NFL Playoff Bracket 2012 Update: Denver Broncos Out As NE Patriots Play Baltimore Ravens For AFC Title

The road to Indianapolis and Super Bowl XLVI run through Foxborough and San Francisco on this coming Sunday. Unfortunately for Denver Broncos fans that means the team won't be playing for a spot in the Super Bowl, as they fell to the Patriots on Saturday night, 45-10. It was a game that was almost exclusively filled with Tom Brady highlights. However, Brady and the Patriots shouldn't have that easy of a time with the Ravens, a team whose defensive dominance has been among the best in the league for at least a decade now. The Ravens defeated the Houston Texans, 20-13, on Sunday afternoon to return to the conference championship game for the first time since the 2008 season.

As for the NFC, the Giants must travel from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to the land of the Golden Gate Bridge to face the 49ers. The Giants knocked off the 15-1 Green Bay Packers, 37-20, to face another road test. The 49ers defeated the New Orleans Saints on Saturday afternoon, 36-32, in memorable and emotional fashion. The 49ers came up with the victory with just seconds left on the clock.

Here is the schedule for the Conference Championship Round:

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. New England Patriots (13-3), Sunday, Jan. 22, 1:00 p.m. MT, CBS
New York Giants (9-7) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3), Sunday, Jan. 22, 4:30 p.m. MT, FOX

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Road To The Super Bowl Down To Four Teams

After another weekend of thrilling playoff football, the road to the Super Bowl became even more clear, as only four teams remain in the chase for the Lombardi Trophy.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots showed why they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a dominant 45-10 victory over Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. The result was never in question, as the Patriots jumped out to a quick 14-point lead and coasted to the victory. Tom Brady delivered a brilliant performance, throwing for 6 TD's in the victory.

It wasn't quite as easy for the Baltimore Ravens, who had to fight off the gutsy Houston Texans. The Ravens defense showed that it is still one of the best in the NFL, forcing T.J. Yates to throw three interceptions in the 20-13 victory. Although he struggled with his accuracy, Joe Flacco threw for 176 yards and 2 TD's in the win.

The San Francisco 49ers knocked off the New Orleans Saints in the one of the most entertaining games in recent playoff history. Alex Smith delivered two TD drives in the final five minutes to propel the 49ers to the 36-32 victory. San Francisco will host the surprising New York Giants for a spot in the Super Bowl. In the regular-season meeting between these teams, the 49ers picked up a 27-20 win.

New York delivered a dominant performance at Lambeau Field, knocking off the No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers. The Giants defense controlled the game in the 37-20 victory, forcing four turnovers. Eli Manning continued his excellent postseason, throwing for 3 TD's for the second consecutive game.

Be sure to visit SB Nation NFL for all your news and notes heading into these games.

2012 NFL Playoff Scores: New York Giants Defeat Mighty Green Bay Packers, 37-20

The New York Giants booked a trip to the West Coast on Sunday afternoon by defeating the Green Bay Packers, 37-20, in the 2012 NFL Playoffs divisional round. The 15-1 Packers, meanwhile, will wonder where it all went wrong against the Giants.

The Packers were plagued by dropped balls and fumbles, especially by a late Ryan Grant fumble. Aaron Rodgers got roughed up for four sacks, two each by Michael Boley and Osi Umenyiora. Rodgers was 26-of-46 for 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Eli Manning turned in a three-touchdown, 21-of-33 passing performance for 330 yards. His 66-yard Hail Mary pass to Hakeem Nicks seconds before the end of the first half put the Giants in a 20-10 lead. Nicks caught seven passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

The Giants will now play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC title next Sunday.

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

2012 NFL Playoff Scores: Ravens Advance To AFC Title Game After 20-13 Victory Over Texans

The Baltimore Ravens will play the New England Patriots in the 2012 AFC Title game next weekend following a 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. It will be the Ravens' first trip to the conference title game since the 2008 season when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won the Super Bowl that season. The only other time the Ravens made the conference championship was during the 2000 season, which ended with them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Related: Updated Printable 2012 NFL Playoffs Bracket

The Ravens defense was at its usual high level of performance with three interceptions, one by Ed Reed and two by Lardarius Webb. Reed, though, went down with an injury with just seconds left on the clock. T.J. Yates threw all three of those interceptions for the Texans and was 17-of-35 for 184 yards in the game. Joe Flacco was 14-of-27 passing, but he did throw both touchdown passes.

