FORMER NFC WEST RIVALS MEET FOR 1ST TIME IN PLAYOFFS……Winning team has scored 30+ points in 13 of last 15 contests.

RAMS: MIKE MARTZ led club to playoffs for 4th time in 5 seasons as head coach. Has .628 career winning pct. (54-32), 2nd to GEORGE ALLEN (.708, 49-14-4) in club history (min. 40 games)……QB MARC BULGER led Rams to 3 consec. wins, posting 108.7 passer rating (988 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs) & completing 68.4 pct. (67-98). Has passed for 300 yards in 2 playoff games in row & needs 300 vs. Atl to join DAN FOUTS (4) as only players in NFL history with 3 consecutive 300-yard games to start career……RB MARSHALL FAULK avgs. 113.3 yards per game vs. Falcons, avging 6.3 yards per carry (143 for 906) in 9 games. Has 48 career playoff receptions (488 receiving yards) & needs 6 to pass KEITH BYARS (52) & MARCUS ALLEN (53) for 4th-most among RBs all-time. Rookie 1st-round RB STEVEN JACKSON rushed for 673 yards, 3rd-most among NFL rookies, & avgd 5.0 yards per carry with 4 TDs……WR ISAAC BRUCE has 4 career 100-yard receiving games in playoffs & needs 1 to tie ANDRE REED & JOHN STALLWORTH (5) for 3rd all-time, trailing leader JERRY RICE (8). WR TORRY HOLT totaled 1,372 yards receiving, becoming 1st player in NFL history with 5 1,300-yard seasons in row. Had 2nd-career 100-yard game in playoffs last week, posting 6 catches for 108 yards & 1 TD. Had career-long 85-yard (TD) catch vs. Atl on 9/24/00. Second-year WR KEVIN CURTIS posted 4 catches for 107 yards last week in his 1st-career playoff game……DE BRYCE FISHER led club in sacks, finishing with career-high 8.5. DE LEONARD LITTLE has 3.0 sacks in last 5 playoff games. Second-year DT JIMMY KENNEDY had 1st-career sack last week. Second-year LB PISA TINOISAMOA led club in tackles for 2nd year in row & had 5 vs. Sea……CB JERAMETRIUS BUTLER posted career-best 5 INTs & is 1st Ram to lead club in INTs in consecutive seasons since NOLAN CROMWELL (1979-81).

FALCONS: Club hosts 1st playoff game since 20-18 win vs. SF in 1998 Divisional playoffs……Head coach JIM MORA was 49ers secondary coach in that contest. Mora led club to 11 wins, most in team history by 1st-year head coach. Seeks to join DON MC CAFFERTY (Super Bowl V) & GEORGE SEIFERT (XXIV) as only rookie head coaches to lead teams to Super Bowl title……QB MICHAEL VICK is 23-12-1 (.653) as starter, including wins in 13 of last 17, & his .653 winning pct. is best in team annals. Rushed for 902 yards, 3rd-highest single-season total by QB in NFL history, & led league with 7.5 yards per carry avg……RB WARRICK DUNN posted 3rd-career 1,000-yard season (1,106) with career-highs 265 carries & 9 rushing TDs. Seeks 1st postseason TD. RB T.J. DUCKETT rushed for 509 yards with 4.9 yards per carry avg, adding 8 rushing TDs. Club led NFL in rushing (167.0) & ranked 3rd with 20 rushing TDs……WR PEERLESS PRICE led club WRs with 45 catches for 575 yards……TE ALGE CRUMPLER will make 2nd Pro Bowl appearance, finishing with franchise TE record 48 receptions & 774 yards. Led NFL TEs with 16.1 yards per catch avg. (min. 30 catches). Had 17 receptions of 20+ yards, 2nd among TEs……Defense posted 48.0 sacks, most in NFL……DE PATRICK KERNEY’s career-high 13.0 sacks help earn him 1st trip to Pro Bowl. Seeks sack in 3rd consecutive playoff game. DT ROD COLEMAN ranked 2nd among NFL DTs with career-best 11.5 sacks. Joined Kerney as 1 of 4 sets of NFL teammates with 10.0+ sacks……LB KEITH BROOKING led club with 141 tackles, earning All-Star honors for 4th season in row……PR ALLEN ROSSUM finished 2nd in NFL with 12.4-yard PR avg.

HOME TEAM HAS WON LAST 7 games in series……Five of Vikings 11 wins vs. Eagles have come in Philadelphia……. Teams only postseason meeting was in 1980 Divisional playoffs (Phi, 31-16), as Eagles ultimately advanced to Super Bowl XV.

