NFL Divisional Weekend

Another slate of four games this weekend, beginning on the west coast with the NFC #2 seed San Francisco 49ers hosting the #3 seed New Orleans Saints. Alex Smith got San Francisco on the board first as he tossed a 49 touchdown pass to Vernon Davis, and David Akers handled the extra point. Smith kept the 49ers going on a 4 yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree, and Akers was good with the extra point again. San Francisco kept going with Akers kicking a 25 yard field goal in the second quarter. Drew Brees got New Orleans going with a 14 touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, capped off with a John Kasay extra point. The Saints made it 17-14 at the half with Brees hooking up with Marques Colston for a 25 yard touchdown connection, and Kasay was there on the extra point. The 49ers gained a little separation in the third quarter on an Akers field goal from 41 yards away. Kasay pulled New Orleans back with a fourth quarter field goal of 48 yards. Akers answered for San Francisco on a 37 yard field goal. The Saints attacked with a Brees touchdown of 44 yards to Darren Sproles, finished off by Kasay's extra point to take the lead. The 49ers replied to take the lead on a 28 yard touchdown run by the quarterback Smith, but they failed the two point conversion. New Orleans quickly replied with a Brees touchdown to Graham, a 66 yard play, and Brees passed to Sproles for the two point conversion and a three point lead. This was irrelevant, as San Francisco took the game 36-32 with a Smith touchdown pass to Davis for 14 yards, and Akers' extra point. The 49ers will compete for the NFC Championship next weekend, while the Saints now head home.

The late game tonight has the AFC #1 seed New England Patriots hosting the #4 seed Denver Broncos. New England wasted little time in striking first, as Tom Brady fired a 7 yard touchdown to Wes Welker, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point. The Patriots added on with Brady's touchdown pass of 10 yards to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski was successful with the extra point. Denver got on the board in the second quarter with a Willis McGahee touchdown run of 5 yards, and Matt Prater added the extra point. New England answered with Brady finding Gronkowski again for a 12 yard touchdown connection. The Patriots rolled on with a Brady touchdown pass to Deion Branch, good for 61 yards on the catch and run, and Gostkowski supplied another extra point. New England would take a 35-7 lead into the locker rooms as Brady tossed another touchdown to Gronkowski, this time from 19 yards, and Gostkowski had the PAT. The Patriots kept going in the third quarter, as Brady found Aaron Hernandez on a 17 yard touchdown pass, and Gostkowski made another extra point. The Broncos got a little back with a 41 yard field goal by Prater. New England shot back in the fourth quarter as Gostkowski kicked a 20 yard field goal. This was it, leading the Patriots to 45-10 win, as they sit and await their AFC Championship opponent.

Continuing on Sunday with AFC #2 Baltimore Ravens hosting the #3 Houston Texans. Houston struck first on a Neil Rackers field goal of 40 yards. Baltimore answered on a Joe Flacco touchdown pass of 1 yard to Kris Wilson, and Billy Cundiff made the extra point. The Ravens added on with a Cundiff field goal from 48 yards. Baltimore rolled on with Flacco tossing a 10 yard touchdown to Anquan Boldin, and Cundiff supplied the extra point. Rackers answered in the second quarter for the Texans on a 33 yard field goal. Houston pulled closer with an Arian Foster touchdown run of 1 yard, and Rackers made the PAT for a 17-13 score at the half. The Ravens finally gained a little separation with a Cundiff field goal in the fourth quarter, good from 44 yards away. The final was 20-13, and the Ravens head to New England for the AFC Championship while the Texans return home.

Finally, the NFC #1 seed Green Bay Packers host the #4 New York Giants. New York opened the scoring on a Lawrence Tynes field goal from 31 yards away. Green Bay answered with a Mason Crosby field goal, good from 47 yards. The Giants took the lead again on an Eli Manning touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks, a 66 yard play iced off by a Tynes extra point. The Packers tied it in the second quarter with an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to John Kuhn for 8 yards, and Crosby had the tying point. New York took the lead back with Tynes kicking a 23 yard field goal. The Giants owned a 20-10 lead at the half thanks to a last second Manning and nicks connection for 37 yards and a touchdown, finished off with Tynes' PAT. Green Bay pulled a little closer with a Crosby field goal in the third quarter, from 35 yards out. New York answered in the fourth quarter as Tynes supplied a 35 yard field goal. The Giants extended the lead with a Manning touchdown of 4 yards to Mario Manningham, and Tynes made another extra point. The Packers pulled closer again with Rodgers tossing a 16 yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver, allowing a Crosby extra point. New York iced it at 37-20 with Brandon Jacobs rushing 14 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes was good with the extra point. The Giants will play in San Francisco next weekend, while the Packers shamefully head home.