NFL playoffs, 2008–09 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The National Football League playoffs for the 2008 season

2008 NFL season

The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...

began on January 3, 2009 and led up to Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...

on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...

in Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

NFC: Arizona Cardinals 30, Atlanta Falcons 24

Playing in their first playoff game at home since 1947, Arizona outgained the Falcons in total yards 357-250 and forced three turnovers. Atlanta running back Michael Turner, who rushed for 1,699 yards during the season, was held to 42 yards on 18 carries.

One minute into the game, Atlanta receiver Harry Douglas

Harry Douglas

Harry Douglas, IV is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville....

gave his team a scoring opportunity by returning a punt 21 yards to the Cardinals 48-yard line. But two plays later, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan (American football)

Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...

's pass was intercepted by Ralph Brown

Ralph Brown (American football)

Ralph Davis Brown II is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He has played with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals....

. The Cardinals offense started off their ensuing drive with three runs for 21 yards by Edgerrin James

Edgerrin James

Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....

, and then took the lead over the Falcons with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner

Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...

to Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...

on a flea flicker

Flea flicker (American football)

A flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...

play.

In the second quarter, Ryan led Atlanta 80 yards to the Cardinals 12-yard line where Jason Elam

Jason Elam

Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....

finished the drive with a 30-yard field goal to cut the score, 7-3. But three plays after the kickoff, Warner threw a short pass to receiver Anquan Boldin

Anquan Boldin

-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...

, who caught the ball and cut away from Lawyer Milloy

Lawyer Milloy

Lawyer Marzell Milloy is an American football safety. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Washington....

, taking off down the left sideline for a 71-yard touchdown reception to give his team a 14-3 lead. At the end of the play, Boldin pulled his hamstring, an injury that would nag him throughout the playoffs.

Atlanta responded with touchdowns on their next two drives to take the lead before halftime. First, Ryan threw for 67 yards on a 77-yard drive that ended with Turner's 7-yard touchdown run. Then, Falcons defensive back Chevis Jackson

Chevis Jackson

Chevis Dauro Jackson is an American football cornerback he is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

intercepted a pass from Warner on the Cardinals 23-yard line. Five plays later, Ryan threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Peelle

Justin Peelle

Justin Morris Peelle is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

, giving Atlanta a 17-14 lead with 23 seconds left in the second quarter.

However, Arizona would score 16 unanswered points in the second half. Three plays after the second half kickoff, Darnell Dockett

Darnell Dockett

Darnell Maurice Dockett is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Arizona picked him in the 3rd round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

burst up the middle on a running play, knocking the ball out of Ryan's hands before he could hand it off. Antrel Rolle

Antrel Rolle

Antrel Rocelious Rolle is an American football safety for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami...

(who was blitzing on the play) snagged the ball out of midair and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown. Then following two Atlanta punts and a missed 51-yard field goal by Neil Rackers

Neil Rackers

Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...

, Arizona running back Tim Hightower

Tim Hightower

-Arizona Cardinals:Hightower scored 10 touchdowns during his rookie season, and another 3 in the post season while averaging a meager 2.8 yards per carry. He would rush for a total amount of 399 yards in 2008. Hightower would then become the only Cardinal rookie running back ever to have scored a...

finished a 76-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, making the score 28-17. Early in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead to 30-17 when defensive end Antonio Smith sacked Ryan in the end zone for a safety.

With 4:14 left in the game, Atlanta managed to get back within one touchdown with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White

Roddy White

Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...

. But with the aid of a key 24-yard reception by reserve tight end Stephen Spach

Stephen Spach

Stephen Spach is an American football tight end for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

(who caught only two passes for 15 yards during the season) on third down and 16, the Cardinals managed to run out the rest of the clock with their ensuing drive.

AFC: San Diego Chargers 23, Indianapolis Colts 17 (OT)

Chargers running back Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles

Darren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

had 328 all-purpose yards (105 rushing, 45 receiving, 106 kickoff return yards, 72 yards on three punt returns), the third highest total in playoff history, and two touchdowns, including the game winning score in overtime.

Late in the first quarter, three receptions by Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez

Anthony Gonzalez

Anthony E. Gonzalez is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.-Early years:Gonzalez attended St...

for 59 yards set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...

