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2017–18 NFL playoffs
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2017–18 NFL playoffs
Dates
January 6 – February 4, 2018
Season
2017
Teams
12
Games played
11
Super Bowl LII site
U.S. Bank Stadium
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Defending champions
New England Patriots
Champions
Philadelphia Eagles
Runners-up
New England Patriots
Conference
runners-up
Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings
NFL playoffs
← 2016–17 2018–19 →
The 2017–18 NFL playoffs began on January 6, 2018, after the 2017 season, and concluded with Super Bowl LII on Sunday, February 4, 2018, when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
These playoffs were notable for several teams snapping long playoff droughts, as the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans each qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1999, 2004, 2007, and 2008, respectively.
The playoffs were also notable for the Patriots reaching a seventh consecutive AFC Championship Game, extending their own NFL record.[1]
Contents
[hide]
1 Participants
1.1 Bracket
2 Schedule
3 Wild card playoffs
3.1 Saturday, January 6, 2018
3.1.1 AFC: Tennessee Titans 22, Kansas City Chiefs 21
3.1.2 NFC: Atlanta Falcons 26, Los Angeles Rams 13
3.2 Sunday, January 7, 2018
3.2.1 AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 10, Buffalo Bills 3
3.2.2 NFC: New Orleans Saints 31, Carolina Panthers 26
4 Divisional playoffs
4.1 Saturday, January 13, 2018
4.1.1 NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 15, Atlanta Falcons 10
4.1.2 AFC: New England Patriots 35, Tennessee Titans 14
4.2 Sunday, January 14, 2018
4.2.1 AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 42
4.2.2 NFC: Minnesota Vikings 29, New Orleans Saints 24
5 Conference championships
5.1 Sunday, January 21, 2018
5.1.1 AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
5.1.2 NFC Championship Game: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Minnesota Vikings 7
6 Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33
7 Television coverage
7.1 Playoff games TV ratings
8 References
Participants[edit]
Further information: NFL playoffs § Current playoff system
Within each conference, the four division winners and the two wild card teams (the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1 through 4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5 and 6. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system, and there are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the third-seeded division winner hosts the sixth seed wild card, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference then receive a bye in the first round. In the second round, the divisional playoffs, the number 1 seed hosts the worst surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5 or 6), while the number 2 seed will play the other team (seed 3, 4 or 5). The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the fourth and final round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.
Playoff seeds
Seed
AFC
NFC
1 New England Patriots (East winner) Philadelphia Eagles (East winner)
2 Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner) Minnesota Vikings (North winner)
3 Jacksonville Jaguars (South winner) Los Angeles Rams (West winner)
4 Kansas City Chiefs (West winner) New Orleans Saints (South winner)
5 Tennessee Titans (wild card) Carolina Panthers (wild card)
6 Buffalo Bills (wild card) Atlanta Falcons (wild card)

Bracket[edit]
Jan 7 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome Jan 14 – U.S. Bank Stadium
5 Carolina 26
4 New Orleans 24
4 New Orleans 31 Jan 21 – Lincoln Financial Field
2 Minnesota 29
NFC
Jan 6 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 2 Minnesota 7
Jan 13 – Lincoln Financial Field
1 Philadelphia 38
6 Atlanta 26 NFC Championship
6 Atlanta 10
3 LA Rams 13 Feb 4 – U.S. Bank Stadium
1 Philadelphia 15
Wild card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Jan 7 – EverBank Field N1 Philadelphia 41
Jan 14 – Heinz Field
A1 New England 33
6 Buffalo 3 Super Bowl LII
3 Jacksonville 45
3 Jacksonville 10 Jan 21 – Gillette Stadium
2 Pittsburgh 42
AFC
Jan 6 – Arrowhead Stadium 3 Jacksonville 20
Jan 13 – Gillette Stadium
1 New England 24
5 Tennessee 22 AFC Championship
5 Tennessee 14
4 Kansas City 21
1 New England 35

This bracket:
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edit
Schedule[edit]
Source:[2]
Away team
Score
Home Team
Date
Kickoff
(EST / UTC–5)
TV
Wild card playoffs
Tennessee Titans 22–21 Kansas City Chiefs January 6, 2018 4:35 p.m. ABC/ESPN
Atlanta Falcons 26–13 Los Angeles Rams January 6, 2018 8:15 p.m. NBC
Buffalo Bills 3–10 Jacksonville Jaguars January 7, 2018 1:05 p.m. CBS
Carolina Panthers 26–31 New Orleans Saints January 7, 2018 4:40 p.m. Fox
Divisional playoffs
Atlanta Falcons 10–15 Philadelphia Eagles January 13, 2018 4:35 p.m. NBC
Tennessee Titans 14–35 New England Patriots January 13, 2018 8:15 p.m. CBS
Jacksonville Jaguars 45–42 Pittsburgh Steelers January 14, 2018 1:05 p.m.
New Orleans Saints 24–29 Minnesota Vikings January 14, 2018 4:40 p.m. Fox
Conference Championships
Jacksonville Jaguars 20–24 New England Patriots January 21, 2018 3:05 p.m. CBS
Minnesota Vikings 7–38 Philadelphia Eagles January 21, 2018 6:40 p.m. Fox
Super Bowl LII
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Philadelphia Eagles 41–33 New England Patriots February 4, 2018 6:30 p.m. NBC
Wild card playoffs[edit]
Saturday, January 6, 2018[edit]
AFC: Tennessee Titans 22, Kansas City Chiefs 21[edit]
Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Titans 0 3 7 12 22
Chiefs 14 7 0 0 21
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date: January 6, 2018
Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST/3:35 p.m. CST
Game weather: Sunny, 33 °F (1 °C)
Game attendance: 73,319
Referee: Jeff Triplette
TV announcers (ABC/ESPN): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Jon Gruden (color commentator), Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
KC – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 7:07. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:56.
KC – Travis Kelce 13-yard pass from Alex Smith (Harrison Butker kick), 2:15. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 49-yard field goal, 1:55. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:02.
KC – Demarcus Robinson 14-yard pass from Alex Smith (Harrison Butker kick), 0:03. Chiefs 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
TEN – Marcus Mariota 6-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 6:31. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:29.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Derrick Henry 35-yard run (pass failed), 14:08. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:17.
TEN – Eric Decker 22-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (pass failed), 6:06. Titans 22–21. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:09.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 19/31, 205 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Alex Smith – 24/33, 264 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Derrick Henry – 23 rushes, 156 yards, TD
KC – Kareem Hunt – 11 rushes, 42 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Delanie Walker – 6 receptions, 74 yards
KC – Tyreek Hill – 7 receptions, 87 yards
The Tennessee Titans overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 22–21 and won their first playoff game since the 2003 season.
Kansas City opened the scoring on their second possession of the game. After Alex Smith connected with Tyreek Hill for 45 yards and Travis Kelce for a 27-yard completion, Kareem Hunt ran in for a one-yard touchdown. On their next drive the Chiefs drove 76 yards in five plays, with Smith completing a 26-yard pass to Hill and an 18-yard pass to receiver Albert Wilson. Following an 18-yard run by Hunt, Smith hit Kelce for a 13-yard touchdown. Smith finished the quarter with 154 passing yards, a career high.
In the second quarter, Tennessee advanced to Kansas City's 21-yard line before Marcus Mariota was intercepted by Marcus Peters, who returned the ball 28 yards to the Chiefs' 37-yard line. Following a punt, tight end Delanie Walker's 22-yard reception sparked a drive to the Chiefs' 22-yard line; but on third-and-4, linebacker Derrick Johnson sacked Mariota and forced the team to settle for a 49-yard Ryan Succop field goal. The Chiefs increased their lead to 18 points by the end of the half, however, with a nine-play, 79-yard drive that culminated in a 14-yard pass from Smith to Demarcus Robinson with three seconds left in the half. Kansas City went into halftime with a 21–3 lead, with more total yards (284 to 127) and more first downs (16 to 3).[3] Kelce did not return to the game due to an injury, while catching a 12-yard pass on the final drive.
