The 10 Best NFL Postseason Games of the Decade (Pt. 1)
To continue the All-Decade series, we look back at the best playoff games of the past decade. We kick off this list with...
10. Saints at Seahawks, 2010 NFC Wildcard
It’s remembered for being the “BeastQuake” game, but that was just one part of the tenth best postseason game of the past decade. The NFL’s seeding formula was called into question thanks to the historically bad 7-9 Seahawks hosting the defending champion Saints (11-5), but as a massive 11-point underdog, Seattle had no chance anyway… or so we thought. A touchdown pass from Brees to Heath Evans in the first quarter put New Orleans up 10-0, but they’d never extend the lead beyond that. By the third quarter, it was actually Seattle up by two touchdowns. Saints RB Julius Jones, who had played for Seattle earlier that season, closed the deficit to seven before New Orleans tacked on a field goal to make it a four-point game. After that, it was Marshawn Lynch breaking the hearts of Saints fans, with arguably the best run of all time. In a game where Drew Brees threw the ball sixty times, Matt Hasselbeck threw four scores and led his team to victory.
9. Steelers at Broncos, 2011 AFC Wildcard
At number nine, we have another prior Super Bowl participant falling at the hands of an inferior opponent in the wildcard round. The “Tebowmania” Broncos were just 8-8 on the season, but as AFC West champions they earned the privilege of hosting the 12-4 defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos jumped out to a 20-6 lead, but Pittsburgh wasn’t about to lay on its back. Ben Roethlisberger and running back Isaac Redman led a furious comeback to knot it up at 23 heading into the extra period. A field goal on the first possession wouldn’t be enough to win the first postseason game under the NFL’s new overtime rules, but Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas decided to go for a little bit more than that. On the first play of the “fifth quarter”, peak Tebowmania occurred as the QB connected with his receiver for an 80-yard touchdown to send Denver to the next round. It was Tebow’s last touchdown pass as a Bronco. His statline?
10/21, 316 yards, 2 TDs. Really.
8. Saints at Vikings, 2017 NFC Divisional
The winner of this game was sure to be favored in the NFC Championship against the Carson Wentz-less Eagles. New Orleans seemed to have it locked up at the end, but miracles do happen…
For New Orleans to even hold the late lead, they first had to overcome a 17-0 deficit. Two Vikings touchdown runs and a Kai Forbath FG had put Minnesota firmly in the lead, and it wasn’t until the end of the third quarter that the Saints finally got on the board. But then Minnesota QB Case Keenum threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive, and after a New Orleans touchdown, the Saints was suddenly down by just three. There was a seven-minute scoring drought, before the Saints took their first lead of the game at the 3:01 mark of the final quarter. Minnesota quickly answered with a long Forbath FG, but Saints kicker Will Lutz responded with a dagger of his own to put his team up with 25 seconds to go. There was still too much time left on the clock.
At their own 39 with just 10 seconds remaining in the ballgame, Case Keenum threw up a prayer. Stefon Diggs hauled it in, evaded two defensive backs, and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. The play would later be called the “Minneapolis Miracle.”
7. Chiefs at Colts, 2013 AFC Wildcard
After taking a massive 38-10 lead, Andy Reid was set to win his first postseason game as Chiefs head coach. Andrew Luck and the Colts had other plans. Two Donald Brown touchdowns in the third quarter closed the deficit to a two-score gap, but Andrew Luck threw a quick interception that allowed KC to extend the lead to 17. It was 41-24 in the third quarter, and although Indy had given KC a brief cause for concern, it looked like the Chiefs still had this one under control.
The Colts responded on the ensuing drive with a Coby Fleener touchdown, and just like that it was 41-31 with a full quarter to play. Even though Luck had tossed two picks in the third quarter, the Colts had still put up 21 during that time. The Colts then marched down field during their first possession of the final quarter. They had advanced down to the two-yard line when Donald Brown fumbled the ball. LUCKily for Indianapolis, Andrew Luck made a heads-up play and scooped up the football, taking it in himself. It was 41-38.
KC added a field goal, but it didn’t matter, because Luck’s favorite target T.Y. Hilton burnt the entire Chiefs defense on what proved to be the game-winning score. In a season where the Chiefs started 9-0, they flamed out, losing 6 of their final seven games, including this one.
6. Eagles vs. Patriots, Super Bowl LII
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were staring history in the face with a chance to capture their sixth ring as a duo. Standing in their way? Backup QB Nick Foles and an Eagles team that had surprised many by making it out of the NFC bracket. These two teams had clashed in the big game following the 2004 season, and thirteen years later, Philly was still searching for its first ring.
The game didn’t come without controversy. CB Malcolm Butler, the Super Bowl hero from three years before, never stepped on the field for this game. When Alshon Jeffery hauled in the game’s first score with an impressive grab over former Eagle Eric Rowe, many wondered if the result would have been the same with Butler covering him. The Eagles next score came on the ground. LeGarrette Blount, who was with NE just the year before, punched it in to give the Birds a 15-3 lead. After seeing Atlanta’s Super meltdown in the prior season, nobody was confident in the early lead.
New England brought it to within three before the Eagles pulled out what is now one of the most famous plays in NFL history. The “Philly Special” was a gutsy call on fourth & goal that resulted in Foles hauling in a touchdown reception from TE Trey Burton. The teams exchanged scores in the third quarter, and at the beginning of the fourth, it was 32-26, Eagles. Rob Gronkowski scored his second TD of the day, and for the first time, New England had the upper hand. Zach Ertz answered with a score of his own to give Philadelphia a lead they’d never relinquish.
After Brandon Graham recorded the most important strip-sack in Eagles history, Jake Elliott tacked on the final points of the game, and the Eagles were finally Super Bowl champions.
Statistics from profootballreference.com
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