, putting Indianapolis on the board. In the second quarter, an 18-yard punt return by Sproles gave the Chargers good field position on the Colts 44-yard line. A few plays later, Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...

' 30-yard completion to tight end Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...

set up a 1-yard touchdown run by LaDanian Tomlinson to tie the game. But two more receptions by Gonzalez, for gains of 20 and 11 yards, led to an Adam Vinatieri

Adam Vinatieri

Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...

field goal.

After an exchange of punts, Hunter Smith

Hunter Smith

Hunter Dwight Smith is an American football punter, currently a free agent and most recently for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

's 34-yard punt from his own 11-yard line gave San Diego the ball on the Colts 45. Five plays later, Sproles scored on a 9-yard touchdown run, giving his team a 14-10 halftime lead.

Midway into the third quarter, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning

Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...

managed to hurry his offense onto the line of scrimmage for a play while San Diego's defense was making substitutions. As a result, receiver Reggie Wayne

Reggie Wayne

Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...

ran past defensive back Antonio Cromartie

Antonio Cromartie

Antonio Cromartie is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...

(who didn't even realize the play had started), caught a pass from Manning, and took off for a 72-yard touchdown catch, retaking the lead for the Colts at 17-14. This would be the last score from both teams until late in fourth quarter. San Diego responded on their ensuing drive by moving the ball to the Colts 9-yard line. But Sproles fumbled the ball into the end zone while being tackled by Tim Jennings

Tim Jennings

Tim Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....

and defensive tackle Raheem Brock

Raheem Brock

Raheem Fukwan Brock is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

recovered it for a touchback.

With under three minutes left in the game, Mike Scifres

Mike Scifres

Michael T. Scifres is a punter for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League.-High school:Scifres attended Destrehan High School in Destrehan, Louisiana and lettered in football, soccer, and baseball. In football, he was an All-District selection...

's 52-yard punt pinned the Colts back at their own 1-yard line. The Colts managed to get away from their own end zone with their first two plays, but on third down and two, linebacker Tim Dobbins

Tim Dobbins

Timothy L. Dobbins , an American football linebacker, signed with the Houston Texans of the National Football League in August 2011. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft as an inside linebacker for their 3/4 scheme...

drove them back to the 1 by sacking Manning for an 8-yard loss. Sproles then returned the ensuing punt 26 yards to the Colts 38-yard line. Following two receptions by Gates for 22 yards and an 8-yard run by Sproles, Nate Kaeding

Nate Kaeding

Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...

's field goal tied the game with 31 seconds left, sending it into sudden death.

In overtime, the Chargers won the coin toss and drove for the winning score, aided by two key penalties against the Colts defense. First Sproles returned the kickoff 31 yards to his own 25-yard line, and two plays later he caught a 13-yard pass on third down and 11. Six plays later from the Indianapolis 40-yard line, Jennings was called for defensive holding while trying to cover Chris Chambers

Chris Chambers

Christopher J. "Chris" Chambers is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

on a third down play, giving the Chargers a first down. On the next play, a 15-yard facemask penalty on Clint Session

Clint Session

Clint Session is an American football linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh...

moved the ball to the 20. Sproles was tackled for a 2-yard loss on the next play, but after that he ran 22 yards for a game winning touchdown to win the game for San Diego.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 27, Miami Dolphins 9

The game featured a Dolphins offense which had an NFL-low 13 giveaways against a Ravens defense that led the league in takeaways with 34. The Ravens defense ended up triumphant, forcing five turnovers en route to victory.

On the game's opening drive, Baltimore running back Le'Ron McClain

Le'Ron McClain

- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...

lost a fumble which linebacker Joey Porter

Joey Porter

Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...

recovered and returned to midfield. Several plays later, Miami advanced to the Ravens 1-yard line, but was unable to get into the end zone with two consecutive plays and ended up settling for a Dan Carpenter

Dan Carpenter

Daniel Roy Carpenter is an American football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League...

field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Baltimore responded with a drive to the Dolphins 5-yard line, featuring a 31-yard reception by tight end Todd Heap

Todd Heap

Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...

and scored with Matt Stover

Matt Stover

John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...

's 23-yard field goal to tie the game.