Tennessee opened the second half with a 15-play, 91-yard drive that consumed 8:29 off the clock. On a third-down play from the Kansas City 6-yard line, Mariota attempted a pass, which was deflected by Darrelle Revis, back to Mariota, who promptly ran it in for a touchdown, making him the first quarterback to complete a touchdown pass to himself in a postseason game.[4] The Chiefs were forced to punt on their next drive, but Adoree' Jackson muffed the catch and Keith Reaser recovered for Kansas City. They were unable to capitalize on the turnover, however, as they lost two yards over their next three plays and Harrison Butker hit the upright from a 48-yard field goal attempt. Tennessee took the ball back and drove 62 yards in six plays, scoring on a 35-yard run by Derrick Henry on the second play of the fourth quarter to cut the score to 21–16 after a failed two-point conversion.
Again forcing a Kansas City punt, Tennessee drove 81 yards in 11 plays to take their first lead of the game. Mariota converted three third downs on the drive, completing a 9-yard pass to Walker on third-and-3, scrambling 17 yards for a first down on third-and-8, and then connecting a 10-yard pass to tight end Jonnu Smith on third-and-2. Eventually, Mariota finished the drive by throwing to Eric Decker for a 22-yard touchdown, giving Tennessee a 22–21 lead following another failed two-point conversion with 6:06 remaining. Kansas City then drove into Tennessee territory, but Alex Smith was sacked on third down by Derrick Morgan and then missed a pass to Wilson on fourth down with 2:09 left. On the second play of Tennessee's drive, Johnson recovered a Henry fumble and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown, but Henry was ruled down by contact upon review. One play later, Kansas City had one last chance to get the ball back on a third-and-10 situation. Mariota handed the ball off to Henry, who started to run to the middle, but then switched direction and ran to the left. Aided by a key block from Mariota against linebacker Frank Zombo, Henry raced 22 yards down the left sideline for a game-clinching first down, and the Titans ran out the rest of the clock,[5] having held the Chiefs to 41 yards and three first downs in the second half.
Alex Smith finished as the leading passer with 264 yards and two touchdowns, but only 110 yards after the first quarter. Mariota threw for 205 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his first playoff start; his self-caught touchdown pass made him the first player since at least 1950 ever to throw and catch a touchdown pass in the same playoff game.[4] Henry gained 156 yards on 23 carries and 191 total yards from scrimmage, while Hunt, the league's leading rusher during the regular season, gained just 42 yards on 11 carries. Chiefs coach Andy Reid faced criticism for not relying on Hunt to protect their lead in the second half, as Hunt only carried the ball five times after halftime.[3]
Tennessee became the first road team to erase an 18-point deficit to win a postseason game since the 1972 playoffs. The loss was Kansas City's sixth consecutive home playoff loss, extending a league record.[6]
NFC: Atlanta Falcons 26, Los Angeles Rams 13[edit]
Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Falcons 6 7 6 7 26
Rams 0 10 0 3 13
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Date: January 6, 2018
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 74,300
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentator), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 7:13. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:27.
ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 1:23. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:12.
Second quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:34. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:41.
LAR – Cooper Kupp 14-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 2:34. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:05.
LAR – Sam Ficken 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 1:12.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, 6:45. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 8:15.
ATL – Matt Bryant 54-yard field goal, 0:19. Falcons 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:52.
Fourth quarter
LAR – Sam Ficken 32-yard field goal, 10:49. Falcons 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:30.
ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:48. Falcons 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 5:01.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 21/30, 218 yards, TD
LAR – Jared Goff – 24/45, 259 yards, TD
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 18 rushes, 66 yards, TD
LAR – Todd Gurley – 14 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
LAR – Robert Woods – 9 receptions, 142 yards
This was the first NFL postseason contest held in Los Angeles since the end of the 1993 season, when the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos in an AFC Wild Card game at the Coliseum. The win was the Falcons' first road playoff victory since 2002.
Atlanta got an early scoring opportunity when Blake Countess muffed a punt that Falcons linebacker LaRoy Reynolds recovered on the Rams' 17-yard line, leading to Matt Bryant's 29-yard field goal. Then, after a punt, Atlanta receiver Julio Jones caught a 27-yard pass and rushed for 13 yards on an end-around play as the team drove 57 yards in nine plays to go up 6–0 on Bryant's 51-yard field goal. Damontae Kazee forced a fumble from Pharoh Cooper on the ensuing kickoff, which Kemal Ishmael recovered for Atlanta on the Rams' 32-yard line. This time, the Falcons were able to take the ball to the end zone, scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run by Devonta Freeman as a result of center Alex Mack literally dragging him across the goal line.
Late in the second quarter, the Rams finally managed to get on the board, sparked by a 26-yard run by Todd Gurley. Jared Goff finished the drive with passes to Cooper Kupp, the first for 15 yards, and the second a 14-yard touchdown completion that made the score 13–7. The next time they had the ball, only 1:15 remained in the half, but they were able to convert a 38-yard completion from Goff to Robert Woods into a 35-yard Sam Ficken field goal, making the score 13–10 at halftime.
The Falcons took up more than half the third quarter with their opening drive, moving the ball 76 yards in 16 plays. Freeman carried the ball six times for 42 yards, while quarterback Matt Ryan converted a fourth-and-1 with a 1-yard sneak. Bryant finished the possession with his third field goal, this one from 25 yards, increasing their lead to 16–10. After a Rams punt, Ryan's completions to Jones for gains of 12 and 16 yards set up Bryant's fourth field goal, a 51-yard kick, to put the team up 19–10. The Rams quickly struck back, with Gurley rushing twice for gains of 14 and 33 yards, along with Goff completing an 18-yard pass to Woods. Ficken's 32-yard field goal at the end of the drive cut the deficit to 19–13 with just over 10 minutes left. However, Atlanta came back with an eight-play, 83-yard drive featuring a 52-yard completion from Ryan to Mohamed Sanu. On the last play, Ryan's 8-yard touchdown pass to Jones put his team up 26–13. The Rams responded with one last drive to try and get back in the game, moving the ball to a third-and-goal situation on Atlanta's 5-yard line. Goff then threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Higbee, but the call was reversed by a review, as replays showed the ball hit the ground as Higbee was going to the turf. On the next play, Goff threw an incomplete pass, causing a turnover on downs with 2:05 left. The Rams received the ball one more time, but this resulted in another turnover on downs.[7]
Ryan completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown, while Jones caught nine passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Goff finished the day 24-for-45 for 259 yards and a touchdown. His top target was Woods, who caught nine passes for 142 yards. Gurley was the game's top rusher with 101 yards on 14 carries, while also catching four passes for 10 yards.
Sunday, January 7, 2018[edit]
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 10, Buffalo Bills 3[edit]
Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Bills 0 3 0 0 3
Jaguars 0 3 7 0 10
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Date: January 7, 2018
Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
Game attendance: 69,442
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 1:49. Bills 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 71 yards, 8:06.
JAX – Josh Lambo 44-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
JAX – Ben Koyack 1-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 0:42. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:52.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/37, 134 yards, INT
JAX – Blake Bortles – 12/23, 87 yards, TD
Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 75 yards
JAX – Blake Bortles – 10 rushes, 88 yards
Top receivers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 receptions, 44 yards
JAX – Dede Westbrook – 5 receptions, 48 yards
This was the Jaguars' first playoff appearance since 2007, and their first home playoff game since the 1999–2000 AFC Championship, which they lost to the Tennessee Titans. It was also Buffalo's first playoff game since they also lost to the Titans in the same season, ending the longest playoff drought among any team in the four major professional leagues in North America. In the lowest scoring NFL postseason game since the 1997 season, Jacksonville's 15-play, 86-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter was enough to propel them to victory.
Every drive in the first quarter ended in a punt. Early in the second quarter, Jacksonville got a chance to score when Aaron Colvin intercepted a pass from Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the Buffalo 35-yard line. However, the team lost three yards over the next three plays and decided to punt rather than risk a long field goal. From there, Buffalo took up nearly all the remaining time in the quarter, driving all the way to the Jaguars' 1-yard line. However, an offensive pass interference penalty against receiver Kelvin Benjamin pushed them back 10 yards and they ended up settling for a 31-yard Steven Hauschka field goal to take a 3–0 lead with 1:49 left in the half. After an exchange of punts, Jacksonville got the ball on their own 47-yard line with 40 seconds left,and quarterback Blake Bortles scrambled twice for gains of 20 and 12 yards to set up Josh Lambo's 44-yard field goal, tying the score at halftime.
