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).
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