Capsules

TENNESSEE TITANS–AFC SOUTH (12-5) AT OAKLAND RAIDERS–AFC WEST (12-5)

	TITANS	RAIDERS
LEADER		24-16 (Includes playoffs)
STREAKS	6 of past 8
COACHES VS. OPP.	Fisher: 3-1	Callahan: 1-0
VS. COMMON OPP.	Ten: 2-0 (NE 1-0, Pit 1-0) Oak: 2-0 (NE 1-0, Pit 1-0)
PLAYOFF RECORD	13-15	24-17
LAST WEEK	W 34-31 (OT) vs. Steelers	W 30-10 vs. Jets
LAST GAME	9/29/02: Titans 25 at Steelers 52. Oakland WR Jerry Rice has 7 catches for 144 yards & 1 TD to pass Walter Payton for most career scrimmage yards. Raiders QB Rich Gannon has 4 TDs.
LAST GAME AT SITE	9/29/02
LAST PLAYOFF	12/28/80: Houston Oilers 7 at Raiders 27. Oakland QB Jim Plunkett throws 2 TD passes as Raiders win AFC Wild Card playoff.
BROADCAST	CBS (3:30 PM PT): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, Armen Keteyian (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Marv Albert, Boomer Esiason, Warren Moon (Field reporter)

SEASON STAT LEADERS

PASSING	McNair: 301-492-3,387-22-15-84.0	Gannon: 418-618-4,689 (1L)-26 (T3C)-10-97.3 (2L)
RUSHING	George: 343-1,165-3.4-12	Garner: 182-962-5.3-7
RECEIVING	Mason: 79-1,012-12.8-5	Rice: 92-1,211-13.2-7
OFFENSE	329.5	389.8 (1L)
TAKE/GIVE	+4	+12 (T2C)
DEFENSE	310.3	311.2
SACKS	Carter: 10.0	R. Coleman: 11.0 (3C)
INTs	Schulters: 6 (T2C)	R. Woodson: 8 (T1L)
PR	Simon (R): 8.7	Brown: 5.5
KOR	Simon (R): 18.6	Knight: 24.3
PUNTING	Hentrich: 41.9	Lechler: 42.5
KICKING	Nedney: 111 (36/36 PAT; 25/31 FG)	Janikowski: 128 (1C) (50/50 PAT; 26/33 FG)

NOTES

GAME FEATURES top 2 seeds in AFC (No. 1 Oakland vs. No. 2 Tennessee). Marks 11th time since 1975 (1st year playoff teams seeded based upon record) that AFC’s No. 1 & 2 seeds meet in AFC Championship Game. Home team has won 6 of those 10 for .600 winning pct.

TITANS: Club earned 3rd divisional title in winning AFC South. Titans have won 11 of past 12, outscoring opponents 294-196. Team is 5-3 (.625) on road in 2002. Head coach JEFF FISHER has won 3 of 4 career meetings vs. Oakland……QB STEVE MC NAIR has 3-1 (.750) career record vs. Raiders. In 2002 meeting vs. Oakland, McNair passed for career-best 398 yards. In 6 postseason games, McNair has rushed for 269 yards (44.8 yards per game) & 4 TDs on 43 carries (6.3 avg.)……RB EDDIE GEORGE has rushed for 573 yards in 6 playoff games for 95.5 yards per game avg. George has 5 TDs in those 6. In 4 games vs. Raiders, George has rushed for 464 yards (116.0 yards per game) & 4 TDs, including career-best 215 yards on 8/31/97. Titans are 27-2 (.931) when George carries ball 27 or more times……TE FRANK WYCHECK tied career-high with 10 receptions & had career-best 123 yards with 1 TD last week vs. Steelers……WR-KR-PR DERRICK MASON led club with 1,012 yards in posting back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for 1st time in career & became first Titan/Oiler to accomplish feat since 1990-91 (DREW HILL & HAYWOOD JEFFIRES). Mason had 6 catches for 99 yards in 2002 meeting vs. Oakland. Among AFC receivers, Mason tied for second-most 3rd-down receptions (27) & ranked 4th in 3rd-down receiving yards (335) in 14 games. WR DREW BENNETT had TD in 2002 meeting vs. Raiders & had 7 catches for 85 yards last week vs. Steelers. Bennett made 18 of his 33 receptions on 3rd down this season……Offensive line allowed fewest sacks in NFL (21)……Rush defense allowed 89.0 yards per game, 2nd in NFL. Titans allowed 4.98 yards per 1st down play (2,133 yards, 428 plays), 2nd-best in conference……In 1st season as starter, LB KEITH BULLUCK led team in tackles (177). Bulluck also added 4 INTs & 7 passes defensed……DE KEVIN CARTER led club & tied for 4th in AFC with 10.0 sacks & has reached double-digit sacks for 4th time in 5 seasons. Rookie DE CARLOS HALL (No. 240) ranked 3rd among NFL rookies in sacks (8.0)……S LANCE SCHULTERS tied for 2nd in AFC with 6 INTs……Special teams held opponents to avg. start at 24.8 yard line, best in NFL.