On the Jaguars' second possession of the second half, they drove 86 yards in 15 plays to take a 10–3 lead. The key player of the drive was running back Leonard Fournette, who carried the ball eight times for 33 yards and caught a pass for 12 yards. Eventually the team faced fourth-and-goal on the 1-yard line, and decided to go for the touchdown, which paid off as Bortles threw a pass to tight end Ben Koyack for the score with 42 seconds left in the third quarter. Jacksonville's defense then locked the Bills down in the fourth quarter, forcing three punts and an interception by Jalen Ramsey on the Jaguars' 48-yard line with 26 seconds left.[8]
Bortles completed only 12 of 23 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, but was also the game's leading rusher with 88 yards on the ground. Bills running back LeSean McCoy rushed for 75 yards and caught six passes for 44 yards.
NFC: New Orleans Saints 31, Carolina Panthers 26[edit]
Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers 0 9 3 14 26
Saints 7 14 3 7 31
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Date: January 7, 2018
Game time: 4:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 73,186
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Erin Andrews and Chris Myers (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 80-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:46. Saints 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:18.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 27-yard field goal, 14:12. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:34.
NO – Josh Hill 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:04. Saints 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 2:47. Saints 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 6:17.
NO – Zach Line 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:43. Saints 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:04.
CAR – Graham Gano 58-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 21–9. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 10:58. Saints 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:02.
NO – Wil Lutz 57-yard field goal, 6:05. Saints 24–12. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:53.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 14-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 12:47. Saints 24–19. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:45.
NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 5:08. Saints 31–19. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 3:02.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 56-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:09. Saints 31–26. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:59.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 24/40, 349 yards, 2 TD
NO – Drew Brees – 23/33, 376 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 11 rushes, 51 yards
NO – Alvin Kamara – 10 rushes, 23 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 8 receptions, 107 yards, TD
NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 131 yards
This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Saints. This was also the Panthers' first loss in the Wildcard Round, as they were previously 3–0 in this round. The Saints last appeared in the 2014 playoffs, where they lost to eventual Super Bowl XLVIII champions, the Seattle Seahawks,[9] while it was the Panthers' first playoff appearance since losing in Super Bowl 50.
Carolina had a chance to score on their second possession of the game, driving to a third-and-goal on the Saints' 7-yard line. But over the next two plays, Kaelin Clay dropped a potential touchdown catch in the end zone and then Graham Gano missed a 25-yard field goal attempt. On the second play after the missed field goal, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw a deep pass down the middle of the field to Ted Ginn Jr., who evaded a tackle attempt by James Bradberry and ran all the way to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown reception. This gave New Orleans a 7–0 lead with less than two minutes left in the first quarter.
Carolina responded on their next drive, converting a 22-yard completion from Cam Newton to Greg Olsen and a 39-yard pass interference penalty against defensive back Ken Crawley into a 27-yard Gano field goal that cut the score to 7–3. However, New Orleans responded immediately, with Brees completing passes to Michael Thomas for gains of 19, 8, and 13 yards, as well as passes to running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara for gains of 13 and 10 yards. On the last play of the drive, Brees put the Saints up 14–3 with a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Hill. Carolina struck back, with Newton completing a 19-yard pass to Brenton Bersin and converting a fourth-and-1 with a quarterback sneak. Gano finished the 54-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal to make the score 14–6 with 2:47 left in the half. Brees responded by completing 4 of 6 passes for 67 yards on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Zach Line, increasing the Saints' lead to 21–6. Taking the ball back with just over 40 seconds left, Newton completed a 24-yard pass to Devin Funchess. A few more plays moved the ball to the Saints' 40-yard line, where Gano barely managed to squeeze a 58-yard field goal inside the left upright, tying the NFL record for the longest field goal in postseason history.
The Panthers continued to chip away at their deficit with their first drive of the second half, as they moved the ball 64 yards in nine plays on a possession that featured a 29-yard run by Jonathan Stewart. Gano finished the drive with his fourth field goal, making the score 21–12. But New Orleans was able to respond, with Ginn catching two passes for 30 yards on a 36-yard drive that ended with Wil Lutz kicking a 57-yard field goal, bringing their lead back up to 24–12. With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, the Panthers started a 68-yard drive in which Olsen caught three passes for 54 total yards, the last one a 14-yard touchdown catch that cut the score to 24–19 after the two-point conversion failed.
Following a few punts, Brees' 46-yard completion to Thomas gave the Saints a first down on the Carolina 5-yard line, where they went on to score with Kamara's 2-yard touchdown run and go up 31–19 with 5:08 left. On the third play of the Panthers' next drive, Newton completed a short pass to running back Christian McCaffrey, who raced 56 yards for a touchdown, cutting the score to 31–26. New Orleans took the ball back and drove to a fourth-and-2 situation on the 47-yard line at the two-minute warning. Deciding to go for the first down, Brees threw a pass that was intercepted by safety Mike Adams, giving the ball back to the Panthers, though Adams' decision to intercept the ball instead of knocking the pass down ended up costing his team 16 yards. Carolina then drove to the Saints' 21-yard line. On second down, Newton was flagged for intentional grounding while throwing a pass to avoid a sack, bringing up third-and-23. Then after an incompletion, safety Vonn Bell sacked Newton, forcing a turnover on downs with four seconds left.
Newton finished the game 24-of-40 for 349 yards and two touchdowns, along with 37 yards on the ground. His top target was Olsen (eight receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown), who was one of four players in this game to have over 100 receiving yards. The others were McCaffrey (six for 101 yards and a touchdown), Thomas (eight receptions for 131 yards) and Ginn (four receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown). Brees was 23-of-33 for 376 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Bell had nine tackles – seven solo – and a sack.
Divisional playoffs[edit]
Saturday, January 13, 2018[edit]
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 15, Atlanta Falcons 10[edit]
Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Falcons 3 7 0 0 10
Eagles 0 9 3 3 15
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: January 13, 2018
Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 32 °F (0 °C)
Game attendance: 69,596
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentator), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 9:05. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:32.
Second quarter
PHI – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (kick failed), 10:28. Eagles 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 6:44.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:41. Falcons 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:50.
PHI – Jake Elliott 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 10–9. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 37-yard field goal, 0:11. Eagles 12–10. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:42.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 21-yard field goal, 6:02. Eagles 15–10. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:57.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 210 yards, TD
PHI – Nick Foles – 23/30, 246 yards
Top rushers
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 10 rushes, 79 yards
PHI – Jay Ajayi – 15 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 101 yards
PHI – Alshon Jeffery – 4 receptions, 61 yards
Philadelphia's defense recorded three sacks, held Atlanta to 281 yards – 83 below their season average – and stopped the Falcons on four consecutive plays after a first-and-goal on their own 9-yard line in the final minutes to preserve a 15–10 win.
The Eagles seemed primed to score on their opening drive when a 42-yard pass interference penalty on Falcons defensive back Brian Poole gave them the ball on the Falcons' 33-yard line. But on the next play, Ricardo Allen forced a fumble from Jay Ajayi that was recovered by safety Keanu Neal. Atlanta then drove 59 yards in 12 plays to score on Matt Bryant's 33-yard field goal, giving them a 3–0 lead. After the teams exchanged punts, Ajayi rushed four times for 26 yards on one drive and receiver Nelson Agholor ran for 21 yards on an end-around play as the team drove to a fourth-and-goal on the Atlanta 1-yard line. On the next play, LeGarrette Blount finished the 86-yard drive with a rush for the touchdown, putting the team up 6–3 with 10:28 left in the half; Jake Elliott hit the upright on his extra point attempt.
Atlanta had to punt on their next drive, but the ball bounced into Eagles blocker Bryan Braman and was recovered by Falcons linebacker LaRoy Reynolds on the Philadelphia 18-yard line, where they went on to go up 10–6 with Matt Ryan's six-yard touchdown pass to running back Devonta Freeman. Following a punt from each team, Philadelphia got the ball on their own 28-yard line with 46 seconds left in the half. Quarterback Nick Foles then completed passes to Corey Clement, Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery for gains of 7, 20 and 15 yards, setting up Elliott's 53-yard field goal, which cut the score to 10–9 at halftime.
