And you thought cruelty to dogs was limited to Michael Vick. Only one of the four road dogs from the NFL Division Round made it out alive; the other three didn't even come close to beating the football odds, let alone advancing to next week's Conference Championships. Here's how it all went down.

Saturday

New Orleans Saints 45, Arizona Cardinals 14 (Saints -7)

For the second week in a row, the Cardinals allowed 45 points in a playoff game. This time, their offense wasn't able to bail them out. New Orleans overcame a 70-yard touchdown run by Tim Hightower on the first play from scrimmage, holding Arizona to just 31 more yards rushing afterward and causing two turnovers. On the other side of the ball, Reggie Bush had one of his better performances with a 46-yard rushing TD and another on an 83-yard punt return to push the final score OVER the sky-high total of 57 points.

Having the bye week definitely worked in favor of the Saints. Tight end Jeremy Shockey returned from a three-game layoff and scored the go-ahead TD in the first quarter, but he's still obviously gimpy and left the game for a while with a right knee injury. Pierre Thomas (ankle) also hobbled off the field with a sprained ankle, but returned and finished the day with 52 yards rushing on 13 carries. Both Shockey and Thomas are likely to face the Vikings on Sunday; check Bodog Sports for fresh NFL odds on the Conference Championships.

Indianapolis Colts 20, Baltimore Ravens 3 (Colts -6.5)

There were questions about the Colts run defense going into this contest, but the defense provided all the answers. Baltimore was held to 87 yards rushing on 19 carries – most of those in the first half, as the Ravens were playing from behind throughout the second half. Joe Flacco and his sore hip weren't up to the task on Saturday: 20-of-35 passing, 189 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Peyton Manning (two TDs, one INT) may be this year's MVP, but it was really the Colts defense that stole the show, forcing four turnovers and keeping Baltimore out of the end zone. The total of 44 points was never threatened; the Ravens defense was also in top form, limiting Indianapolis to 275 total yards – just five more than Baltimore. RB Joseph Addai (23 yards on 11 carries) left the game with an injured right shoulder, but was able to return.

Sunday

Minnesota Vikings 34, Dallas Cowboys 3 (Vikings -3)

Talk about inefficiency: The Vikings and the Cowboys each finished the day with 16 first downs, but Dallas only got into the red zone once and left with nothing to show for it. The Vikings sacked Tony Romo six times, forced him to fumble twice, and added an interception to snuff out the Cowboys offense. UNDER bettors were delighted on the total of 45.5 points. DE Ray Edwards (three sacks, one forced fumble) suffered a knee injury and was rested in the late stages; Edwards is expected to have an MRI on Monday, but coach Brad Childress called it a "minor” injury.

Meanwhile, Brett Favre came up smelling like a rose with four TD passes, three of them to Sidney Rice. That makes Favre the first 40-year-old QB to ever win in the postseason. The Cowboys defense did well to hold Adrian Peterson to 63 yards on 26 carries, but their weaknesses in the secondary were evident in this game.

New York Jets 17, San Diego Chargers 14 (Jets +9)

Finally, one for the dogs. This was a defensive struggle from the onset, and one that the Chargers were winning until the fourth quarter, when the Jets scored a pair of touchdowns to take a lead they'd never relinquish. Shonn Greene did most of the damage for New York with 128 yards on 23 carries, including a 53-yard romp into the end zone. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez had another shaky game: 12-for-23, 100 yards, a TD and a pick. But the Jets running and league-best defense carried the day.

This was Rex Ryan's finest hour thus far. His defense picked off Chargers QB Philip Rivers twice, and he wisely sealed the win by going for it on fourth-and-1 with the ball at the San Diego 29 and just over a minute to play. The Jets were 45-1 long shots to win the Super Bowl going into the playoffs; they moved to 7-1 before Sunday's contest and will be shorter still after earning this victory.

This information is provided in partnership with BoDog Sportsbook

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