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A '''rating scale''' is a set of categories designed to elicit information about a [[quantitative]] attribute in social science. Common examples are the [[Likert scale]] and 1-10 rating scales for which a person selects the number which is considered to reflect the perceived quality of a product.
<!-- The format of each game matches closely to that of all other NFL playoff articles. If you wish to change the format, please attempt to bring up your requested change before editing this page. -->{{current sport}}
The [[NFL playoffs|National Football League playoffs]] following the [[2005 NFL season|2005 regular season]] will lead up to [[Super Bowl XL]], which will be played in [[Detroit, Michigan]] on Sunday, [[February 5]] [[2006]].
== Background ==
The Wild Card playoffs were held on [[January 7]] and [[January 8]] [[2006]]. The Divisional Playoffs will be played on [[January 14]] and [[January 15]]. The Conference Championship games will be played on [[January 22]] [[2006]].
In [[Psychometrics]], rating scales are often referenced to a statement which expresses an attitude or perception toward something. The most common example of such a rating scale is the Likert scale, in which a person is asked to select a category label from a list indicating the extent of disagreement or agreement with a statement.
:''For more information on seeding and matchups, see [[NFL playoffs]]''.
{{NFL seeds 2002-
| AFC 1 = Indianapolis Colts
| AFC 1 div = South
| AFC 2 = Denver Broncos
| AFC 2 div = West
| AFC 3 = Cincinnati Bengals
| AFC 3 div = North
| AFC 4 = New England Patriots
| AFC 4 div = East
| AFC 5 = Jacksonville Jaguars
| AFC 6 = Pittsburgh Steelers
| NFC 1 = Seattle Seahawks
| NFC 1 div = West
| NFC 2 = Chicago Bears
| NFC 2 div = North
| NFC 3 = Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| NFC 3 div = South
| NFC 4 = New York Giants
| NFC 4 div = East
| NFC 5 = Carolina Panthers
| NFC 6 = Washington Redskins
}}
The basic feature of any rating scale is that it consists of a number of categories. These are usually assigned integers. For example, an example of the use of a Likert scale is as follows.
==Wild Card playoffs==
===Saturday [[January 7]], [[2006]]===
====NFC: [[Washington Redskins]] 17, [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] 10==== {{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = '''Redskins'''
| R1 = 14
| R2 = 3
| R3 = 0
| R4 = 0
| RT = 17
| Home = Buccaneers
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 3
| H3 = 7
| H4 = 0
| HT = 10
}}
''at [[Raymond James Stadium]], [[Tampa, Florida]]''
*'''Game time:''' 4:30 pm [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]] (2130 UTC)
*'''Game weather:''' 52 [[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Clear, cool, breezy)
*'''TV announcers ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]):''' [[Mike Patrick]] ([[play-by-play]]), [[Joe Theismann]] and [[Paul Maguire]] ([[color commentator]]s), [[Suzy Kolber]] (field reporter)
:'''Statement:''' I could not live without my iPod.
Although the Redskins gained only 120 yards on offense, the lowest total in NFL playoff history for a winning team[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/07/AR2006010700671.html], they converted two turnovers into touchdowns. Midway through the first quarter, Washington linebacker [[LaVar Arrington]]'s 21-yard interception return set up running back [[Clinton Portis]]' 6-yard touchdown run. Then, Redskins linebacker [[Marcus Washington]] recovered Tampa Bay running back [[Carnell Williams]]' fumble and returned it 7 yards before losing it himself – into the arms of Safety [[Sean Taylor]] who then ran 51 yards for the Redskins' second touchdown. After the teams traded field goals in the second period, the Buccaneers marched on a 7-play, 51-yard drive early in the third quarter that ended with quarterback [[Chris Simms]]' 2-yard touchdown run. With 3 minutes left in the game, Tampa Bay wide receiver [[Edell Shepherd]] caught what appeared to be a 35-yard touchdown reception, but he lost control of the ball as he was coming down in the end zone. The Redskins then clinched the victory in the last minute of the contest after Simms threw his second interception. This game was widely regarded by commentators as an "ugly" performance by both teams' offenses, rendering it a largely defensive game[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/07/AR2006010701520.html][http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/07/AR2006010701494.html].