Midway through the second quarter, Ravens safety Ed Reed

Ed Reed

Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...

intercepted a pass from Chad Pennington

Chad Pennington

James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...

and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. Then after forcing a punt, Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco

Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...

's 31-yard completion to Derrick Mason

Derrick Mason

Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...

set up Stover's second field goal to give the Ravens a 13-3 halftime lead.

Miami's misfortunes continued in the second half. On their first drive of the second half, Pennington threw his third interception of the game. Then after a punt, Dolphins running back Patrick Cobbs

Patrick Cobbs

Patrick Cobbs is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He most recently was a member of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

lost a fumble while being tackled by Marques Douglas

Marques Douglas

Marques Lamont Douglas is an American football defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1999...

and linebacker Terrell Suggs

Terrell Suggs

Terrell Raymonn Suggs is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens tenth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Arizona State....

recovered it on Miami's 19-yard line. Three plays later, McClain scored on an 8-yard touchdown run, making the score 20-3. The Dolphins responded with a drive to the Ravens 13-yard line, only to lose the ball on Pennington's fourth interception of the game, and his second to Reed.

Early in the fourth quarter, Pennington's 45-yard completion to Davone Bess

Davone Bess

Davone Atrayo Bess is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

set up his 2-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Brown

Ronnie Brown

Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...

, cutting the score to 20-9 after Frank Walker blocked the extra point attempt. But the Ravens defense shut out Miami for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, a 48-yard run by Willis McGahee

Willis McGahee

Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

set up a 5-yard touchdown by Flacco, making the final score 27-9.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 26, Minnesota Vikings 14

Brian Westbrook

Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...

's 71-yard touchdown reception in the second half gave the Eagles a two-score lead they never relinquished. Philadelphia's special teams unit also played a key role in their victory, as David Akers

David Akers

David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....

kicked four field goals, while DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson

Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...

returned 5 punts for a franchise playoff record 106 yards.

Early in the first quarter, Jackson's 62-yard punt return set up a field goal from Akers. Then after a punt, Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb

Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...

's 27-yard completion to Correll Buckhalter

Correll Buckhalter

Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....

set up a 51-yard field goal by Akers on the last play of the quarter, making the score 6-0. But Minnesota took the lead on their next drive with a 40-yard touchdown run from Adrian Peterson.

However, this turned out to be the only lead the Vikings would have for the entire game, and it would be short-lived. First, a 34-yard reception by Jackson set up Akers' third field goal. Then on Minnesota's next drive, defensive back Asante Samuel

Asante Samuel

Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

intercepted a pass from Tarvaris Jackson

Tarvaris Jackson

Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 16-7 lead.

With less than two minutes left in the first half, Peterson scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard run to cut deficit to 16-14. But after a scoreless third quarter, Westbrook's 71-yard touchdown reception put the Eagles back up by nine points. Then with less than 3 minutes left in the game, a low snap by center Matt Birk

Matt Birk

Matthew Robert Birk is an American football center for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....

in shotgun formation

Shotgun formation

The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...

bounced off Tarvaris Jackson's foot and was recovered by Eagles lineman Juqua Parker. Five plays later, Akers kicked his fourth field goal, this one from 45 yards, to put the game away.

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 13, Tennessee Titans 10

Matt Stover

kicked a 43-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining to send the Ravens into the AFC Championship Game

AFC Championship Game

The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...

at the expense of the Titans, as quarterback Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco

Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...

became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games in a single postseason. Tennessee turned the ball over three times, which proved to be the difference between the two teams, as Baltimore never gave the ball away.

The Titans took the lead on their second drive of the game with Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...

completing a 28-yard pass to rookie running back Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson (running back)

Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...

and a 20-yarder to Justin Gage

Justin Gage

Justin Gage is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

before Johnson finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. But the Ravens answered back with a 48-yard touchdown Flacco pass to former Titan Derrick Mason

Derrick Mason

.

Early in the second quarter, Tennessee drove to the Ravens 25-yard line, only to turn the ball over on downs due to a fumbled snap on a fourth down conversion attempt. Then after forcing a punt, their drive to the Ravens 32-yard line also ended with no points when a pass from Collins was picked off by former Titan Samari Rolle

Samari Rolle

Samari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....

