NFL Divisional Playoffs preview

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-5) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (13-3)

WHEN: Saturday, 11:35 a.m., FOX

OPENING LINE: Seahawks by 8½ .

SERIES RECORD: Seahawks lead 7-6.

LAST MEETING: Seahawks beat Saints 34-7, Dec. 2, 2013.

LAST WEEK: Saints beat Eagles 26-24; Seahawks had a bye.

SAINTS OFFENSE: Overall (4), rush (25), pass (2)

SAINTS DEFENSE: Overall (4), rush (19), pass (2)

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE: Overall (17), rush (4), pass (26)

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE: Overall (1) Rush (7t), pass (1)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: Seahawks dominated Monday night matchup at home on Dec. 2, jumping out to a 27-7 halftime lead on way to 34-7 win. … The seven points matched fewest scored by Saints since Sean Payton became coach in 2006. … No. 6 seeds are 5-2 against No. 1 seeds in the divisional round since the playoffs after the 2005 season. … Saints finished second in NFL in yards passing and fourth in total offense. … QB Drew Brees threw for 250 yards and TD in win over Eagles. … Brees has three 400-yard passing games in the postseason, including 2010 game in Seattle. … Brees held to 147 yards passing in December loss to Seahawks. … RB Mark Ingram had 97 yards rushing and TD in win over Eagles. Was second-most by a Saints RB in playoff game. … Saints rushed for 185 yards in win over Eagles, second highest total all season. … TE Jimmy Graham had three receptions for 44 yards vs. Eagles. Was held to three catches for 42 yards in first game vs. Seahawks. … Saints lost LB Parys Haralson to torn pectoral in Eagles game. Fourth defensive starter lost since midseason due to injury. … CB Keenan Lewis (concussion) expected to play. … Seahawks have won five straight home playoff games. … Seahawks have won 15 of last 16 home games. … Only one starter on Seahawks roster — DT Tony McDaniel — has not played in a postseason game. … QB Russell Wilson was 22 of 30 for 310 yards and three touchdowns in first meeting with Saints. Had passer rating of 139.6, second best in his career. … Wilson threw for a career-high 385 yards and two touchdowns in last season’s divisional playoff loss to Atlanta. … Wilson is only player in NFL history with passer rating of 100 or more in first two seasons. … RB Marshawn Lynch finished regular season with career-high 14 total touchdowns. Only player in NFL with 1,000 yards rushing and at least 10 TDs rushing in past three seasons. … WR Percy Harvin may play in second game following hip surgery in August. … Seahawks finished regular season as leaders in pass defense (172 yards per game allowed) and interceptions (28). Previous two teams to lead the league in those categories — Tampa Bay (2002) and Miami (1982) — both reached the Super Bowl. … Seahawks only team in NFL not to allow opponent to score on opening drive all season. … CB Richard Sherman led NFL with eight interceptions. First Seahawks player to lead league in INTs since Eugene Robinson in 1993. … Seahawks without LB K.J. Wright (foot) who was largely responsible for defending Graham in December meeting.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (12-5) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-4)

WHEN: Saturday, 3:15 p.m., CBS

OPENING LINE: Patriots by 7½

SERIES RECORD: Patriots lead 47-29

LAST MEETING: Patriots beat Colts 59-24, Nov. 18, 2012

LAST WEEK: Colts beat Chiefs 45-44, Patriots had bye

COLTS OFFENSE: Overall (15), rush (20t), pass (17)

COLTS DEFENSE: Overall (20), rush (26), pass (13)

PATRIOTS OFFENSE: Overall (7), rush (9), pass (10)

