Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
  • Jay Cutler won his first ever playoff game becoming only the 2nd player to score 2 rushing and 2 passing touchdowns in a playoff game(the other is hall of famer Otto Graham).
Matt Forte threw an interception.
  • Jay Cutler did not throw an interception in the whole game but running back Matt Forte did on his only attempt to linebacker Aaron Curry.
  • Matt Hasselbeck performed admirably on the Seahawks side after losing tight end John Carlson early and running an offense without any kind of running game.
  • The star of the win against the Saints Marshawn Lynch had more carries than yards in this game with 4 carries for 2 yards.
  • The Seahawks were outcoached by a team with three ex head coaches, Mike Tice, Rod Marinelli and Mike Martz working under their current head coach Lovie Smith.
  • Curiously the Seahawks won the turnover battle by 3-0 but could not take advantage of the good field position.
Greg Olson scored the first TD of the day
  • The Bears did what the Saints should have done last week and run the ball overwhelmingly on the Seahawks carrying the ball an incredible 45 times.
  • The Seahawks finished the season with an 8-10 record yet were still only 2 games away from winning the Superbowl.
  • The Bears will meet the Packers in the postseason for the first time since 1941 next week.
  • The NFC Championship will be the third meeting of the season between the NFC North opponents having split the original two matchups.

 New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Linebacker David Harris(52) had the
game's only interception.
  • Tom Brady threw his first interception in 340 attempts to David Harris after an errant screen pass.
  • Wes Welker sat out the first offensive series as punishment for his jabs at Jets' head coach Rex Ryan during the week but still fielded the first punt.
  • The Jets were able to get much more pressure on the Patriots than they had in their last matchup.
  • Ladanian Tomlinson had his first touchdown reception in the second quarter since 2008. Notably it was a game against the Saints that was not even in America. Wembley Stadium. London.
  • The Jets held the Patriots to 3 points at the half, the lowest amount in their last 48 games after the first two quarters.
Santonio Holmes(10) scored a TD
with a similar catch to that with which
he won Superbowl XLIII.
  • Santonio Holmes caught a touchdown early in the fourth quarter which meant that he had scored in every playoff game that he has played in except for the wildcard round this season against the Colts.
  • Brady had 115 yards in first 8 drives.
  • Deion Branch had one of the best games against Darelle Revis for a long time by any receiver finishing with 5 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown predominantly facing the corner.
  • The Jets set a franchise record for sacks in a single playoff game with 5 beating the old record of 4.
  • The No. 6 seed in the playoffs has now prevailed in six of the last seven No. 1 vs No.6 matchups in the postseason.
  • The Jets are the first team to beat the Patriots and Colts in succession since 2001. The Steelers in the AFC Championship means they play the three most winningest teams in the past decade.
Jets' Defensive End Shaun
Ellis(92) stands over Tom
Brady of the Patriots.
  • The Patriots have now lost their last two playoff home games convincingly. Unusual for such a dominant home team.
  • The Jets front seven finally made some big plays as Shaun Ellis was the protagonist in all of their sacks while David Harris had the game's only interception.
  • The Jets secondary was outstanding all night with Dwight Lowery in particular making plays throughout the four quarters.
  • The Patriots have not won a playoff game since losing to the Giants in Superbowl XLII after their unbeaten regular season.
  • The 42 point loss in the regular season is now the biggest loss ever avenged in the playoffs beating the old record of 32.
  • The Jets must now travel to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.