NFL playoffs schedule and results: Patriots advance, Seahawks surge past Panthers

1. Julian Edelman wears Cool Guy Urban Outfitters Tupac shirt while being interviewed:

2. Whoopsie daisy, it has middle fingers on it. Those mean bad words, you know. The American public is corrupted forever and the news media must apologize:

Not long after the Patriots defeated the Colts, it was reported the NFL was looking into whether the Patriots deflated footballs used in the game. The league confirmed that it will investigate on Monday morning.

During his Monday morning appearance with Dennis & Callahan, Brady said he didn’t put much stock in those allegations, calling them “ridiculous.”

Gronk got into it too!

Richardson came down awkwardly after colliding with a defender on an incomplete pass early in the third quarter. He remained down for several minutes while trainers appeared to be inspecting his leg, but eventually walked off under his own power.

It had taken the rookie a while to get acclimated to the Seahawks’ offense, but his production had been steadily increasing as of late. He hauled in five receptions in each of Seattle’s last two regular season games and chipped in a 21-yard catch against the Panthers.

Newton, nicknamed Superman, looked like anything but against Chancellor and the rest of the Seattle secondary. The Seahawks picked him off twice and forced him to fumble in the 31-17 win.

“They call me Batman,” said Chancellor, per the team website. “So he can have the Superman. I’m the Dark Knight.”

For a league that’s really stringent about everything from drug use to touchdown celebrations, the NFL doesn’t seem to have a problem with letting a created player play for the Seahawks. Kam Chancellor is 6’3 and 230 pounds, runs by threatening the ground to propel him forward and sends receivers into an existential crisis after every hit. But sure, if the NFL has no problem with allowing androids to play strong safety, I guess that’s cool. I mean, all he did was hurdle the Panthers O-line and nearly block a field goal.

His feet don’t touch the any players because halfway through that jump, he ascended into a higher plane of existence. He’s now the divine Kam Chancellor. He ran into that jump the same way a DeLorean by a mad scientist goes back into the past. That’s not the same Kam Chancellor who jumped and disrupted the kicker. He went back in time, found that kicker’s great grandfather in a soccer field somewhere and destroyed him before coming back to put fear into his great grandson. They don’t mention Kam’s name in that kicker’s household the same way Hogwarts schoolchildren don’t say Voldemort.

As for the other days of the week?

Never change, Michael.

Wilson was brilliant, completing 15 of his 22 passes for 268 yards and three scores.

As well as the Seattle secondary played, they had no answer for Benjamin. The rookie caught seven balls for 75 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the red zone. His 6’5, 240-pound frame allowed him first to seal off a defender for a scoring grab on a quick slant, then let him sky for an impressive fingertip grab on a fade route late in the game.

Seattle, enjoying its home-field advantage and coming off a week of rest while the Panthers played in the Wild Card round, was heavily favored to take this game. Carolina, though they were the No. 4 seed, had the worst regular season record among playoff teams.

Here’s a look at the remaining Divisional round games:

As a running back, Marshawn Lynch was on the sideline for Kam Chancellor’s 90-yard interception return for a TD. That didn’t mean he didn’t celebrate the same way he celebrates his own TDs.

Of course, we all know how Marshawn celebrates his greatest touchdown runs:

Yeah, that’ll do it:

What a game for Kam Chancellor, who very nearly (twice!) blocked a field goal to end the first half, then made the earth shake with that pick-six:

After the play, John Harbaugh ran onto the field to yell at the officials, drawing a penalty:

At first glance, nothing looks strange. The center is surrounded by two players on each side. But then the player two guys to his left -- the “left tackle” -- sprints upfield to catch the ball. Aren’t offensive linemen not allowed to do that?

1. Graham Gano attempts a half-ending field goal for the Panthers. Kam Chancellor jumps the line perfectly, but somehow doesn’t get a hand on the ball, which sails through the uprights:

HOWEVER, the offense is called for a false start and has to retake it.

Or Kearse’s one-handed catch?

Here’s the cameraguy still creeping after Lynch’s shove:

From 2001-2004, Belichick rolled to nine consecutive playoff wins and a trio of titles. Since then, Belichick has compiled a 9-8 mark including three straight defeats between 2007-10, starting with Super Bowl XLII after going undefeated in the regular season. However, Belichick has had incredible success recently, leading the Patriots to their fourth straight AFC Championship game this year.

Throughout Landry’s tenure, the Cowboys made the playoffs 18 times, including 17 times in 19 years between 1966-85. Landry’s overall record was 20-16 with five trips to the Super Bowl along with 12 conference championship games. Belichick matches Landry in Super Bowl appearances but has won three compared to Landry’s two.

Here’s a look at the remaining schedule:

Saturday, Jan. 10

Three things we learned:

1) You can make Tom Brady mad, but you can’t rattle him

Seems excessive, I dunno:

Let’s see where that block in the back puts the down marker ...

Brady’s finest postseason came in 2004, when the Patriots won their third championship in four years. Brady threw five touchdowns without an interception, including two games with quarterback ratings north of 110.

Just about once a week, we hear that Patriots receiver Julian Edelman played QB in college for Kent State. But the Patriots drafted him as a wide receiver, and he’s been a wide receiver his whole NFL career, never attemptiong a pass. Until Saturday:

The play worked to perfection, as Danny Amendola was wiiiiiiiiiiiiide open, and Edelman hit him for a 51-yard TD to tie the score at 28.

Kravitz has made a long career pumping out stadium-friendly rock. It’s almost a surprise he hasn’t appeared in a Super Bowl halftime show before now. This will be the second year in a row that rockers with mass appeal joined a pop headliner as guests. Last season, the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed with Bruno Mars.

Perry was revealed as the halftime show star in November. She has been a popular figure in sports this season, appearing on College Gameday before Ole Miss’ upset of Alabama.

This is interesting, of course, because:

We’re not saying Harbaugh shouldn’t be penalized for walking onto the field -- just pointing out the inconsistency. Both probably should’ve been penalties, and sorry for the salt in the wound, Lions fans.