With just under six minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles got the ball on their own 7-yard line due to a 39-yard punt by Matt Bosher. From there, Foles completed 5 of 7 passes for 70 yards – Jeffery caught three of them for 46 – on a 74-yard, 12-play drive to take the lead at 12–10 with Elliott's 37-yard field goal. Elliott's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving Atlanta good field position on their own 40-yard line. On the next play, the last of the third quarter, Ryan was sacked for a 10-yard loss by safety Rodney McLeod. The Falcons ended up going three-and-out, and their defense was soon back on the field trying to contain another long Eagles drive. This one went for 14 plays and 80 yards, 32 of them on a reception by Ajayi, taking 7:57 off the clock. Desmond Trufant managed to end the drive on the Falcons' 3-yard line by tackling Clement a yard short of a first down on third-and-3. However, Elliott kicked his third field goal on the next play, giving Philadelphia a 15–10 lead with 6:02 remaining. Atlanta took the ball back and drove to a first down on the Eagles' 9-yard line, featuring a 20-yard reception by Julio Jones on fourth-and-6. After throwing incomplete passes on the next two plays, Ryan threw a seven-yard pass to Jones on the 2-yard line. Then with 1:05 left, Ryan tried to connect with Jones in the end zone, but the pass went just through his hands, enabling the Eagles to get the ball and run out the clock.
Filling in for injured starter Carson Wentz, Foles completed 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards.[10] Ajayi rushed for 54 yards and caught three passes for 44 yards. Ryan completed 22 of 36 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Jones caught nine passes for 101 yards, and rushed for 21 yards, while Tevin Coleman was the top rusher of the game with 10 carries for 79 yards,[10] while also catching a pass for 14 yards.
With the win, the Eagles won their first playoff game and advanced to their first NFC Championship appearance since 2008, and their first at home since 2004.
AFC: New England Patriots 35, Tennessee Titans 14[edit]
Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Titans 7 0 0 7 14
Patriots 0 21 7 7 35
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Date: January 13, 2018
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear and cold, 24 °F (−4 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: Ronald Torbert
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
TEN – Corey Davis 15-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 1:14. Titans 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:17.
Second quarter
NE – James White 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:18. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:56.
NE – James White 6-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:20. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 1:56.
NE – Chris Hogan 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:52. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 5:18.
Third quarter
NE – Brandon Bolden 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:02. Patriots 28–7. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:20.
Fourth quarter
NE – Rob Gronkowski 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:22. Patriots 35–7. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 6:58.
TEN – Corey Davis 11-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 1:55. Patriots 35–14. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 22/37, 254 yards, 2 TD
NE – Tom Brady – 35/53, 337 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 4 rushes, 37 yards
NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 62 yards
Top receivers
TEN – Eric Decker – 6 receptions, 85 yards
NE – Danny Amendola – 11 receptions, 112 yards
New England racked up eight sacks, 438 yards, and 31 first downs as they advanced to their seventh consecutive AFC Championship game.[11]
Midway through the first quarter, Tennessee drove 95 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 36-yard completion from Marcus Mariota to tight end Delanie Walker. Mariota finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis, who made a running one-handed catch in the back corner of the end zone to put the Titans up 7–0. However, the Patriots stormed right back, with Tom Brady completing five consecutive passes for 67 yards, the longest a 32-yard completion to Dion Lewis and the last a five-yard shovel pass to James White for a touchdown that tied the score. After a Tennessee punt, Brady completed three consecutive passes for 28 yards as the team drove 48 yards in six plays to go up 14–7 on White's six-yard touchdown run with 9:20 left in the half.
The next time New England got the ball, they had to punt after three plays, but a neutral zone infraction penalty on Titans defensive back Brynden Trawick gave them a first down. Taking advantage of their second chance, they ended up driving 91 yards in 16 plays to take a 21–7 lead on Brady's six-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan. Tennessee then drove to the Patriots' 46-yard line; on fourth-and-1, Derrick Henry tried to run for a first down, but defensive backs Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore tackled him for no gain. With 17 seconds left, the Patriots were able to get to the Titans' 35-yard line with time remaining, but Stephen Gostkowski missed a 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired. In the first half alone, Brady completed 21 of 31 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns.
In the third quarter, Brett Kern's 40-yard punt from his own 16-yard line gave the Patriots good field position on their 44-yard line. On the next play, Brady completed a 27-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski, and the team went on to increase their lead to 28–7 with Brandon Bolden's two-yard touchdown run. The next time New England got the ball, they went on a 15-play, 90-yard drive in which they only faced two third downs. Brady completed seven passes for 78 yards on the drive, the longest a 25-yard throw to Danny Amendola, and finished it off with a four-yard touchdown toss to Gronkowski, making the score 35–7 with 10:22 left. Before the end of the quarter, the Titans were able to make it 35–14 with Mariota's 11-yard touchdown pass to Davis on fourth down at the end of an 80-yard, 16-play drive.
At 7004147730000000000♠40 years, 163 days, Brady became the oldest quarterback ever to lead his team to victory in a postseason game, finishing the day 35-of-53 for 337 yards and three touchdowns.[10] Amendola caught 11 passes for 112 yards, while also returning three punts for 18 yards. Lewis rushed for 62 yards, caught nine passes for 79 yards, and returned a kickoff for 27 yards.[10] Linebacker Geneo Grissom and defensive tackle Deatrich Wise Jr. each had two sacks for New England.[10] Mariota completed 22 of 37 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.
This game set the NFL postseason record for largest the age difference between opposing quarterbacks: Brady was 40 and Mariota was 24.[12]
Sunday, January 14, 2018[edit]
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 42[edit]
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Jaguars 14 14 0 17 45
Steelers 0 14 7 21 42
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: January 14, 2018
Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 18 °F (−8 °C)
Game attendance: 64,524
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color commentator), Evan Washburn (sideline reporter)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
1st quarter
JAX – Leonard Fournette 1-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 10:40. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:20.
JAX – Leonard Fournette 18-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 5:26. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 18 yards, 0:05.
2nd quarter
JAX – T. J. Yeldon 4-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 11:31. Jaguars 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:36.
PIT – Antonio Brown 23-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 8:20. Jaguars 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:11.
JAX – Telvin Smith 50-yard fumble return (Josh Lambo kick), 2:20. Jaguars 28–7.
PIT – Martavis Bryant 36-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 0:25. Jaguars 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 1:55.
3rd quarter
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 19-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 9:09. Jaguars 28–21. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:51.
4th quarter
JAX – Leonard Fournette 3-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 10:34. Jaguars 35–21. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:10.
PIT – Antonio Brown 43-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 9:05. Jaguars 35–28. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:29.
JAX – Tommy Bohanon 14-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 4:19. Jaguars 42–28. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:46.
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 8-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 2:18. Jaguars 42–35. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 2:01.
JAX – Josh Lambo 45-yard field goal, 1:45. Jaguars 45–35. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:33.
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 4-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 0:01. Jaguars 45–42. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:44.
Top passers
JAX – Blake Bortles – 14/26, 214 yards, TD
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 37/58, 469 yards, 5 TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Leonard Fournette – 25 rushes, 109 yards, 3 TD
PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 16 rushes, 67 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAX – T. J. Yeldon – 3 receptions, 57 yards
PIT – Antonio Brown – 7 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD
Jacksonville built up a 28–7 first-half lead and held off a second-half Steelers comeback to win the fourth highest scoring NFL playoff game.[13]
The Jaguars drove 66 yards in eight plays on their opening drive, with Blake Bortles completing passes to tight ends Ben Koyack and James O'Shaughnessy for gains of 21 and 19 yards on the way to a one-yard fourth-down touchdown run by Leonard Fournette. Later in the first quarter, linebacker Myles Jack intercepted a pass from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the Pittsburgh 18-yard line, and Fournette increased Jacksonville's lead to 14–0 with a touchdown run on the next play. The Steelers responded with a drive to the Jacksonville 21-yard line, but on fourth-and-1, running back Le'Veon Bell was tackled by Jalen Ramsey and Malik Jackson for a four-yard loss. The Jaguars then drove 75 yards in 11 plays and scored on T. J. Yeldon's 4-yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 21–0 with just over 11 minutes left in the half.
