New Orleans Saints make shock exit from NFL play-offs
ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL: NFL Play-offs: 8-23 January - listen live on 5 live sports extra; watch highlights every Monday on BBC2; clips on the BBC Sport website (UK only) Super Bowl XLV: 6 February at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas - Watch live on BBC 1 and the BBC Sport website (UK only); listen live on 5 live sports extra
Lynch breaks eight tackles for stunning touchdown
The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts were both knocked out of the NFL play-offs in dramatic style on the first day of the post-season.
Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal as time expired lifted the New York Jets to a 17-16 AFC wildcard win over the 2007 Super Bowl-winning Colts on Saturday.
And Matt Hasselbeck starred as the Seattle Seahawks upset defending NFL champions New Orleans 41-36.
"We felt something special all week and it's a heck of a start," he said.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 39 of his 60 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns but he was upstaged by his opposite number Hasselbeck, who threw four touchdown passes.
The Seahawks, who became the first divisional winner with a losing record, 7-9 in the NFC West, led 34-20 going into the final quarter.
COMMENTATOR NEIL REYNOLDS' VIEW
Considering how exciting and unpredictable the regular season was, it's no surprise that the play-offs got off to an incredible start.
Three of the four games were decided by a total of 11 points, three teams won away and the only home victor was 7-9 Seattle.
Several times, the Seahawks could have gone into their shell and accepted the fact they were not good enough to be in the play-offs but they refused to back down.
The Jets and Ravens used a physical approach to set up a couple of mouth-watering ties among division rivals next weekend.
I watched the Packers edge past the Philadelphia, ending Michael Vick's fairytale return.
Of all the teams in action this weekend, Green Bay look the most likely to go deep into the play-offs and maybe all the way to the Super Bowl. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was outstanding. But the heroes of the hour have to be the plucky Seahawks.
Look out for Neil's NFL blog on Thursday and listen to his commentary on 5 live sports extra next Sunday
Brees inspired a fightback but it proved in vain when Marshawn Lynch broke several tackles to score on a sensational 67-yard run, with three minutes 22 seconds left on the clock, to clinch victory.
"I assume people are going to say it was more about what the Saints didn't do and not what we did, or that the Saints lost the game, not us winning it," said Seattle wide receiver Mike Williams.
"Whatever is said it doesn't matter. What matters is the direction our team is in and the focus the guys have in the locker room."
The Seahawks will travel to play Chicago next weekend while the Jets will face top-seeded New England next Sunday.
In Indianapolis, the Colts appeared to be headed for a win when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 50-yard field goal with 53 seconds left to give the home team the lead.
But Antonio Cromartie returned the kick-off 47 yards before Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez led his troops on a five-play march down to the 14.
The Jets called a time-out with three seconds remaining before Folk sent over the winning kick.
"No one believed in us but we believed in ourselves," said Jets' running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who scored two one-yard runs. "We are so happy to move on."
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens rolled over the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 in the weekend's second AFC wildcard game to set up a meeting with Pittsburgh.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 265 yard and two touchdowns against the Chiefs, whose QB Matt Cassel was held to just 70 yards by Baltimore's aggressive defence and intercepted three times.
Flacco found Ray Rice with a nine-yarder in the second quarter and Anquan Boldin from four yards in the third, with Willie McGahee running in another touchdown late on.
Baltimore's win sets up a a clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 15 January. The AFC North rivals split their regular season match-ups, with Baltimore winning in October, while Pittsburgh triumphed in December.
The Green Bay Packers hung on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16.
The Packers, one of the pre-season favourites to win the Super Bowl, were never behind but had to endure a nervous finish before securing a game against the Atlanta Falcons, who had a bye this weekend as the top-ranked team in the NFC.
David Akers missed two field goal attempts for Philadelphia and the Eagles almost pinched the win at the death, only for quarterback Michael Vick's final throw to be intercepted in the end zone.
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