-01 with Rams & had TD catch in each postseason……Club ranked 8th in NFL, allowing 295.3 yards per game……DE MIKE RUCKER has career-high & team-leading 12.0 sacks while 2nd-year DE JULIUS PEPPERS added 7.0. Peppers had INT & 34-yard return vs. Dal. & 1 sacks, 2 passes defensed vs. StL. DT KRIS JENKINS is NFC All-Star starter……Rookie 3rd-round CB RICKY MANNING, JR. tied for club lead with 3 INTs. His INT in OT setup game-winning score last week……Pro Bowl P TODD SAUERBRUN led NFC with 44.6-yard avg, becoming 1st punter since 1970 to lead conference in avg. 3 years in row.
EAGLES: Club has won 12+ games, including playoffs, for 4 consecutive seasons & earned 3rd NFC East championship in row……Seek 1st Super Bowl trip since losing to Oakland, 27-10, in SB XV……Head coach ANDY REID has 5 playoff wins with Eagles, most in franchise history. Has led club to title game in 3 of 5 seasons as head coach. Club has won 45 of 52 (.865) games, including playoffs, under Reid when scoring 20+ points……QB DONOVAN MC NABB has 11 career playoff TD passes after tossing 2 in win vs. Packers. Passed RON JAWORSKI (9) for most playoff TD passes in franchise history. McNabb ranks 2nd in NFL playoff history (min. 150 attempts) with 2.1 INT pct. (6 INTs in 287 attempts), trailing only BART STARR (1.4), MVP of Super Bowls I & II. McNabb has completed at least 60 pct. of pass attempts in 5 of 8 career playoff games. Rushed for 107 yards on 11 carries vs. Pack, most rushing yards by QB in playoff history & 1st 100-yard rushing game by QB in NFL postseason annals. Ranked 2nd among NFL QBs this season with 355 yards rushing (3 TDs)……Club ranked No. 2 in NFL with 23 rushing TDs……RB trio of CORRELL BUCKHALTER (542, 8), BRIAN WESTBROOK (613, 7) & DUCE STALEY (463, 5) combined for 1,618 rushing yards & 20 rushing TDs. Staley has TD in 5 of 6 career playoff games, after scoring on 7-yard TD catch last week……Eagles are 12-1, including playoffs, when McNabb & WR JAMES THRASH connect for TD. WR TODD PINKSTON has 7 catches for 95 yards & 1 TD vs. Pack. TE CHAD LEWIS had season-high 4 catches vs. GB, tying 2003 best with 37 yards. Rookie 2nd-round TE L.J. SMITH had 2 catches for 31 yards last week……Team has allowed 4 offensive TDs in past 5 home playoff games……DT COREY SIMON posted 7.5 sacks, 2nd-most among NFL DTs, while DT DARWIN WALKER added 6.0, tied for 3rd-most in conference. LB MARK SIMONEAU led club with 122 tackles in 1st season with team. LB NATE WAYNE started 16 games in 1st season with Eagles & takes part in 3rd consecutive postseason……CB BOBBY TAYLOR has played in 11 career playoff games with Eagles, most in franchise history. Had 2 INTs in 2 playoff games last season. CB BRIAN DAWKINS had INT vs. GB to set up game-winning OT FG. Has INT in 3 consecutive postseasons