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2001–02 NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 2001 season began on January 12, 2002. The postseason tournament concluded with the New England Patriots defeating the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, 20–17, on February 3, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Until the 2020 season, this was the last season that three wild card teams qualified for the playoffs in each conference, and the last time a wild card team from each conference hosted a postseason game. The addition of the Houston Texans to the league in 2002 led to a realignment to eight divisions. The number of playoff berths remained six per conference, meaning one wild card berth per conference was eliminated and there would be no more meetings between wild card teams in the first round. As was the case prior to 2002, division champions retain priority for higher seeding and home field advantage regardless of records. Under the 2002 system, the only way two wild card teams in the same conference could meet in the playoffs would be for both teams to each win two road games to advance to the conference championship game hosted by the fifth seed, which never occurred. Under the current playoff format, wild card qualifiers can meet in any playoff round except the wild card round.

Schedule
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks led the league to postpone its September 16–17 games and play them a week after the scheduled conclusion of the regular season. This caused the playoffs and Super Bowl to be delayed by one week. This thus marked the first time in NFL history that the Super Bowl was played in February. No bye week was originally scheduled between the conference championships and the Super Bowl this season, so the NFL had to work diligently to get the final game in New Orleans rescheduled, including having alternative plans to host the Super Bowl in another city.

For the first time, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers. Saturday wild card and divisional playoff games were moved from 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. Concurrently, the league abandoned its general practice of scheduling colder, northern playoff games for daylight hours only; any stadium, regardless of evening January temperatures, could host prime time playoff games.

In the United States, ABC broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games, then CBS broadcast the rest of the AFC playoff games. Fox televised the rest of the NFC games and Super Bowl XXXVI.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 54 yards, as Philadelphia dominated Tampa Bay from start to finish. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson was intercepted four times, twice by Damon Moore. It was the second consecutive season in which Philadelphia eliminated Tampa Bay from the playoffs during the wild card round, and two days later, Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy was fired.

On the Eagles first drive of the game, Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson intercepted a pass from McNabb and returned it nine yards to the Eagles 36-yard line, setting up a 36-yard field goal from Martín Gramática. But McNabb made up for his mistake with a 39-yard run on third down and 5 on Philadelphia's ensuing possession, setting up a field goal for David Akers that tied the game, 3–3. In the second quarter, McNabb completed all four of his passes for 70 yards on a 73-yard drive, including a 41-yard completion to Todd Pinkston, that ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chad Lewis. Tampa responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, but once again could not dent the end zone and had to settle for another Gramatica field goal, cutting their deficit to 10–6. Later in the quarter, Eagles punter Sean Landeta pinned the Buccaneers back at their own 5-yard line and Tampa Bay could not get a first down with their next drive. After receiving Mark Royals' short 28-yard punt at the Buccaneers 31-yard line, McNabb threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley with 35 seconds left in the half. But Tampa Bay managed to respond with Gramatica's third field goal before halftime, set up by a 46-yard reception from Keyshawn Johnson, cutting their deficit to 17–9.

But Tampa Bay was completely dominated in the second half. Moore recorded his first interception from Brad Johnson at the Eagles 38-yard line on the Buccaneers opening drive of the third quarter. Later on, the Eagles drove 60 yards in six plays and scored on a 25-yard touchdown run from rookie Correll Buckhalter. Johnson tried to rally his team back with a pair of drives deep into Eagles territory, but both of them were ended with interceptions. First, cornerback Troy Vincent picked off a pass from Johnson in the end zone with 4:09 left in the third quarter. Then late in the fourth quarter, safety Brian Dawkins intercepted Johnson on Philadelphia's 3-yard line. Following a punt, Moore put the game away by recording his second interception and returning it 59 yards for a touchdown.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Buccaneers and Eagles. Both teams previously split the two prior meetings.

AFC: Oakland Raiders 38, New York Jets 24
The Raiders defeated the Jets in a high scoring shootout, outgaining them in total yards 502 to 410, and holding them off in a wild, 36-point fourth quarter. Quarterback Rich Gannon completed 23 of 29 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns. 39-year-old wide receiver Jerry Rice had a superb performance, catching nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. His nine receptions tied a franchise playoff record held by Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff. Running back Charlie Garner ran 80 yards for a touchdown to clinch the game with 1:27 remaining. He finished the game with 156 rushing yards on just 15 carries, along with three receptions for 26 yards. Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Curtis Martin added 106 rushing yards, while receiver Laveranues Coles caught eight passes for 123 yards.

Following a missed field goal by Jets kicker John Hall on the opening drive, Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski made two field goals to give his team a 6–0 first quarter lead. In the second quarter, Hall and Janikowski both made field goals before Oakland scored the first touchdown of the game on a 66-yard drive that ended with Tim Brown's 2-yard touchdown reception to make the score 16–3 with 22 seconds left in the half.

Early in the third quarter, Testaverde narrowed the score to 16–10 with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet. Later in the quarter, Raiders safety Johnnie Harris stripped the ball from fullback Richie Anderson and defensive tackle Grady Jackson recovered the ball for Oakland on their own 45-yard line. After a short run by Garner, Gannon's 47-yard completion to Rice moved the ball to the Jets 4-yard line. A few plays later, fullback Zack Crockett scored a 2-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Raiders a 24–10 lead. But instead of putting the game away, Crockett's score set off a wild scoring explosion from both teams, who ended up combining for 36 points in the final quarter as Testaverde desperately tried to rally his team back.

The Jets responded by driving 64 yards in 10 plays and scoring with Testaverde's 4-yard touchdown pass to Anderson. But Oakland stormed back with a 68-yard, seven play scoring drive. After a 21-yard completion to Rice and a 20-yard strike to Jerry Porter on third down and 8, Gannon threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Rice with 5:53 left in regulation. Testaverde once again responded, completing a four-yard touchdown pass to Chrebet on fourth down and goal to make it 31–24 with 1:57 left. Because the Jets had two timeouts left, coach Herm Edwards decided not to attempt an onside kick. New York's defense managed to stuff running back Tyrone Wheatley on two straight plays, but on third down, Garner took off down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown run, the longest in Raiders postseason history.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Jets and Raiders. New York won both prior meetings.

NFC: Green Bay Packers 25, San Francisco 49ers 15
The 2001 NFC wild card game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers shares the title of the best wild card round matchup by record (along with the 1999 AFC Wild Card, between the 11-5 Buffalo Bills and 13-3 Tennessee Titans, and 2020 AFC Wild Card between the 11-5 Indianapolis Colts and 13-3 Buffalo Bills), with a combined mark of 24-8. The game was also the only wild card game in the sixteen game era to feature two teams with twelve or more regular season wins, as both teams finished with a 12-4 mark. In frigid temperatures, the 49ers came into Lambeau Field and stood toe-to-toe with the Packers for most of the afternoon until being put away by a superb second half performance from Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

Favre completed six of eight passes for 43 yards in the first half, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman that gave the Packers a 6–0 lead after San Francisco defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield blocked the extra point. The Packers defense limited San Francisco to just 53 yards and a blocked field goal on their first four drives, but the 49ers closed out the half with a 15-play, 86-yard drive that took seven minutes off the clock. Quarterback Jeff Garcia completed six of nine passes for 61 yards on the drive, and running back Garrison Hearst capped it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to give his team a 7–6 halftime lead. It marked the first time Green Bay had ever trailed at the end of the first half in a home playoff game since the famous Ice Bowl in 1967.

