ABC SPORTS PRESENTS NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFF DOUBLEHEADER LIVE SATURDAY, JANUARY 8

4:00 P.M., ET WILD CHERRY PEPSI NFL WILD CARD PRE-GAME

4:30 P.M., ET NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFF GAME ST. LOUIS RAMS VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

7:30 P.M., ET WILD CHERRY PEPSI NFL WILD CARD BETWEEN GAMES REPORT

8:00 P.M., ET NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFF GAME NEW YORK JETS VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

ABC Sports presents an AFC/NFC Wild Card Playoff doubleheader. Coverage on SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, will start at 4:00 p.m., ET, with the Wild Cherry Pepsi NFL Wild Card Pre-Game Report from New York. At 4:30 p.m., ET, the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks with Shaun Alexander, the NFC's leading rusher, host the St. Louis Rams with their wide-open offense. At 8:00 p.m., ET, the NFL's leading rusher, Curtis Martin, leads the New York Jets into San Diego to battle Drew Brees and the AFC West champion Chargers.

COMMENTATORS:
Pre-Game/Halftime/Post-Game: Chris Berman, Steve Young, New York Giants DE Michael Strahan and Ravens head coach Brian Billick.

Rams/Seahawks: Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber

Jets/Chargers: Al Michaels, John Madden and Michele Tafoya

ST. LOUIS RAMS VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS:
St. Louis Rams (8-8, Wild Card - 5th Seed)
The Rams won their last two games, against the Eagles and the Jets, to finish at 8-8, which was good enough for the first wild card in the NFC. QB Mark Bulger led the comeback after missing three games with a shoulder injury. Against the Jets, Bulger threw for 450 yards in the OT victory. The WR tandem of Torry Holt (94 catches, 1,372 yards) and Isaac Bruce (89-1,292) were among the top receivers in the NFL. In fact Holt became the first receiver in NFL history to have five consecutive 1,300 yard receiving seasons.

This is the second consecutive season that the Rams have qualified for the playoffs. Last year, as winners of the NFC West, they dropped their first round playoff game to the eventual NFC champion Carolina Panthers. The Rams' long and storied playoff history dates back to the 1945 NFL Championship when, as the Cleveland Rams, they defeated the Redskins 15-14. They also won the NFL Championship in Los Angeles in 1951 and Super Bowl XXXIV as the St. Louis Rams in Atlanta.

Seattle Seahawks (9-7, NFC West Champions - 4th Seed)
The Seahawks won their first NFC West division title by winning three of their last four games and finishing one game ahead of the Rams. The Seahawks, a pre-season favorite to contend for the playoffs started hot, winning their first three games, but then lost six of their next nine before finishing strong. Pacing the Seahawks is RB Shaun Alexander, who led the NFC in rushing with 1,696 yards -- one yard behind NFL leader Curtis Martin.

The Seahawks have a record of 3-6 in the playoffs and this is the second consecutive year they have qualified for the post-season. Last year, as a wild card entry, they lost to the Green Bay Packers 33-27 in OT in the divisional playoffs.

Series:
This is the first post-season match-up between these two teams. The Rams lead the regular season series 9-4, including both games played this season. In week 5 the Rams came from behind to defeat the Seahawks in Seattle 33-27, and then in week 10 the Rams won at home 23-12.

NEW YORK JETS VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
New York Jets (10-6, Wild Card - 5th Seed)
The Jets made the playoffs for the third time in the last four years under head coach Herman Edwards, although this year they backed in. They lost their last two games (against the Patriots and Rams) but qualified when the Steelers defeated the Bills last Sunday. QB Chad Pennington has been inconsistent this season; however Curtis Martin was at his best, leading the NFL in rushing. They Jets should also get a lift with the return of Pro Bowl DE John Abraham, who missed the last four games with a knee injury.

The Jets have now qualified for the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons. They are 7-8 overall in playoff games, with their last playoff victory coming in the Wild Card playoffs in 2002-03 season, defeating the Colts 41-0.

San Diego Chargers (12-4, AFC West Champions - 4th Seed)
The Chargers had a magical season this year, turning around a 4-12 record to go 12-4 and capture the AFC Wet division. QB Drew Brees came into his own this season, throwing for 3,159 yards and 27 TD and only 7 INT. The ground game is solid with LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 1,335 yards and 17 TD. The emerging star on this team is TE Antonio Gates, who set an NFL record for tight ends with 13 TD receptions.

The Chargers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 1995 season. They have an overall 7-10 playoff record. The Chargers' lone Super Bowl appearance was a 49-26 loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX.

Series: This game is a rematch of a regular season meeting in week 2, when the Jets defeated the Chargers 34-28 in San Diego. The Jets also won the previous meeting between these teams 44-10 in 2002. The Chargers lead the all-time series between these two original AFL franchises 17-10-1.

WILD CARD PLAYOFFS IN HDTV: Both ABC wild card games are available in HDTV.

CREDITS: Fred Gaudelli will produce and Drew Esocoff will direct the Jets/Chargers game. Jay Rothman will produce and Chip Dean will direct the Rams/Seahawks game. Curt Gowdy, Jr. will produce and Jeff Winn will direct the studio show from New York.