NFL Wild Card Weekend

First up, the AFC #3 seed Houston Texans take on the #6 Cincinnati Bengals Saturday afternoon. Cincinnati struck first with a 1 yard Cedric Benson touchdown rush, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. Houston replied with an 8 yard Arian Foster touchdown run, and Neil Rackers tied it with the extra point. Nugent put the Bengals back ahead in the second quarter with a 37 yard field goal. Rackers replied for the Texans with a 39 yard field goal. Houston took a 17-10 lead into the locker rooms when J.J. Watt picked off Andy Dalton and ran it 29 yards for a touchdown, allowing Rackers a PAT. The Texans rolled on in the third quarter with a T.J. Yates touchdown throw to Andre Johnson, a 40 yard play capped off by the Rackers extra point. Houston would finish ahead 31-10 after a fourth quarter Foster touchdown run from 42 yards away, and another Rackers extra point. The Texans will face the Baltimore Ravens next weekend, while Cincinnati has been eliminated.

East to New Orleans, as the #3 seed in the NFC hosts the #6 seed Detroit Lions. Detroit drew first blood with a 10 yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Will Heller, and a Jason Hanson extra point. New orleans evened it in the second quarter as Darren Sproles ran 2 yards for a touchdown and John Kasay supplied the extra point. The Lions regained the lead with a Stafford touchdown pass of 13 yards to Calvin Johnson, iced off by a Hanson extra point. The Saints cut it to 14-10 at the half with a last second Kasay field goal from 24 yards. Drew Brees got New Orleans in front in the third quarter on his 41 yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, and Kasay was there with the extra point. The Saints added on when Brees found Jimmy Graham for a 3 yard touchdown pass, and Kasay was again good with the extra point. Detroit got a few back as Stafford ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Hanson made his extra point. New Orleans answered in the fourth quarter with Sproles rushing 17 yards for a touchdown, and Kasay was good with the extra point. The Saints pulled away when Brees found Robert Meachem on a 56 yard touchdown connection, and Kasay was the with the PAT. The Lions tried a comeback beginning with Stafford finding Johnson again, a 12 yard touchdown reception finished off with a Hanson extra point. New Orleans crushed their hopes with a 1 yard Pierre Thomas touchdown run, and Kasay's extra point made it 45-28. The Saints will play the San Francisco 49ers next weekend while Detroit goes home.

Staying in the NFC, we go up to East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, as the #4 seed New York Giants host the #5 seed Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta took the lead in the second quarter due to an Intentional Grounding penalty by Eli Manning, occurring in the end zone for a safety. Manning made up for his mistake by putting New York ahead with a touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks, for 4 yards, and Lawrence Tynes made the extra point. The score at halftime was 7-2. The Giants added on in the third quarter with Tynes kicking a 22 yard field goal. Manning and Nicks extended the New York lead with another touchdown connection of 72 yards, and Tynes handled the PAT. The Giants rolled on in the fourth quarter with a Manning touchdown pass of 27 yards to Mario Manningham, allowing one more extra point by Tynes. The final stood at 24-2, with NewYork headed to Green Bay next weekend to face the Packers and the Falcons facing a long trip home.

Out to Denver, as the #4 seed Broncos welcome the #5 seed Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh led off with a 45 yard Shaun Suisham field goal. Suisham added for the Steelers with a 38 yard field goal. Denver got on the board when Tim Tebow tossed a touchdown to Eddie Royal, a thirty yard play, finished off with a Matt Prater extra point. Tebow extended the Broncos lead with an 8 yard touchdown rush, and Prater again made the extra point. Denver added on with a Prater field goal of 20 yards. The Broncos rolled on with Prater kicking a field goal from 28 yards away. This made it 20-6 at halftime. Pittsburgh finally answered back with a Mike Wallace 1 yard touchdown rush, and Suisham was true with the extra point. Denver shot back in the fourth quarter with Prater's 35 yard field goal. Suisham put the Steelers back in reach with a 37 yard field goal. Pittsburgh tied it when Ben Roethlisberger found Jerricho Cotchery on a 31 yard touchdown pass, and Suisham's PAT tied the game. The Broncos would win 29-23 in overtime when Tebow lobbed an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas for the win, sending them to New England to play the Patriots next week as the Steelers sit at home.