CHAMPIONSHIP GOAL:San Francisco will host the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game after earning a 36-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Saturday. It will be the 49ers' 13th Conference Championship game appearance, the third-most among all franchises since 1970.
The teams with the most appearances in a Conference Championship Game since 1970:
TEAM
MOST APPEARANCES IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Pittsburgh Steelers
15
Dallas Cowboys
14
*San Francisco 49ers
13
L.A./Oakland Raiders
11
L.A./St. Louis Rams
9
*Host NY Giants on Sunday
-- NFL --
BRADY BUNCH OF RECORDS: New England quarterback TOM BRADY completed 26 of 34 passes (76.5 percent) for 363 yards with six touchdowns and one interception for a 137.6 passer rating in the Patriots' 45-10 victory over Denver.
Brady has thrown for 4,770 yards in his postseason career, the fifth-most in NFL history.
PLAYER
CAREER
POSTSEASON PASSING YARDS
Brett Favre
1991-2010
5,855
Joe Montana
1979-1994
5,772
Peyton Manning
1998-present
5,389
John Elway
1983-1998
4,964
Tom Brady
2000-present
4,407
Dan Marino
1983-1999
4,510
Brady tied an NFL record with six touchdown passes in the game (Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNGsix, DARYLE LAMONICAsix) to increase his career playoff total to 36, the third-most in league annals.
PLAYER
CAREER
POSTSEASON TD PASSES
Joe Montana
1979-1994
45
Brett Favre
1991-2010
44
Tom Brady
2000-present
36
Dan Marino
1983-1999
32
Kurt Warner
1998-2009
31
Terry Bradshaw
* *1970-1983
30
It marked Brady's 18th consecutive playoff game with at least one touchdown pass, the second-longest streak ever.
PLAYER
CAREER
CONSECUTIVE POSTSEASON GAMES W/ TD PASS
Brett Favre
1991-2010
20
Tom Brady
2000-present
*18
Dan Marino
1983-1999
13
Kurt Warner
1998-2009
12
3 tied
--
10
*Active
-- NFL --
400 CLUB: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES completed 40 of 63 passes (63.5 percent) for 462 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions against the 49ers to record his third consecutive 400-yard effort in the postseason (404 at Seattle, 2010 Wild Card; 466 vs. Detroit, 2011 Wild Card).
Brees (three), who is the only quarterback to pass for at least 400 yards in consecutive playoff games, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (two) and PEYTON MANNING (two) for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL postseason history.
The Super Bowl XLIV MVP attempted 12 passes before throwing his first interception, ending his NFL-record streak of consecutive postseason passes without an interception at 217.
-- NFL --
FOSTER FOLLOW-UP: Houston running back ARIAN FOSTER rushed for 132 yards with one touchdown in the Texans' 20-13 loss at Baltimore. Foster totaled 285 rushing yards in his postseason debut, the most in a player's first two postseason games in NFL history.
The players with the most rushing yards in their first two postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
POSTSEASON(S)
RUSH YARDS IN FIRST TWO POSTSEASON GAMES
Arian Foster
Houston Texans
2011
285
Duane Thomas
Dallas Cowboys
1970
278
Terrell Davis
Denver Broncos
1996, 1997
275
Eddie George
Tennessee Titans
1999
268
Shonn Greene
N.Y. Jets
2009
263
Fred Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars
1999
248
-- NFL --
HEAD OF THE CLASS: New England head coach BILL BELICHICK, who has compiled a 16-6 (.727) record in his postseason career, tied Pro Football Hall of Famer CHUCK NOLL(16) for the fourth-most playoff wins by a coach with the Patriots' victory on Saturday.
Belichick trails only Pro Football Hall of Famers TOM LANDRY, DON SHULAand JOE GIBBS.
The head coaches with the most playoff wins in NFL history:
HEAD COACH
TEAM(S)
PLAYOFF WINS
Tom Landry
Dallas Cowboys
20
Don Shula
Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins
19
Joe Gibbs
Washington Redskins
17
Bill Belichick
Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots
*16
Chuck Noll
Pittsburgh Steelers
16
*Active
