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San Diego's upset was even more surprising then NY Giants win. Considering that for good portion of the game they were without few regular players including their quarterback. Great games in any case, looking forward to next round. Anyway here is Yahoo sports stories on those two games.
San Diego 28, Indianapolis 24
By BARRY WILNER, AP Football Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- After handing New England a huge gift, the San Diego Chargers believe it's time to give the unbeaten Patriots something else: a challenge.
And, oh yeah, a loss.
By stunning Peyton Manning and the defending champion Colts 28-24 on Sunday, undermanned San Diego removed New England's biggest road block to the Super Bowl. Not that the Chargers are intimidated by facing the 17-0 Patriots in the AFC title game next weekend.
Despite having LaDainaian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers on the sideline, the Chargers won their eighth straight game. Of course, that's not even half of what New England has achieved.
"Seventeen have tried and it hasn't happened," quarterback Philip Rivers said of New England's perfect record. "We think it can happen."
But San Diego must avoid a repeat of its last performance at New England, when it was routed 38-14 in Week 2. That was the beginning of a slide to 5-5 for San Diego, but the Chargers (13-5) are rolling now.
"A lot has happened since then," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We'll definitely start all over on the preparations. It's like it's a new team."
Also an undermanned team. L.T. departed in the first half with a bruised left knee, and Rivers went out in the third quarter with a damaged right knee. Both said they hoped to be ready for the Patriots, and coach Norv Turner said they are "questionable."
"That's the true measure of a team," Tomlinson said. "Guys stepped up and got it done."
Those guys included Billy Volek at quarterback and Michael Turner as the main runner. Led by those subs, San Diego went 78 yards on eight plays, with Volek sneaking in from the 1 with 4:50 remaining for the lead. The Chargers' big-play defense then held on downs at its 7, and stopped Indy again in the final moments to preserve their eighth straight win.
To make it nine in a row and advance to their second Super Bowl -- the other was a loss to San Francisco after the 1994 season -- the Chargers will need all that resourcefulness again.
"I'm pretty sure we'll be huge underdogs, but it's still going to be fun, just to get the opportunity," Tomlinson said. "All the rest of the teams have had their opportunity to play New England, and we'll get another opportunity to do so in the AFC championship game. What a better way to go back there."
San Diego Chargers backup quarterback Billy Volek smiles in his post-game press conference after the Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 in an NFL divisional playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, in Indianapolis. Volek, filling in for injured starter Philip Rivers, engineered an 8-play, 78-yard drive in the fourth quarter for the winning score.
For the Colts (13-4), it was a bitterly quick elimination from the postseason.
A year ago, they won three playoff games, then beat Chicago in the Super Bowl. They couldn't recapture their touch on offense or defense this time.
"What happened last year doesn't make it any easier this year," Manning said. "When you come back and commit yourself to the '07 season and you don't finish it like you want to, it hurts."
A defense that allowed the fewest points during the season wore down against the equally physical Chargers. Still, the Colts went in front 24-21 when Anthony Gonzalez slipped past Marlon McCree down the left sideline to complete a 55-yard scoring play with 10:07 to go. The Chargers challenged that Gonzalez stepped out of bounds at about the 25, but the play stood.
So San Diego's backups then won it, helped by a 27-yard screen pass to rookie Legedu Naanee and a 15-yard face-mask penalty against Indianapolis cornerback Marlin Jackson.
"When you have so many weapons, you don't have to do anything special," Volek said. "It was not like the game was out of reach. I had to go out there and fill my role."
Manning did throw for 402 yards, completing 33 of his 48 throws, but both interceptions killed deep scoring threats.
With All-Pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie getting an interception and fumble recovery, and linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips plaguing Manning, the Chargers showed they have the ability to throw off any offense. Maybe even the most prolific attack in NFL history next Sunday.
It was a gutty showing by Rivers, who threw for three scores -- he banged his right knee on a 56-yard screen pass TD by Darren Sproles to end the third quarter. And Turner, who could be a starter elsewhere but usually sits behind league rushing leader Tomlinson, rushed for 71 yards.
The Chargers' opportunistic defense, which led the league in takeaways (48) and turnover margin (plus-24), grabbed two interceptions -- both on tipped balls -- and a fumble. While San Diego couldn't stop Manning's offense from steadily marching downfield most of the game, it could make the key plays that get you closer to the Super Bowl.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning listens to questions at a post-game news conference after the Colts' 28-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers in an NFL divisional playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, in Indianapolis.
