NBC's coverage of the NFL Playoffs begins this Saturday, Jan. 6, in primetime, as Todd Gurley and the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams (11-5) host Matt Ryan and the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons (NFC South, 10-6) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. NBC's NFL Wildcard coverage on Saturday begins with a special edition of FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In his 32 years of calling NFL games, Saturday marks Al Michaels' first-ever NFL game assignment in Los Angeles. He has called six NFL games in Anaheim, Calif. In addition, the game marks NBC's first NFL telecast in the Los Angeles Coliseum since Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy called Chiefs-Raiders on Dec. 24, 1994.
First-year head coach Sean McVay has led the Rams to an 11-5 record one year after the franchise finished 4-12. Los Angeles averaged a league-best 29.9 points per game this season, and became the first team in the
SUPER BOWL era to rank first in points per game after finishing the prior season ranked last. The Rams are led by running back Todd Gurley, who topped the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,093), rushing touchdowns (13), and total touchdowns (19). Former No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff threw for 3,804 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, defensive lineman Aaron Donald was the NFL's highest-graded player at any position for the second straight year. This marks the 28th time the franchise has made the postseason and the first time it has appeared in a playoff game since 2005.
The Falcons clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season with a 22-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Quarterback Matt Ryan finished the 2017 campaign with more than 4,000 passing yards for the seventh consecutive season, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, Ryan was the NFL's second-highest rated quarterback for the second consecutive season. Wide receiver Julio Jones caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns. He reached 9,000 career receiving yards in fewer games than any player in NFL history (95). For the first time since its 1998
SUPER BOWL season, the franchise ranked in the top 10 in both total defense (323.1 yards per game) and scoring defense (21.0 points per game).
Calling Falcons-Rams are seven-time Emmy Award-winner Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 32nd season as
THE VOICE of the NFL's premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.
Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, will be hosted by Liam McHugh, who will report on-site from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Dan Patrick, who will host from Studio 1 at
NBC Sports Group's International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Patrick is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time
SUPER BOWL winner Rodney Harrison, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com and PFT Live on
NBCSN and
NBC Sports Radio.
NBC will broadcast an NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 13, from Lincoln Financial Field, as the Philadelphia Eagles host the lowest-seeded team remaining following this weekend's games. Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with a special edition of Football Night in America.
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