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SATURDAY, JANUARY 11

ATLANTA FALCONS–NFC SOUTH (10-6-1) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES–NFC EAST (12-4)

SERIES

	FALCONS	EAGLES
LEADER	10-10-1 (Includes playoffs)
STREAKS	2 of past 3
COACHES VS. OPP.	Reeves: 7-8	Reid: 1-0
VS. COMMON OPP.	Atl: 1-4 (Chi 0-1, NYG 1-0, Sea 0-1, TB 0-2) Phi: 4-1 (Chi 1-0, NYG 1-1, TB 1-0, Sea 1-0)
PLAYOFF RECORD	5-6	12-13
LAST WEEK	W 27-7 at Packers	Bye (Wk 17: L 10-7 OT at Giants)
LAST GAME	10/1/00: Falcons 10 at Eagles 38.  Philadelphia KR Brian Mitchell ties an NFL record with his 11th career kick-return TD & added an 85-yard TD run.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/1/00
LAST PLAYOFF	12/24/78: Eagles 13, Falcons 14.  Trailing 13-0, Atlanta QB Steve Bartkowski throws 2 TD passes in the final 5 minutes to spur the come-from-behind victory.
BROADCAST	FOX (8:00 PM ET): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston, Ron Pitts (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Dave Sims, John Riggins, Beasley Reece (Field reporter)

SEASON STAT LEADERS

QBs	Vick: 231-421-2,936-16-8-81.6	McNabb: 211-361-2,289-17-6-86.0 (3C)
RBs	Dunn: 230-927-4.0-7	Staley: 269-1,029-3.8-5
WRs	Finneran: 56-838-15.0-6	Pinkston: 60-798-13.3-7
OFFENSE	345.9	350.3
TAKE/GIVE	+12	+14 (3C)
DEFENSE	333.4	297.1 (3C)
SACKS	Kerney: 10.5	Douglas: 12.5 (T2C)
INTs	Bolden, Carpenter: 4	Taylor : 5
PR	Rossum: 12.0	B. Mitchell: 12.3 (3C)
KOR	Rossum: 22.0	B. Mitchell: 27.0 (2C)
PUNTING	Mohr: 41.9	L. Johnson: 37.4
KICKING	Feely: 138 (1L) (42/43 PAT; 32/40 FG)	Akers: 133 (2L) (43/43 PAT; 30/34 FG)

NOTES

REMATCH of 1978 first-round thriller, won by Falcons 14-13.  Series has been close throughout, as 5 of last 7 games decided by 7 points or less & 5 of past 6 in Phil by 6 points or less. 

FALCONS: Club became first ever to win road playoff game vs. Packers……Team makes first playoff appearance since 1998 season, advancing to SB XXXIII……Head coach DAN REEVES has more playoff wins (11) than any active coach……QB MICHAEL VICK ranked fourth in NFC with 1.9 INT pct (421 attempts, 8 INTs). Leads NFL with 6.9 yards per carry avg. & his 777 yards rushing are third most in NFL history among QBs (BOBBY DOUGLASS).  Led club to victory in first playoff start, passing for 117 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT & rushing for 64 yards, 6.4-yards per carry avg……Club rushed for 192 yards last week vs. GB, most in franchise playoff history.  Falcons ranked fourth in NFL avg. 148.0 rushing yards per game.  Set franchise record with 23 rushing TDs.  RB WARRICK DUNN had career playoff high 8 catches vs. Phil on 1/12/02 (with TB).  RB TJ DUCKETT (No. 18) led NFC rookies with 507 yards rushing……WR BRIAN FINNERAN posted career highs with 56 receptions, 838 yards receiving in 2002.  Posted first downs on 41 of 56 catches……TE ALGE CRUMPLER had career-high 36 catches, most by Falcons’ TE since JUNIOR MILLER (46) in 1980……Defense totaled 47 sacks, tied for fourth most in NFL, & second-most in team history (55).  Club posted 2 shutouts in same season for first time since 1977……DE PATRICK KERNEY finished with 10.5 sacks & is first Falcon since sack stat was instituted in 1982 with consecutive 10-sack seasons (12.0 in 2001)……S KEION CARPENTER had 2 INT vs. GB, tying club-record for most in playoff game (WILLIAM WHITE)……Falcons’ hold opponents to avg. drive start at 26.1 yard-line, third-best in NFL.  K JAY FEELY finished with club record 32 FGs.  Led NFL kickers with 138 points & tied for second with 16 touchbacks.