PATRIOTS DEFENSE: Overall (26), rush (30), pass (18)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: Patriots 2-1 vs. Colts in postseason, last meeting won by Indianapolis 38-34 in AFC championship game Jan. 21, 2007. … Second-seeded Patriots, fourth-seeded Colts each beat AFC No. 1 seed Denver in regular season. … Colts 11 postseason appearances since 2002 are most in NFL, Patriots have 10. … Colts overcame 38-10, third-quarter deficit to beat Chiefs in wild-card game, second biggest comeback victory ever in NFL playoffs. … WR T.Y. Hilton’s 13 receptions against Kansas City tied for second most in NFL postseason game. … QB Andrew Luck’s 443 yards passing and four TD throws vs. Chiefs both second most in team playoff history, behind Peyton Manning. … LB Robert Mathis led NFL with club record 19½ sacks, added sack of Alex Smith and forced fumble in playoff win over Chiefs, has 5½ postseason sacks. … Colts 536 net yards against Kansas City were postseason franchise record. … Indianapolis led NFL by committing fewest giveaways (14) and penalties (66). … Former Patriots second-round draft pick Darius Butler led Colts with four interceptions. … K Adam Vinatieri holds NFL postseason record with 49 field goals, 205 points in 10 seasons with Patriots, last eight with Colts. … Patriots trying to become first team since Eagles to reach at least three consecutive conference championship games. Philadelphia reached four straight in NFC from 2001-04. … Tom Brady seeking to extend his NFL record to 18 postseason wins by a starting quarterback, has most completions (553), attempts (887), yards passing (5,949) in NFL playoff history. … WR Julian Edelman’s 105 catches were fourth in NFL, totaled just 69 in other four NFL seasons. … RB LeGarrette Blount set franchise record with 334 all-purpose yards (189 rushing, 145 on two kickoff returns) in regular-season finale vs. Bills. … DT Chris Jones led NFL rookies with six sacks. DE Chandler Jones led Patriots with career-high 11 1-2 sacks. … Starting LB Brandon Spikes went on injured reserve Monday, joining three other key defenders on the list — Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly. … Patriots 8-0 at home this season, have 14-4 postseason record at home, second best in NFL. … CB Logan Ryan’s five interceptions tops among NFL rookies. … Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski led NFL with 158 points.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (13-4) at CAROLINA PANTHERS (12-4)

WHEN: Sunday, 8:05 a.m., Fox

OPENING LINE: 49ers by 2

RECORD VS. SPREAD: San Francisco 11-5-1, Carolina 9-7

SERIES RECORD: Panthers lead 11-7

LAST MEETING: Panthers beat 49ers 10-9 on Nov. 10, 2013

LAST WEEK: 49ers defeated Packers 23-20, Panthers had a bye

49ERS OFFENSE: Overall (24), rush (3), pass (30)

49ERS DEFENSE: Overall (5), rush (4), pass (7)

PANTHERS OFFENSE: Overall (26), rush (11), pass (29)

PANTHERS DEFENSE: Overall (2), rush (2), pass (6)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Panthers coach Ron Rivera were teammates with Chicago Bears. … Harbaugh is first coach to lead 49ers to playoffs in first three seasons. … QB Colin Kaepernick held to 91 yards passing and 16 yards rushing in 10-9 loss to Carolina on Nov. 10. … Kaepernick has career QB rating of 93.9 in postseason. … RB Frank Gore has franchise-record seven straight 1.000-yard rushing seasons. Gore averages 91.3 yards rushing in postseason with TD in past four playoffs games. … TE Vernon Davis has six TD receptions in six postseason games. … WR Michael Crabtree has 28 catches for 410 yards and three TDs in past four playoff games. … 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio worked for Panthers in 1990s. … Since 2011, LB Aldon Smith has 45.5 sacks since 2011, second-most in NFL. … Panthers lost last home playoff game as No. 2 seed to Arizona in 2008, 33-13. … Carolina’s 12 wins tied team record. … Panthers defense allowed second-fewest points in NFL (241). … Panthers QB Cam Newton has 11,299 yards passing in his first three seasons, third-most in NFL history. Newton has 2,032 yards rushing in first three seasons, most by quarterback in league history. … WR Steve Smith expected to start after missing Week 17 with sprained knee ligament. … LB Luke Kuechly has NFL-high 320 tackles since 2012. … DE Greg Hardy has eight sacks in past three games. … CB Captain Munnerlyn has four interception returns for TDs since 2012, most in NFL. … Panthers have won seven straight games at home. … Panthers had nine sacks in Week 17 win over Atlanta.

WHEN: Sunday, 10:40 p.m., CBS