. Following another punt, the Titans moved the ball into scoring range for the third time in a row, this time driving to the Baltimore 22. But once again they came up empty after LenDale White

LenDale White

LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....

's fumble was recovered by Ravens safety Jim Leonhard

Jim Leonhard

James Andrew "Jim" Leonhard is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Leohnard has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...

with 25 seconds left in the half.

In the second half, a 29-yard punt return by Leonard and a 37-yard reception by Mark Clayton set up a Stover field goal to take a 10-7 lead. Meanwhile the Titans failed to score again, as Rob Bironas

Rob Bironas

James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...

missed a 51-yard field goal and after Stover's field goal, and Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington

Fabian Washington

-Oakland Raiders:During his rookie year he played all 16 games with 11 starts and recorded 40 tackles. In his second season with the Raiders, Washington started in all 14 games he played in and had 43 tackles and four interceptions . During his third season with the Raiders in 2007 he played in 15...

forced and recovered a fumble from tight end Alge Crumpler

Alge Crumpler

-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...

on Baltimore's 1-yard line.

However, the Ravens were unable to gain any yards with their ensuing drive and Tennessee got the ball back with great field position at the Ravens 42-yard line. This time, they managed to drive to the 10-yard line and score with a Bironas field goal to tie the game at 10.

Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Baltimore faced 3rd down and 2. On the next play, the play clock appeared to expire before the snap, but no penalty flag was thrown and Flacco ended up completing a 23-yard pass to Todd Heap

Todd Heap

. Five plays later, Stover's 43-yard field goal gave the Ravens a 13-10 lead with 53 seconds left. Baltimore's defense then sealed the victory by forcing Tennessee to turn the ball over on downs on their own 40-yard line.

NFC: Arizona Cardinals 33, Carolina Panthers 13

Jake Delhomme

Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...

was intercepted five times and lost a fumble as the Cardinals reached the NFC Championship Game

NFC Championship Game

The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...

for the first time in their history, winning for the first time in the Eastern time zone this season, and handing the Panthers their first home defeat of the season. Delhomme, playing on his 34th birthday, became the first player to have five picks in the playoffs since Rich Gannon

Rich Gannon

Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...

in Super Bowl XXXVII

Super Bowl XXXVII

Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...

, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

-Arizona Cardinals:Rodgers-Cromartie was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 25, he signed a 5-year, $15.1 million contract with the team that includes $9 million in guarantees. Rodgers-Cromartie was named the starting nickelback for the 2008 season, behind...

, Gerald Hayes

Gerald Hayes

Gerald Hayes is an American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....

, Antrel Rolle

Antrel Rolle

, Ralph Brown

Ralph Brown (American football)

, and Roderick Hood

Roderick Hood

Roderick "Rod" Hood is an American football cornerback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003...

all hauling the ball in. Meanwhile, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald

set a franchise postseason record with 166 yards on 8 receptions including a touchdown.

Panthers receiver Mark Jones gave his team good field position on their first drive, returning the opening kickoff 39 yards to the Arizona 48-yard line. A few plays later a 31-yard burst from DeAngelo Williams

DeAngelo Williams

DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...

set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart

Jonathan Stewart

Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...

giving Carolina a 7-0 lead. But this would be short lived as the Cardinals would respond with 33 unanswered points.

After an exchange of punts, Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner

's 48-yard completion to Fitzgerald set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Tim Hightower

Tim Hightower

. Then on the first play of the Panthers next drive, Cardinals defensive end Antonio Smith knocked the ball out of Delhomme's hand as he was about to throw and recovered it on the Carolina 13-yard line. One play later, Edgerrin James

Edgerrin James

' 4-yard touchdown run gave Arizona a 14-7 lead.

Later on, a 45-yard pass interference penalty on Rolle gave the Panthers the ball on the Arizona 13-yard line. But on the first play of the second quarter, Delhomme's pass was intercepted by Rogers-Cromartie, who returned the ball 20 yards to the 20-yard line. Arizona then drove to the Panthers 31-yard line where Neil Rackers

Neil Rackers

Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...

made a 49-yard field goal. Following a Carolina punt, two receptions by Fitzgerald for 42 yards set up another Rackers field goal. Then Hayes intercepted a pass from Delhomme, which led to another Arizona score, this one a 29-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Fitzgerald, making the score 27-7 by halftime.