This time, the Steelers responded with a 64-yard scoring drive, featuring a 21-yard run by Bell and ending on Roethlisberger's 23-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown. But the next time Pittsburgh got the ball, Roethlisberger lost a fumble while being sacked by Yannick Ngakoue. Linebacker Telvin Smith recovered the ball and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, making the score 28–7 with less than two minutes left until halftime. However, the Jaguars were penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration, and then Cameron Sutton returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Jacksonville 49-yard line. Pittsburgh went on to drive 51 yards and cut their deficit to 28–14 on Roethlisberger's 36-yard touchdown completion to Martavis Bryant with 25 seconds remaining.
The Steelers drove 77 yards in 10 plays on their opening drive of the second half, cutting their deficit to 28–21 with Roethlisberger's 19-yard touchdown pass to Bell. Early in the final period, the Steelers got the ball on the Jaguars' 48-yard line due to a deflected punt, but ended up turning the ball over with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1. On the ensuing Jacksonville drive, Bortles' 45-yard completion to Keelan Cole put them on the Steelers' 3-yard line, and Fournette ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play, giving the Jaguars a 35–21 lead. This was the start of a scoring run from both teams, cumulatively totaling 38 points in the fourth quarter. After Fournette's score, Roethlisberger started the next drive with a 21-yard completion to Brown, and eventually ended it with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Brown that cut the score to 35–28. Jacksonville stormed right back, moving the ball 75 yards in eight plays, one of them a 40-yard completion from Bortles to Yeldon on third-and-5. Fullback Tommy Bohanon caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Bortles with 4:19 left, giving the Jaguars a 42–28 lead. The Steelers responded by moving the ball 75 yards in 12 plays, the longest a 22-yard reception from Bell. Bell finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, reducing his team's deficit to 42–35 with 2:19 to play. However, Pittsburgh failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, resulting in Jacksonville getting the ball back on the Steelers' 36-yard line and leading to a 45-yard Josh Lambo field goal that put the Jaguars up 45–35. Pittsburgh then drove 75 yards in 10 plays, including a 42-yard completion from Roethlisberger to Brown. He ended up throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but by then, one second remained.
Bortles completed 14 of 26 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. Fournette was the top rusher of the game with 25 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns, along with two receptions for 10 yards. Setting several franchise playoff records,[14] Roethlisberger completed 37 of 58 passes for 469 yards – the second highest total in NFL postseason history, behind Bernie Kosar's 489-yard tally,[14] from January 1987 – with five touchdowns and an interception. Bell rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, while also catching nine passes for 88 yards, while Brown caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Vance McDonald also went over 100 yards receiving, making 10 receptions for 112 yards. The Steelers lost despite gaining 545 yards of total offense, the most yards gained by a losing team in a playoff game (this record would later be surpassed by the Patriots in Super Bowl LII).
NFC: Minnesota Vikings 29, New Orleans Saints 24[edit]
Main article: Minneapolis Miracle
New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Saints 0 0 7 17 24
Vikings 10 7 0 12 29
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date: January 14, 2018
Game time: 4:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 66,612
Referee: Gene Steratore
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Erin Andrews and Chris Myers (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 14-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:15.
MIN – Kai Forbath 20-yard field goal, 4:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:27.
Second quarter
MIN – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:58. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:08.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:18. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:40.
Fourth quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:09. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:00.
MIN – Kai Forbath 49-yard field goal, 10:12. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:57.
NO – Alvin Kamara 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:01. Saints 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:20.
MIN – Kai Forbath 53-yard field goal, 1:29. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 1:32.
NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:25. Saints 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 1:04.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 61-yard pass from Case Keenum (run failed), 0:00. Vikings 29–24. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:25.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 25/40, 294 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Case Keenum – 25/40, 318 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 11 rushes, 43 yards
MIN – Latavius Murray – 19 rushes, 50 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 137 yards, TD
Vikings quarterback Case Keenum's 61-yard pass to Stefon Diggs on the game's final play sent them to the NFC title game for the first time since the 2009 season and marked the first time in the NFL postseason that a game was won with a touchdown on the final play of regulation. The game has been referred to as the "Minneapolis Miracle."[15][16]
Minnesota dominated the first half, building up a 17–0 lead. The Saints had to punt on their opening drive, and Marcus Sherels returned the ball 19 yards to the Vikings' 45-yard line before being tackled by punter Thomas Morstead. The Vikings then drove 55 yards in eight plays, including a 22-yard catch by Jarius Wright on third-and-3, to score on Jerick McKinnon's 14-yard touchdown run. The next time they got the ball, two pass interference penalties on defensive back Ken Crawley gave the Vikings 54 yards on a 79-yard drive that ended with Kai Forbath's 20-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 10–0. Following two more possessions, Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo intercepted a pass from Drew Brees, giving Minnesota the ball on their own 42-yard line with 1:06 left in the first quarter. Keenum went 5-of-7 for 54 yards on a 58-yard drive that ended with Latavius Murray's one-yard touchdown run, giving the Vikings a 17–0 lead.
New Orleans responded with a drive to the Vikings' 14-yard line, but lost their chance to score when Brees threw a pass that was tipped at the line by Everson Griffen and intercepted by linebacker Anthony Barr. Then after a punt, Brees led the team to the Minnesota 30-yard line. But after two incompletions, Brees was sacked by safety Harrison Smith for a 10-yard loss, and Wil Lutz missed a 58-yard field goal attempt with 26 seconds left in the half. The Vikings would also get a field goal try before halftime, which resulted in Forbath missing from 49 yards out.
Minnesota took the opening kickoff and drove to the Saints' 30-yard line. However, in what turned out to be a crucial turning point, Keenum was sacked by Sheldon Rankins for a 10-yard loss on third down, pushing the team out of field goal range. New Orleans took the ball back and drove 80 yards in 12 plays, featuring a 23-yard reception by receiver Michael Thomas. Brees finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Thomas, putting New Orleans on the board at 17–7. Then on the first play after the kickoff, Keenum threw a pass that was intercepted by rookie safety Marcus Williams, who returned it 12 yards to the Vikings' 30-yard line. New Orleans then drove for another touchdown, scoring on Brees' three-yard pass to Thomas that narrowed the gap to 17–14 with 13:09 left in the game.
Minnesota responded with a seven-play, 44-yard drive that included a 27-yard completion from Keenum to Wright and ended on Forbath's 49-yard field goal that increased the Vikings' lead to 20–14. Furthermore, Saints coach Sean Payton lost two timeouts on the drive as a result of failed replay challenges. After forcing the Saints to punt, the Vikings ran the clock under six minutes before having to kick the ball back to New Orleans. Saints lineman George Johnson blocked the punt, enabling his team to take over on the Vikings' 40-yard line. From there, Brees completed four consecutive passes, the last one a 14-yard touchdown completion to running back Alvin Kamara, giving them their first lead of the game at 21–20 with 3:01 left. Undaunted, the Vikings stormed back, mainly on the strength of a 24-yard Adam Thielen reception, moving the ball to the Saints 35-yard line, where Forbath made a 53-yard field goal that gave the team a 23–21 lead with 1:29 remaining. Brees was able to answer, throwing an 18-yard pass to tight end Josh Hill, an 11-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. and a 13-yard completion to Willie Snead on fourth-and-10. New Orleans eventually halted the drive on the Vikings' 25-yard line, where Lutz kicked a 43-yard field goal.
The Vikings were now down 24–23 with 25 seconds and one timeout left. After a touchback and a false start penalty put the ball on the 20-yard line, Keenum completed a 19-yard pass to Diggs on the 39-yard line, where the team promptly called their last timeout. Following two incomplete passes, they faced third-and-10 with 10 seconds left.[17] On the next play, Keenum threw a deep pass to Diggs near the right sideline, who made a leaping catch near the Saints' 35-yard line. Williams was in front of Diggs when he made the catch, but while trying to make a tackle, he completely missed Diggs and instead collided with Crawley, leaving the receiver with no one around him. Diggs nearly fell over at this point, but was able to stay on his feet by using his off-hand and stay in bounds as he ran all the way to the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown completion to give the Vikings a 29–24 win. After several minutes of pandemonium, the Vikings knelt on the extra point try to close out the victory.[18]
Keenum completed 25 of 40 passes for 318 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Diggs was the game's leading receiver with six receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown. Like Keenum, Brees also finished the game 25-of-40, but for 294 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Kamara rushed for 43 yards, while also catching six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Conference championships[edit]
As per an annual rotation used by the NFL since 1997 and made official in 2002, the AFC Championship Game was the first game played on January 21 at 3:05 p.m. EST, followed by the NFC Championship Game at 6:40 p.m. EST.