RAIDERS: Have won 24 playoff games & can tie San Francisco (25) for 2nd all-time in postseason wins. Team is making 14th appearance in AFL/AFC Championship Game, most in history. Raiders have scored 966 points in postseason, most among AFC clubs. Team needs 34 points to become 3rd NFL team with 1,000 playoff points. Head coach BILL CALLAHAN is 3rd coach to lead Raiders to championship game in 1st full season (JOHN MADDEN, 1969, 12-1-1, AFL Championship Game & HOF ART SHELL, 1990, 12-4-0, AFC Championship Game)……Club has defeated all three AFC division champions during season by combined score of 108-62……Raiders have won 8 of past 9, outscoring opponents 254-126. Are 7-2 (.777) at home in 2002 & have won 5 of past 6 home playoff games……Team is one of 9 NFL clubs to qualify for playoffs in each of past 5 decades……In 2002 meeting vs. Titans, Raiders scored 52 points, most since 12/24/00 (52-9 vs. Carolina). Offense led league in total offense (389.8 yards per game), passing yards (279.7) & scored 450 points, 2nd-most in NFL……Pro Bowl QB RICH GANNON was selected as NFL MVP by AP. Of 37 NFL MVPs since 1966, 20 have taken club to Super Bowl & 10 won the game. In 2002 meeting vs. Titans, Gannon completed 29 of 39 passes (74.4 pct.) for 381 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 138.9 passer rating…… RB CHARLIE GARNER ranked 4th among AFC total scrimmage yard leaders (1,903 - 962 rushing, 941 receiving)……With TD reception last week vs. NYJ, Pro Bowl WR JERRY RICE tied THURMAN THOMAS & EMMITT SMITH for most career playoff TDs (21). With 47 yards last week, Rice (2,132) surpassed Thomas (2,124) for most yards gained in playoff career. Rice’s TD last Sunday vs. NYJ bests his mark from last season as oldest player in NFL history to score TD in playoffs (40 years). In 2002 meeting vs. Tennessee, Rice had 7 catches for 144 yards to become NFL’s leader in scrimmage yards, surpassing Pro Football HOF RB WALTER PAYTON. With 81 catches, WR TIM BROWN has recorded 75+ catches for past 10 seasons. In 7 career meetings vs. Titans, Brown has 6 TDs……S ROD WOODSON tied for NFL lead with 8 INTs. Had 3 INTs in 2002 meeting vs. Titans, including 82-yard INT-TD. Raiders have 8 INTs vs. 4 TDs in past 4 vs. Tennessee QB McNair……Defense ranked No. 3 in NFL vs. rush (90.8)……DT ROD COLEMAN ranked 3rd in AFC with 11.0 sacks & led NFL interior defensive linemen.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS–NFC SOUTH (13-4) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES–NFC EAST (13-4)

	BUCCANEERS	EAGLES
LEADER		7-4 (Includes postseason)
STREAKS		Past 3 (Includes postseason)
COACHES VS. OPP.	Gruden: 1-1	Reid: 4-1 (Includes postseason)
VS. COMMON OPP.	TB: 2-0 (Chi 1-0, StL 1-0) Phi: 2-0 (Chi 1-0, StL 1-0)
PLAYOFF RECORD	4-7	13-13
LAST WEEK	W 31-6 vs. 49ers	W 20-6 vs. Falcons
LAST GAME	10/20/02: Buccaneers 10 at Eagles 20. Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb throws one TD and runs for another. RB Duce Staley runs for 152 yards on 24 carries.
LAST GAME AT SITE	10/20/02
LAST PLAYOFF	1/12/92: Buccaneers 9 at Eagles 31. Eagles’ McNabb throws for 2 TDs. SS Damon Moore has 2 INTs & returns one for a TD. Defense has 4 INTs.
BROADCAST	FOX (3:00 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). CBS Radio: Joel Meyers, Bob Trumpy, John Dockery (Field reporter)

SEASON STAT LEADERS

QBs	B. Johnson: 281-451-3,049-22 (3C)-6-92.9 (1C)	McNabb: 211-361-2,289-17-6-86.0 (3C)
RBs	Pittman : 204-718-3.5-1	Staley: 269-1,029-3.8-5
WRs	K. Johnson: 76-1,088-14.3-5	Pinkston: 60-798-13.3-7
OFFENSE	312.6	350.3
TAKE/GIVE	+17 (T1L)	+14 (3C)
DEFENSE	252.8 (1L)	297.1 (3C)
SACKS	Rice: 15.5 (1C)	Douglas: 12.5 (T2C)
INTs	Kelly: 8 (1L)	Taylor : 5
PR	Williams: 9.5	B. Mitchell: 12.3 (3C)
KOR	Stecker: 25.2	B. Mitchell: 27.0 (2C)
PUNTING	Tupa : 42.8	L. Johnson: 37.4
KICKING	Gramatica: 128 (32/32 PAT; 32/39 FG)	Akers: 133 (2L) (43/43 PAT; 30/34 FG)

NOTES

CLUBS MEET IN PLAYOFFS for third consecutive season, but first time in NFC Championship Game…….Eagles are first team to advance to championship game in back-to-back seasons since Denver in 1997-98, while Bucs play in third NFC Championship Game in franchise history (1979, 1999).

