NEW YORK AT SAN DIEGO SATURDAY,

DENVER AT INDIANAPOLIS SUNDAY

IN AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8

NEW YORK JETS–AFC EAST (10-6) AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS–AFC WEST (12-4)

SERIES

STAT LEADERS

NOTES

HEAD COACH MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER of San Diego hired New York Jets head coach HERMAN EDWARDS as his defensive backs coach for Kansas City (1992-94) when Schottenheimer was Chiefs head coach (1989-98).  Edwards also served Kansas City as scout (1990-91, 1995) during Schottenheimer’s tenure.

JETS:  Club in playoffs for 3rd time in 4 seasons under head coach Edwards……Edwards is 1st head coach in club history to lead team to playoffs three times.  Edwards is 1st Jets coach to lead team to pair of double-digit-win seasons (2001, 2004) since 1985-86.  Edwards played college football & graduated from San Diego State……Inside opponents’ 20-yard line, QB CHAD PENNINGTON has thrown 39 TDs vs. 0 INTs in career.  Pennington is AFC’s 6th rated passer (91.0) & stands 5th in AFC in completion pct. (65.4).  Pennington (4) needs 1 TD pass to surpass RICHARD TODD & VINNY TESTAVERDE for most all-time in by Jets QB……NFL All-Star CURTIS MARTIN (1,679) is oldest player to win NFL rushing title (31 years, 246 days).  Martin (10) & HOF RB BARRY SANDERS (10) are only players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of 1st 10 seasons.  In Wk 2 mtg, Martin rushed 32 times for 119 yds & 2 TDs.  RB JERALD SOWELL tied for 2nd on team w/ 45 catches.  RB LA MONT JORDAN averaged 5.2-yards per carry on 93 rushes in 2004……This season, WR JUSTIN MC CAREINS posted career-highs in receptions (56) & yards (770).  McCareins recorded 2+ catches in 15 of 16 games.  WR SANTANA MOSS (18.6) owns NFL’s 2nd-best per catch avg. among NFL players w/ 45+ catches.  Rookie WR-KR JERRICHO COTCHERY (No. 108) had 94-yd KR-TD last wk at St.L……Club (+17) owns NFL’s 2nd-best turnover ratio……Defense ranks No. 7 in NFL (304.9).  Rookie LB JONATHAN VILMA (No. 12) posted 38-yard INT-TD last week & finished 2nd on team w/ 116 tackles.  DEs SHAUN ELLIS (11.0) & NFL All-Star JOHN ABRAHAM (9.5) stand No. 1 & 2 on team in sacks.  Club’s leading tackler LB ERIC BARTON (126) tied for NFL-best 4 fumble recoveries by defensive player.

CHARGERS:  Head coach Schottenheimer is 5th coach in NFL history to lead 3 teams to postseason (Browns 1985-88; Chiefs 1990-95, 1997; Chargers 2004).  Has won 182 career NFL games, including playoffs, for most by active NFL head coach……NFL All-Star QB DREW BREES posted 3rd-highest passer rating in NFL (104.8) & recorded 2nd-best completion pct. by Chargers QB in history (65.5 pct.).  Brees’ 27 TD passes tie DAN FOUTS (1985) & JOHN HADL (1968) for 3rd-most in season in team annals.  Brees (109.0) owns NFL’s third-best 4th-qtr passer rating w/ 6 TDs vs. 1 INT, completing 49 of 78 passes for 62.8 pct.  Brees is NFL-best 11 for 11 (1.000) on 3rd & 1 rush attempts……NFL All-Star LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON led league w/ 17 rushing TDs & scored TD in 21 of past 22 games played.  Tomlinson tied for 3rd in AFC total scrimmage yards w/ 1,776 (1,335 rush, 441 receiving).  Two-time All-Star makes NFL playoff debut.  In Wk 2 mtg, Tomlinson carried 19 times for 87 yards & 1 TD.  RB JESSE CHATMAN has 6.0-yd-per-carry avg. on 65 carries in 2004……All-Star TE ANTONIO GATES posted 13 TD catches – most by TE in NFL history.  Gates posted 3+ catches in 13 of 15 games.  WR ERIC PARKER leads Charger WRs w/ career-high 47 receptions; had total of 35 catches in 1st 2 seasons combined……Team 3rd in NFL w/ +15 turnover margin……LB DONNIE EDWARDS has 4 INTs in past 4 games.  Leads team & ties for NFL LB INT lead w/ 5 on season.  LB STEVE FOLEY 2nd among NFL LBs in sacks (10.0).  Anchored in middle by DT JAMAL WILLIAMS, rush defense No. 3 in NFL (81.7 per game)……WR-KR TIM DWIGHT finished 6th in AFC w/ 24.4 KR avg. w/ 1 TD.  Rookie K NATE KAEDING (No. 65) was 20 of 25 in FGs on season (80.0 pct.) w/ 114 points for franchise rookie scoring record.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 9

DENVER BRONCOS–AFC WEST (10-6) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS–AFC SOUTH (12-4)

SERIES

STAT LEADERS

NOTES

GAME MARKS REMATCH of Colts 41-10 win in 2004 AFC Wild Card & marks 13th time in NFL history teams have met in playoffs next week after they ended regular season against each other.  Winner of last regular season game has won playoff game 5 times.

