Jimmy Graham Scores Twice, McGahee Once in Teams’ Losses

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham scored two touchdowns in the Saints’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon. The scores were his second and third of the playoff season.

He put the Saints on the board for the first time in the second quarter with a 14-yard touchdown reception to cut the 49ers’ lead to 17-7. He later scored what appeared to be a miraculous game-winning 66-yard touchdown with only 1:37 left in the game to put the Saints ahead 32-29 after the two-point conversion. But a 14-yard pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis would go for a touchdown with only nine seconds to go, sealing San Francisco’s 36-32 divisional playoff victory.

Graham finished with five receptions for 103 yards and the two scores. He left the game early with what appeared to be a head injury, but later returned to play an integral role in the Saints’ near-victory.

In the later game, Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee scored the Broncos’ only touchdown when he found the end zone early in the second quarter of the loss to the New England Patriots. McGahee rushed 17 times for 76 yards with the score. While scoring was scarce for Denver, New England churned out 45 points in the victory, including three touchdown receptions for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who passed Graham for the NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end on the final play of the Patriots’ season before taking a few victory knees in Week 17.

Several former Hurricanes will take the field once again in today’s division playoff games.

Baltimore vs. Houston

Ravens: LB Ray Lewis, S Ed Reed, and OT Bryant McKinnie from Baltimore (RB Damien Berry is a practice squad player)

Texans: WR Andre Johnson, OT Eric Winston, CB Brandon Harris, and C Chris Myers (OT Rashad Butler and LB Daryl Sharpton on injured reserve).

Green Bay vs. New York

Packers: CB Sam Shields

Giants: S Kenny Phillips and S Antrel Rolle (DT Dwayne Hendricks is a practice squad player)