*:'''ScoringResponse options:'''
**'''1st Quarter'''
***WAS - Portis 6 run (Hall kick), ''Redskins 7-0. '''Drive:''' One play, six yards, five seconds.''
***WAS - Taylor 51 fumble return (Hall kick), ''Redskins 14-0.''
**'''2nd Quarter'''
***TB - FG Bryant 43, ''Redskins 14-3. '''Drive:''' 11 plays, 38 yards, 5:28.''
***WAS - FG Hall 47, ''Redskins 17-3. '''Drive:''' 10 plays, 40 yards, 4:28.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
***TB - Simms 2 run (Bryant kick), ''Redskins 17-10. '''Drive:''' Seven plays, 51 yards, 3:23.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
***''None.''
:*1. Strongly Disagree
====AFC: [[New England Patriots]] 28, [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] 3====
:*2. Disagree
{{Linescore Amfootball
:*3. Agree
| Road = Jaguars
:*4. Strongly Agree
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 3
| R3 = 0
| R4 = 0
| RT = 3
| Home = '''Patriots'''
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 7
| H3 = 14
| H4 = 7
| HT = 28
}}
It is common to treat the numbers obtained from a rating scale directly as measurements by calculating averages, or more generally any [[arithmetic]] operations. Doing so is not however justified. In terms of the [[levels of measurement]] proposed by S.S. Stevens, the data are ordinal categorisations. This means, for example, that to agree strongly with the above statement implies a more favourable perception of iPods than does to agree with the statement. However, the numbers are not interval-level measurements in Stevens' schema, which means that equal differences do not represent equal intervals between the degree to which one values iPods. For example, the difference between strong agreement and agreement is not necessarily the same as the difference between disagreement and agreement. Strictly, even demonstrating that categories are ordinal requires empirical evidence based on patterns of responses (Andrich, 1978).
''at [[Gillette Stadium]], [[Foxborough, Massachusetts]]''
*'''Game time:''' 8:00 pm EST (0100 Sunday UTC)
*'''Game weather:''' 24 [[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Clear, cold)
*'''TV announcers (ABC):''' [[Al Michaels]] (play-by-play), [[John Madden (football)|John Madden]] (color commentator), [[Michelle Tafoya]] (field reporter)
More than one rating scale is required to [[measurement|measure]] an attitude or perception due to the requirement for statistical comparisons between the categories in the [[polytomous Rasch model]] for ordered categories (Andrich, 1978). In terms of [[Classical test theory]], more than one question is required to obtain an index of internal reliability such as [[Cronbach's alpha]] (Cronbach, 1951) which is a basic criterion for assessing the effectiveness of a rating scale and, more generally, a psychometric instrument.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, who for the first time in their dynasty would have to win three games to advance to the Super Bowl, crushed the Jaguars 28-3. Linebacker [[Willie McGinest]] set an NFL playoff record with 4.5 sacks (an official NFL stat since 1982), while quarterback [[Tom Brady]] threw three touchdown passes. The game remained scoreless until Brady led New England on a 6-play, 37-yard drive early in the second quarter, and scoring with wide receiver [[Troy Brown]]'s 11-yard touchdown reception. The Jaguars responded in the closing minute of the first half after a 12-play, 56-yard drive to set up [[Josh Scobee]]'s 36-yard field goal. Then on their first drive of the second half, Brady threw his second touchdown pass to wide receiver [[David Givens]] after leading the Patriots on a 12-play, 81-yard drive. Brady's third touchdown pass was to tight end [[Ben Watson]], who broke several tackles enroute to a 63-yard score late in the third quarter. New England cornerback [[Asante Samuel]] capped the scoring with a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play of the final period.
== Rating scales used online ==
This game also marked three career playoff records: Brady and Patriots head coach [[Bill Belichick]] set records for 10 straight postseason victories, eclipsing [[Vince Lombardi]]'s run with the [[Green Bay Packers]] in the 1960s. Also, McGinest set a career playoff sack record with his 16th sack.
Rating scales are used widely online in an attempt to provide indications of consumer opinions of products. Examples of sites which employ ratings scales are [[IMDb]], [[Epinions.com]], [[Internet Book List]], [[Yahoo! Movies]], [[Amazon.com]], [[BoardGameGeek]], [[TV.com]] and [[Ratings.net]]. The [[Criticker]] website uses a rating scale from 0 to 100 in order to obtain "personalised film recommendations".
