SCOREBOARD
Sunday
Atlanta (10-6) at New York Giants (9-7), 1 p.m. EST. The Giants have won the past three meetings, but the Falcons have won five of the past six in New Jersey. New York's last playoff victory was the 2008 Super Bowl, and it is 0-2 at home in the postseason since taking the 2000 NFC title game. This is the first time Atlanta qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The Falcons have made the playoffs three of their four seasons under coach Mike Smith.
Pittsburgh (12-4) at Denver (8-8), 4:30 p.m. EST. Despite the disparity in records, the Steelers are the road team, and go to Denver without safety Ryan Clark, whose sickle cell anemia trait prohibits him from playing in the thin air. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (10-3 in postseason) still is plagued by a high left ankle sprain, but will play. Pittsburgh can break a tie with Dallas for most playoff wins with their 34th Sunday. The Broncos won the AFC West even though they lost their final three games.
STARS
Passing
-Drew Brees, Saints, set a mark for yards passing in regulation in a playoff game with 466 in a 45-28 win over Detroit. He also threw for three touchdowns in going 33 for 43.
-T.J. Yates, Texans, was only 11 of 20 for 159 yards, but made no major mistakes and threw a 40-yard TD pass to Andre Johnson in a 31-10 AFC wild-card win against Cincinnati.
Rushing
-Arian Foster, Texans, rushed for 153 yards on 24 carries, including a 42-yard burst for one of his two touchdowns, in a 31-10 AFC wild-card victory over the Bengals.
-Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas, Saints, combined for 164 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in a 45-28 victory over Detroit.
Receiving
-Andre Johnson, Texans, had five catches for 90 yards and a 40-yard touchdown in Houston's 31-10 romp past Cincinnati.
-Calvin Johnson, Lions, was magnificent in defeat with 12 catches for 211 yards and two scores in a 45-28 loss to New Orleans. The Saints' Marques Colston had seven receptions for 120 yards and Robert Meachem added four catches for 111.
Special Teams
Defense
HALL OF FAME
Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis, the fourth and sixth leading rushers in NFL history, are among 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2011. Also on the list are former wide receivers Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Andre Reed; guard Will Shields; DB Aeneas Williams; DEs/LBs Chris Doleman, Kevin Greene and Charles Haley; DT Cortez Kennedy; C Dermontti Dawson, tackle Willie Roaf; coach Bill Parcells; former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr.; and two senior nominees: former Steelers defensive back Jack Butler and former Lions guard Dick Stanfel.
MILESTONES
Houston won its first playoff game, 10 years after entering the league as an expansion team ... Drew Brees' 466 yards passing in New Orleans' 45-28 victory over Detroit were the most in regulation in a playoff game. Bernie Kosar of Cleveland holds the overall record in a double-overtime win in 1987 with 489.
STATS
Houston's 31-10 win over Cincinnati was the first postseason matchup of rookie quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era: the Bengals' Andy Dalton against the Texans' T.J. Yates ... The announced attendance in Houston was 71,725, a Reliant Stadium record for any event ... The Saints gained an NFL-playoff record 626 yards in their 45-28 win over Detroit.
STREAKS
Cincinnati has not won a postseason game in 21 years after falling 31-10 at Houston ... The Texans lost their last three regular-season games before beating the Bengals, who also were their last victim ... New Orleans has won nine straight games, after its 45-28 victory over Detroit in the NFC wild-card game. The Saints also have won all nine home games this season ... Detroit lost its seventh straight postseason game, dating back to 1991 season.
SPEAKING
"It's a very special feeling. That's probably the most I've smiled in a long time." - Houston receiver Andre Johnson after the Texans won their first playoff appearance in their 10-season history, beating Cincinnati 31-10.
"He's definitely playing at an extremely high level right now. It's the way the guy prepares. ... He really just tries to get better on a daily basis and that's what you see on the field," - Saints receiver Marques Colston on quarterback Drew Brees after New Orleans' 45-28 win over Detroit.