EAGLES: Club seeks fourth consecutive home playoff win……Finished 12-4, tying GB & Tampa for NFL’s best record.  Club also finished with NFL’s best record in 1980 (tied with Dal, Atl), 1960 & 1949, winning 2 NFL championships & losing SB XV to Oak in 1980……Club scored franchise record 415 points in 2002 & has 33-5 (.868) mark, including playoffs, under head coach ANDY REID when scoring at least 20 points.  Have won 13 of past 14 NFC games……QB DONOVAN MC NABB has completed at least 60 pct. of pass attempts in 4 of 5 career playoff starts.  Could make first start since Nov. 17 vs. Ariz.  QB A.J. FEELEY finished 4-1 as starter in 2002……Club has 10-3 mark all-time when RB DUCE STALEY rushes for 100 yards.  Rushed for third-career 1,000-yard season in 2002 & first since 1999 (1,273).  RB DORSEY LEVENS has started 6 career playoff games, topping 100 yards 3 times (with GB)……WR ANTONIO FREEMAN has 10 career postseason TD receptions & needs 1 to pass Pro Football Hall of Famer FRED BILETNIKOFF (10) in third-place all-time.  Has TD catches in 5 consecutive playoff games & needs TD catch vs. Falcons to pass JAMES LOFTON & RANDY MOSS (5) in second all-time (JOHN STALLWORTH, 8).  WR TODD PINKSTON led club with career-high 60 receptions.  WR JAMES THRASH has 17 career TD catches & seeks first in playoffs……TE CHAD LEWIS had 42 catches in 2002, his third consecutive 40-catch season……PR BRIAN MITCHELL has 301 playoff PR yards & needs 12 to pass DAVID MEGGETT (312) for first all-time……Defense led NFL with 56 sacks & club surrendered 241 points, second-fewest in NFL (TB).  Club had 4 defensive starters-DE HUGH DOUGLAS, S BRIAN DAWKINS, CB BOBBY TAYLOR & CB TROY VINCENT-named to Pro Bowl & NFL-high 7 players total. 

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-6)–NFC WEST AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (12-4)–NFC SOUTH

SERIES

	49ERS	BUCCANEERS
LEADER	12-2
STREAKS	9 of past 10
COACHES VS. OPP.	Mariucci : 0-1	Gruden: 1-0
VS. COMMON OPP.	SF: 1-4 (GB 0-1, NO 0-1, Phi 0-1, StL 1-1) TB: 2-3 (GB 1-0, NO 0-2, Phi 0-1, StL 1-0)
PLAYOFF RECORD	26-17	3-7
LAST WEEK	W 39-38 vs. Giants	Bye (Wk 17: W 15-0 at Bears)
LAST GAME	8/31/97: 49ers 6 at Buccaneers 13.  The Tampa Bay defense recorded 7 sacks & denied the 49ers a TD for the first time since 1991 in San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci’s debut.
LAST GAME AT SITE	8/31/97
LAST PLAYOFF	--
BROADCAST	FOX (1:00 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver (Field reporter).  CBS Radio : Bob Papa, Bob Trumpy, John Dockery (Field reporter)

SEASON STAT LEADERS

QBs	Garcia: 328-528-3,344-21-10-85.6	B. Johnson: 281-451-3,049-22 (3C)-6-92.9 (1C)
RBs	Hearst: 215-972-4.5-8	Pittman : 204-718-3.5-1
WRs	Owens: 100 (2C)-1,300-13.0-13 (1L)	K. Johnson: 76-1,088-14.3-5
OFFENSE	356.3	312.6
TAKE/GIVE	+10	+17 (T1L)
DEFENSE	322.4	252.8 (1L)
SACKS	Carter: 12.5 (T2C)	Rice: 15.5 (1C)
INTs	Parrish: 7 (T2C)	Kelly: 8 (1L)
PR	Wilson: 7.4	Williams: 9.5
KOR	Williams: 19.5	Stecker: 25.2
PUNTING	LaFleur: 36.6	Tupa : 42.8
KICKING	Chandler: 38 (14/14 PAT; 8/12 FG)	Gramatica: 128 (32/32 PAT; 32/39 FG)

NOTES

CLUBS MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN PLAYOFFS & first time overall since 1997.  SF has won 4 of 5 in Tampa, outscoring Bucs 126-67 in those games.