The situation didn't get any better for the Panthers in the second half. Six minutes into the third quarter, Rolle's 46-yard interception return led to Rackers' third field goal. Then in the fourth quarter, Delhomme was intercepted on two consecutive drives. After the second one, The Cardinals executed 12 consecutive running plays with Hightower, gaining 48 yards and setting up Rackers' fourth field goal.

Carolina managed to respond with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme to Steve Smith, but by then there were only 53 seconds left in the game.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 23, New York Giants 11

In what would turn out to be the final playoff game ever played at Giants Stadium, The Eagles defense forced three turnovers and only allowed the Giants to score three field goals despite five drives inside the Philadelphia 20-yard line. Meanwhile, Eagles kicker David Akers

David Akers

' three field goals gave him an NFL record 18 consecutive field goals in the postseason without a miss.

New York running back Ahmad Bradshaw

Ahmad Bradshaw

Ahmad Bradshaw is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants...

returned the opening kickoff 65 yards, giving his team the ball on the Eagles 35-yard line. The Giants eventually drove to the 4-yard line, but ended up settling for a John Carney field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Giants subsequently forced a punt, but on the first play of their next drive, Eli Manning

Eli Manning

Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...

's pass was intercepted by defensive back Asante Samuel

Asante Samuel

and returned 25 yards to the Giants 2-yard line. A few plays later, quarterback Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb

gave his team a 7-3 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Early in the second quarter, Jeff Feagles

Jeff Feagles

Jeffrey Allan Feagles is a retired American football punter. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1988. He played college football at the University of Miami, and most recently played for the New York Giants of the National Football League.Feagles is...

' 45-yard punt pinned the Eagles back at their own 5-yard line. One play later, McNabb committed an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, giving New York a safety. Following the free kick, the Giants drove to the Philadelphia 28-yard line, but came up empty when Carney's 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

With just under four minutes left in the second quarter, Giants defensive back Kevin Dockery

Kevin Dockery

Kevin Dockery is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Mississippi State....

intercepted a pass from McNabb on his own 20-yard line. Following a 25-yard run by Brandon Jacobs

Brandon Jacobs

-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...

and Manning's 25-yard completion to tight end Kevin Boss

Kevin Boss

Kevin Boss is an American football tight end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League...

, Carney kicked a 34-yard field goal to give New York a 1-point lead. But the Eagles responded with a 25-yard field goal from Akers as time expired in the half, making the score 10-8.

Early in the second half, New York defensive tackle Fred Robbins

Fred Robbins

-Minnesota Vikings:Robbins was drafted on the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four-year $5.5 million deal with the Vikings. As a rookie in 2000, played in 8 games as a reserve and had 5 tackles and one sack. In 2001, played in 16 games with 12 starts and had...

intercepted a pass from McNabb and returned it 17 yards to the Eagles 33-yard line, setting up Carney's third field goal to take a 11-10 lead. But McNabb led the Eagles back with four completions for 57 yards on their ensuing drive en route to a 35-yard field goal from Akers. After receiving the ensuing kickoff the Giants got a first down at the Philadelphia 30 thanks to a 34-yard over-the-shoulder catch by Domenik Hixon

Domenik Hixon

Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...

on third and 5. But the drive stalled and the Giants came up empty as Carney missed a second field goal try, this one from 47 yards.
After the missed field goal, McNabb led the Eagles 63 yards in 10 plays and finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to reserve tight end Brent Celek

Brent Celek

Brent Steven Celek is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati.-Early years:...

on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles a 20-11 lead.

The Eagles defense then went on to dominate the fourth quarter, forcing two turnovers on downs, an interception and a fumble. Meanwhile, DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson

's 48-yard reception set up Akers' third field goal, making the final score 23-11, the first time in NFL history a game has ever ended with that score.

For the second straight year, the No. 1 seed in the NFC lost in the divisional round as the Cowboys lost to the Giants in the 2007 playoffs. The top seed in the NFC had advanced to the championship game every year from 1988 to 2006. The Eagles also became the third No. 6 seed to advance to the conference championship game and first in the NFC.

AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 35, San Diego Chargers 24

Pittsburgh gained 342 yards, did not commit any turnovers, held the ball for 36:30, and scored a touchdown in every quarter to defeat the Chargers. Willie Parker

Willie Parker

"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina...

led the Steelers offense with 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

However, the Chargers took the opening kickoff and scored with Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers

' 48-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson , nicknamed "Action Jackson", is an American football wide receiver who currently plays in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers....

just two minutes into the game. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the San Diego 34-yard line. On fourth down, rather than risk a long field goal attempt, they faked attempting to gain a first down and ran a surprise pooch punt with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger

Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...

, who kicked the ball 25 yards to the San Diego 9-yard line. Following a three-and-out, Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes

Santonio Holmes

Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...

returned Mike Scifres

Mike Scifres

' punt 65 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.

Late in the second quarter, Pittsburgh tried to fool the Chargers with another trick play, this one a fake punt with a direct snap to safety Ryan Clark

Ryan Clark (American football)

Ryan Terry Clark is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...

. But the Chargers back-up linebacker

Linebacker

A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

Antwan Applewhite

Antwan Deandre Applewhite is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2007...

tackled Clark for a 4-yard loss on the Steelers 44-yard line. Several plays later, Nate Kaeding

Nate Kaeding

's 42-yard field goal gave San Diego a 10-7 lead on the first play after the two-minute warning. But with less than one minute left, Roethlisberger's 41-yard completion to Hines Ward

Hines Ward

Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...

moved the ball to the Chargers 3-yard line. On the next play, Parker's 3-yard touchdown run gave the Steelers a 14-10 halftime lead.

Pittsburgh dominated the third quarter, starting it out with a 77-yard drive that ended with Roethlisberger's 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller

Heath Miller

Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...

. Meanwhile, their defense limited San Diego to just one play in entire quarter, an interception by linebacker Larry Foote

Larry Foote

Lawrence Edward Foote, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....

that negated a 63-yard kickoff return by Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles

Darren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

.

In the fourth quarter, San Diego managed to make a goal line stand, tackling fullback Carey Davis

Carey Davis

Carey Alexander Davis is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004...

for no gain on fourth down and 1 on the Chargers 1-yard line. After taking over at their own 1-yard line, the Chargers appeared to escape the shadow of their own endzone when Rivers hit Jacob Hester

Jacob Hester

Jacob Troy Hester is a fullback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

with a pass for 11-yard gain. But a 10-yard sack by LaMarr Woodley and two incompletions forced San Diego to punt from their own 2, and Holmes returned the ball 6 yards to the 49-yard line. One play later, a 44-yard pass interference penalty on Eric Weddle

Eric Weddle

Eric Steven Weddle is an American football safety for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.-Early years:...

in the end zone moved the ball to the 1-yard line, and running back Gary Russell

Gary Russell (American football)

Gary Russell is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2007...

scored a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play, increasing Pittsburgh's lead to 28-10.

Rivers then led the Chargers 73 yards in 10 plays and finished the drive with an 4-yard touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee

Legedu Naanee

Legedu A. Naanee is an American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

. But the Steelers stormed right back, with Parker rushing five times for 53 yards and finishing the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run. Following an exchange of punts, Rivers threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Sproles, cutting the score to 35-24, but by then there was less than two minutes left in the game.

NFC Championship: Arizona Cardinals 32, Philadelphia Eagles 25

Arizona built up an 18-point halftime lead, but had to fight off an Eagles comeback attempt to earn their first ever Super Bowl appearance and their first trip to a championship game since 1947. Arizona also became the second team ever to make it to the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record, joining the 1979 Los Angeles Rams

1979 Los Angeles Rams season

The 1979 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 42nd year with the National Football League and the 34th season in Los Angeles. It was the final season for the franchise in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, as owner Carroll Rosenbloom previously announced the Rams would move to Anaheim Stadium for...

. Arizona also became the first #4 seed to host a conference championship game.