Sunday, January 21, 2018[edit]
AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20[edit]
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Jaguars 0 14 3 3 20
Patriots 3 7 0 14 24
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Date: January 21, 2018
Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear and cool, 48 °F (9 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 9:21. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:39.
Second quarter
JAX – Marcedes Lewis 4-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 14:15. Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:36.
JAX – Leonard Fournette 4-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 7:06. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:07.
NE – James White 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:55. Jaguars 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
JAX – Josh Lambo 54-yard field goal, 10:23. Jaguars 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:37.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Josh Lambo 43-yard field goal, 14:52. Jaguars 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:49.
NE – Danny Amendola 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:44. Jaguars 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:19.
NE – Danny Amendola 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:48. Patriots 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:10.
Top passers
JAX – Blake Bortles – 23/36, 293 yards, TD
NE – Tom Brady – 26/38, 290 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
JAX – Leonard Fournette – 24 rushes, 76 yards, TD
NE – Dion Lewis – 9 rushes, 34 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Allen Hurns – 6 receptions, 80 yards
NE – Danny Amendola – 7 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD
New England overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to earn the franchise's 10th Super Bowl appearance.
On the opening drive of the game, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed a 31-yard pass to Brandin Cooks and a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Danny Amendola on fourth-and-1 as the team drove 62 yards in 10 plays to score on Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal. Following a pair of punts, Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles completed two passes to running back Corey Grant for 44 total yards as the team drove 76 yards in seven plays to take a 7–3 lead on a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis on the second play of the second quarter. The next time they got the ball, Bortles completed all four pass attempts for 47 yards, one of them a 27-yard completion to Allen Hurns, as the team drove 77 yards in 10 plays to score on Leonard Fournette's four-yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 14–3.
On the Jaguars' next drive, they moved the ball to a third-and-7 on the Patriots' 47-yard line. Bortles completed a 12-yard pass to Lewis that would have picked up a first down, but the team was flagged for a delay of game and Bortles was sacked by Adam Butler on the next play. New England got the ball on their own 15-yard line with 2:02 left in the half, and proceeded to drive 85 yards in six plays – 47 yards from Jaguars penalties – to score on James White's 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 14–10. However, Jacksonville safety Barry Church delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Church drew a 15-yard penalty, and Gronkowski was escorted off for medical testing that determined that he had suffered a concussion.[19] Jacksonville got the ball back with 55 seconds and all three timeouts remaining, but chose to run out the clock and go to halftime, a choice that would later earn them criticism, as no team had deliberately run the first half clock out with more than 50 seconds left during the season.[20]
Jacksonville received the second half kickoff and drove 39 yards in nine plays, with 20 yards from a reception by fullback Tommy Bohanon. Josh Lambo finished the drive with a 54-yard field goal, increasing his team's lead to 17–10. Later in the period, the Jaguars advanced 66 yards in 11 plays, including 18 yards on a completion from Bortles to Marqise Lee on third-and-3. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Lambo scored with a 43-yard field goal, making the score 20–10. The game seemed to be slipping away from New England, particularly on their ensuing drive when linebacker Myles Jack forced and recovered a fumble from Dion Lewis on a trick play in which Amendola completed a forward pass to Lewis on the Jacksonville 33-yard line. However, the New England defense rose to the occasion and forced a three-and-out. Taking the ball back on the Patriots' 15-yard line, Brady started the drive with an 18-yard pass to Cooks, and then converted a third-and-18 with a 21-yard completion to Amendola on the 46-yard line. From there, Brady completed passes to Phillip Dorsett for 31 yards and Amendola for 14 yards before finishing the drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Amendola, making the score 20–17.
Following a pair of punts, Ryan Allen's 35-yard kick pinned the Jaguars back at their own 10-yard line. The Jaguars lost one yard over their next three plays, and then Amendola returned Brad Nortman's 41-yard punt 20 yards to the Jacksonville 30-yard line with 4:58 left. From there, New England drove 30 yards in five plays, scoring on Brady's four-yard touchdown pass to Amendola to take a 24–20 lead with 2:48 left. After taking the ball back, Bortles' 29-yard completion to Dede Westbrook gave the Jaguars a first down on the Patriots' 38-yard line. But over the next two plays, Bortles threw an incompletion and then fumbled the ball while being sacked by linebacker Kyle Van Noy. Jacksonville tackle Cam Robinson recovered the fumble, but the team lost nine yards on the play, bringing up third-and-19. After a four-yard pass to James O'Shaughnessy, Bortles' next pass was swatted away by Stephon Gilmore, causing a turnover on downs with 1:47 left. New England got a key first down on third-and-10 with an 18-yard run by Lewis that let them run out the clock.
Brady completed 26 of 38 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns, Cooks was the top receiver of the game with six receptions for 100 yards, while Amendola caught seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, and also returning two punts for 24 yards. Van Noy had nine tackles – including five solo tackles – a sack and a forced fumble. Bortles completed 23 of 36 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown, while Fournette was the leading rusher of the game with 76 yards and a touchdown and Hurns was the Jaguars' leading receiver with six receptions for 80 yards.
NFC Championship Game: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Minnesota Vikings 7[edit]
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Vikings 7 0 0 0 7
Eagles 7 17 7 7 38
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: January 21, 2018
Game time: 6:40 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 69,596
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Erin Andrews and Chris Myers (sideline reporters)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 25-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick), 10:14. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:46.
PHI – Patrick Robinson 50-yard interception return (Jake Elliott kick), 6:26. Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
PHI – LeGarrette Blount 11-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 13:37. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:20.
PHI – Alshon Jeffery 53-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 1:09. Eagles 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:07.
PHI – Jake Elliott 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Eagles 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 0:29.
Third quarter
PHI – Torrey Smith 41-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 10:05. Eagles 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:55.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Alshon Jeffery 5-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 14:10. Eagles 38–7. Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards, 7:11.
Top passers
MIN – Case Keenum – 28/48, 271 yards, TD, 2 INT
PHI – Nick Foles – 26/33, 352 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 10 rushes, 40 yards
PHI – Jay Ajayi – 18 rushes, 73 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 11 receptions, 86 yards
PHI – Zach Ertz – 8 receptions, 93 yards
Lincoln Financial Field during the NFC championship game.
This was the first time a Super Bowl host team had appeared in the conference championship. Although the Vikings scored with their opening drive, they were soon buried by Philadelphia, who racked up 456 total yards and 38 unanswered points. Meanwhile, the Vikings' seven drives after their game-opening touchdown would result in three punts, two interceptions, two turnovers on downs, and one lost fumble.
Minnesota drove 75 yards in nine plays on their first possession, taking a 7–0 lead with Case Keenum's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph. The Eagles had to punt on their next drive, but after moving the ball to the 43-yard line, Keenum threw a pass that was intercepted by cornerback Patrick Robinson and returned 50 yards for a touchdown. Following a Vikings punt, Philadelphia drove 75 yards in 12 plays to take a 14–7 lead. Jay Ajayi started the drive with two carries for 20 yards, while Nick Foles converted a third-and-10 with an 11-yard completion to Zach Ertz and LeGarrette Blount finished the drive with an 11-yard rushing score on the third play of the second quarter. Later on, the Vikings drove to a third-and-5 on the Eagles' 16-yard line. But on the next play, Derek Barnett forced a fumble while sacking Keenum and defensive end Chris Long recovered the ball. Philadelphia then drove 76 yards in six plays, scoring on Foles' 53-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery to go up 21–7 with 3:16 left in the half. Following a punt, the Eagles got the ball on their 20-yard line with 29 seconds on the clock. Foles started the drive with an 11-yard pass to Ajayi, who managed to get out of bounds, before throwing a 36-yard completion on Ertz on the Vikings' 33-yard line. On the next play, Foles' 13-yard completion to Ajayi moved the ball to the 20 yard line with four seconds left, where Jake Elliott kicked a 43-yard field goal, making the score 24–7 at halftime.