However, Favre dominated the 49ers defense in the second half, completing 16 of 21 passes for 226 yards and leading his team to four scoring drives. First, he led the Packers 72 yards in 12 plays, completing two passes for 21 yards to Bill Schroeder and a 22-yarder to Freeman en route to a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell. After a San Francisco punt, Favre led his team to the end zone in just three plays, tossing a 12-yard completion to fullback William Henderson, following it up with a 51-yard strike to Corey Bradford, and then finishing the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Bubba Franks with 3:26 left in the third quarter, giving the Packers a 15–7 lead after the 49ers defense tackled Donald Driver short of the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt.

In the fourth quarter, Hearst's 22-yard reception and 10-yard run set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Garcia to Tai Streets, who also caught a subsequent 2-point conversion pass to tie the game at 15. But Green Bay responded with a 49-yard drive and retook the lead with a 45-yard field goal from Longwell. Then on San Francisco's ensuing possession, cornerback Mike McKenzie deflected a pass from Garcia into the arms of Tyrone Williams for an interception on the Packers 7-yard line. Favre took over from there, leading the Packers on an 8-play 93-yard drive for the game clinching touchdown, featuring two key third down completions by Favre. The first was a 37-yard completion to Freeman on third down and 7. Later, Driver caught a 12-yard pass on the 49ers 9-yard line on third down and 6. On the next play, running back Ahman Green scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 1:55 left in regulation.

Favre completed 22 of 29 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Garcia completed 22 of 32 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

This was the fifth postseason meeting between the 49ers and Packers. Green Bay previously won three of the four prior meetings.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 20, Miami Dolphins 3
The Ravens recorded 222 rushing yards, while limiting the Dolphins to 151 total yards and nine first downs, while forcing three turnovers and three sacks. Baltimore running back Terry Allen ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Elvis Grbac completed 12 of 18 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Throughout the day, the Dolphins were unable to move the ball on the ground. Running backs Travis Minor and Lamar Smith were held to a combined total of 20 yards on 11 carries, while quarterback Jay Fiedler ended up as the leading rusher with 16 yards. In contrast, the Ravens called 50 running plays, gained 222 rushing yards, and held the ball for 38 minutes.

The Dolphins' only score was Olindo Mare's 33-yard field goal just two minutes into the game, after linebacker Tommy Hendricks recovered a fumble from Baltimore's Jermaine Lewis on the opening kickoff. In the second quarter, the Ravens finished a 17-play, 90-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run from Allen to take a 7–3 lead. Baltimore later had a chance to increase their lead before halftime when linebacker Peter Boulware recovered Minor's fumble on the Dolphins 41-yard line, but their ensuing drive ended without points when Matt Stover missed a 40-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half.

Later in the game, Grbac led the Ravens on a 99-yard scoring drive, featuring a 45-yard completion to Travis Taylor on third down and 1. Taylor finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown catch to give the Ravens a 14–3 lead with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

Early in the final quarter, Boulware forced a fumble while sacking Fiedler that Ravens defensive tackle Sam Adams recovered on the Dolphins 37-yard line, leading to Stover's 35-yard field goal with 11:26 left in the game. The Dolphins responded with a drive to the Ravens 41. On first and 10, Fiedler's 40-yard pass to James McKnight at the Ravens 5-yard line bounced off the receiver's shoulder and was intercepted by cornerback Duane Starks, who returned the ball 26 yards to the 28-yard line. Baltimore's offense subsequently drove 50 yards and took 6:30 off the clock, including five carries by Jason Brookins for 36 yards, setting up Stover's second field goal to put the game away.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Ravens and Dolphins.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 33, Chicago Bears 19
The Bears surprised everyone by finishing atop the NFC Central with a 13–3 record behind quarterback Jim Miller. But after the Eagles jumped to a 6–0 lead, Miller was taken out of the game in the second quarter with a separated shoulder. Although Miller's replacement, Shane Matthews, led the Bears to a touchdown (a 47-yard reverse by Ahmad Merritt), and Jerry Azumah's 39-yard interception return briefly put the Bears back in the lead early in the second half, the Eagles controlled most of the rest of the game. Matthews threw for only 66 yards and was intercepted twice. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another touchdown.

The Eagles controlled the first quarter, scoring with two field goals by David Akers while holding the Bears to 25 offensive yards and one first down. In the second quarter, Miller led the Bears to Philadelphia's 25-yard line before throwing an interception to safety Damon Moore. On the ensuing interception return, defensive end Hugh Douglas drove Miller to the ground, separating his shoulder and knocking him out of the game. Douglas was later fined $35,000 for the hit. Merritt's 47-yard touchdown run gave the Bears a 7–6 lead with 5:27 left in the quarter. But McNabb led the Eagles back, driving 69 yards in 11 plays, including a 9-yard completion to tight end Jeff Thomason on fourth down and 1 from the Bears 27-yard line. Four plays later, McNabb finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to fullback Cecil Martin, giving his team a 13–7 lead with just 14 seconds left in the half. The Eagles finished the half with 230 yards and held the ball over 20 minutes, while holding the Bears to 88 yards.

On the first drive of the second half, cornerback R. W. McQuarters deflected a pass from McNabb into the arms of Azumah, who returned it 39 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 14–13 lead. Later on, Chicago punter Brad Maynard's 15-yard punt gave the Eagles a first down on the Bears 36-yard line. Following a key 30-yard reception by Thomason on third down and 14, McNabb threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley, giving the Eagles a 20–14 lead with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Chicago responded with an 11-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a field goal from Paul Edinger, but the Eagles struck back with an 11-play drive of their own, driving 45 yards and scoring with Akers' third field goal. Then Autry Denson fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Philadelphia rookie Quinton Caver recovered it, setting up Akers' fourth field goal. McNabb added another touchdown on a 5-yard run with 3:21 left to put the game away, while the Bears only other score was an intentional safety from Eagles punter Sean Landeta on the last play of the game. This game was the last one ever played at the old Soldier Field as the stadium was closed for major renovations, thus marking the Philadelphia Eagles the last team to win at the legendary stadium.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Eagles and Bears. Both teams split the prior two meetings.

AFC: New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 13 (OT)
This game has become a part of NFL lore. It was the final contest in the history of Foxboro Stadium, played under heavy snowfall. It is best remembered for a call near the end of the game with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. The referees initially ruled that New England quarterback Tom Brady had fumbled on a pass attempt. Invoking the "tuck rule", where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward motion, the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.