Arizona took the opening kickoff and stormed down the field with a 9-play, 80-yard drive. Edgerrin James

Edgerrin James

rushed four times for 33 yards on the drive, while Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner

completed 4 of 4 passes for 44 yards, the last one a 9-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald

. Philadelphia responded on their ensuing possession, starting it off with a 21-yard scramble by Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb

to the Arizona 39-yard line and finishing it with a 45-yard field goal by David Akers

David Akers

.

Following a punt, McNabb threw an interception to Aaron Francisco

Aaron Francisco

Aaron Francisco is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

, but DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson

forced Francisco to fumble the ball during the return and Eagles lineman Jon Runyan

Jon Runyan

Jon Daniel Runyan is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League, where he played for fourteen seasons. He was a participant in the 2003 Pro Bowl following the 2002 NFL season...

recovered it. After the fumble, Philadelphia drove into scoring range, but they ended the drive with no points when Akers missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, ending his postseason record streak of consecutive field goals at 19. On the next play, Warner threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald off of a double pass play, turning what could have been a 7-6 score into a 14-3 Cardinals lead. It was the second time Arizona found pay-dirt on a trick play during the playoffs (after a flea flicker in the wild card game).

Two plays into the Eagles next drive, McNabb completed a 47-yard pass to Kevin Curtis

Kevin Curtis

-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...

on the Arizona 19-yard line. But Arizona halted the drive at the 15, forcing Philadelphia to settle for a 33-yard field goal from Akers. Then the Cardinals took the ensuing kickoff and stormed down the field for another score. First James rushed for 22 yards, then Tim Hightower

Tim Hightower

ran for 5, and then Warner completed a 16-yard pass to J. J. Arrington at the Eagles 30-yard line. Following two more Warner completions for 22 yards, he finished with drive with his third touchdown pass to Fitzgerald, making the score 21-6.

After a Philadelphia punt, Warner led the Cardinals down the field again for more points. Starting with 1:31 left in the half, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Quintin Demps

Quintin Demps

Quintin Lamon Demps is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas-El Paso....

moved the ball to the Arizona 36. Then Warner completed a pair of passes to Jerheme Urban

Jerheme Urban

Jerheme Wayne Urban is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent from Trinity University by the Seattle Seahawks and served as a reserve wide receiver during his years there...

and Fitzgerald for 32 yards. A sack by linebacker Trent Cole

Trent Cole

-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....

pushed them out of field goal range, but on the next play, Warner's 13-yard completion to Anquan Boldin

Anquan Boldin

set up a 49-yard field goal by Neil Rackers

Neil Rackers

Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...

, making the score 24-6 at halftime.

Philadelphia's defense made a major improvement in the third quarter, limiting Arizona to 9 rushing yards, one completion, and no first downs. Meanwhile the Eagles cut the score to 24-13 with a 90-yard scoring drive. The Eagles converted three third downs on the drive, including McNabb's 50-yard completion to Curtis on 3rd and 19, and finished it off with a 6-yard touchdown reception by tight end Brent Celek

Brent Celek

. The Eagles quickly forced a punt on Arizona's ensuing possession, and Jackson returned it 13 yards to the Philadelphia 39-yard line. Five plays later, McNabb's threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Celek. Rather than try to cut their deficit to three points, Philadelphia decided to kick the extra point, but Akers' kick was no good, keeping the score at 24-19. It was the first time Akers had missed an extra point all season.

Early in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia took their first lead of the game with McNabb's 62-yard touchdown pass to Jackson, giving his team a 1-point lead after the two-point conversion attempt failed. But the Cardinals responded with a 14-play, 74-yard drive to retake the lead for good, featuring a 6-yard run by Hightower on fourth down and 1 on the Eagles 49-yard line. Warner completed all five of his passes for 56 yards on the drive and finished it off with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Hightower with less than three minutes left. Then his 2-point conversion pass to Ben Patrick

Ben Patrick

Ben Patrick is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Duke and Delaware....

made the score 32-25. Finally, the Cardinals defense sealed the victory by forcing a turnover on downs at the Arizona 47-yard line. By the time Philadelphia got the ball back, only 10 seconds remained. In a desperate lateral play, Darnell Dockett

Darnell Dockett

Darnell Maurice Dockett is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Arizona picked him in the 3rd round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

intercepted DeSean Jackson's lateral, ending the game.