*'''Scoring'''
**'''1st Quarter'''
***''None.''
**'''2nd Quarter'''
***NE - Brown 11 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick), ''Patriots 7-0. '''Drive:''' Six plays, 37 yards, 2:05''
***JAX - FG Scobee 36, ''Patriots 7-3. '''Drive:''' 12 plays, 56 yards, 5:45.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
***NE - Givens 3 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick), ''Patriots 14-3. '''Drive:''' 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:42.''
***NE - Watson 63 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick), ''Patriots 21-3. '''Drive:''' Five plays, 71 yards, 2:53.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
***NE - Samuel 73 interception return (Vinatieri kick), ''Patriots 28-3.''
In almost all cases, online rating scales only allow one rating per user per product, though there are exceptions such as ''Ratings.net'', which allows users to rate products in relation to several qualities. Most online rating facilities also provide few or no qualitative descriptions of the rating categories, although again there are exceptions such as ''Yahoo! Movies'' which labels each of the categories between F and A+ and BoardGameGeek, which provides explicit descriptions of each category from 1 to 10. Often, only the top and bottom category is described, such as on ''IMDb'''s online rating facility.
===Sunday, [[January 8]], [[2006]]===
====NFC: [[Carolina Panthers]] 23, [[New York Giants]] 0====
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = '''Panthers'''
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 10
| R3 = 7
| R4 = 6
| RT = 23
| Home = Giants
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 0
| H3 = 0
| H4 = 0
| HT = 0
}}
''at [[Giants Stadium]], [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]]''
*'''Game time''': 1:00 pm EST (1800 UTC)
*'''Game weather''': 44[[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Sunny)
*'''TV announcers ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]]):''' [[Joe Buck]] (play-by-play), [[Troy Aikman]] (color commentator), [[Pam Oliver]] and [[Chris Myers]] (field reporters)
With each user rating a product only once, for example in a category from 1 to 10, there is no means for evaluating internal [[reliability (statistics)|reliability]] using an index such as [[Cronbach's alpha]]. It is therefore impossible to evaluate the [[validity]] of the ratings as measures of viewer perceptions. Establishing validity would require establishing both reliability and accuracy (i.e. that the ratings represent what they are supposed to represent).
The Panthers forced five turnovers, limited the Giants to only 109 yards of total offense, and became the first club to shut out a home playoff team since the [[St. Louis Rams|Los Angeles Rams]] shut out the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in the [[NFL playoffs, 1979-80|1980 NFC Championship Game]]. Although the Giants entered the game with a more vaunted rushing attack behind [[Pro Bowl]]er [[Tiki Barber]], the Panthers running game, featuring [[DeShaun Foster]] and [[Nick Goings]], outgained the Giants 223-41 on the ground. Carolina wide receiver [[Steve Smith (NFL)|Steve Smith]] scored two touchdowns, a 22-yard reception and a 12-yard run, while kicker [[John Kasay]] added 3 field goals. Meanwhile, quarterback [[Eli Manning]] threw 3 [[interception]]s in his first playoff start.
Another fundamental issue is that online ratings usually involve convenience [[sampling (statistics)|sampling]] much like television polls, i.e., they represent only the conglomeration of those inclined to submit ratings.
*'''Scoring'''
**'''1st Quarter'''
***''None.''
**'''2nd Quarter'''
*** CAR - Smith 22 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), ''Panthers 7-0. '''Drive:''' 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:46.''
*** CAR - FG Kasay 31, ''Panthers 10-0. '''Drive:''' Four plays, two yards, 58 seconds.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
*** CAR - Smith 12 run (Kasay kick), ''Panthers 17-0. '''Drive:''' One play, 12 yards, six seconds.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
*** CAR - FG Kasay 45, ''Panthers 20-0. '''Drive:''' 10 plays, 55 yards, 6:07.''
*** CAR - FG Kasay 18, ''Panthers 23-0. '''Drive:''' 14 plays, 55 yards, 8:55.''
Sampling is one factor which can lead to results which have a specific bias or are only relevant to a specific subgroup. To illustrate the importance of such factors, consider an example. Suppose that a film's marketing strategy and reputation is such that 90% of its audience are attracted to the particular kind of film; i.e. it does not appeal to a broad audience. Suppose also that the film is very popular among the audience that does see the film and, in addition, that those who feel most strongly about the film are inclined to rate the film online. This combination may lead to very high ratings of the film which do not generalize beyond the people who actually see the film (or possibly even beyond those who actually rate it).
