NFL Playoffs

It's a big weekend in sports as the NFL kicks off its first round of playoffs, making for a big weekend for sports bars in the St. Cloud area.

In a battle of 'old school' vs. 'new school' quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and the AFC Champion Denver Broncos (15-3) will face Russell Wilson and the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks (15-3) in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2nd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Seattle Seahawks (15-3) have advanced to a Super Bowl date with the Denver Broncos after holding off a late rally by the visiting San Francisco 49ers (14-5) for a 23-17 win in the NFC Championship game this evening in Seattle.

The Denver Broncos (15-3) are headed to their seventh Super Bowl following their 26-16 AFC Championship victory this afternoon over the New England Patriots (13-5) in Denver. The Broncos will face the winner of the evenings NFC Championship between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

The San Francisco 49ers (14-4) came out of Charlotte this afternoon with a 23-10 win over the Carolina Panthers (12-5), earning them a date against the Seattle Seahawks for the third time this season; and the opportunity to play for a spot in the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks advanced to the championship games of their respective conferences with victories in the NFL playoffs on Saturday. Here is a recap of all of the day's action:

The New England Patriots (13-4) topped the Indianapolis Colts (12-6) 43-22 tonight in Foxborough, earning the right to face the winner of tomorrow's Denver/San Diego game, in next weekend's AFC Championship.

On this soggy Saturday in Washington, the Seattle Seahawks (14-3) advanced to next weekend's NFC Championship with a 23-15 win over the visiting New Orleans Saints (12-6). The Seahawks will host the winner of tomorrow's game between the Panthers & 49ers.

The Super Bowl dreams of eight teams remain alive entering the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Here are three things to watch for in each of this weekend's games:

The San Francisco 49ers (13-4) topped the Green Bay Packers (8-8-1) tonight 23-20 on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, in the second of the weekend's two NFC Wildcard games. With the win, the 49ers advance to face the Panthers next Sunday in Charlotte.

The San Diego Chargers (10-7) are set to face the Denver Broncos for the third time this season, following their 27-10 wildcard game win this afternoon over the Cincinnati Bengals (11-6) in a soggy Cincy.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (12-5) got the road-playoff monkey off their collective backs tonight, with a 26-24 win against the Philadelphia Eagles (10-7) in Philly. Shayne Graham's 32-yard field goal as time expired, secured the win for the visiting Saints.