VIKINGS: Head coach MIKE TICE led club to 1st playoff win since 2000 season……Offense avgd 6.4 yards per play & 4.7 yards per rush in reg-season, each 2nd in NFL, & 6.5 per play & 4.7 per rush last wk……QB DAUNTE CULPEPPER posted club playoff record 137.1 passer rating vs. Pack (19 of 29 for 284 yards & 0 INTs). His 4 TD passes tie JEFF GEORGE (1/16/00) for club playoff record. Rushed for 54 yards vs. GB & finished season with 406, 2nd among QBs. Passed for 343 yards in last meeting vs. Phil……Second-year RB ONTERRIO SMITH led club with 544 rushing yards & added 394 receiving (36 catches). RB MOE WILLIAMS had 2 catches for 72 yards vs. GB, including career-best 68-yard TD catch. RB MICHAEL BENNETT made 1st playoff start, rushing for 31 yards……In 7 career playoff games, WR RANDY MOSS avgs. 4.6 catches, 96 yards & 1.3 TDs (32 catches, 672 yards, 9 TDs), posting 3 100-yard games. Had 2 TD catches vs. GB, giving him team-record 3 multiple-TD playoff games. Has 22 TDs in last 19 games. Second-year WR NATE BURLESON led club with 1,006 rec. yards (68 catches). Tied for NFL lead with 7 TD catches on 3rd down. Had 4 catches for 60 yards (TD) last wk……TE JERMAINE WIGGINS finished 3rd among NFC TEs with 71 catches (705 yards) Saw action in Super Bowls XXXVI (NE) & XXXVIII (Car)……Second-year DT KEVIN WILLIAMS (12.0) & DE LANCE JOHNSTONE (11.0) are 1 of 4 sets of teammates with 10.0+ sacks. Johnstone was standout performer at Philadelphia’s Germantown High School & Temple University. Rookie 1st-round DE KENECHI UDEZE tied for 3rd among NFL rookies with 5.0 sacks……CB ANTOINE WINFIELD had team-high 11 tackles & 1 INT vs. GB in 1st playoff game with Min……K MORTEN ANDERSEN has FG in 10 playoff games in row, 2nd-longest such streak all-time (TONI FRITSCH, 13).

EAGLES: Club has franchise-record 13 wins & reached playoffs for 5th consecutive season, longest active streak in NFL. Eagles are 48-13 (.787) vs. NFC since 2000……Head coach ANDY REID has 69-36 (.657) record & needs win to become 1st coach in team history with 70. Reid has 8-0 record including playoffs following bye……QB DONOVAN MC NABB is 1st player in NFL history with 30+ TD passes & fewer than 10 INTs (8) in single-season. Had career-high 31 TD passes, 2nd-most in club annals (SONNY JURGENSEN, 32). Has TD pass in 7 of 9 career playoff games. Passed for club record 3,875 yards……RB BRIAN WESTBROOK led NFL RBs with career-high 73 receptions. Is only NFL player with 700 yards rushing (812) & receiving (703) & his 1,515 yards from scrimmage ranked 4th in NFC……WR TODD PINKSTON avgd. 18.8 yards per catch (36 for 676), 3rd-best in NFL (min. 35 rec). Avgs. 17.3 yards per catch in last 2 seasons (72 for 1,248). Has reception in 6 of 7 career playoff starts. WR FREDDIE MITCHELL avgd. career-high 17.1 yards per catch (22 for 377). Has 9 career playoff receptions (91 yards), including 28-yarder on 4th-&-26 vs. GB in 2003 Divisional playoffs……TE CHAD LEWIS has 34 career playoff receptions for 387 yards & needs 2 catches & 77 yards to pass DUCE STALEY (35) & HAROLD CARMICHAEL (465) for franchise records. Second-year TE L.J. SMITH has career-bests with 34 catches, 377 yards & 5 TDs……Club allowed 260 points, tied for fewest in NFL (NE)……DE JEVON KEARSE plays 1st playoff game with Eagles after 9 with Titans. Led club with 7.5 sacks……Club has NFL-high 9 All-Stars, including 3 members of secondary – CB LITO SHEPPARD, S BRIAN DAWKINS & S MICHAEL LEWIS. Dawkins seeks INT in 4th postseason in row. Sheppard led club with 5 INTs & ranked 3rd in NFL with 172 INT yards.