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2011–12 NFL playoffs

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The 2011–12 NFL playoffs following the 2011 regular season began on January 7, 2012, and end with Super Bowl XLVI on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

NBC will broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games and Super Bowl XLVI. CBS will air the rest of the AFC playoff games and Fox the rest of the NFC games.

This will be the second postseason that the modified playoff overtime rules will be in effect. None of the games during the previous postseason ended up going into the extra session. Under these rules, instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss scores a field goal on its first possession (the game will end if a touchdown is scored). Instead, the other team will get a possession. If the coin toss loser scores a touchdown on that possession, it will declared the winner. If the coin toss winner does not score on its first possession, or if both teams scored field goals on their first possession, the game will revert to sudden death.[1]

The Houston Texans and Detroit Lions broke two of the three longest active playoff droughts in the NFL heading into the 2011–12 playoffs, each clinching a playoff spot for the first time in at least a decade. It will be the first playoff appearance in the Texans' history, and the first for the Lions since 1999. The Buffalo Bills, who were eliminated from playoff contention for the twelfth straight year, are the only team yet to make the playoffs in the 21st Century.

Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are Eastern Standard Time (UTC-05)

Participants

Within each conference, the four division winners and the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1–4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5–6. 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 received a first-round bye. 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 met in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.[2]

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 New England Patriots (East winner) Green Bay Packers (North winner)
2 Baltimore Ravens (North winner) San Francisco 49ers (West winner)
3 Houston Texans (South winner) New Orleans Saints (South winner)
4 Denver Broncos (West winner) New York Giants (East winner)
5 Pittsburgh Steelers (wild card) Atlanta Falcons (wild card)
6 Cincinnati Bengals (wild card) Detroit Lions (wild card)


Bracket

Jan 8 – MetLife Stadium Jan 15 – Lambeau Field
5 Atlanta 2
4 NY Giants 37
4 NY Giants 24 Jan 22 – Candlestick Park
1 Green Bay 20
NFC
Jan 7 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome 4 NY Giants 20*
Jan 14 – Candlestick Park
2 San Francisco 17
6 Detroit 28 NFC Championship
3 New Orleans 32
3 New Orleans 45 Feb 5 – Lucas Oil Stadium
2 San Francisco 36
Wild Card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Jan 7 – Reliant Stadium N4 NY Giants 21
Jan 15 – M&T Bank Stadium
A1 New England 17
6 Cincinnati 10 Super Bowl XLVI
3 Houston 13
3 Houston 31 Jan 22 – Gillette Stadium
2 Baltimore 20
AFC
Jan 8 – Sports Authority Field at Mile High 2 Baltimore 20
Jan 14 – Gillette Stadium
1 New England 23
5 Pittsburgh 23 AFC Championship
4 Denver 10
4 Denver 29*
1 New England 45


* Indicates OT victory
This bracket:

Wild Card playoffs

Saturday, January 7, 2012

AFC: Houston Texans 31, Cincinnati Bengals 10

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 3 0010
Texans 7 10 7731

at Reliant Stadium

Game information

Houston's defense forced four sacks and intercepted three passes, while their offense racked up 188 rushing yards en route to the team's first playoff win since the team's founding in 2002. For the Bengals, it marked their fourth consecutive playoff loss since 1990 and extended their playoff win drought to 21 years, the longest streak among all NFL teams.

In the first quarter, a 52-yard pass interference penalty against Texans defensive back Glover Quin while trying to cover A. J. Green gave the Bengals a first down at the Houston 24-yard line. Then facing third down and seven, fullback Brian Leonard ran a screen pass 16 yards to the 1-yard line, where Cedric Benson ran the ball into the end zone on the next play, giving Cincinnati a 7–0 lead. Houston struck back with a 6-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The key player on the drive was running back Arian Foster, who rushed five times for 44 yards, the last carry an 8-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

In the second quarter, Cincinnati drove to the Texans 23-yard line. But on third down, quarterback Andy Dalton was sacked for a 9-yard loss by linebacker Brooks Reed, and then Mike Nugent missed a 50-yard field goal attempt. On the Bengals next drive, Dalton's 36-yard completion to reserve tight end Donald Lee and a 15-yard penalty against Houston at the end of the play set up Nugent's 37-yard field goal to make the score 10–7. Houston countered with T. J. Yates completing 4 passes for 38 yards on a 59-yard drive that ended with Neil Rackers' 39-yard field goal. Then with just 52 seconds left in the half, rookie defensive lineman J. J. Watt intercepted a pass from Dalton at the line of scrimmage and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans a 17–10 halftime lead.