====AFC: [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] 31, [[Cincinnati Bengals]] 17====
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = '''Steelers'''
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 14
| R3 = 14
| R4 = 3
| RT = 31
| Home = Bengals
| H1 = 10
| H2 = 7
| H3 = 0
| H4 = 0
| HT = 17
}}
''at [[Paul Brown Stadium]], [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]''
*'''Game time''': 4:30 pm EST (2130 UTC)
*'''Game weather''': 61[[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Partly cloudy)
*'''TV announcers ([[CBS]]):''' [[Jim Nantz]] (play-by-play), [[Phil Simms]] (color commentator), [[Bonnie Bernstein]] (field reporter)
Qualitative description of categories is an important feature of a rating scale. For example, if only the points 1-10 are given without description, some people may select 10 rarely whereas other may select the category often. If, instead, "10" is described as "near flawless", the category is more likely to mean the same thing to different people. This applies to all categories, not just the extreme points. Even with category descriptions, some may be harsher raters than others. Rater harshness is also a consideration in marking essays in educational contexts. [http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:o1l_qRDI9QwJ:www.cambridgeesol.org/rs_notes/rs_nts13.pdf+rater+harshness+references&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4].
The Steelers scored 24 unanswered points en route to a 31-17 victory. Bengals starting quarterback [[Carson Palmer]] suffered a season-ending knee injury on Cincinnati's second [[play from scrimmage]] of the game, but his 66-yard pass to wide receiver [[Chris Henry]] set up kicker [[Shayne Graham]]'s 23-yard field goal. Running back [[Rudi Johnson]]'s 20-yard touchdown run then increased the Bengals lead, 10-0. Later in the half, the teams traded touchdowns, and then the Steelers cut the score to 17-14 after quarterback [[Ben Roethlisberger]] completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Hines Ward]]. Then in the third quarter, the Bengals botched a field goal attempt because of a high snap, which set up Pittsburgh running back [[Jerome Bettis]]' 5-yard touchdown run that put the Steelers up 21-17. Later in the period, Pittsburgh receiver [[Antwaan Randle El]] took a direct snap, ran to his right, and threw the ball back to Roethlisberger — who then connected with wide receiver Cedrick Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown reception that increased their lead, 28-17. The Steelers added a fourth quarter field goal to clinch the victory.
These issues are also compounded when aggregated statistics such as averages are used for lists and rankings of products. User ratings are at best [[levels of measurement|ordinal]] categorizations. While it is not uncommon to calculate averages or means for such data, doing so cannot be justified because in calculating averages, equal intervals are required to represent the same difference between levels of perceived quality. The key problems with aggregate data based on the kinds of rating scales commonly used online are as follow:
*'''Scoring'''
*Averages should not be calculated for data of the kind collected.
**'''1st Quarter'''
*It is usually impossible to evaluate the reliability or validity of user ratings.
*** CIN - FG Graham 23, ''Bengals 3-0. '''Drive:''' Nine plays, 84 yards, 4:25.''
*Products are not compared with respect to explicit, let alone common, criteria.
*** CIN - R. Johnson 20 run (Graham kick), ''Bengals 10-0. '''Drive:''' Seven plays, 76 yards, 3:26.''
*Only users inclined to submit a rating for a product do so.
**'''2nd Quarter'''
*Data are not usually published in a form that permits evaluation of the product ratings.
*** PIT - Parker 19 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), ''Bengals 10-7. '''Drive:''' Eight plays, 60 yards, 2:58.''
*** CIN - Houshmandzadeh 7 pass from Kitna (Graham kick), ''Bengals 17-7. '''Drive:''' 14 plays, 57 yards, 6:58.''
*** PIT - Ward 5 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), ''Bengals 17-14. '''Drive:''' Six plays, 76 yards, 2:25.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
*** PIT - Bettis 5 run (Reed kick), ''Steelers 21-17. '''Drive:''' Eight plays, 66 yards, 4:39.''
*** PIT - Wilson 43 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), ''Steelers 28-17. '''Drive:''' Three plays, 50 yards, 1:25.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
*** PIT - FG Reed 21, ''Steelers 31-17. '''Drive:''' Six plays, 37 yards, 2:56.''
===Byes=References==
* AFC: [[Indianapolis Colts]], [[Denver Broncos]]
* NFC: [[Seattle Seahawks]], [[Chicago Bears]]
* Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. ''Psychometrika, 16'', 297-333.