BRONCOS:  Head coach MIKE SHANAHAN leads team to playoffs for 6th time in 10 years.  Since 1995, Shanahan has 108 victories – most by any head coach in that span.  One of 2 head coaches in playoffs w/ 2 Super Bowl titles……QB JAKE PLUMMER attempted all of Denver’s 521 pass attempts in 2004 to become 1st player in club annals to account for each pass attempt in season.  Plummer passed for club-record 4,089 yds this season & tied JOHN ELWAY’s single-season TD record by Bronco (27)……RB RUBEN DROUGHNS finished as 6th-leading rusher in AFC (1,240) & became 5th RB under Shanahan to post 1,000 yds for Denver.  Team has won 10 of past 12 games when producing 100-yd rusher……Including 1,144 rec. yds in 2004, WR ROD SMITH has posted franchise-record 7 1,000 receiving yd seasons & since 1997 has 2nd-most catches in NFL w/ 690 (Harrison, Ind., 781).  Smith (604) needs 112 rec. yds to pass SHANNON SHARPE (715) for most postseason rec. yds in club history.  Smith & WR ASHLEY LELIE (1,084) in 2004 became 6th Broncos duo to each post 1,000+ rec. yds in same season.  Lelie’s per-catch avg. of 20.1 yds on 54 catches was highest by Bronco in 17 yrs & 5th-best avg. in club history.  Lelie led NFL w/ 7 TD catches of 30+ yds……Offensive line allowed franchise single-season low 15 sacks, 3rd-fewest in NFL……Led by DE REGGIE HAYWARD (10.5 sacks), club-record 16 Broncos recorded at least 1.0 sack in 2004.  Defense allowed NFL-low 924 4th-qtr yds (57.8/gm) & fewest 1st downs (14.7/gm).  Rookie LB D.J. WILLIAMS (No. 17) became 1st rookie to lead team or share lead for tackles (114) since LB TOM GRAHAM (91, 1972).  LB Graham is father of Patriots TE DANIEL GRAHAM.  S JOHN LYNCH & CB CHAMP BAILEY selected to 2005 Pro Bowl.  Team is 69-15 (.821) under Shanahan when opponents score 20 points or less.

COLTS:  Club returns to playoffs for 5th time in 6 years. In 2004, Colts became only 10th club in league history with 500+ points in season (556). In games 9-12, team joined 1960 Chargers and 2000 Rams as only teams to score 40+ points in four consecutive games……Head Coach TONY DUNGY has directed teams to playoffs 7 times in 9 seasons & is 75-21 (.781) when his teams score 17+ points……All-Star QB PEYTON MANNING’s 49 touchdown passes broke DAN MARINO‘s single-season NFL-record total of 48 in 1984.  Manning’s 121.1 single-season passer rating is highest for season in NFL history, eclipsing STEVE YOUNG’s mark of 112.8 (1994).  Has become only NFL quarterback with 6 consecutive 4,000+ passing seasons & ties Marino’s mark of 6 such seasons in career.  Has completed more passes (2,464) and thrown for more yards (29,442) than any NFL player in 1st 7 yrs of career……Manning and All-Star WR MARVIN HARRISON have combined for 82 touchdowns, 2nd-most in NFL-history behind only San Francisco’s Young-JERRY RICE (85). Colts became 1st team with 3 10+ touchdown WRs (Harrison 15; REGGIE WAYNE 12; BRANDON STOKLEY 10) and 4th to have 3 1,000+ receivers (Wayne 1,210, Harrison 1,113 & Stokley 1,077)……Pro Bowl RB EDGERRIN JAMES reached 3rd 1,500-yd rush season in ’04, most among active players.  James ranks 4th among active NFL players in 100+ rushing games (40) behind EMMITT SMITH (78); JEROME BETTIS (60) & CURTIS MARTIN (56)……Offensive line allowed 14 sacks in 2004, tied for fewest in NFL (Green Bay)……Team totaled 36 takeaways for league-best +19 ratio……DE DWIGHT FREENEY is 1st Colts DE named NFL All-Star in consecutive years since MIKE BARNES (1975-77) & became 1st Colt to lead NFL in sacks for season (16.0).  Freeney has 3rd-most sacks in history by player in 1st 3 seasons (40.0).  DE ROBERT MATHIS finished tied for 3rd in AFC w/ 10.5 sacks & led club w/ 6 FFs.  LB CATO JUNE tops team w/ 128 tackles.