NFL Game Daze

A surprising weekend has solidified the NFL's version of the Final 4. And the biggest surprises are who won't be there... Both opponents from last year's Super Bowl & the #1 seeds from both conferences.

35-24: Bears Say SEA-YA!

It came down to a battle along the line. The Seahawks starting tight end hurdled a defender along the sidelines, landed head-first on the still-frozen out of bounds part of Soldiers Field and exited the game on a backboard during the first possession, while the Bears were able to use their tight ends effectively to put points on the scoreboard.

Interior linemen provided better protection for QB Jay Cutler and halved the sacks allowed in the teams' October encounter and sent the Hawks home without repeating those results.

28-21: Jets Land On Top

The Patriots weren't able to duplicate the drubbing they dished out last time the teams met at Foxboro. The Jets constantly shifting defensive backfield blanketed receivers with confusing match ups, which allowed their rushers to sack Tom Brady 5 times. That left Mark Sanchez enough room to notch his fourth playoff win in two years.

New England hates to lose to anyone, but especially New York, whose teams have spoiled their hopes in both the undefeated 2007 regular season and this year's inter-divisional defeat.

NYC's rabid sports press had stoked Jets Super Bowl talk since training camp. That road runs through Pittsburgh.

31-24: Steelers Pluck Ravens

A 58-yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown with less than two minutes to go ended any ideas the Ravens had of finally winning a playoff game against their division rivals. Ben Roethlisberger took his shots early from the Ravens' defense, but threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns before completing that big pass on third-and-19.

"He may not be Brady or all those other guys, but when I see him in the huddle I know we've got a chance to win," said Hines Ward.

48-21: Packers Melt "Matty Ice"

The team from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field didn't thaw into a puddle indoors at the Georgia Dome. Instead it was the Falcons defenders who had the meltdown, allowing both the most points and widest margin of victory among the weekend's four match-ups.

Green Bay's next stop is Chicago, a team they've faced more often than any other in the history of the NFL. But last time it was a playoff game was 1941... One week after Pearl Harbor.

An Oddsmaker's 'What If' Analysis