==Divisional playoffs==
* Andrich, D. (1978). A rating formulation for ordered response categories. ''Psychometrika'', 43, 357-74.
===Saturday [[January 14]], [[2006]]===
====NFC: [[Seattle Seahawks]] 20, [[Washington Redskins]] 10====
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = Redskins
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 3
| R3 = 0
| R4 = 7
| RT = 10
| Home = '''Seahawks'''
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 7
| H3 = 7
| H4 = 6
| HT = 20
}}
''at [[Qwest Field]], [[Seattle, Washington]]''
*'''Game time''': 4:30 pm [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]] (2130 UTC)
*'''Game weather''': 44[[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Rain)
*'''TV announcers (FOX):''' [[Dick Stockton]] (play-by-play), [[Darryl Johnston]] (color commentator), [[Tony Siragusa]] (field reporter)
==See also==
The Seahawks overcame an early injury (concussion) suffered by NFL rushing champion [[Shaun Alexander]] and managed to end their 21-year playoff victory drought. Quarterback [[Matt Hasselbeck]] led the offense, completing 16-of-26 passes for 215 yards. He connected on a touchdown pass with [[Darrell Jackson]] in the second quarter, and he ran for the team's other touchdown in the third quarter. Despite this, the Redskins hung in the game to the very end. [[John Hall (football player)|John Hall]] had a chance to cut the Seahawk lead to four points late in the fourth quarter, but he missed a 36-yard field goal. The Seahawks then drove to the game-clinching field goal, led by fullback [[Mack Strong]]'s career-long 32-yard run. The Seahawks' win was their first since a 1984 AFC Wild Card playoff win over the [[Oakland Raiders|Los Angeles Raiders]].
*[[Voting system]]
*[[Rotten Tomatoes]]
*'''Scoring'''
*[[Metacritic]]
**'''1st Quarter'''
***''None.''
**'''2nd Quarter'''
*** WAS - FG Hall 26, ''Redskins 3-0.'' '''''Drive:''' 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:02.''
*** SEA - D. Jackson 29 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick), ''Seahawks 7-3.'' '''''Drive:''' 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:37.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
*** SEA - Hasselbeck 6 run (Brown kick), ''Seahawks 14-3.'' '''''Drive:''' 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:20.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
*** SEA - FG Brown 33, ''Seahawks 17-3.'' '''''Drive:''' Six plays, 48 yards, 2:39.''
*** WAS - Moss 20 pass from Brunell (Hall kick), ''Seahawks 17-10.'' '''''Drive:''' Four plays, 76 yards, 2:17.''
*** SEA - FG Brown 31, ''Seahawks 20-10.'' '''''Drive:''' Nine plays, 60 yards, 5:07.''
====AFC: [[Denver Broncos]] 27, [[New England Patriots]] 13====
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = Patriots
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 3
| R3 = 3
| R4 = 7
| RT = 13
| Home = Broncos
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 10
| H3 = 7
| H4 = 10
| HT = 27
}}
''at [[INVESCO Field at Mile High|INVESCO Field]], [[Denver, Colorado]]''
*'''Game time''': 8:00 pm [[Eastern Standard Time|EST]] (0100 Sunday UTC)
*'''Game weather''': 51[[Fahrenheit|°F]] (Clear)
*'''TV announcers (CBS):''' Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (field reporter)
The Broncos won their first post-season game since since [[John Elway]]'s last game defeating the [[Atlanta Falcons]] in [[Super Bowl XXXIII]] in [[Miami, Florida]], eliminating the two-time defending champions, thanks to 24 points off four out of five Patriot turnovers. [[Mike Anderson]] had two touchdowns of one yard each and [[Rod Smith]]'s four-yard catch of a [[Jake Plummer]] pass was all the Broncos needed. No one on the Pats was immune: [[Kevin Faulk]] fumbled the ball, Ellis Hobbs fumbled on the kickoff following Anderson's first touchdown, [[Tom Brady]] was intercepted twice, the first time since [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], [[Adam Vinatieri]] missed a field goal, and the usually sure-handed [[Troy Brown]] muffed a Todd Sauerbraun punt. One of Brady's interceptions was returned by [[Champ Bailey]] for 100 yards, and in a scene reminding those of [[Leon Lett]] and Don Beebe in [[Super Bowl XXVII]], Ben Watson knocked the ball out of bounds because Bailey was winded from the long run.