BUCCANEERS: Head coach JON GRUDEN has led his club to playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons, including 2 playoff appearances with Raiders. Spent 1995-97 as ass’t. coach with Eagles……Bucs’ 31 points last week vs. 49ers were most in franchise playoff history……QB BRAD JOHNSON has 53-31 (.631) record as starter, including playoffs. Set franchise single-season records with 22 TD passes, 62.3 comp. pct. (281 of 451) & 92.9 passer rating. His 1.3 INT pct. (451 attempts, 6 INTs) is club record & best in NFL in 2002. Led Bucs to TDs on 3 of first 4 possessions vs. SF……RB MICHAEL PITTMAN led club in rushing with 718 yards. RB MIKE ALSTOTT rushed for 548 yards in 2002 & had 35 catches for second consecutive season. Had career single-game playoff high 2 TDs vs. 49ers……WR KEYSHAWN JOHNSON seeks third career 100-yard receiving game in fifth career playoff contest. Averages 92.0 yards, 6 receptions & 15.3 yards per catch in playoffs. Had fourth-career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2002, leading club with 1,088 yards……Defense surrendered 196 points in 2002, fewest in NFL & fifth fewest since 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978……DE SIMEON RICE had 15.5 sacks in 2002, second-highest single-season total in club history. Had 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble last week. High school teammate of Eagles QB DONOVAN MCNABB at Chicago’s Mt. Carmel HS. DT WARREN SAPP is tied with 16 others for second-most sacks ever in playoff game with 3.0, trailing RICHARD DENT & RICH MILOT with 3.5……LB DERRICK BROOKS had 4 TDs on turnovers in 2002, most in NFL history by LB & trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer KEN HOUSTON (5) for single-season record. Had first career playoff INT last week & added 0.5 sacks & 1 FR……Defense led NFL with 31 INTs in 2002 & had 3 last week. CB BRIAN KELLY tied for NFL lead & had career-high 8……K MARTIN GRAMATICA set career-highs with 32 FGs & 128 points in 2002. Connected on 7 of 8 playoff FG attempts.

EAGLES: Seek fifth consecutive home playoff win & have not allowed TD in past 3 playoff games at Veterans Stadium. Finished 12-4, tying GB & Tampa for NFL’s best record. Also finished with NFL’s best record in 1980 (tied with Dal, Atl), 1960 & 1949, winning 2 NFL championships & losing SB XV to Oak in 1980……Scored franchise record 415 points in 2002 & has 34-5 (.872) mark, including playoffs, under head coach ANDY REID when scoring at least 20 points……Reid was named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year & has 4 playoff wins with Eagles, most in franchise history. Reid will coach in fifth NFC Championship Game in past 8 years (2001-02 head coach, Phil; 1995-97, ass’t. coach, GB). Eagles have won 14 of past 15 NFC games……QB DONOVAN MC NABB seeks third consecutive playoff win vs. TB. Has 9 career playoff TD passes & needs 1 to pass RON JAWORSKI for first in club history. Has completed at least 60 pct. of pass attempts in 5 of 6 career playoff starts. Made first start since 11/17 (vs. Ariz.) last week vs. Falcons & had career single-game playoff-best 103.1 passer rating (20 of 30, 247 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT). QB A.J. FEELEY finished 4-1 as starter in 2002……Club has 10-3 mark all-time when RB DUCE STALEY rushes for 100 yards. Rushed for third-career 1,000-yard season in 2002 & first since 1999 (1,273). Had career playoff-long 23-yard TD catch vs. Bucs in last playoff meeting. RB DORSEY LEVENS has started 6 playoff games, topping 100 yards 3 times (with GB)……WR ANTONIO FREEMAN has 10 postseason TD receptions & needs 1 to pass Pro Football Hall of Famer FRED BILETNIKOFF (10) in third-place all-time. WR TODD PINKSTON led club with career-high 60 receptions. WR JAMES THRASH had 42-yard TD catch vs. Falcons in Divisional Playoffs, his first in postseason. TE CHAD LEWIS had 42 catches in 2002, his third consecutive 40-catch season. Had career single-game playoff high 60 yards receiving (4 catches, 1 TD) in 2001 Wild Card vs. TB……PR BRIAN MITCHELL has 305 playoff PR yards & needs 8 to pass DAVID MEGGETT (312) for first all-time……Defense led NFL with 56 sacks & club surrendered 241 points, second-fewest in NFL (TB). Club had 4 defensive starters -- DE HUGH DOUGLAS, S BRIAN DAWKINS, CB BOBBY TAYLOR & CB TROY VINCENT -- named to Pro Bowl & NFL-high 7 players total (K DAVID AKERS, G JERMANE MAYBERRY and T TRA THOMAS) ……CB Taylor had 39-yard INT TD last week, his first career playoff INT. Has played in 9 playoff games with Eagles, most by any player in club history.