The NFL Playoffs are, without a doubt, the best part of each season because beyond facing the best teams that, thanks to their consistency, earned their place in the defining phase of the year, the games they give us do not usually disappoint, but on the contrary, they leave us with anthology meetings.
On this occasion, we will remember some of those games that have remained in everyone’s memory and that leave us hopeful that this season we will be able to witness one that can make it onto this select list. These are the most memorable games in NFL Playoff history.
2003 NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: Seattle Seahawks 27, Green Bay Packers 33
The Seahawks and Packers met on January 4, 2004, when one of the most enigmatic moments in the confrontations between these two franchises occurred. It was expected due to the confrontation between Brett Favre and the one who would one day be his substitute, Matt Hasselbeck, who drew attention to an alleged bad relationship between both players. However, at game time, we could see a vibrant 27-27 score that took us to overtime.
Prior to the possession toss in the quarter that a winner must necessarily deliver, the Seattle quarterback had the idea of saying “We want the ball and we are going to score” after having won the coin toss. Next, Hasselbeck was intercepted by Al Harris who took the ball to the score to end the game.
2018 AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots 37, Kansas City Chiefs 31 (OT)
This matchup between the old guard and the new challenger may age well as Patrick Mahomes continues to climb the all-time QB ladder. The defense of Bill Belichick and Brian Flores shut out the emerging superstar in the first half, but the MVP’s second-half performance nearly gave him a relief pass.
The Patriots minimized Tyreek Hill, but couldn’t stop the rest of the Chiefs’ machine-gun attack (24 points in the fourth quarter). However, the Pats converted 13 third downs. While two controversial plays in the fourth stanza went against the Chiefs before Dee Ford committed one of the costliest penalties in history, their vulnerable secondary couldn’t stop Tom Brady in overtime.
1977 AFC Divisional Playoff: Oakland Raiders 37, Indianapolis Colts 31 (2OT)
One of the historic moments in the history of the tight end position propelled the Raiders to their 10th AFL or AFC championship game in 11 years. Dave Casper caught three touchdown passes in Oakland’s victory at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, but his only non-TD catch (a 42-yarder on the Raiders’ game-tying drive in the fourth quarter) immortalized this like the game Ghost to the Post.
It featured eight lead changes, with Ken Stabler’s 345 yards surpassing reigning MVP Bert Jones. The Serpent found Casper for a 10-yard touchdown in the second overtime to send the Raiders to the AFC title game.
2012 AFC Divisional Playoff: Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35 (2OT)
The number one seeded Broncos allowed future Bronco Joe Flacco to complete a 70-yard bomb to Jacoby Jones that sent this game to overtime. Flacco’s heave came with 30 seconds left and the Ravens were out of timeouts, and it overshadowed one of the great comeback days in NFL history.
Former LSU speedster Trindon Holliday took a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns, and Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes on a bitterly cold day in the NFL’s fourth-longest game. Rahim Moore’s mistake (and Justin Tucker’s double overtime win) likely deprived the Broncos of a trip to the Super Bowl and instead catalyzed the Ravens’ championship run.
2003 Wild Card Playoff Game: New York Giants 38, San Francisco 49ers 39
During the 2003 postseason we were able to see an NFC classic when the New York Giants visited Candlestick to face the 49ers who in those years were led by Steve Mariucci and their quarterback was Jeff García. The match did not start well for the locals, after only at halftime they were losing 28-14 and by the start of the third period, the score was already 35-14 in favor of the New Yorkers.
However, the Bay team managed to come back from behind thanks to an extraordinary performance by Jeff García who, in tandem with Terrell Owens, managed to combine to bring the Gamusinos back with 25 unanswered points and give us one of the best games in the season. history that even had controversy due to an uncalled pass interference in favor of the Giants in their search to score in the last seconds of the game.
2011 NFC Divisional Playoff: San Francisco 49ers 36, New Orleans Saints 32
The NFL’s 100 Greatest Games list ranked it at number 64. Too low. Because in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, a 23-17 game turned into an action-packed classic. Drew Brees (462 yards) and Alex Smith traded long scoring plays, and a 66-yarder by Jimmy Graham gave New Orleans a 32-29 lead.
Graham and Vernon Davis combined for a tight end game for the ages (12 catches, 283 yards, four touchdowns between them), but the senior pass catcher won the day. Davis’ score on third down with 9 seconds left sent the 49ers to the NFC championship game. January was not a month that suited the Saints of the 2010s.
1987 AFC Championship Game: Denver Broncos 38, Cleveland Browns 33
The unique ending to this game has overshadowed a high-octane competition. John Elway and Bernie Kosar each threw three touchdown passes and Earnest Byner was the best player on the field for most of the day. His 183 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns helped Cleveland erase a 28-10 Denver lead.
