Monday ProCanes Report: 21 Hurricanes Advance

Jan. 9, 2012

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Monday Morning ProCanes Report will weed through all the NFL highlights and news to bring you the information you care about the most… what the former University of Miami Hurricanes did during the week prior. 26 Pro Canes made their way to NFL postseason rosters, and 21 of them will be advancing to the second round of the 2012 postseason after some stellar weekend performances. With Wildcard Weekend in the books, both the AFC and NFC Super Bowl XLVI representatives are guaranteed to have at least one Pro Cane on their rosters heading into the big game scheduled for February 5.

New Orleans Saints – 45 vs. Detroit Lions – 28
Jimmy Graham and Jonathan Vilma both played key roles for a Saints team that earned their first postseason win since their Super Bowl XLIV victory in February 2010. The Saints, who were stunned by Seattle in last year’s first-round matchup, used the help of Graham (55 yards, one touchdown) and Vilma (five tackles) to avoid a similar result against the Detroit Lions. It was the twelfth touchdown of the season for Graham, who was the first tight end in 31 years to break Kellen Winslow’s single-season record of 1,290 yards set in 1980.
Video highlights: Graham TD | Up Next: at San Francisco (1/14, 4:30 p.m.)

Houston Texans – 31 vs. Cincinnatti Bengals – 10
A Houston Texans team boasting a whopping six Pro Canes on their roster dismantled the Cincinnatti Bengals in their successful postseason debut. Andre Johnson, battling injuries for most of 2011, returned to form with five catches for 90 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown grab from quarterback T.J. Yates. Not to be outdone, Eric Winston and Chris Myers played pivotal roles as starters on the offensive line blocking for running back Arian Foster. The third-year running back totaled 153 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in a 31-10 rout at home.
Video highlights: 40-yard Score | OL Domination | Up Next: at Baltimore (1/15, 1:00 p.m.)

New York Giants – 24 vs. Atlanta Falcons – 2
After squeaking into the playoffs with their NFC East championship victory over Dallas in Week 17, the New York Giants upset the Atlanta Falcons in a blowout victory at MetLife Stadium. Antrel Rolle, who finished the regular season as the team leader in tackles with 96, led the Giants with nine against the high-powered Falcons offense. The New York defense neutralized the Falcons offense, holding quarterback Matt Ryan to only 199 yards through the air and the run game to only 64 yards on the ground. Falcons’ linebacker Spencer Adkins had four tackles in his first career playoff start, while Matt Bosher saw considerable action with a 42.0 average over seven punts for Atlanta.
Up Next: at Green Bay (1/15, 4:30 p.m.)

Denver Broncos – 29 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – 23
After a slow start, running back Willis McGahee totaled 61 yards on the ground in a Denver Broncos 29-23 overtime victory dominated by players from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Linebacker D.J. Williams (five tackles) helped limit a battered Pittsburgh offense to only 23 points, while starting right tackle Orlando Franklin helped lead the way to a combined 131 yards for the Denver ground attack. Former Georgia Tech standout Demaryius Thomas recorded the most important of ten touchdowns on the weekend by ACC players, an 80-yard overtime score that sent Denver into the second round and a match-up with the Patriots.
Up Next: at New England (1/15, 8:00 p.m.)

Heading into the NFL opening week, UM led all colleges with 42 alums on active NFL Rosters.

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Canes History in NFL Playoffs: Super Bowl Champions | 17 in 2011 Playoffs