NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

DALLAS AT CAROLINA SATURDAY,

SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY SUNDAY

IN NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3
DALLAS COWBOYS–NFC EAST (10-6) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS–NFC SOUTH (11-5)

SERIES

STAT LEADERS

NOTES

REMATCH of 1996 Divisional game, won 26-17 by Carolina, in only home playoff game in franchise history……Past 4 meetings decided by 7 point or less.  

COWBOYS:  Make 1st playoff appearance since 1999 season……Club led NFL in defense (253.5) for 1st time since 1994 (269.6).  Head coach BILL PARCELLS is only coach in NFL history to lead 4 clubs to playoffs (NYG, NE, NYJ, Dal).  Has 11 playoff wins, most of any active coach……QB QUINCY CARTER is 1st Cowboy with 3,000 yards passing (3,302) since TROY AIKMAN posted 3,283 in 1997.  Had career-highs with 17 TD passes & 257 yards rushing.  Has TD pass in 6 consecutive games……RB TROY HAMBRICK finished season with career-high 972 rushing yards.  RB RICHIE ANDERSON has team-leading 69 catches (493 yards), his 2nd-career 60-catch season……WR JOEY GALLOWAY finished reg. season with 34 receptions for 672 yards & his 19.8-yard avg. 2nd in NFL (min. 20 catches).  WR TERRY GLENN has 16 career 100s & his club is 14-2 (.875) in those games.  Seeks 1st playoff 100 & has 22 receptions for 328 yards in 6 career playoff games.  Led club WRs with 52 catches (754 yards), his 6th-career 50-catch year.  Second-year WR ANTONIO BRYANT has 550 receiving yards (39 catches) & Cowboys are 1 of 3 NFL teams (Buf, Sea) with 3 WRs with 550+ yards……Rookie 3rd-round TE JASON WITTEN (No. 69) has 35 catches for 347 yards & 1 TD.  His 347 yards receiving is most by club TE since ERIC BJORNSON (442, 1997)……Defense holds foes to NFL-low 14.3 1st downs per game & 164.4 passing yards……DT LA’ROI GLOVER is NFC All-Star for 4th time.  DE GREG ELLIS had team leading & career-high 8.0 sacks……LB DEXTER COAKLEY has 5 career defensive TDs, tied with DENNIS THURMAN for most in club history……Second-year S ROY WILLIAMS earned 1st Pro Bowl berth……Rookie 1st-round CB TERENCE NEWMAN (No. 5) led club with 4 INTs & tied for NFL rookie lead.

PANTHERS: Head coach JOHN FOX makes playoff debut as head coach……Club won 7 games by 3 points-or-less, equaling NFL single-season record (7, Ariz, 1998)……QB JAKE DELHOMME will make 1st NFL playoff start & see 1st playoff action since helping NFL Europe League’s Frankfurt Galaxy to win in World Bowl ’99.  Has 7 4th-quarter TD passes, tied for 2nd-most in NFL.  Has 88.2 4th quarter passer rating, completing 77 of 131 attempts for 1,009 yards, 7 TDs & 4 INTs.  Avgs. 7.17 yards per pass attempt (449 attempts, 3,219 yards), 4th-most in NFC……RB STEPHEN DAVIS has club-record & career-high 1,444 rushing yards.  His 7 100-yard games in 2003 are career-best & his team has 19-6 record (.760) when he rushes for 100.  In 2 career playoff games, avgs. 4.9 yards per carry (32 carries, 156 yards).  Second-year RB DE SHAUN FOSTER has 636 yards from scrimmage (429 rush, 207 rec)……WR STEVE SMITH has 4 9+ rec. games & 3 100-yard efforts, posting career-highs with 88 receptions, 1,110 yards & 7 TD catches.  WR MUHSIN MUHAMMAD avgs. 15.5 yards per catch (54 for 837).  Has 19 career 100-yard games & seeks 1st playoff reception.  WR RICKY PROEHL participated in playoffs from 1999-01 w/ Rams & has TD catch in each of past 3 postseasons……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……Rookie 3rd-round CB RICKY MANNING (No. 82) tied for club lead with 3 INTs……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.
 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-6)–NFC WEST AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (10-6)–NFC NORTH

SERIES

STAT LEADERS

NOTES

MATCHUP features head coaches familiar with each other.  GB head coach MIKE SHERMAN served as TE coach under Sea head coach MIKE HOLMGREN from 1997-98 in GB & as offensive coordinator for Holmgren in Sea in 1999.

