What To Look For – Wild Card Weekend

FROM WILD CARD TO SUPER BOWL: Winners in the Wild Card round have won the Super Bowl six times, with the last three champions all being Wild Card winners. Last year, the NFC fifth-seeded New York Giants won three road games and then triumphed in Arizona over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Two years ago, AFC third-seeded Indianapolis accomplished the feat. And three years ago, Pittsburgh became the first sixth seed to win a Super Bowl.

The six winners in the Wild Card round to win the Super Bowl:

COMING IN HOT: With nine consecutive wins, the AFC fifth-seeded Indianapolis Colts have tied the all-time mark for the most consecutive victories for a Wild Card team entering the playoffs. After a 3-4 start, the Colts did not lose a game, securing second place in the AFC South behind Tennessee (13-3).

When the Colts meet the San Diego Chargers on Saturday night, the teams will set a record. Their combined 13-game winning streak (9 for Colts, 4 for Chargers), marks the longest combined winning streak for opposing teams in the Wild Card round.

Following are the top five winning streaks for Wild Card teams entering the playoffs:

ROOKIE-QB RECORD: This weekend, two games will feature rookie quarterbacks. When Atlanta’s MATT RYAN and Baltimore’s JOE FLACCO take the field on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, it will be the first time in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) that two rookie quarterbacks start a playoff game in the same year.

Ryan and Flacco make up a quarter of the list of rookie quarterbacks to start playoff games in the Super Bowl era.

The six rookie quarterbacks to start a playoff game (since 1966):

MAKING AN ENTRANCE: In his second season, Minnesota Vikings’ running back ADRIAN PETERSON led the NFL in rushing with 1,760 yards. On Sunday, he will make his playoff debut when the Vikings host the Philadelphia Eagles.

With 106 yards, Peterson will top the all-time mark for most rushing yards in a playoff debut by a player who led the league in rushing that year. Since entering the league in 2007, Peterson has averaged 103.4 rushing yards per game to lead the NFL in the category.

Following are the most rushing yards in a playoff debut by players who led the league in rushing in the same year:

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QUICK TEACHERS: This season, several teams have excelled under the guidance of rookie head coaches. That fact will never be more evident than when JOHN HARBAUGH brings his Baltimore Ravens to Miami to face TONY SPARANO’s Dolphins on Sunday.

Both coaches led their teams to 11-5 records (as did Atlanta rookie head coach MIKE SMITH), with Harbaugh helping the Ravens secure a Wild Card spot, and Sparano guiding the Dolphins to a 10-game turnaround from last season and the AFC East crown.

Sunday’s matchup will be unique. It will be only the third time in history that rookie head coaches face each other in the playoffs.

Following is the history of rookie head coaches facing each other in the playoffs:

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A POSTSEASON PRO: PEYTON MANNING will line up under center for the 15th time in the playoffs when his Colts face the Chargers on Saturday. With 102 passing yards, Manning will reach 4,000 in the postseason, a feat accomplished by only four other quarterbacks in history.

With 57 yards, Manning will move into fifth place all-time in postseason passing yards, passing TOM BRADY and his 3,954 yards. In addition, with one 300-yard postseason passing game, Manning will tie JOE MONTANA for the most ever (6).

The top five passing yardage leaders in playoff history:

GIVE & TAKE: Miami’s efficient offense will face Baltimore’s ball-hawking defense Sunday.

The Dolphins tied with the New York Giants for the league lead this season in fewest giveaways, turning the ball over an NFL record-low 13 times (7 interceptions, 6 fumbles lost), while the Ravens forced 34 turnovers (26 interceptions, 8 fumbles recovered) – the most in the league in 2008.

Following are the playoff games featuring teams with the most takeaways facing teams with fewest giveaways:

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