Both teams struggled in the heavy snow storm during the first half, combining for the same number of punts as first downs (11) and converting only one of 13 third downs. However, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon was efficient, completing 10 of 14 passes for 87 yards. The closest either team would come to scoring in the first quarter would be New England's drive to the Oakland 31-yard line, which ended when Brady threw an incomplete pass on fourth and 2. With 1:12 left in the quarter, a 15-yard fair catch interference penalty against Patriots safety Je'Rod Cherry at the end of Ken Walter's 39-yard punt gave Oakland a first down at midfield, where they drove to a 7-0 lead on Gannon's 13-yard touchdown pass to James Jett. A few plays later, Raiders safety Johnnie Harris intercepted a pass from Brady on the Patriots 41-yard line, but New England's defense managed to force a punt, which would be the final result of every following drive until the end of the half.

In the second half, things began to open up, especially for New England, who almost completely abandoned their running game and relied on Brady. He ended up completing 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards in the second half. On the opening drive of the third quarter, he completed passes to David Patten for gains of 25 and 19 yards as he led the Patriots 62 yards in 12 plays to the Raiders' 5-yard line, where Adam Vinatieri made a 23-yard field goal to make it 7–3. Terry Kirby returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Oakland 37-yard line, where the Raiders responded with a 10-play, 43-yard drive to score on a 38-yard field goal from Sebastian Janikowski. Then after Walter's 33-yard punt gave the Raiders a first down on their own 49, a 22-yard reception by receiver Jerry Rice set up Janikowski's second field goal, giving the Raiders a 13–3 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Brady led the Patriots on a 10-play, 67-yard drive, completing nine consecutive passes for 61 yards and finishing it with a 6-yard touchdown run that made the score 13-10. Later in the quarter, Patriots receiver Troy Brown returned Shane Lechler's 37-yard punt 27 yards to the Patriots 46-yard line. Brown fumbled the ball at the end of the return, but Pats linebacker Larry Izzo recovered it with 2:06 left on the clock. A few plays later, the "tuck" incident occurred. As Brady dropped back to pass, he lost the ball while being tackled by former college teammate Charles Woodson, and Oakland linebacker Greg Biekert recovered it with 1:47 left. However, an official instant replay review caused referee Walt Coleman to overturn the fumble, ruling Brady's arm had been moving forward while being tackled and making the play an incomplete pass. Taking advantage of his second chance, Brady completed a 13-yard pass to Patten and rushed for a 1-yard gain that moved the team to the Raiders 28-yard line, where Vinatieri made a 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, a dramatic kick through heavy snowfall that barely cleared the crossbar, sending the game into overtime.

New England won the coin toss and drove 63 yards in 14 plays for the winning field goal, with Brady completing eight consecutive passes for 45 yards, including a 20-yard completion to J. R. Redmond and a 6-yard pass to Patten at the Raiders' 22-yard line on fourth down and 4 to keep the drive alive. While Vinatieri's game-tying kick had the wind at his back, this drive was into the wind and the Patriots wanted to move closer. Following five runs from Antowain Smith for 15 yards and one from Brady for 2, and after a drive of more than eight minutes, Vinatieri and Walter cleared snow away from where the ball would be spotted. Vinatieri then gave New England its first lead of the game, making a 23-yard field goal to win.

Patten was the sole offensive star of the day, catching eight passes for 107 yards.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Raiders and Patriots. Both teams previously split the prior two meetings.

AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Baltimore Ravens 10
Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, sidelined for much of the regular season, was scheduled to make his return in the first playoff game at their new home, Heinz Field, but was sidelined at the last minute due to a painkiller mishap. It did not matter as the Pittsburgh offense rushed for 150 yards and held the ball for over 40 minutes. Their defense limited the defending champion Ravens to 150 yards and seven first downs, forced four turnovers, and recorded three sacks. Bettis' replacement, Amos Zereoué, rushed for two touchdowns. The first half was a disaster for Baltimore. Their first six drives resulted in two interceptions, three punts without gaining a first down, and a fumble. Steelers cornerback Chad Scott started out the dominance by intercepting Baltimore quarterback Elvis Grbac's first pass of the game and returning it 19 yards to the Ravens 43-yard line. Pittsburgh's offense subsequently gained 37 yards on their first three plays. Linebacker Jamie Sharper managed to halt the drive by tackling Chris Fuamatu-Maʻafala for a 1-yard loss on third down and goal, but Kris Brown kicked a field goal to give Pittsburgh a 3–0 lead. The next time Baltimore had the ball, they were forced to punt after linebacker Mike Jones sacked Grbac for a 10-yard loss on third down and 10. Pittsburgh's offense then drove 51 yards in seven plays, featuring two completions from Kordell Stewart to receivers Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward for gains of 17 and 20 yards. Zereoue finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 10–0.

In the second quarter, Baltimore cornerback Chris McAlister gave the offense a great chance to score when he intercepted a pass from Stewart and returned it 18 yards to the Steelers 7-yard line. But on the next play, safety Brent Alexander intercepted Grbac's pass in the end zone for a touchback. The Steelers took over and drove to the Ravens 9-yard line, but on third down, Stewart was sacked for an 8-yard loss by Larry Webster and Brown's ensuing field goal attempt was wide left. Following another three and out for Baltimore, receiver Troy Edwards returned their punt 27-yards to the Ravens 43-yard line, setting up Zereoue's second touchdown run. Then linebacker Jason Gildon recovered a fumble from Terry Allen on Baltimore's next drive and the Steelers capitalized with a 46-yard field goal from Brown, increasing their lead to 20–0 with 4:23 left in the half. After going all this time without a single first down, Baltimore finally managed to respond on their next drive. Tight end Shannon Sharpe caught four passes for 48 yards on an 11-play, 57-yard drive. Matt Stover capped it off with a 26-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 20–3 at halftime.

Late in the third quarter, Baltimore receiver Jermaine Lewis returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown. But the Steelers responded by driving 83 yards in 12 plays and scoring with Stewart's 32-yard touchdown pass to Burress.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Ravens and Steelers.

NFC: St. Louis Rams 45, Green Bay Packers 17
The matchup between two of the league's highly rated quarterbacks — the Packers' Brett Favre and Rams' Kurt Warner, who shared a combined total of five NFL MVP awards, became lopsided thanks to St. Louis' improved defense, which forced eight turnovers. Although Favre threw for 281 yards, he tied a playoff record by tossing six interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. The Packers generated most of their offense early in the contest, but the turnovers gave the Rams a 24–10 halftime lead. The Rams then returned two interceptions in the second half to put the game away.

Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams opened up the scoring by returning an interception from Favre 29 yards for a touchdown. The next time Green Bay had the ball, they turned it over again when safety Kim Herring stripped the ball from Ahman Green and rookie Adam Archuleta recovered it. However, the Rams were unable to take advantage of this turnover. A few plays later, Warner's pass was intercepted by Darren Sharper on the Packers 35-yard line. Favre then completed a pair of passes to Corey Bradford and Donald Driver for gains of 27 and 16 yards, before tying the game with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman. But the Rams stormed right back with a 15-yard completion to Az-Zahir Hakim and a 38-yard burst from running back Marshall Faulk advancing the ball to the Packers 11-yard line. Two plays later, Warner completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt to put the Rams back in the lead. Then on Green Bay's next drive, Herring intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it 45 yards to the Packers 4-yard line, setting up a 4-yard touchdown catch by fullback James Hodgins early in the second quarter. Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but a holding penalty on Torrance Marshall eliminated the score. Green Bay still managed to score with a Ryan Longwell field goal, but Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins responded with a field goal of his own to give the Rams a 24–10 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Rams scored two touchdowns in a span of 92 seconds. On Green Bay's opening drive, Green's 49-yard run moved the ball into Rams territory. But three plays later, Williams stripped the ball from Freeman, dove on it, then got up and returned it for a touchdown. A replay challenge overruled the score, showing Williams was down by contact when he recovered the fumble, but three plays later, Holt's 50-yard reception set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Faulk. Then on Green Bay's next possession, Rams defensive end Grant Wistrom deflected a pass from Favre into the arms of linebacker Tommy Polley, who returned the interception 34 yards for a touchdown.

In fourth quarter, the Rams defense scored again with another interception return from Williams, making him the first player ever to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a playoff game. Meanwhile, they managed to pin down the Packers, only allowing a meaningless score on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Freeman with 5:46 left in the game.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Rams, with Green Bay having won the only prior meeting when the Rams were previously in Los Angeles.

AFC: New England Patriots 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
The Patriots' storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe came into the game in the second quarter in place of an injured Tom Brady – who replaced Bledsoe himself early in the season when he suffered a sheared blood vessel.

Both defenses controlled the game early on, and with just over four minutes left in the first quarter, the Steelers had to punt the ball from their own 13-yard line. Josh Miller appeared to bail his team out with a 64-yard punt, but Steelers receiver Troy Edwards was penalized for going out of bounds before tackling Troy Brown on the return. This turned out to make a big difference, as the punt was redone and on the second attempt, Brown returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. Pittsburgh responded by driving 65 yards in 10 plays, one of them a 34-yard run by quarterback Kordell Stewart, and scoring with a 30-yard field goal from Kris Brown, cutting the score to 7–3.

Later on, with under two minutes left in the half, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Brown at the Steelers 40-yard line, but was knocked out of the game by a hit from safety Lethon Flowers. Bledsoe took over without missing a beat, rushing for four yards and completing three passes to David Patten for 36 yards, the last one an 11-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 14–3 lead.

On the first drive of the second half, New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi recovered a fumbled snap on the Steelers 35-yard line. But the Patriots gained only two yards on their next four plays and ended up turning the ball over on downs. Pittsburgh subsequently drove 52 yards to the 16-yard line to set up Brown's second field goal attempt, but this time his kick was blocked by defensive tackle Brandon Mitchell and Troy Brown recovered the ball. After returning it 11 yards, Brown threw a lateral pass to Antwan Harris, who took the ball the remaining 45 yards for a touchdown to increase New England's lead to 21–3.

The Steelers struck back with Stewart completing a 24-yard pass to Hines Ward and a 19-yard screen pass to Amos Zereoué on an 8-play, 79-yard drive. Jerome Bettis finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 21–10 with 5:11 left in the third quarter. New England was forced to punt after linebacker Jason Gildon sacked Bledsoe on third down, and Edwards returned the punt 28 yards to the Patriots 32-yard line. Five plays later, Zereoue scored with an 11-yard touchdown run, making the score 21–17.

Early in the fourth quarter, Adam Vinatieri's 44-yard field goal at the end of a 45-yard drive increased New England's lead to 24–17. Later in the quarter, the Patriots made two key stops to clinch the victory. First, safety Tebucky Jones intercepted a pass from Stewart and returned it 19 yards to the Steelers 34-yard line. Pittsburgh's defense managed to prevent a first down and Vinatieri missed a 50-yard field goal attempt that would have sealed the game, giving the Steelers the ball back on their own 40-yard line, but a few plays later, Lawyer Milloy intercepted a pass from Stewart with 2:02 left to seal the game, and the Patriots were able to run out the clock.

Brown was the top offensive performer of the day with eight receptions for 121 yards, along with three punt returns for 80 yards. Brady completed 12 of 18 passes for 115 yards, while Bledsoe completed 10 of 21 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Patriots and Steelers. Both teams split their two prior meetings.

NFC: St. Louis Rams 29, Philadelphia Eagles 24
The Eagles, a 12-point underdog, had a surprising 17–13 lead at halftime, and had not allowed more than 21 points per game during the season and playoffs. But the Rams roared back thanks to Kurt Warner completing two-thirds of his passes for 212 yards and Marshall Faulk's 159 yards rushing and two touchdowns to earn their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years.

Early in the first quarter, Donovan McNabb fumbled while being sacked by defensive end Leonard Little, and Brian Young recovered for the Rams at the Philadelphia 20-yard line. Five plays later, Warner threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce. Philadelphia responded with an 11-play, 50-yard drive, featuring a 20-yard run by Duce Staley, that ended with a 46-yard field goal by David Akers. Rams receiver Yo Murphy returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to his team's own 42-yard line before Warner completed a 20-yard pass to Az-Zahir Hakim and Faulk rushed for 15 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal from Jeff Wilkins, giving the Rams a 10–3 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Wilkins hit the crossbar on a 53-yard field goal attempt, and the Eagles took over on their 43-yard line. On the next play, rookie running back Correll Buckhalter broke off a 31-yard run to the St. Louis 26. A few plays later, Staley finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. But on the Rams next drive, a 31-yard run by Faulk set up 39-yard field goal by Wilkins, and the Rams retook the lead. But McNabb responded with two completions to James Thrash for 27 yards and a 12-yard throw to Chad Lewis before throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Todd Pinkston with 46 seconds left in the half.

St. Louis dominated the Eagles in the third quarter, holding the ball for 12:30 and limiting Philadelphia to just five offensive plays. Murphy fumbled the opening kickoff, but Rams rookie Nick Sorensen recovered it. Following seven runs by Faulk for 27 yards, Warner completed a 21-yard pass to Torry Holt at the Eagles 19-yard line, setting up Wilkins' third field goal to cut it to 17–16. Then after forcing a three-and-out, the Rams drove 71 yards in 10 plays, with Warner completing three passes to Bruce for 44 yards and a 16-yard pass to Holt at the Eagles 9-yard line. Faulk subsequently took the ball into the end zone with three consecutive running plays, giving the Rams a 22–17 lead after tight end Ernie Conwell dropped Warner's pass on a two-point conversion attempt.