But after the Browns tied it at 31 in the fourth quarter, Elway drove the Broncos 77 yards in three plays. Sammy Winder’s catch and run provided the decisive points. However, Jeremiah Castille’s strip of a sure Byner TD gave the game its identity (The Fumble), and the Browns haven’t been this close to a Super Bowl since.
Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
The closest Super Bowl in history, a game that began with Whitney Houston’s emotional rendition of the national anthem and ended with Scott Norwood missing a game-winning field goal attempt. Down 12-3 in the first half, the Giants got back into the game by controlling the ball for a Super Bowl record 40 minutes and 19 seconds.
Despite barely having the ball, the Bills were in position to win the game with eight seconds left. Thurman Thomas paced the Giants for 190 total yards in a losing effort. The Giants received a valiant effort from backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler, who completed a series of critical throws on third down to help the Giants win their second Super Bowl under Bill Parcells.
1950 NFL championship game: Cleveland Browns 30, Los Angeles Rams 28
This game full of subplots deserves more attention. The Browns’ first season in the NFL ended with them facing off against former Cleveland team for the title. The Rams had an otherworldly offense that averaged 37 points per game.
In a matchup that featured numerous Hall of Famers, the Rams, led by former Cleveland Rams quarterback Bob Waterfield, countered the first three of Otto Graham’s four touchdown passes to take a lead of 28-20 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. But Graham put together two scoring drives, converting a fourth-and-19 on the Browns’ final possession to set up Lou Groza’s 16-yard field goal. Graham and Waterfield combined for 610 passing yards.
2006 AFC Championship Game: Indianapolis Colts 38, New England Patriots 34
After losing the first of his four AFC title matchups against Tom Brady, Peyton Manning has won the last three. The Colts’ comeback from an 18-point first-half deficit made the second game the most memorable.
While the game between the AFC’s No. 3 and No. 4 seeds features a confusing score with three lineman touchdowns, Manning’s 349-yard lead on the day was enough to turn the tide against the Patriots. Indianapolis overcame a Reggie Wayne fumble on its winning drive, and after Joseph Addai’s touchdown, a Marlin Jackson interception sealed the Colts’ trip to Super Bowl XLI.
1992 AFC Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38 (OT)
Not only did the Bills not have Jim Kelly in this game, but they also lost Thurman Thomas midway through the game. However, Frank Reich led the biggest comeback in league history: 32 points over an Oilers team that had beaten Buffalo a week earlier. Warren Moon threw four touchdown passes in the first half, but Jack Pardee’s Run and Shoot attack cooled off after building a seemingly infallible 35-3 lead.
Reich found Andre Reed three times in the second half to give the Bills a 38-35 lead. While Moon helped the Oilers save overtime, Nate Odomes’ OT INT set up Steve Christie’s game-winning field goal to start another Bills run in the Super Bowl.
1958 NFL Championship Game: Indianapolis Colts 23, New York Giants 17 (OT)
Although Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry were masterful in The Greatest Game Ever Played, the contest itself did not live up to the work of the legendary duo. The Colts and Giants combined to commit six lost fumbles at Yankee Stadium that day, but the game brought momentous changes.
The Giants erased a 14-3 deficit on a 15-yard pass from Charlie Conerly to Frank Gifford, but Unitas led a game-tying drive that left the players confused when a field goal tied the score at the end of regulation. The first sudden-death playoff game ended after the Colts, who did not win the overtime toss, marched 79 yards to set up Alan Ameche’s 1-yard touchdown.
Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)
The Falcons’ unraveling remains surprising. Kyle Shanahan’s offense still moved the ball amid the collapse, but was unable to score any points after the floodgates opened. It was the signature game of GOAT Tom Brady, the Patriots icon. The Falcons moved out of field goal range twice, via penalties, and the Pats didn’t let them escape.
Down 28-3, New England scored 25 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes of regulation before winning the first overtime in Super Bowl history. The unprecedented comeback was fueled by Dont’a Hightower’s critical forced fumble on Matt Ryan, Julian Edelman’s fingertip catch and Danny Amendola’s 2-point conversion to force overtime. James White’s 2-yard touchdown run in overtime capped the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
1974 AFC Divisional Round: Oakland Raiders 28, Miami Dolphins 26
Sports Illustrated billed it as Super Bowl VIII 1/2, and the game certainly did not disappoint. The game began with an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dolphins rookie Nat Moore. Trailing 19-14, Cliff Branch’s 72-yard touchdown reception gave Oakland a small lead in the fourth quarter. The two-time defending champion Dolphins struck back with a 23-yard score by rookie Benny Malone with just over two minutes left.