In the second half, Houston completely took over the game. After the first three drives ended in punts, Yates completed two passes to Foster for 27 yards before tossing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson. On the Bengals next possession, they moved the ball to the Texans 47-yard line. But on fourth down and 3, Dalton's pass was intercepted by former Bengal Johnathan Joseph. Then in fourth quarter, Houston put the game completely out of reach with an interception by Danieal Manning that set up Foster's 42-yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 31–10 with just over five minutes left in regulation.

Foster finished the game with 153 rushing yards, three receptions for 29 yards, and two touchdowns. He became the third undrafted player in NFL history ever to rush for over 100 yards in a playoff game, after Paul Lowe and Ryan Grant.

The attendance of 71,725 was a record crowd for Reliant Stadium.[3]

NFC: New Orleans Saints 45, Detroit Lions 28

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 7 7728
Saints 0 10 142145

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Game information

New Orleans never punted the ball, gained a postseason record 626 yards, converted two fourth downs, and scored 35 points in the second half to defeat the Lions

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 5 of 6 passes for 70 yards on the opening drive of the game, the last one a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller. Later on, a 31-yard burst by Saints running back Pierre Thomas set up Darren Sproles' 2-yard touchown run, tying the score at 7 early in the second quarter.

Detroit responded on their next drive, moving the ball 87 yards in nine plays and taking a 14-7 lead on Stafford's 13-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson. With 21 seconds left in the half, New Orleans appeared to score the tying touchdown on a pass from Drew Brees to receiver Marques Colston, but the catch was overturned by official review, and the Saints ended up settling for a John Kasay field goal to cut the score to 14-10 at the end of the half.

The Saints dominated the second half, scoring touchdowns on five consecutive possessions before ending the game on their sixth. On the first play of the third quarter, Thomas rushed for 18 yards. Running back Chris Ivory then added a 19-yard run before Brees finished the drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson. Then after a Lions punt, New Orleans drove 92 yards, featuring a 40-yard completion from Brees to Henderson, and scored with his 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham.

This time Detriot stormed back, with Stafford completing two passes to Johnson for 63 yards before rushing the ball into the end zone himself on a 1-yard run, making the score 24-21. But their defense still could not stop Brees, who completed five passes for 52 yards on a 78-yard drive that ended with Sproles' second touchdown on a 17-yard run. Then on the first play of the Lions' next drive, Jabari Greer intercepted Stafford's pass at the New Orleans 39-yard line. Four plays later, Brees converted the turnover with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem. This time, Detroit managed to response, with Johnson catching 3 passes for 38 yards on a 79-yard drive, the last one a 12-yard score. But New Orleans recovered Jason Hanson's onside kick attempt and stormed back for another touchdown, with Meachem's 41-yard reception setting it up for Thomas' 1-yard scoring run. Then the Saints sealed the victory with Greer's second interception from Stafford, enabling them to run out the rest of the clock.

Brees finished the game with 33 of 43 completions for a postseason record 466 yards and three touchdowns. Meachem and Colston both recorded over 100 receiving yards each, while Thomas and Sproles combined for 264 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns between them.

Stafford threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, while Johnson set franchise playoff records with 12 receptions for 211 yards and two scores.


Sunday, January 8, 2012

NFC

Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Falcons 0
Giants 0

at MetLife Stadium

AFC

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Steelers 0
Broncos 0

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Divisional playoffs

Saturday, January 14, 2012

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Saints 0
49ers 0

at Candlestick Park

  • Date: January 14
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. PST
  • TV announcers (Fox): TBA
Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
PIT/DEN 0
Patriots 0

at Gillette Stadium

  • Date: January 14
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • TV announcers (CBS): TBA

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Texans 0
Ravens 0

at M&T Bank Stadium

  • Date: January 15
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • TV announcers (CBS): TBA
Atlanta Falcons or New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
ATL/NYG 0
Packers 0

at Lambeau Field

  • Date: January 15
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/ 3:30 p.m. CST
  • TV announcers (Fox): TBA

Conference championships

As per an annual rotation used by the NFL since 1997, the AFC Championship Game will be the first game played on January 22 at 3:00 p.m. EST, followed by the NFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. EST.

AFC Championship Game – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Lower remaining AFC seed 0
Higher remaining AFC seed 0
  • Date: January 22
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. PST
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
NFC Championship Game – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Lower remaining NFC seed 0
Higher remaining NFC seed 0

Super Bowl XLVI

Main article: Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
NFC Champion 0
AFC Champion 0

at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

References

  1. ^ "Rules proposal passes on 28–4 vote". ESPN. March 24, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  2. ^ "NFL Playoff Procedures and Tiebreakers". Yahoo! Sports. December 31, 2006. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Foster powers Texans to win over Bengals". Reuters Canada. Thomson Reuters. January 7, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
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