Still, if Tomlinson is limited or sidelined, how much chance do the Chargers have against the perfect Patriots? Not to mention perhaps missing Rivers or tight end Antonio Gates, who courageously played much of the day on a dislocated toe.
Belichick dismissed the injuries.
"We're prepared for everybody," he said. "As we saw today, any number of players could be in the game."
Rivers was 14-of-19 for 264 yards, and Volek went 3-of-4 for 48 yards in his clutch relief role. Vincent Jackson became Rivers' top target with Gates struggling, and had seven catches for 93 yards and a score.
Indianapolis lost only six fumbles all season, but Harrison, who hadn't been hit in almost three months while sidelined by a knee injury, was stripped on his first reception by Cromartie. McCree recovered at the San Diego 22, stymying a lengthy drive begun with Kelvin Hayden's interception.
San Diego capitalized with a 78-yard march, including three third-down conversions. Jackson beat double-coverage for his 14-yard score on third down, making it 7-7.
The first Indy scoring series was vintage Manning. He picked apart the Chargers with short timing throws to Joseph Addai and Reggie Wayne, who picked up 8 yards on a fourth-and-2 at the San Diego 37. Two plays later, tight end Dallas Clark used a double fake on Clinton Hart for a 25-yard touchdown catch.
Indy went on top 10-7 on Adam Vinatieri's season-best 47-yard field goal, then the Chargers, now minus L.T., got to the Colts 31 behind Turner, who gained 25 yards on the march. But Nate Kaeding's 48-yard field goal try bounced off the right upright.
In the final seconds of the half, Manning's high pass was tipped by Wayne and picked off by Cromartie, the league leader in interceptions. He got several blocks, including one on Manning, in running it back to the end zone, but a block by Eric Weddle was ruled holding, negating the long touchdown.
Notes
Norv Turner was livid at the call on Weddle, berating the officials after what appeared a simple legal push by Weddle, who also had the other San Diego interception. ... During Wayne's 9-yard sideline reception on which he dived to the pylon, he was initially ruled out-of-bounds. He was given the touchdown after the Colts challenged. ... Rivers also found Chris Chambers with a 30-yard TD pass to open the second half. ... Tomlinson ran seven times for 28 yards.
NY Giants 21, Dallas 17
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Peyton Manning has a championship game to be at next weekend after all. He can go watch baby brother Eli guide the New York Giants.
A few hours after the reigning Super Bowl MVP lost his chance to get back to the big game, the less-heralded, often-criticized member of football's most famous family got the biggest victory of his career. Manning led the Giants past Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on Sunday and into the NFC title game.
"I won't get tired of hearing that this week," Manning said. "No one's given us much credit and probably still won't. But that's OK. We like it that way."
Eli, the Manning who doesn't do many commercials, threw two touchdown passes to Amani Toomer and led another scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. While he wasn't great, he was good enough to lead New York to its ninth straight road win and into a 10th road game -- at Green Bay, with the winner getting a spot in the Super Bowl. It's the furthest New York has advanced since the 2000 season.
"I was a little nervous," said Eli, who was 12-of-18 for 163 yards. "I know (Peyton) was watching and rooting for me."
Peyton and Romo can commiserate together at the Pro Bowl next month. That's the next game either will be playing.
The elder Manning and the Indianapolis Colts lost at home to the San Diego Chargers in the early game Sunday. Then Romo and the Cowboys blew their chance of advancing, a loss that's even more painful than their exit last January because of what a great regular-season they had.
"It hurts," said Romo, 18-of-36 for 201 yards with a touchdown and a sack on each of the final two drives. "It's tough right now."
Just 10 days ago, Eli Manning was 0-2 as a playoff quarterback and finishing a season that's had the kind of love-hate relationship with New York fans that Alex Rodriguez knows all too well. Now he's got two wins, the admiration of his teammates -- and an unprecedented amount of public support.
"Everybody goes through their ups and downs and he's on the upswing right now," Toomer said. "We're going to ride him as far as we can go."