With time running out, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler moved his team to the Dolphins’ 8-yard line before throwing heavy traffic to running back Clarence Davis, who managed to catch Stabler’s pass in the middle of a sea of hands from Dolphins defenders. The victory was one of John Madden’s most important as coach of the Raiders, as it ended Miami’s reign as king of the NFL.
1981 NFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers 28, Dallas Cowboys 27
This game is so famous that it even has a nickname: The Catched. Nothing more needs to be said to identify it. With the 49ers trailing 27-21, Joe Montana orchestrated an 89-yard drive that culminated with a 6-yard third-down touchdown pass to a leaping and fully extended Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone for the which became the best-known reception in the NFL.
Eric Wright made a potentially decisive tackle after a 31-yard reception by the Cowboys’ Drew Pearson, and Lawrence Pillers sealed the victory with a tackle on Danny White to force a fumble that was recovered by the 49ers.
Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
The only NFL team to complete a perfect season was the Dolphins in 1972, which is why they pop a champagne cork every season when the last undefeated team in the league suffers its first loss. But that annual toast was in serious jeopardy when the Patriots (16-0) came within 2:42 of winning the Super Bowl after Tom Brady found Randy Moss for a 6-yard touchdown that gave New England a 14-yard lead. 10.
But then Eli Manning escaped the Patriots’ clutches, David Tyree made a magical catch that became known as the Helmet Catch, and Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left. The Giants won their first Super Bowl Since 1990, the Patriots were denied a perfect season and the Dolphins popped the champagne.
2013 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game: Kansas City Chiefs 44, Indianapolis Colts 45
On January 4, 2014, we were able to see one of the most incredible games in memory in recent seasons when the Colts were able to beat the Chiefs with an incredible comeback after having led in the third quarter by 38-10.
That day, those led by Andy Reid were still living through the years prior to Mahomes’ arrival and with Alex Smith in charge, it seemed that they were already certain of their place in the divisional round, however, on that day Andrew Luck gave the best game of his short but great career. The Indianapolis team managed to score 35 points in the second half of the game to end up beating the Chiefs, completing one of the most epic comebacks.
Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahwaks 24
Everyone knew Marshawn Lynch was going to get the ball, and then everyone was surprised when he didn’t get it. The Patriots erased a 10-point deficit in the quarter after Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, the second of which was a 3-yard hit to Julian Edelman with 2:02 left that put the Pats ahead 28 -24.
The Seahawks drove down the field, reaching the red zone when Russell Wilson found Jermaine Kearse for a 33-yard gain to reach the New England 5-yard line. Lynch ran four yards on first and goal, taking the ball to the 1 and putting the Seahawks within yards of back-to-back Super Bowl victories. With the world waiting for the ball to come back to Lynch, Pete Carroll opted to throw and Wilson was intercepted in the end zone by Malcolm Butler.
1981 AFC Divisional Round: San Diego Chargers 41, Miami Dolphins 38 (OT)
Long recognized as one of the best non-Super Bowl games in the NFL playoffs, this game was so spectacular that it is known simply as the Epic in Miami. The highest-scoring playoff game of the season included a matchup between the Chargers’ Dan Fouts, who threw for 433 yards and three touchdowns, and Miami’s Don Strock, who threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns.
The Dolphins erased a 24-0 deficit and eventually took a 38-31 lead. The Chargers tied the score when Fouts’ pass intended for Kellen Winslow was caught by running back James Brooks with 58 seconds left. But then Winslow blocked the Dolphins’ 43-yard field goal attempt; The Chargers’ Rolf Benirschke missed a 26-yard field goal wide left in overtime before getting a second chance on the team’s next possession and making a game-winning 29-yard strike.
2021 AFC Divisional Round: Kansas City Chiefs 42, Buffalo Bills 36 (OT)
It was a match unlike anything that has been seen before and is unlikely to be seen again. The numbers seem to defy reality. Three go-ahead touchdowns scored in the final two minutes of the game for the first time in NFL history. A total of 188 passing yards thrown by Patrick Mahomes after the two-minute warning; Gabriel Davis made postseason history with four touchdown receptions, two of which came in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.
As if that weren’t enough: the race to 400 passing yards in the new QB rivalry between Mahomes, who finished with 378 yards, and Josh Allen, who had 329; Thirteen seconds for the Chiefs to prepare and convert a field goal that ties the game. And on top of all this, Mahomes found Travis Kelce for an 8-yard touchdown in overtime, sending the Chiefs to a fourth straight AFC Championship Game and finishing the greatest playoff game in NFL history.