Philadelphia went three-and-out again on its next two possessions, and Faulk took advantage of an Eagles' defense that was on the field for most of the second half. On the Rams drive after the second punt, he broke a 25-yard run on third down and 1, caught a 10-yard pass, and then ran for eight yards before finally scoring a 1-yard touchdown run to increase the Rams lead to 29–17 with 6:55 left in the game. A 41-yard kickoff return to the Rams 48-yard line from Brian Mitchell sparked an Eagles rally. McNabb led the Eagles 52 yards, completing an 11-yard pass to Lewis on fourth down and 8 and a 17-yard pass to Thrash before taking the ball across the goal line himself on a 3-yard run. After forcing a punt, the Eagles got the ball back on their own 45-yard line with 2:20 left. But on a fourth down and 7 conversion attempt, St. Louis cornerback Aeneas Williams intercepted a pass intended for Freddie Mitchell and the Rams held the ball for the rest of the game.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Eagles and Rams. Both teams split the two prior meetings when the Rams were previously in Los Angeles.

Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
This was the first postseason meeting between the Rams and Patriots.

title: 2001–02 NFL playoffs


text:
2000–01 NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 2000 season began on December 30, 2000. The postseason tournament concluded with the Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, 34–7, on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

This would be the final season where the playoffs began in December. The following year, the league pushed the start of the season forward one week (to the weekend after Labor Day), which effectively pushed the start of playoffs one week later (into January).

Schedule
This would be the last time that all playoff games during the first three rounds would normally be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST. The following season, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers.

In the United States, ABC broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games. Fox then televised the rest of the NFC games. CBS broadcast the rest of the AFC playoff games and Super Bowl XXXV (their first Super Bowl broadcast since Super Bowl XXVI at the end of the 1991–92 playoffs).

AFC: Miami Dolphins 23, Indianapolis Colts 17 (OT)
The Dolphins overcame three first half turnovers as running back Lamar Smith set a playoff record with 40 carries for 209 yards, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown run in overtime. He also caught 3 passes for 18 yards.

After the Dolphins threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 6 from the Colts 39-yard line, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's 25-yard completion to tight end Jerome Pathon set up the first score of the game on a 32-yard field goal by kicker Mike Vanderjagt. Miami threatened to score late in the first quarter, but quarterback Jay Fiedler's pass in the end zone was intercepted by Indianapolis safety Chad Cota. On the next play, running back Edgerrin James broke off a 34-yard run, but the drive stalled and the Colts had to punt. After that, Colts defensive end Chad Bratzke gave his team another great scoring opportunity when he intercepted Fiedler's screen pass at the Dolphins 25-yard line. But Indianapolis failed to reach the end zone and had to settle for another field goal from Vanderjagt. On Miami's ensuing drive, they committed their third consecutive turnover when Cota picked off another pass and returned it 23 yards to the Dolphins 18-yard line. This time, the Colts made it into the end zone with Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Pathon with 7:47 left in the second quarter. He followed it up with a successful two-point conversion pass to tight end Ken Dilger. Miami responded with a drive to the Colts 20-yard line, only to have Olindo Mare miss a 38-yard field goal attempt with 31 seconds left in the half. Despite their sluggish start, Indianapolis had complete control of the game by the end of the first half, leading 14–0. Meanwhile, Fiedler completed only five of 14 passes for 42 yards.

But Fiedler improved in the second half, completing 14 of 20 passes for 143 yards and rushing for 43 yards. The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 11 plays. Smith carried the ball 7 times for 42 yards on the drive and finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the lead in half. In the fourth quarter, an 11-yard run by Fiedler and a 19-yard run by Smith set up a 38-yard field goal from Mare, making the score 14–10. But Manning led the Colts back, completing a 13-yard pass to Marcus Pollard, a 38-yard pass to Marvin Harrison, and an 18-yard pass to Pathon. Then a 16-yard run by James moved the ball into Dolphins territory, and Vanderjagt finished the drive with a 50-yard field goal to give the Colts a 17–10 lead. Miami responded with a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive. With 34 seconds left in regulation, Fiedler's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Weaver sent the game into overtime.

The Dolphins won the toss in overtime, but after a holding penalty they were forced to punt, and the Colts advanced into Miami territory. Faced with third down and 12 from the Dolphins 42-yard line, Manning completed an 11-yard pass to Marvin Harrison. The Dolphins were offside on the play, but the Colts elected to decline the penalty and attempt a 49-yard field goal to win the game. However, Vanderjagt's kick was wide right. The Dolphins then marched 61 yards in 11 plays, ending with Smith's game-winning touchdown.

Manning threw for 197 yards and a touchdown. James rushed for 107 yards and caught three passes for 33.

As of 2024, this is the Dolphins' most recent playoff victory.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Colts and Dolphins. Miami won the only previous meeting while the Colts were in Baltimore.

NFC: New Orleans Saints 31, St. Louis Rams 28
The Saints, who were 3-13 the previous year, won their first playoff game in their 34-year history with quarterback Aaron Brooks' 266 passing yards and four touchdowns, holding off the defending champion Rams, who scored three touchdowns in the final quarter. Rams quarterback Kurt Warner committed four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble), while running back Marshall Faulk, who shredded the Saints with 220 rushing yards during their encounter in the regular season, was held to a season-low 24 yards on the ground.

St. Louis scored on their opening drive, marching 68 yards in 11 plays to take a 7–0 lead with Warner's 17-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce. But New Orleans then scored 31 unanswered points, beginning with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Brooks' 12-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wilson on their opening drive. They appeared to suffer a setback when Brooks' 50-yard completion to Willie Jackson on their next drive was nullified by Devin Bush's interception a few plays later. But after several punts, Sammy Knight's 52-yard interception return to the Rams 20-yard line set up kicker Doug Brien's 33-yard field goal to give the Saints a 10–7 lead at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Chris Oldham's interception gave New Orleans the ball at the Rams 45-yard line, setting up Brooks' 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackson that increased their lead to 17–7. Early in the fourth quarter, the Saints drove 74 yards in five plays and scored with Brooks' 49-yard touchdown pass to Jackson. Then on the Rams ensuing drive, defensive end Willie Whitehead forced a fumble while sacking Warner that defensive tackle La'Roi Glover recovered on the Rams 16-yard line, and Brooks threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jackson on the next play, giving the Saints a 31–7 lead with 11:57 remaining.

But St. Louis stormed back, as Warner completed two passes to Faulk for 55 yards before throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl, cutting the deficit to 31–13 after the two-point conversion failed. With 6:28 left in the game, St. Louis had the ball inside the New Orleans 10-yard line but Knight recorded his second interception to halt the drive. However, the Saints were forced to punt and the Rams marched 62 yards on just three plays to score on Faulk's 25-yard touchdown reception to make it 31–20 with 3:52 left. Rams cornerback Dré Bly recovered the ensuing onside kick. Two plays later on third down and 6, Warner completed a 38-yard pass to Az-Zahir Hakim at the Saints 5-yard line before he took the ball into the end zone himself with a 5-yard touchdown run. Faulk's reception on the two-point conversion made it 31–28 with 2:36 left. St. Louis failed to recover their second onside kick attempt but forced New Orleans to punt. However, the punt was muffed by Hakim, and the Saints' Brian Milne recovered the ball to seal the victory.

