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Saints rout Cards, Colts drub Ravens
Source: Agencies |
January 18, 2010, Monday
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THE New Orleans Saints crushed the Super Bowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals 45-14 in the National Football League playoffs on Saturday to host the NFC title game for the first time.
They will play either the Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys.
In Indianapolis, the Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens 20-3 to advance to the AFC championship game.
The Colts, who had the league's best record, will host the San Diego Chargers or New York Jets next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Drew Brees threw for 247 yards and touchdowns of 17 yards to Jeremy Shockey, 44 yards to Devery Henderson and two yards to Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush scored on an 83-yard punt return and a 46-yard run. Lynell Hamilton also had a short TD run.
After losing their last three regular-season games, the Saints led 35-14 by halftime and shut out the Cardinals in a second-half cruise.
Bush finished with 84 yards rushing, 24 yards receiving and 109 yards on three punt returns. Colston caught six passes for 83 yards.
Coming off its 51-45 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round, Arizona wound up yielding 90 points in the postseason, the most ever allowed in consecutive playoff games in one season.
Interception return
Even the Saints' sometimes soft defense played well, forcing two turnovers, harassing Kurt Warner often and knocking Arizona's 38-year-old quarterback out of the game briefly when, during Will Smith's interception return, he was blind-sided by Bobby McCray's block. Warner was 17 of 26 for 205 yards.
In Indianapolis, Peyton Manning threw for two TDs in his first action since winning an unprecedented fourth league MVP award.
Manning hit rookie Austin Collie for 10 yards and old standby Reggie Wayne for three in the second quarter for a 17-3 lead at the break.
The Ravens' vaunted defense was self-destructive, and Manning gave it another push with a 14-play drive to Matt Stover's 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
The last time the Colts hosted the conference title game was three years ago, when they won their only Super Bowl representing Indianapolis. That championship victory came in Miami, the same site as next month's Super Bowl.
Indy's 18th-ranked defense gave Manning lots of help, shutting down a running game that romped for 234 yards against the New England Patriots a week before, to just 87. Indy forced four turnovers, two of which came from interceptions of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. The Colts have won eight straight against Baltimore, a city they once called home. The last time they were so stingy in a playoff game was as the Baltimore Colts 39 years ago, a 20-3 win over Cleveland - where the Ravens once lived as the original Browns.
They will play either the Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys.
In Indianapolis, the Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens 20-3 to advance to the AFC championship game.
The Colts, who had the league's best record, will host the San Diego Chargers or New York Jets next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Drew Brees threw for 247 yards and touchdowns of 17 yards to Jeremy Shockey, 44 yards to Devery Henderson and two yards to Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush scored on an 83-yard punt return and a 46-yard run. Lynell Hamilton also had a short TD run.
After losing their last three regular-season games, the Saints led 35-14 by halftime and shut out the Cardinals in a second-half cruise.
Bush finished with 84 yards rushing, 24 yards receiving and 109 yards on three punt returns. Colston caught six passes for 83 yards.
Coming off its 51-45 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round, Arizona wound up yielding 90 points in the postseason, the most ever allowed in consecutive playoff games in one season.
Interception return
Even the Saints' sometimes soft defense played well, forcing two turnovers, harassing Kurt Warner often and knocking Arizona's 38-year-old quarterback out of the game briefly when, during Will Smith's interception return, he was blind-sided by Bobby McCray's block. Warner was 17 of 26 for 205 yards.
In Indianapolis, Peyton Manning threw for two TDs in his first action since winning an unprecedented fourth league MVP award.
Manning hit rookie Austin Collie for 10 yards and old standby Reggie Wayne for three in the second quarter for a 17-3 lead at the break.
The Ravens' vaunted defense was self-destructive, and Manning gave it another push with a 14-play drive to Matt Stover's 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
The last time the Colts hosted the conference title game was three years ago, when they won their only Super Bowl representing Indianapolis. That championship victory came in Miami, the same site as next month's Super Bowl.
Indy's 18th-ranked defense gave Manning lots of help, shutting down a running game that romped for 234 yards against the New England Patriots a week before, to just 87. Indy forced four turnovers, two of which came from interceptions of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. The Colts have won eight straight against Baltimore, a city they once called home. The last time they were so stingy in a playoff game was as the Baltimore Colts 39 years ago, a 20-3 win over Cleveland - where the Ravens once lived as the original Browns.
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