The Eagles increased their lead to 31–7 less than five minutes into the second half, scoring with Foles' 41-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith on a flea-flicker play. The Vikings responded with a drive to a first-and-goal on the Eagles' seven-yard line. After three incomplete passes, Keenum threw a pass to Adam Thielen that was initially ruled a touchdown, but overturned to an incomplete pass after replays showed the ball had hit the ground, causing a turnover on downs. The Eagles took over and drove 92 yards in 12 plays, including a 42-yard completion from Foles to Nelson Agholor on third-and-5. Foles finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Jeffery on the second play of the fourth quarter, making the score 38–7. The Vikings had only two drives on the final period, one of them ending with a turnover on downs and another with an interception by Eagles defensive back Corey Graham.
Foles completed 26 of 33 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns, Ertz was the leading receiver of the game with eight receptions for 93 yards, while Jeffery caught five passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Ajayi rushed for 73 yards and caught three passes for 26 yards. Keenum finished the game 28-of-48 for 271 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, while Jerick McKinnon was the Vikings' leading rusher with 40 yards, and their leading receiver with 11 receptions for 86 yards.
Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33[edit]
Main article: Super Bowl LII
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots – Game summary
1
2
3
4
Total
Eagles 9 13 7 12 41
Patriots 3 9 14 7 33
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date: February 4, 2018
Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
Game attendance: 67,612
Referee: Gene Steratore
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Recap, Game Book
[show]Game information
First quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 25-yard field goal, 7:55. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 7:05.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 4:17. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:38.
PHI – Alshon Jeffery 34-yard pass from Nick Foles (kick failed, wide right), 2:34. Eagles 9–3. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:43.
Second quarter
PHI – LeGarrette Blount 21-yard pass from Nick Foles (pass failed), 8:48. Eagles 15–3. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:05.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 45-yard field goal, 7:24. Eagles 15–6. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:24.
NE – James White 26-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 2:04. Eagles 15–12. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 2:57.
PHI – Nick Foles 1-yard pass from Trey Burton (Jake Elliott kick), 0:34. Eagles 22–12. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
NE – Rob Gronkowski 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:15. Eagles 22–19. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:45.
PHI – Corey Clement 22-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 7:18. Eagles 29–19. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:57.
NE – Chris Hogan 26-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:23. Eagles 29–26. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:55.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 42-yard field goal, 14:09. Eagles 32–26. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:14.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:22. Patriots 33–32. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:47.
PHI – Zach Ertz 11-yard pass from Nick Foles (pass failed), 2:21. Eagles 38–33. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:01.
PHI – Jake Elliott 46-yard field goal, 1:05. Eagles 41–33. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:04.
Top passers
PHI – Nick Foles – 28/43, 373 yards, 3 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 28/48, 505 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
PHI – LeGarrette Blount – 14 rushes, 90 yards, TD
NE – James White – 7 rushes, 45 yards, TD
Top receivers
PHI – Nelson Agholor – 9 receptions, 84 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD
Television coverage[edit]
All playoff games were broadcast nationally on network television.
ABC and ESPN simulcast 1 AFC Wild Card game, while CBS broadcast all other AFC playoff games. Coverage of the NFC Wild Card and Divisional rounds was split between Fox and NBC, with each network having coverage of one game in each of those two rounds. CBS had exclusive coverage of the AFC Championship Game. Fox had exclusive coverage of the NFC Championship Game. NBC had exclusive coverage of Super Bowl LII.[21]
Playoff games TV ratings[edit]
Rank
Game
Date
Matchup
Network
Viewers (millions)
TV rating[22]
1 Super Bowl LII February 4, 2018, 6:30 ET Philadelphia Eagles 41–33 New England Patriots NBC 103.4 43.1
2 AFC Championship January 21, 2018, 3:05 ET Jacksonville Jaguars 20–24 New England Patriots CBS 44.1 24.3
3 NFC Championship January 21, 2018, 6:40 ET Minnesota Vikings 7–38 Philadelphia Eagles Fox 42.3 21.7
4 Divisional Round January 14, 2018, 4:40 ET New Orleans Saints 24–29 Minnesota Vikings 35.6 19.3
5 Divisional Round January 14, 2018, 1:05 ET Jacksonville Jaguars 45–42 Pittsburgh Steelers CBS 31.4 18.3
6 Wild Card Round January 7, 2018, 4:40 ET Carolina Panthers 26–31 New Orleans Saints Fox 31.2 17.5
7 Divisional Round January 13, 2018, 4:20 ET Atlanta Falcons 10–15 Philadelphia Eagles NBC 27.1 15.5
8 Divisional Round January 13, 2018, 8:15 ET Tennessee Titans 14–35 New England Patriots CBS 26.7 14.5
9 Wild Card Round January 7, 2018, 1:05 ET Buffalo Bills 3–10 Jacksonville Jaguars 25.3 15.2
10 Wild Card Round January 6, 2018, 8:15 ET Atlanta Falcons 26–13 Los Angeles Rams NBC 22.8 12.8
11 Wild Card Round January 6, 2018, 4:20 ET Tennessee Titans 22–21 Kansas City Chiefs ABC/ESPN 22.2 13.0
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Eight Super Bowls in 17 years? Numbers show Patriots' dominance".
Jump up ^ "NFL announces playoff schedule". National Football League. December 31, 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b Tomlinson, Sean. "Major Questions Surround Chiefs After Yet Another Andy Reid Postseason Disaster". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
^ Jump up to: a b "Wow! Marcus Mariota's first playoff touchdown pass goes to Marcus Mariota". Yahoo.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Titans storm back from 18 points down to stun Chiefs in AFC wild card thriller". Guardian. January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Titans rally from 21-3 hole, beat Chiefs 22-21 in playoffs". ESPN.com. January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
Jump up ^ "Atlanta Falcons 26-13 Los Angeles Rams: NFC wild card playoffs – as it happened!". The Guardian. January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Jaguars break defensive stalemate, push past Bills for wild-card win". USA Today. January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
Jump up ^ "NFL: Carolina Panthers 26-31 New Orleans Saints – as it happened!". Guardian. January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e "NFL Today, Divisional Playoffs". The Washington Post. Fred Ryan, WP Company LLC. Associated Press. January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
Jump up ^ Wesseling, Chris (January 13, 2018). "Patriots advance to seventh-straight AFC title game". NFL.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Tom Brady, Marcus Mariota age difference is insane, and history is firmly on one side in playoff games". 10 January 2018.
Jump up ^ "Jaguars vs. Steelers score, takeaways: Jags pull off stunning playoff upset in Pittsburgh".
^ Jump up to: a b Fittipaldo, Ray (January 14, 2018). "Communication errors, mental lapses define disappointing defensive performance for Steelers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. John Robinson Block, Block Communications. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
Jump up ^ Shpigel, Ben (January 14, 2018). "Vikings Shock Saints on Stefon Diggs's Last-Second Touchdown". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
Jump up ^ Jones, Lindsay H. "Vikings stun Saints with last-second TD to advance to NFC Championship Game". USA Today. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Game Center Saints Vikings 2017 playoffs". NFL.com.
Jump up ^ Bergman, Jeremy. "Stefon Diggs' last-second TD caps Vikings' wild win". NFL.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
Jump up ^ Michael Hurley (2018-01-21). "Rob Gronkowski Suffers Concussion, But There's 'Optimism' For Super Bowl Availability". CBS Boston.
Jump up ^ "3 errors at the end of the 1st half spoiled the Jaguars' early lead".