Baltimore will visit the Patriots next Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Kickoff will be shortly after 1:00 p.m. MT.

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

NFL Playoff Bracket And Schedule 2012 Update: 49ers, Patriots Advance To Conference Title Games

On Sunday, we'll find out the other half of the 2012 NFL Playoff bracket. The San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots each notched their places in the conference championship round with victories on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

More: Printable 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket (PDF)

The 49ers had a back-and-forth game with the New Orleans Saints over the final four minutes or so of the game but ultimately prevailed, 36-32. A Darren Sproles 44-yard touchdown pass put the Saints up, 24-23, but almost two minutes later Alex Smith ran 28 yards on a third down to score the go-ahead score, 29-24. However, Jimmy Graham caught and ran for a 66-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees with a bit more than 90 seconds left on the clock. That, though, was enough time for Alex Smith to again lead a scoring drive, throwing a 14-yard pass to Vernon Davis for the final touchdown of the game with just nine seconds left on the clock.

The 49ers will play the winner of Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants (2:30 p.m. MT, FOX).

The Patriots won its first playoff game in four years by delivering a deadly offensive attack to the Denver Broncos. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes, including three to tight end Rob Gronkowski. Tim Tebow and the entire Broncos team struggled, but somehow picked up 252 total yards.

The Patriots will face the winner of Sunday's early afternoon game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens (11:00 a.m. MT, CBS).

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

2012 NFL Playoff Scores: San Francisco Rallies For Thrilling Victory Over New Orleans

In one of the most thrilling playoff encounters in recent memory, the San Francisco 49ers drove the length of the field in just over a minute to rally for the 36-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints. With the victory, the 49ers advanced to the NFC Championship game where they will face the winner of the matchup between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. Should San Francisco and Denver manage to find a way into the Super Bowl, it would setup a rematch of Super Bowl XXIV.

This back-and-forth encounter had four lead changes in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. Alex Smith delivered the finest performance of his career, engineering two TD drives in the final minutes to earn the wins. Smith ended the game with 299 yards passing and 3 TD’s. The most important throw came with just nine seconds remaining, when he hooked up with Vernon Davis for the game-winning TD. Smith also scored on a 28-yard TD run that put San Francisco in the lead with just 2:11 remaining.

In defeat, Drew Brees delivered a valiant performance. Despite being under pressure nearly the entire game, Brees managed to throw for 458 yards and 4 TD’s in the loss. Brees connected with Jimmy Graham for 2 TD’s, including a 66-yard strike with just 1:37 remaining. However, Smith and the 49ers found a way to move the ball down the field and get the winning touchdown.

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

2012 NFL Playoff Schedule: A 49ers Victory Would Help Clear Path For Super Bowl XXIV Rematch Against Denver Broncos

The San Francisco 49ers are home underdogs to the New Orleans Saints on Saturday afternoon, but should they pull off the mild upset only one other game remains in the way before Super Bowl XLVI. For the moment, let's assume that the Niners make it to the Super Bowl, defeating either the Green Bay Packers or the New York Giants. Let's also assume that the Denver Broncos keep winning and make it Indianapolis for the biggest football game of the year. It's a Super Bowl rematch.

Back on Jan. 28, 1990, the Broncos and the Niners met in Super Bowl XXIV, which is a sore spot in Denver's playoff history. The 49ers won that game, 55-10. The Niners' 55 points remains the most points ever scored by a single team in the Super Bowl, and the 45-point margin of victory is also the largest in Super Bowl history.

Joe Montana threw for 297 yards and five touchdown passes. John Elway completed 10-of-26 passes for 108 yards and two interceptions. Does John Elway's vengeance await the Niners in the form of Tim Tebow?

For more news and notes on the league, visit SB Nation NFL.

NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Broncos, Giants Look For Big Upsets Over Patriots, Packers

The 2012 NFL Playoffs continue with the divisional round this weekend. Can the Denver Broncos or the New York Giants pull off an upset?