Jackson caught six passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns, tying a playoff record set by Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIX. Warner finished the game with 365 passing yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Bruce caught seven passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, while Faulk added seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.

The Monday Night Football crew returned to the Superdome a year later to cover a regular season game between these teams, which the Rams won 34–21. It was their last game as division rivals, as the Saints moved to the NFC South in 2002.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Rams and Saints.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 21, Denver Broncos 3
The Ravens defense held the Broncos' offense to only 177 total yards, 42 rushing yards, nine first downs, and three points. Baltimore also recorded five sacks and held running back and Rookie of the Year Mike Anderson, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards during the season, to 40 yards on 15 carries.

Baltimore got an early scoring chance when Ray Lewis intercepted a pass from Denver quarterback Gus Frerotte on the Broncos 39-yard line. But the team could only get to the 34 and ended up punting. After several punts, Baltimore drove 75 yards in 10 plays, including a 20-yard run by Jamal Lewis, to go up 7–0 on Lewis' 1-yard touchdown run on the last play of the first quarter.

Denver responded as Frerotte completed four passes for 59 yards on a 68-yard drive that ended with a 31-yard field goal from Jason Elam with 4:31 remaining in the first half to cut the lead to 7–3. But on the Ravens' next drive, Trent Dilfer threw a pass that was bobbled by Lewis, deflected by cornerback Terrell Buckley, and ended up in the arms of tight end Shannon Sharpe, who took it 58 yards for a touchdown.

In the third quarter, Ravens receiver Jermaine Lewis returned a punt 17 yards to the Broncos 28-yard line, setting up the final score of the game, a 27-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis. He finished the game with 110 rushing yards, one reception for 15 yards, and two touchdowns.

This was the first time the Broncos were prevented from scoring a touchdown in 28 postseason games over a span of three decades.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Ravens.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 21, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3
The Eagles defense held the Bucs to only 199 total yards and 11 first downs.

After the first six drives of the game ended in punts, Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott rushed for 18 yards and caught a pass for eight yards as the team drove 58 yards in eight plays to score on Martín Gramática's 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter. But late in the quarter, Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas forced Tampa Bay quarterback Shaun King to fumble, and the ball was recovered by linebacker Mike Mamula at the Buccaneers 15-yard line, setting up Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb's 5-yard touchdown run. Tampa Bay punted on their next possession and the Eagles marched 69 yards on eight plays to take a 14–3 lead on Na Brown's 5-yard touchdown reception with 12 seconds left in the half.

The Eagles opening drive of the second half consumed over eight minutes. It ended with no points because of a missed field goal attempt by David Akers, but the team got the ball back with good field position after receiving Mark Royals' 27-yard punt on their own 43-yard line. Philadelphia then drove 57 yards in eight plays to go up 21–3 on the third play of the fourth quarter with McNabb's 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Thomason. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's final two drives of the game would both result in turnovers on downs.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Buccaneers and Eagles. Tampa Bay won the only prior meeting.

NFC: Minnesota Vikings 34, New Orleans Saints 16
Quarterback Daunte Culpepper led the Vikings to victory with 305 passing yards and three touchdowns, without being sacked or throwing any interceptions.

Culpepper threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Randy Moss on the game's third play from scrimmage. New Orleans responded by driving 65 yards in 10 plays, boosted by a 40-yard pass interference penalty against cornerback Wasswa Serwanga. Doug Brien finished the drive with a 33-yard field goal to make the score 7–3. Minnesota then ran off a 10-play, 65-yard drive of their own, the longest gain a 34-yard completion from Culpepper to Cris Carter. With less than two minutes left in the first quarter, Gary Anderson finished it with a 24-yard field goal that put the Vikings up 10–3.

The scoring pace slowed down in the second quarter, as the first five possessions ended in punts. With time running out in the half, Culpepper ripped off a 30-yard gain on a QB scramble, and then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Carter on the next play, giving the team a 17–3 lead going into halftime. Then on the 3rd play of the 3rd quarter, they went up 24–3 on Culpepper's 68-yard touchdown pass to Moss.

The Saints responded with quarterback Aaron Brooks completing 7 consecutive passes for 85 yards, the last a 2-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Dave Stachelski, his first career NFL touchdown. But the Vikings scored again on their next drive, moving the ball 50 yards (25 of them on a carry by Robert Smith) and taking a 27–10 lead on Anderson's 44-yard field goal. Then on the second to last play of the quarter, Robert Tate's interception of a Brooks pass gave the Vikings a first down on the Saints 29-yard line, and they went on to clinch the game with Smith's 2-yard touchdown run. After that, all the Saints could muster was a meaningless 48-yard touchdown pass from Brooks to receiver Willie Jackson with 2:28 left on the clock.

The 35-year-old Carter had the best postseason performance of his career, catching eight passes for a career-high 120 yards and a touchdown, while Moss recorded 121 yards and two touchdowns on just two receptions. Jackson caught nine passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in the final postseason game of his career. Smith rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 2 passes for 25. Brooks completed 30 of 48 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked and intercepted twice. Saints running back Chad Morton tied a playoff record with 13 receptions for 106 yards.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Saints and Vikings. Minnesota won the only prior meeting.

AFC: Oakland Raiders 27, Miami Dolphins 0
The Raiders scored 20 points in the first half, recorded 140 rushing yards, and forced four turnovers to shut out the Dolphins in their first home playoff game since returning to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995, which occurred in 1980. In the first quarter, Miami threatened to score first with a drive to Oakland's 17-yard line, but Tory James intercepted quarterback Jay Fiedler's pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. After a Dolphins punt, Oakland drove 41 yards in 10 plays to score on Sebastian Janikowski's 36-yard field goal. The next time they got the ball, Oakland advanced 78 yards, featuring a 32-yard completion from Rich Gannon to running back Terry Kirby, and scored on Jankikowski's 33-yard field goal to go up 13-0 early in the second quarter.

Later on, Tory James forced a fumble from Lamar Smith that was recovered by Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson on the Miami 43-yard line. This led to Gannon's 6-yard touchdown pass to James Jett, giving the Raiders a 20–0 lead going into halftime.

The Dolphins had to punt after three plays on the opening possession of the second half, and Darrien Gordon returned Matt Turk's 39-yard kick 24 yards to the Oakland 46-yard line. The Raiders then drove 54 yards in 12 plays to make the score 27–0 on Tyrone Wheatley's 2-yard touchdown run. The next time Miami had the ball, they turned it over on downs at the Raiders 37. In the fourth quarter, Oakland finished off the Dolphins by intercepting Fiedler twice, one by James and the other by Eric Allen.

