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2012 NFL Playoff Scores: Saints, Texans Advance; Steelers Vs. Broncos Winner Will Face Patriots

Here were the NFL playoff scores from Saturday, and a look at what they mean for the Steelers going forward.

The New Orleans Saints knocked off the Detroit Lions 45-28, with Drew Brees passing for 466 yards. This means the Saints will go on to face the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday (4:30 PM; FOX), while the Green Bay Packers will await the winner of the Falcons vs. Giants matchup this Sunday.

In the AFC, the Houston Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-10. Andy Dalton threw three interceptions in the loss, as the departure of the sixth-seeded Bengals left the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens as the remaining AFC North representatives in the playoffs. Since the Texans are the No. 3 seed, they'll face the No. 2-seeded Ravens next Sunday (1:00 PM, CBS). That means the winner of Sunday's Steelers vs. Broncos matchup will face the Patriots in New England. Because the Bengals were the only team in the AFC with a lower seed than the Steelers, their loss also guarantees that the Steelers will play all their playoff games on the road.

SB Nation has a blog for every team.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.