SEAHAWKS:  Holmgren spent 1992-98 with GB, compiling 84-42 (.667) record, including 9-5 in playoffs, leading club to victory in SB XXXI……QB MATT HASSELBECK spent 1999-00 as backup in GB.  Passed for team-record 3,841 yards.  Since 2000, has 87.6 passer rating on road (309 of 505, 3,840 yards, 23 TDs, 15 INTs), tied for 3rd-best in NFL over that span.  Has won 14 of past 22 starts & has multi-TD pass in 8 of past 16 games.  Has 38 TD passes in past 22 games.  Has 107.3 3rd-down passer rating (71 of 124, 1,031 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs), 3rd-best in NFL & club has converted 46.8 pct on 3rd down (96 of 205), best in NFL……RB SHAUN ALEXANDER rushed for career-high 1,435 yards, his 3rd-consecutive 1,000-yard season……WR DARRELL JACKSON avgd career-best 16.7 yards per catch (68 catches, 1,137 yards) & had career-high 9 TD receptions.  Was 15th WR chosen in 2000 NFL Draft & leads WR class with 253 catches, 3,808 yards & 27 TDs.  WR KOREN ROBINSON finished with 65 receptions for 896 yards while WR BOBBY ENGRAM added 52 for 637.  Seahawks are only team in NFL with 3 600+ yard receivers……TE ITULA MILI has career-best 46 catches (492 yards), his 2nd 40-catch season in row, & most ever by club TE……DE JOHN RANDLE had 5.5 sacks, giving him 137.5-career, tied for 5th-most in NFL history. Has 11.5 career sacks vs. Packers’ QB BRETT FAVRE, his most vs. any QB……DE CHIKE OKEAFOR had team-leading & career-best 8.0 sacks……Rookie 1st-round CB MARCUS TRUFANT (No. 11) & 2nd-round S KEN HAMLIN (No. 42) helped club surrender 217.5 passing yards per game, 8th-best in NFL……NFC Pro Bowl special teamer ALEX BANNISTER has helped punt coverage unit allows 4.8 yard per PR, best in NFL. 

PACKERS:  Offense has 65.4 redzone TD pct, 1st in NFC (52 trips, 34 TDs), & faces Sea redzone defense ranked 3rd in conference (46.0 pct, 50 trips, 23 TDs)……QB BRETT FAVRE tossed NFL-best 32 TD passes.  Favre has now led league 4 times in his career, tying LEN DAWSON, JOHNNY UNITAS & STEVE YOUNG for most seasons leading league in TD passes all-time.  Has TD pass in club-record 25 games in row, longest current streak in NFL.  Has TD pass in 13 consecutive playoff games & needs 1 to pass DAN MARINO (13) for longest streak in NFL history.  Has 30 playoff TD passes in 17 games & needs 3 to pass TERRY BRADSHAW (30) & DAN MARINO (32) for 2nd-most all-time……RB AHMAN GREEN had career-best 20 TDs, passing JIM TAYLOR (19, 1962) for single-season club record.  Has 25 career 100-yard games & his club is 23-2 (.920) in those contests.  Led NFC & ranked 3rd in NFL with 2,250 yards from scrimmage (1,883 rush, 367 rec).  Was 3rd-round draft pick of Sea (No. 76) in 1998 & spent 2 seasons with club……WR JAVON WALKER led club with career-best 9 TD receptions.  His 17.5 yards per catch (41 for 716) avg. ranks 2nd in NFL (min. 30 catches).  WR ROBERT FERGUSON has career-highs with 38 catches & 520 receiving yards.  WR ANTONIO FREEMAN has 10 playoff TD catches in 14 career postseason games & needs 1 to pass Pro Football Hall of Famer FRED BILETNIKOFF (10) for 3rd-most in NFL history.  DE KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA had 10 sacks & is 1st player in franchise history with 3 consecutive 10-sack seasons……S DARREN SHARPER led club in INTs (5) for 4th consecutive season……KR NAJEH DAVENPORT has 16 kick returns in 2003 & avgs. 31.6 yards per return.