honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, January 4, 2010

Ravens, Jets in; Steelers fall short


By BARRY WILNER
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

An Arizona fan held a sign saying “See ya next week” during the first half of a game yesterday against Green Bay, in reference to a rematch between the teams Sunday in the playoffs.

MATT YORK | Associated Press

spacer spacer

WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS

Saturday, Hawaii Times

N.Y. Jets at Cincinnati, 11:30 a.m. (NBC)

Philadelphia at Dallas, 3 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday

Baltimore at New England, 8 a.m. (CBS)

Green Bay at Arizona, 11:40 a.m. (FOX)

Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, Jan. 16, TBA

Sunday, Jan. 17, TBA

Conference Championships

Sunday, Jan. 24

AFC, 10 a.m. (CBS)

NFC, 1:40 p.m. (FOX)

Pro Bowl

Sunday, Jan. 31

At Miami

AFC vs. NFC, 2:20 p.m. (ESPN)

Super Bowl

Sunday, Feb. 7

At Miami

NFC champion vs. AFC champion, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

spacer spacer

Dallas won a division title, Baltimore and the New York Jets earned wild-card spots, and the Super Bowl champs were eliminated on the final day of the NFL season.

This weekend's first round will include three rematches of games yesterday. The playoffs won't include the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost out on tiebreakers.

They will include the Jets, who beat two teams already in the postseason to secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC. The Jets routed the AFC North champion Bengals, 37-0, in probably the final game at Giants Stadium, one week after the Colts benched many starters in the second half and saw New York rally to beat them.

So the Jets (9-7) will head to Cincinnati for a replay Saturday to open the playoffs. New York's win denied Houston a berth.

"This wasn't our goal to make the playoffs. Our goals are much higher," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We were 4-6 and we had a mission with the team. It went from impossible to improbable, back to impossible and then to inevitable."

The Ravens (9-7) grabbed an AFC spot when they beat Oakland, 21-13. Baltimore will visit AFC East winner New England on Sunday.

The AFC playoff picture was all jumbled going into the day. It got sorted out very cleanly — the two win-and-in teams, Ravens and Jets, both won.

Tony Romo and the Cowboys romped over Philadelphia, 24-0, to win the NFC East. And they will play again at Cowboys Stadium Saturday night.

Kurt Warner and the Cardinals will host the Packers Sunday to conclude the wild-card round. Green Bay (11-5) beat them, 33-7, yesterday. Arizona (10-6) will be the NFC's fourth seed for the second straight year.

There also will be no cold-weather games in the second round. Hosts Minnesota, New Orleans and Indianapolis play inside domes, and San Diego is the other site.

For the second straight year, the Eagles-Cowboys showdown was a rout. This time, Dallas did the damage.

Dallas swept Philadelphia this season to earn the division crown, dropping the Eagles to the sixth seed, both at 11-5.

"They're going to know us, we're going to know them," Romo said. "After winning like we did today, we're probably going to see a completely different team next week because I don't think they liked what they saw today. That's why I think we're going to see every blitz ever invented."

A year ago, the Eagles kept the Cowboys out of the postseason with a 44-6 victory in the season finale. That gave Philly a wild-card spot and the Eagles rode it to the NFC title game, where they led late before Arizona rallied to advance to the Super Bowl.

"We're lucky we have another opportunity to play again. That's all we can ask for," tight end Brent Celek said of the loss.

Like the Jets, Baltimore began the season 3-0.

"We've had so many ups and downs, we've had so many close games, and now we go forth 0-0," said linebacker Ray Lewis, whose Ravens lost in the AFC title game to Pittsburgh last January. "That's the type of message I was trying to tell my teammates before this game."

Minnesota's 44-7 blitz of the New York Giants gave Brett Favre and the Vikings (12-4) a first-round bye. New Orleans (13-3) is the NFC's No. 1 seed, but lost its final three games.

Indianapolis, which dropped its last two games, is the AFC's top seed at 14-2. San Diego (13-3) also has a bye after winning its final 11 games.

Houston has never been to the playoffs and its 9-7 record this year makes for its first winning season. It beat AFC East winner New England, 34-27, yesterday.

"I just started yelling," Texans star receiver Andre Johnson said of the winning record. "It was like a sigh of relief. This is something that I've been working for since I've been here."

The Bengals already own their division and rested some regulars, including running back Cedric Benson, for the night matchup with the Jets, who totally outplayed them in frigid weather.

"You've got to run the ball in this weather and play defense, and we do that better than anyone," Ryan said.

Out of the playoffs are the Steelers, who finished 9-7.

They beat Arizona in last year's Super Bowl, 27-23.