49ERS: Club rebounded from 24-point deficit (38-14) for 39-38 win over NYG last week, second-biggest come-from-behind win in playoff history (Buffalo, 32 points vs. Oilers, 1992, W 41-38 OT).  Head coach STEVE MARIUCCI has led club to playoffs for fourth time in 6 seasons……QB JEFF GARCIA passed for 331 yards vs. Giants (27 of 44, 3 TDs, 1 INT), tying JOE MONTANA for third-highest single-game total in club playoff history.  Led NFL with 107.6 third down passer rating, including 13 TDs, 1 INT.  Joined Montana & STEVE YOUNG as only QBs in franchise history to pass for 3,000 yards in 3 consecutive seasons……Club 14-1 all-time & 1-0 in playoffs when RB GARRISON HEARST rushes for 100 yards.  RB KEVAN BARLOW finished second on club with 675 yards rushing……WR TERRELL OWENS had career-high 100 receptions in 2002 & led NFL with 13 TD catches.  Ranked second in NFL with 30 third-down receptions (433) & first with 7 third-down TD receptions.  Had 3 150-yard receiving games in 2002 & avgd. 92.9 receiving yards per game, second-most in NFL (MARVIN HARRISON).  His 76-yard TD catch vs. Giants is tied for second-longest playoff TD catch in team history & his 177 yards receiving are second-most (JERRY RICE, 215).  WR TAI STREETS had career highs with 72 catches for 756 yards & 5 TDs……G RON STONE joined club in offseason & is 1 of 6 49ers headed to Pro Bowl, tied with Miami for second-most in NFL (7, Phil)……Club’s 17 giveaways are third-fewest in NFL……DE ANDRE CARTER had career-high 12.5 sacks & led club for second consecutive season……S TONY PARRISH led team with career-high 7 INTs in first season with club.

BUCCANEERS:  Head coach JON GRUDEN has led his club to playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons, including 2 playoff appearances with Raiders.  Spent 1990 season as offensive asst with 49ers……QB BRAD JOHNSON seeks second win in second career home playoff start.  Has 52-31 (.627) record as starter, including playoffs.  Set franchise single-season records with 22 TD passes, 62.3 comp. pct. (281 of 451) & 92.9 passer rating.  His 1.3 INT pct. (451 attempts, 6 INTs) is club record & best in NFL in 2002.  Passed for career-high 471 yards in only career start vs. SF, leading Redskins to 26-20 OT win on 12/26/99……RB MICHAEL PITTMAN could make first career playoff start.  Led club in rushing with 718 yards. RB MIKE ALSTOTT rushed for 548 yards in 2002 & had 35 catches for second consecutive season……WR KEYSHAWN JOHNSON seeks third career 100-yard receiving game in fifth career playoff game.  Avgs. 93.8 yards, 6.3 catches & 15.0 yards per catch in playoffs.  Had fourth-career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2002, leading club with 1,088 yards……Defense surrendered 196 points in 2002, fewest in NFL & fifth fewest since 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978……DE SIMEON RICE had 15.5 sacks in 2002, second-highest single-season total in club history.  DT WARREN SAPP is tied with 16 others for second-most sacks ever in playoff game with 3.0, trailing RICHARD DENT & RICH MILOT with 3.5……LB DERRICK BROOKS had 4 TDs on turnovers in 2002, most in NFL history by LB & trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer KEN HOUSTON (5) for single-season record……Defense led NFL with 31 INTs in 2002 & CB BRIAN KELLY tied NFL lead & had career-high 8……K MARTIN GRAMATICA set career-highs with 32 FGs & 128 points in 2002.  Connected on 6 of 6 playoff FG attempts & 11 consecutive field goal attempts to conclude regular season.

NFL Divisional Playoffs

AFC Divisional Capsules