NFL: Packers hold off Seahawks' rally, reach NFC Championship

Davante Adams made eight receptions for a franchise postseason-record 160 yards and two touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers held on to defeat the visiting Seattle Seahawks 28-23 Sunday in an NFC divisional-round playoff game.

Aaron Rodgers completed 16 of 27 passes for 243 yards, and Aaron Jones gained 62 yards on 21 carries with a pair of 1-yard touchdowns for the second-seeded Packers (14-3), who will visit the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. 

The 49ers beat the Packers 37-8 in Santa Clara on Nov. 24.

Russell Wilson led the fifth-seeded Seahawks (12-6), who won 17-9 at Philadelphia in a wild-card game last weekend, in both rushing and passing. 

Wilson was 21 of 31 for 277 yards and a touchdown and added 64 yards on seven carries. Tyler Lockett made nine receptions for 136 yards and a score. Marshawn Lynch twice scored on 1-yard runs but had just 26 yards on 12 carries.

The Seahawks nearly rallied from a 21-3 halftime deficit. Lynch scored on 1-yard run on Seattle's first drive of the second half to make it 21-10.

Adams tallied on a 40-yard pass from Rodgers on the Packers' next possession to push the lead back to 18 points.

The Seahawks then drove 84 yards in 12 plays, capped by a 7-yard pass from Wilson to Lockett, to make it 28-17.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Seahawks were led by Wilson on a nine-play, 79-yard march, with Lynch scoring from the 1, to make it 28-23 with 9:33 left. A 2-point conversion failed as Wilson was sacked.

After another Green Bay punt, the Seahawks took over on their own 23 with 4:54 remaining.

After one first down, the Seahawks lost a yard on the next three plays, with Wilson being sacked by Preston Smith on third down, and punted. 

Green Bay was able to run out the clock with two critical third-down conversions -- Rodgers found Adams for 32 yards on third-and-8 and then Jimmy Graham for 9 yards on third-and-9 to seal it.

The Packers dominated the first half.

Adams scored on a 20-yard pass from Rodgers on Green Bay's first possession of the game.

Seattle pulled within 7-3 on a 45-yard field goal by Jason Myers late in the first quarter.

Jones scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the second quarter, the last with 1:30 remaining, to make it 21-3.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Atlanta Falcons rout Green Bay Packers to reach Super Bowl

LOS ANGELES -- Quarterback Matt Ryan led a dominant offensive display as the Atlanta Falcons crushed the Green Bay Packers 44-21 on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.

The Falcons, who will play either the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers in the February 5 NFL showpiece, laid the foundations for an emphatic NFC Championship victory with a first half performance.

The Falcons surged into a 24-0 half-time lead after overwhelming the Packers defense with their varied running and passing game in what was the team's final game at Atlanta's Georgia Dome before they move into a new home.


"We played great today in all three phases," said an ecstatic Ryan after the win.

"We showed up. We did exactly what we've been doing all year. It feels really good," added Ryan, who completed 27 out of 38 pass attempts for 392 yards and four touchdowns.

Green Bay's star quarterback Rodgers was barely in the game in the first half, and could only watch as the Packers squandered an early scoring opportunity through a missed Mason Crosby field goal.

It got worse for the Packers when Aaron Ripkowski fumbled close to the Atlanta line as another golden Green Bay touchdown chance went begging.

The Falcons meanwhile looked threatening whenever they ventured into Green Bay territory.

Ryan flipped a short shovel pass to Mohamed Sanu from close range for the opening touchdown to make it 7-0 with the opening Atlanta drive of the game.

Matt Bryant then extended Atlanta's lead with a 28-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

- Rodgers struggles -

Another long Falcons drive then culminated with Ryan scampering over from 14 yards for a touchdown to push the score to 17-0.

Rodgers, struggling against a ferocious Atlanta defense, then threw an interception to give Atlanta the ball back at the end of the half. Ryan punished the error to hit Julio Jones from five yards to leave the Falcons 24-0 ahead at the break.

It got worse for Green Bay in the opening minutes of the second half, with the Packers forced to punt away their first possession.

Ryan then found Jones with a short pass and the star receiver galloped away for a 73-yard touchdown to make it 31-0.

Any flickers of hope for the Packers after Rodgers found Davante Adams for a two-yard score were then extinguished when Devonta Freeman gathered in a Ryan pass from four yards for a touchdown confirmed after review which made it 37-7.

Rodgers picked out Nelson for a short-range touchdown but it was too little too late and Tevin Coleman's three-yard run in the fourth quarter put Atlanta 44-15 ahead.

Tight end Jared Cook reduced the deficit with Green Bay's third touchdown from Rodgers' one-yard pass but the result was never in doubt.

Ryan said the Falcons had been determined not to let up on Green Bay despite building their massive first half lead.

"We knew going in against Green Bay and going against Aaron (Rodgers) it's never over," Ryan said. "He's such a great player. We just kept at them the entire four quarters. I'm proud of the way we competed."

source: news.abs-cbn.com