Fitzgerald finished the game with 9 receptions for 152 yards and 3 touchdowns. This gave him an NFL postseason record 419 total receiving yards in his three playoff games. Both teams combined for an NFC postseason record 823 yards.

For the second time in five years, an all-Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

Super Bowl was denied. The Steelers lost the 2004 AFC Championship game to the New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

, who went on to win Super Bowl XXXIX

Super Bowl XXXIX

Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...

over the Eagles 24-21.

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Baltimore Ravens 14

Pittsburgh held the Ravens to 184 yards and forced five turnovers, including three in the last 3:13 of the game, en route to their seventh Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Baltimore became the third consecutive road team, the 11th out of 19 since the 1990 season, to lose the AFC title game and thus unable to duplicate their success in 2000

2000 Baltimore Ravens season

The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2000 NFL season with a 12–4 record, good for second place in the AFC central, and earning them a spot in the playoffs as a wild card entrant...

as a wild card team advancing to the Super Bowl.

On the first drive of the game, Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger

's 45-yard completion to Hines Ward

Hines Ward

set up a 34-yard field goal by Jeff Reed. Later in the first quarter, Steelers defensive back Deshea Townsend

Deshea Townsend

Trevor Deshea Townsend is a former defensive back in the National Football League, and is currently a defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals and most recently a player for the Indianapolis Colts...

intercepted a pass from Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco

Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...

and returned it to the Ravens 35-yard line. A few plays later, Santonio Holmes

Santonio Holmes

appeared to catch a 23-yard pass on the 1, but it was overruled by a Baltimore replay challenge and they ended up settling for a 42-yard field goal to make the score 6-0. Later on, the Ravens got a scoring opportunity when linebacker Ray Lewis forced a fumble from Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker

Willie Parker

and safety Jim Leonhard

Jim Leonhard

recovered it on the Steelers 43-yard line. But Baltimore turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a first down on third and fourth down and 1.

Pittsburgh increased their lead to 13-0 on the second play of the second quarter with Roethlisberger's 65-yard touchdown pass to Holmes. But after several punts, a 45-yard punt return from Leonard gave the Ravens a first down on the Pittsburgh 17-yard line. Two plays later, Willis McGahee

Willis McGahee

Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

scored a 3-yard touchdown run. Following an exchange of punts, Holmes returned a punt 25 yards to midfield. But the Steelers blew two chances to score before halftime. First, receiver Limas Sweed

Limas Sweed

Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...

dropped a wide open pass near the end zone and the team ended up punting. However, a roughing the punter penalty allowed the Steelers to retain possession.Heath Miller

Heath Miller

's 14-yard reception on the next play moved the ball to the Ravens 21-yard line with 23 second left in the half and no timeouts left. Pittsburgh decided to run a few more plays before attempting a field goal, but Mewelde Moore

Mewelde Moore

Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

's 8-yard reception in the middle of the field took too much time off the clock, and Pittsburgh could not spike the ball before time in the half expired.

Midway through the third quarter, Pittsburgh drove 51 yards and scored with Reed's third field goal of the game, making the score 16-7. But in the fourth quarter, the Ravens took advantage of another key special teams play when Mitch Berger's punt went just 21 yards to the Baltimore 42-yard line. Flacco then led the Ravens 58 yards, completing 4 of 4 passes for 44 yards on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by McGahee, cutting their deficit to 16-14. Baltimore's defense subsequently forced a punt and got the ball back on their own 14-yard line with just over six minutes left in the game. But four plays later, safety Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu

Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...

intercepted a pass from Flacco, ran all the way across the field, and took off for a 40-yard touchdown return, making the score 23-14. Pittsburgh then put the game away by forcing two more turnovers of the Ravens next two drives. First, a hit by Ryan Clark

Ryan Clark (American football)

Ryan Terry Clark is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...

on McGahee forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Lawrence Timmons

Lawrence Timmons

Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Steelers 15th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University.-Early years:...

; McGahee suffered a concussion and was removed from the field on a stretcher. Then after a punt, Tyrone Carter

Tyrone Carter

Tyrone "Chowder" Carter is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League...

intercepted a pass from Flacco with less than a minute left in the game.

Super Bowl XLIII

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