*'''Scoring'''
**'''1st Quarter'''
***''None.''
**'''2nd Quarter'''
***NE - Vinatieri FG 40, ''Patriots 3-0. '''Drive:''' Seven plays, 67 yards, 2:22.''
***DEN - Mike Anderson 1 run (Elam kick), ''Broncos 7-3. '''Drive:''' Two plays, 40 yards, 18 seconds.''
***DEN - Elam FG 50, ''Broncos 10-3. '''Drive:''' Four plays, seven yards, 59 seconds.''
**'''3rd Quarter'''
***NE - Vinatieri FG 32, ''Broncos 10-6. '''Drive:''' 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:31.''
***DEN - Mike Anderson 1 run (Elam kick), ''Broncos 17-6. '''Drive:''' One play, one yard, four seconds.''
**'''4th Quarter'''
***DEN - Smith 4 pass from Plummer (Elam kick), ''Broncos 24-6. '''Drive:''' Three plays, 15 yards, 1:32.''
***NE - Givens 4 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick), ''Broncos 24-13. '''Drive:''' Two plays, 77 yards, 33 seconds.''
***DEN - FG Elam 34, ''Broncos 27-13. '''Drive:''' Eight plays, 61 yards, 4:45.''
===Sunday [[January 15]], [[2006]]===
====AFC: [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] at [[Indianapolis Colts]]====
''at [[RCA Dome]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana]]''
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = Steelers
| R1 =
| R2 =
| R3 =
| R4 =
| RT = 0
| Home = Colts
| H1 =
| H2 =
| H3 =
| H4 =
| HT = 0
}}
*'''Game time''': 1:00 pm EST (1800 UTC)
*'''Game weather:''' Indoors ([[Dome|Domed]] stadium)
*'''TV announcers (CBS):''' [[Dick Enberg]] (play-by-play), [[Dan Dierdorf]] (color commentator), [[Armen Keteyian]] (field reporter)
*'''Favorite''': Indianapolis by 9 1/2
====NFC: [[Carolina Panthers]] at [[Chicago Bears]]====
''at [[Soldier Field]], [[Chicago, Illinois]]''
{{Linescore Amfootball
| Road = Panthers
| R1 =
| R2 =
| R3 =
| R4 =
| RT = 0
| Home = Bears
| H1 =
| H2 =
| H3 =
| H4 =
| HT = 0
}}
*'''Game time''': 4:30 pm EST (2130 UTC)
*'''TV announcers (FOX):''' Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Pam Oliver (field reporter)
*'''Favorite''': Bears by 3
==Conference Championships==
===Sunday [[January 22]], [[2006]]===
====AFC: [[Denver Broncos]] at [[Indianapolis Colts]] OR [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] at [[Denver Broncos]]====
''at [[RCA Dome]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana]]'' OR ''at [[INVESCO Field at Mile High|INVESCO Field]], [[Denver, Colorado]]''
*'''Game time''': 3:00 PM EST (2000 UTC)
*'''TV announcers (CBS):''' Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein and Armen Keteyian (field reporters)
====NFC: [[Carolina Panthers]] or [[Chicago Bears]] at [[Seattle Seahawks]]====
''at [[Qwest Field]], [[Seattle, Washington]]''
*'''Game time''': 6:30 PM EST (2330 UTC)
*'''TV announcers (FOX):''' Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Pam Oliver and Chris Myers (field reporters)
==Super Bowl XL==
{{see|Super Bowl XL}}
At [[Ford Field]], [[Detroit, Michigan]], Sunday [[February 5]], [[2006]], 6:30 pm US EST (2330 UTC), (ABC)
==References==
*[http://www.superbowl.com/scores/2005/week18 NFL.com Scores]
==External links==
{{start box}}
[http://www.rasch-analysis.com/ How to apply Rasch analysis]
{{succession box |
title = [[NFL playoffs]] |
years = 2005-06 |
before = [[NFL playoffs, 2004-05]] |
after = NFL playoffs, 2006-07 |
}}
{{end box}}
[[Category:Psychometrics]]
[[Category:National Football League playoffs | NFL playoffs 2005-06]]
| 