Gannon completed 12 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 31 yards. Miami running back Autry Denson had 5 kickoff returns for 116 yards.

This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Dolphins and Raiders. Oakland won two of the previous three meetings.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 24, Tennessee Titans 10
Even though they had only 134 yards of total offense and six first downs, with quarterback Trent Dilfer completing just five of 16 passes, the Ravens broke a 10–10 tie in the fourth quarter with Anthony Mitchell's 90-yard blocked field goal touchdown return and Ray Lewis' 50-yard interception touchdown return.

The Titans scored first on the game's opening drive after marching 68 yards in 11 plays to reach the end zone on running back Eddie George's 2-yard touchdown run. But Baltimore tied the game early in the second quarter after Dilfer's 56-yard pass to Shannon Sharpe set up running back Jamal Lewis' 1-yard touchdown run. Tennessee kicker Al Del Greco attempted two field goals before halftime, but his 45-yard try was blocked and he missed a 31-yard attempt.

The teams then traded field goals in the third quarter, with Tennessee getting their field goal following a blocked punt. Early in the fourth quarter, Del Greco's field goal attempt was blocked, Mitchell caught the ball, and ran 90 yards to the end zone to give the Ravens a 17–10 lead. The Titans reached midfield with 6:55 remaining, but Steve McNair’s pass ricocheted off of Eddie George's hands, then into the hands of Ray Lewis for the interception, who then returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory for Baltimore.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Ravens and Titans.

NFC: New York Giants 20, Philadelphia Eagles 10
The Eagles never recovered after the Giants' Ron Dixon returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. For the rest of the game, they gained only 186 yards and scored 10 points, despite forcing three turnovers. New York also recorded six sacks.

Philadelphia failed to get a first down on their first three possessions. Then on the Eagles fourth drive, Torrance Small fumbled while being tackled by Shaun Williams, and Dave Thomas recovered the loose ball for New York on the Eagles 34-yard line to set up Brad Daluiso's 37-yard field goal.

Late in the second quarter, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb lost a fumble while being sacked by Michael Strahan, which New York lineman Cedric Jones recovered on the Philadelphia 15. Two players later, the Eagles got the ball back when Damon Moore forced and recovered a fumble from running back Tiki Barber. But the ensuing drive lasted barely a minute before cornerback Jason Sehorn made a diving interception from McNabb, then got back up and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to increase the Giants lead to 17–0. The Eagles finally caught a break when Brian Mitchell returned the following kickoff 34 yards to midfield, after which McNabb's 21-yard completion to receiver Charles Johnson set up David Akers' 28-yard field goal before halftime, making the score 17–3.

In the third quarter the Eagles drove 75 yards to the New York 12-yard line, only to have Akers miss a 30-yard field goal attempt. After a few punts, New York drove 88 yards in 13 plays, including a 33-yard completion from Kerry Collins to tight end Pete Mitchell. Brad Daluiso finished the drive with a 25-yard field goal that gave New York a 20–3 lead on the last play of the quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter the Eagles blocked a Giants punt. New York receiver Amani Toomer recovered it, but then fumbled the ball, and Luther Broughton recovered it for the Eagles on the Giants 8-yard line. Philadelphia then scored with McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to Small, making the score 20–10, but their subsequent onside kick failed and the Giants held the ball for the rest of the game.

Strahan finished the game with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Eagles and Giants. New York won the only prior meeting.

NFC: New York Giants 41, Minnesota Vikings 0
Quarterback Kerry Collins led the Giants to victory by throwing for 381 yards and five touchdowns in the most lopsided contest in NFC Championship Game history and the second-most lopsided conference title game ever (after the 1990 AFC Championship Game). As of the 2021 season, this game is tied for the most lopsided NFL playoff game from the 2000 playoffs to the present with the New York Jets' 41–0 win over Indianapolis in the 2002 playoffs. The Giants shut out the Vikings by limiting them to only 114 offensive yards, sacking quarterback Daunte Culpepper four times, and forcing five turnovers, and handing the Vikings their first shutout and worst loss in their postseason history. New York wide receiver Ike Hilliard had 10 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. The Minnesota sports community sometimes refers to this as "41–doughnut" after a post-game comment from Randy Moss: "I was just talking to Daunte, and 41-to-doughnut, I think that's the worst defeat I've ever been in my life." Culpepper completed only 13 of 28 passes for 78 yards, with three interceptions, while Moss caught only two passes for 18 yards.

Minnesota got off to a bad start and never recovered. After the opening kickoff, Collins led the Giants 74 yards in just four plays, throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to Hilliard to give them a 7–0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Then Giants safety Lyle West recovered a fumble from kick returner Moe Williams on the Vikings 18-yard line and Collins capitalized with an 18-yard touchdown pass to fullback Greg Comella on the next play, giving New York a 14–0 lead before the Vikings offense had even stepped onto the field. Minnesota eventually got a chance to score when cornerback Robert Tate intercepted a pass from Collins and returned it to the Giants 37-yard line. But Culpepper soon returned the favor with a pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Emmanuel McDaniel. Collins threw another interception on New York's following drive, this one to Don Morgan on the Vikings 12-yard line. However, Minnesota could not advance the ball, and Mitch Berger's 26-yard punt gave the Giants great field position on the Minnesota 41-yard line. Collins then threw a 22-yard pass to Amani Toomer that set up a Brad Daluiso field goal on the first play of the second quarter.

The next time New York got the ball, Collins' 43-yard completion to Ron Dixon set up an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Joe Jurevicius, making the score 24–0. Then after a punt, New York drove 62 yards and scored another Daluiso field goal, aided by a 21-yard run from Tiki Barber, and a 21-yard pass interference penalty against cornerback Wasswa Serwanga. On the last drive of the half, Hilliard caught four passes for 59 yards on a 77-yard drive that ended with his 7-yard touchdown reception with 12 seconds left.

By the time the first half ended, New York had scored 34 points (more than they had scored in any of their regular-season games) and gained 386 yards, while holding the Vikings to 45 yards.

In the third quarter, Culpepper lost a fumble while being sacked by safety Shaun Williams, and Cornelius Griffin recovered the ball on the Vikings 29, setting up Toomer's 7-yard touchdown reception to close out the scoring. New York's defense would dominate the Vikings for the rest of the game, not allowing them to get beyond the Giants 40-yard line. They also intercepted Culpepper twice, one by Sam Garnes and the other by Jason Sehorn.

By starting this game, Collins became the sixth quarterback to start in the conference championship for two different franchises joining Craig Morton, Ron Jaworski, Doug Williams, Jay Schroeder and Joe Montana, which would later be joined by Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Collins had previously started the 1996 NFC Championship Game for the Carolina Panthers.