Jump up ^ "NFL Playoffs Schedule 2018 - Sports Media Watch". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
Jump up ^ "THE NFL TV RATINGS PAGE". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
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Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LII champions
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1972
1974
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1976
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Conference championships (8)
1974
1975
1978
1979
1995
2005
2008
2010
League championships (6)
1974 (IX)
1975 (X)
1978 (XIII)
1979 (XIV)
2005 (XL)
2008 (XLIII)
Retired numbers
70
75
Hall of Fame members
Players: Bettis
Blount
Bradshaw
Butler
Dawson
Dudley
Greene
Ham
Harris
Johnson
Lambert
Layne
Stallworth
Stautner
Swann
Webster
Woodson
Coaches and administration: Bell
Kiesling
Noll
Art Rooney
Dan Rooney
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: North Division
Seasons (85)
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Championship seasons in bold
[show]
v
t
e
Tennessee Titans
Founded in 1960
Formerly the Houston Oilers (1960–96) and the Tennessee Oilers (1997–98)
Based and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee
Franchise
History
in Houston
in Tennessee
Coaches
Seasons
Players
First-round draft picks
Starting quarterbacks
Stadiums
Jeppesen Stadium
Rice Stadium
Houston Astrodome
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Vanderbilt Stadium
Nissan Stadium
Culture
Bud Adams
Luv Ya Blue
T-Rac
Cheerleaders
Lore
The Choke
Music City Miracle
Rivalries
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
Division championships (9)
1960
1961
1962
1967
1991
1993
2000
2002
2008
Conference championships (1)
1999
League championships (2)
1960
1961
Retired numbers
1
34
43
63
65
74
Media
Broadcasters
Titans All Access
Titans Preseason Football
Titans Radio Network
WKRN-TV
WTVF
WZTV
WGFX-FM
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League (1970–present)
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: South Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1960–1969)
Seasons (58)
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Championship seasons in bold
[show]
v
t
e
Atlanta Falcons
Founded in 1966
Based in Atlanta, Georgia
Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia
Franchise
Franchise
Team history
Seasons
Players
Quarterbacks
Head coaches
Expansion draft
Draft history
First-round draft picks
Stadiums
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
Georgia Dome
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Culture
Rankin M. Smith, Sr.
Arthur Blank
The Dirty Bird Dance
Freddie Falcon
Michael Vick dog fighting investigation
Cheerleaders
"2 Legit 2 Quit"
Lore
Gary Anderson's missed field goal
28–3
Rivalries
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Wild card berths (7)
1978
1991
1995
2002
2008
2011
2017
Division championships (6)
1980
1998
2004
2010
2012
2016
Conference championships (2)
1998
2016
Ring of Honor
10
21
31
42
57
58
60
78
87
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League
Conference: National Football Conference
Division: South Division
Seasons (53)
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
[show]
v
t
e
Carolina Panthers
Founded in 1995
Based and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina
Franchise
Franchise
Team history
Seasons
Coaches
Players
Expansion draft
First-round draft picks
Starting quarterbacks
Records and statistics
Broadcasters
Stadiums
Memorial Stadium (Clemson)
Bank of America Stadium
Culture and lore
Jerry Richardson
Sir Purr
Cardiac Cats
Carolina Topcats
"Sweet Caroline" (song)
Rivalries
Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Seattle Seahawks
Hall of Honor
Mike McCormack
Sam Mills
PSL Owners
Wild card berths (2)
2005
2017
Division championships (6)
1996
2003
2008
2013
2014
2015
Conference championships (2)
2003
2015
Retired numbers
51
Media
Broadcasters
Mick Mixon
Eugene Robinson
Bill Rosinski
TV: WCCB
Radio: WBT
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League
Conference: National Football Conference
Division: South Division
Seasons (24)
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
[show]
v
t
e
Buffalo Bills
Founded in 1960
Based and headquartered in Orchard Park, New York
Franchise
Franchise
History
Players
Seasons
Pro Bowl selections
First-round draft picks
Starting quarterbacks
Coaches
Logos and uniforms
NFL in Toronto
Bills series
Stadiums
War Memorial Stadium
New Era Field
Rogers Centre (Bills Toronto Series)
New Era Field II (proposed)
Culture
Buffalo sports curse
Ralph Wilson
Billy Buffalo
Buffalo Jills
Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson
Second String
Flutie Flakes
"Shout" (The Isley Brothers song)
Four Falls of Buffalo
Lore
AAFC Buffalo Bills
Electric Company
The Comeback
Wide Right
Music City Miracle
Rivalries
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Division championships (10)
1964
1965
1966
1980
1988
1989
1990
1991
1993
1995
Conference championships (4)
1990
1991
1992
1993
League championships (2)
1964
1965
Wall of Fame
Simpson
Kemp
McGroder
Sestak
Shaw
Wilson
12th Man
Dubenion
Stratton
Ferguson
Levy
DeLamielleure
James
Abramoski
Kalsu
Saimes
Kelly
Smerlas
Hull
Talley
Ritcher
Thomas
Reed
Tasker
Smith
Edgerson
Hansen
Polian
Miller
Saban
Gilchrist
Media
Broadcasters
Radio
Radio Network
WGR 550
Television
MSG Western New York
Personalities:
John Murphy
Van Miller
Mark Kelso
Steve Tasker
Owners
Wilson
Pegula family
Terry
Kim
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League (1970–present)
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: East Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1960–1969)
Seasons (58)
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Championship seasons in bold
[show]
v
t
e
Los Angeles Rams
Founded in 1936
Played in Cleveland (1936–45) and St. Louis (1995–2015)
Based in Los Angeles, California
Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California
Franchise
Franchise
History
in Cleveland
in St. Louis
Seasons
Players
Coaches
First-round draft picks
Starting quarterbacks
Statistics
Broadcasters
Awards
Stadiums
Cleveland Stadium
League Park
Shaw Stadium
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Anaheim Stadium
Busch Stadium
Edward Jones Dome
Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park (under construction)
Culture
Rampage
Cheerleaders
Heaven Can Wait (film)
Melonheads
Carroll Rosenbloom
John Ramsey
Lore
The Greatest Show on Turf
Bull Elephant backfield
Fearsome Foursome
"The Tackle"
Rivalries
San Francisco 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs
Retired numbers
7
28
29
74
75
78
80
85
Media
Broadcasters
Radio network
KCBS-FM
J.B. Long
D'Marco Farr
Dick Enberg
Wild card berths (8)
1980
1983
1984
1986
1988
1989
2000
2004
Division championships (16)
1945
1949
1967
1969
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1985
1999
2001
2003
2017
Conference championships (6)
1950
1951
1955
1979
1999
2001
League championships (3)
1945
1951
1999 (XXXIV)
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League (1937–present)
Conference: National Football Conference
Division: West Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1936)
Seasons (82)
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Championship seasons in bold
[show]
v
t
e
Kansas City Chiefs
Founded in 1960
Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–62)
Based and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
Franchise
Franchise
History
Seasons
Players
First-round picks
Coaches
Logos and uniforms
Awards
Records
Starting quarterbacks (list)
Stadiums
Cotton Bowl
Municipal Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Personnel
Owner: Clark Hunt
President: Mark Donovan
General Manager: Brett Veach
Head Coach: Andy Reid
Co-Offensive Coordinator: Brad Childress
Co-Offensive Coordinator: Matt Nagy
Defensive Coordinator: Bob Sutton
Special Teams Coach: Dave Toub
Culture
Lamar Hunt
H. Roe Bartle
Warpaint
K. C. Wolf
Marty Ball
Cheerleaders
Rivalries
Denver Broncos
Los Angeles Chargers
Oakland Raiders
St. Louis Cardinals/Rams
Playoff appearances (20)
1962
1966
1968
1969
1971
1986
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1997
2003
2006
2010
2013
2015
2016
2017
Division championships (10)
1962
1966
1971
1993
1995
1997
2003
2010
2016
2017
League championships (2†)
1962
1969 (IV)
† does not include 1966 or 1969 AFL championships
Retired numbers
3
16
18
28
33
36
58
63
78
86
Media
Broadcasters
Television:
KCTV
WDAF-TV
KSHB-TV
Radio:
KCFX
Personalities:
Dave Armstrong
Len Dawson
Kendall Gammon
Bob Gretz
Art Hains
Bill Grigsby
Kevin Harlan
Mitch Holthus
Roger Twibell
Current league affiliations
League: National Football League (1970–present)
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: West Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1960–1969)
Seasons (58)
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Championship seasons in bold
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017–18_NFL_playoffs&oldid=826451862"
Categories:
2017 National Football League season
National Football League playoffs
Hidden categories:
Articles needing additional references from January 2018
All articles needing additional references
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