The Cowboys were thinking the same about their quarterback. Instead, their season ended with Romo throwing a fourth-down pass into the end zone and cornerback R.W. McQuarters stepping in front of Terry Glenn for the interception. It marked Romo's second straight disappointing finish to a playoff game, following his flubbed hold of a short field goal in Seattle a year ago.
This one is huge because "America's Team" seemed pointed toward a ninth trip to the Super Bowl, maybe even a sixth championship.
Dallas tied the most wins in team history with 13, but followed it by tying an NFL record with a sixth straight playoff loss. Romo fell to 0-2 and coach Wade Phillips finished his first year with the Cowboys by falling to 0-4 in his playoff career.
There are other dubious footnotes for Dallas, like being the first No. 1 seed in the NFC to lose in this round since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff format in 1990 and being the seventh team to lose a playoff game against a team they'd beaten twice in the regular season; the '98 Cowboys did it, too.
Romo came in looking to make up for last season's finish, to prove his sluggish December was no big deal and to quiet everyone who accused him of mixed-up priorities for joining girlfriend Jessica Simpson on the beach in Mexico last weekend.
He couldn't do it, but it wasn't all his fault.
The offense stopped drives with penalties, while the defense kept New York drives alive by drawing more flags. There also was sloppy tackling on defense and special teams, dropped passes and wasted timeouts.
Still, Romo is the marquee man and the most likely to be blamed, though not by Terrell Owens.
Owens, who made good on his vow to return from a high ankle sprain sustained three weeks ago, cried behind dark sunglasses with a quivering bottom lip while declaring, "You can point the finger at him, you can talk about the vacation, and if you do that, it's really unfair. That's my teammate. ... We lost as a team."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Thursday he would keep Phillips regardless of what happened in the playoffs, and said it again in the dreary locker room. There are bound to be changes, though, especially with highly valued assistant coaches Jason Garrett and Tony Sparano interviewing for jobs elsewhere.
Dallas scored 45 and 31 points in winning the first two meetings with New York by loading up on big plays, usually because Romo did a great job avoiding the blitzers who racked up an NFL-best 53 sacks.
This time, the Giants were content to give up short yardage and the Cowboys accepted the invitation, especially with Marion "The Barbarian" Barber joining the starting lineup for the first time.
A Pro Bowler as a backup, Barber racked up 101 yards by halftime but the game was tied at 14, thanks to a last-minute drive aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty and capped with Manning throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Toomer. The pair hooked up for a 52-yard touchdown on the game-opening drive, with Toomer taking a short pass, bouncing off two defenders and running from everyone else.
The Cowboys stuck to their slow-go game plan to open the second half, but the mistakes began biting them. A dropped pass in the end zone and false start forced Dallas to kick a field goal after a drive that burned the first 8:07 of the third quarter.
The Giants trailed only 17-14. After not getting anywhere on their next drive, a 25-yard punt return by McQuarters left Manning only 37 yards from the go-ahead touchdown. He needed only six plays to get it on a 1-yard run by Brandon Jacobs, who celebrated by throwing the ball into the play clock.
There was still 13:29 left, the 92nd between these division rivals but the first in the playoffs. While it got more interesting, the caliber of play didn't improve. Dallas made more sloppy mistakes and New York missed chances for clock-killing drives.
It finally came down to this: the Cowboys had 1:50 left to go 48 yards.
A Brett Favre-esque scrambling shovel pass to Jason Witten got the Cowboys to the 22 with 31 seconds left, then came more mistakes -- another false start, a short pass that forced Dallas to use its final timeout and a pair of poor throws, a ball in the end zone that Patrick Crayton seemed to give up on before futilely speeding up and the final play, caught by McQuarters.
Owens had four catches for 49 yards. Glenn, who missed the first 15 games following two knee surgeries, caught two passes for 30 yards.
The Giants rushed for 90 yards, with Jacobs getting 54. Toomer had four catches for 80 yards.
"I'm so proud of our players," New York coach Tom Coughlin said. "They really rose up."
Notes
New York doesn't have a turnover in two playoff games. ... Dallas' three scoring drives took nine, 20 and 14 plays and took 23:32, with eight straight third-down conversions. ... Giants DB Aaron Ross left with a right shoulder injury. ... Toomer's first TD was his longest since a 77-yarder on Nov. 30, 2003. It also gave him the most postseason receptions in club history, passing Mark Bavaro.