This game was the final time the Giants won a playoff game at Giants Stadium. It was also their last playoff win at home until they defeated the Atlanta Falcons during the Wild Card round during the 2011–12 NFL playoffs.

This was the third postseason meeting between the Vikings and Giants. Both teams split their first two meetings.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 16, Oakland Raiders 3
The Ravens forced four interceptions and held the Raiders offense to only 191 total yards, 17 rushing yards, and three points. Ravens kicker Matt Stover also made three field goals. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon was knocked out of the game by a ferocious hit from Baltimore defensive tackle Tony Siragusa. He returned briefly in the second half, but was ineffective and was replaced by Bobby Hoying.

Late in the first quarter, the Ravens had a great scoring opportunity when cornerback Robert Bailey intercepted a pass from Gannon at the Raiders 19-yard line. But Baltimore could only gain one yard with their next three plays and then Stover hit the right upright on a 36-yard field goal attempt. Oakland was forced to punt on their ensuing possession, and Shane Lechler's 56-yard kick pinned the Ravens deep in their own territory. A few plays later, facing third down and 18 from their 4-yard line, Baltimore tight end Shannon Sharpe caught a short pass and ran 96 yards for a touchdown.

Gannon was knocked out of the game on the Raiders next drive and replaced by Hoying. Ravens cornerback Duane Starks subsequently intercepted Hoying's first pass of the game and returned it nine yards to the Oakland 20-yard line, setting up Stover's 31-yard field goal to give his team a 10–0 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Oakland safety Johnnie Harris intercepted a pass from Trent Dilfer and returned it to the Ravens 39-yard line. The Raiders then drove to a first down on the Ravens 2-yard line, aided by two penalties against Baltimore for 27 yards. But they could not penetrate the end zone. First Tyrone Wheatley was dropped for a 1-yard loss. Then Gannon was sacked on second down by Jamie Sharper. On third down, Gannon's pass was incomplete and the Raiders had to settle for Sebastian Janikowski's field goal to cut the score to 10–3; those were the only Raiders points of the game. Ravens receiver Jermaine Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to the 38-yard line. Then Dilfer completed a 13-yard pass to Brandon Stokley and a 24-yard pass to tight end Ben Coates on a 51-yard drive that ended with another field goal by Stover. In the fourth quarter, Ray Lewis recovered a fumble from Gannon on the Raiders 6-yard line, setting up Stover's third field goal to close out the scoring. With 4:30 left in the game, Raiders receiver Andre Rison caught a 5-yard touchdown pass, but was penalized for pass interference before making the catch and the score was called back. One play later, faced with third and goal from the 12-yard line, Hoying threw a pass that was intercepted by Sharper.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Ravens and Raiders.

Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Ravens and Giants.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: 2000–01 NFL playoffs


text: Category:892 deaths

title: Category:892 deaths


text:
Green bean

Green beans are young, unripe fruits of various cultivars of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), although immature or young pods of the runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), and hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) are used in a similar way. Green beans are known by many common names, including French beans (haricot vert), string beans (although most modern varieties are "stringless"), and snap beans or simply "snaps." In the Philippines, they are also known as "Baguio beans" or "habichuelas" to distinguish them from yardlong beans.

They are distinguished from the many other varieties of beans in that green beans are harvested and consumed with their enclosing pods before the bean seeds inside have fully matured. An analogous practice is the harvest and consumption of unripened pea pods, as is done with snow peas or sugar snap peas.

Uses
As common food in many countries, green beans are sold fresh, canned, and frozen. They can be eaten raw or steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked. They are commonly cooked in other dishes, such as soups, stews, and casseroles. Green beans can be pickled, similarly to cucumbers.

A dish with green beans common throughout the northern US, particularly at Thanksgiving, is green bean casserole, a dish of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French-fried onions.

Nutrition
Raw green beans are 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). In a 100 g reference amount, raw green beans supply 31 calories and are a moderate source (range 10–19% of the Daily Value) of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and manganese, while other micronutrients are in low supply (table).

Domestication
The green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) originated in Central and South America, where there is evidence that it has been cultivated in Mexico and Peru for thousands of years.

Characteristics
The first "stringless" bean was bred in 1894 by Calvin Keeney, called the "father of the stringless bean," while working in Le Roy, New York. Most modern green bean varieties do not have strings.

Plant
Green beans are classified by growth habit into two major groups, "bush" (or "dwarf") beans and "pole" (or "climbing") beans.

Bush beans are short plants, growing to not more than 2 ft in height, often without requiring supports. They generally reach maturity and produce all of their fruit in a relatively short period, then cease to produce. Owing to this concentrated production and ease of mechanized harvesting, bush-type beans are those most often grown on commercial farms. Bush green beans are usually cultivars of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Pole beans have a climbing habit and produce a twisting vine, which must be supported by "poles," trellises, or other means. Pole beans may be common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) or yardlong beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis).

Half-runner beans have both bush and pole characteristics, and are sometimes classified separately from bush and pole varieties. Their runners can be about 3–10 feet long.

Varieties

Over 130 varieties (cultivars) of edible pod beans are known. Varieties specialized for use as green beans, selected for the succulence and flavor of their green pods, are the ones usually grown in the home vegetable garden, and many varieties exist. Beans with various pod colors (green, purple, red, or streaked. ) are collectively known as snap beans, while green beans are exclusively green. Pod shapes range from thin and circular ("fillet" types) to wide and flat ("romano" types) and more common types in between.

The three most commonly known types of green beans belonging to the species Phaseolus vulgaris are string or snap beans, which may be round or have a flat pod; stringless or French beans, which lack a tough, fibrous string running along the length of the pod; and runner beans, which belong to a separate species, Phaseolus coccineus. Green beans may have a purple rather than green pod, which changes to green when cooked. Yellow-podded green beans are also known as wax beans. Wax bean cultivars are commonly of the bush or dwarf form.

All of the following varieties have green pods and are Phaseolus vulgaris unless otherwise specified:

Bush (dwarf) types
• Blue Lake 274

• Contender

• Derby (1990 AAS winner)

• Golden Wax Improved (yellow/wax), 60 days

• Greencrop, 53 days

• Heavyweight II, 53 days

• Improved Tendergreen

• Provider

• Rocquencourt (yellow/wax), 50 days, heirloom

• Royal Burgundy (purple pod), 55 days

• Stringless Green Pod, heirloom

• Triomphe de Farcy, 48 days, heirloom

Pole (climbing) types
• Algarve

• Blue Lake

• Golden Gate (yellow/wax)

• Gold Marie, 75 days, Common Mosaic virus (BCMV) resistant

• Kentucky Blue (AAS Winner)

• Kentucky Wonder, 65 days, heirloom

• Rattlesnake bean, 65 days, heirloom

• Scarlet Runner (Phaseolus coccineus)

• Trionfo Violetto (purple pod), 60 days

Production
In 2020, world production of green beans was 23 million tonnes, with China accounting for 77% of the total (table).

title: Green bean