Captain Comeback: Wild Card History
Cold, Hard Football Facts for Jan 06, 2012
By Scott Kacsmar
Cold, Hard Football Facts Comeback King
After putting the regular season behind us, it’s time for the playoffs. Before the Captain previews and makes his picks for this week’s action, we’ll take a long, thorough look back at the past fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives on Wild Card weekend. Don’t think of it as just another article. Think of it as the “Wild Card” chapter in the great book of fourth quarter wins.
Some of the best comebacks, including the two biggest ever, have come from the Wild Card round. The only two playoff games ever decided in overtime by a defensive score were Wild Card games. The only two playoff games with two lead changes in the final minute were Wild Card games.
When the NFL moved up to a 16-game schedule in 1978, as well as changing the passing game forever in the rule book, they also expanded the playoff field from eight teams to 10 by adding a Wild Card round.
That pivotal year in NFL history is where we start, but before we dive into the chronological order, here’s a handy table for reference of all the Wild Card wins decided in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Atlanta vs. Philadelphia (box) – The first Wild Card playoff game in NFL history was the first playoff game (and win) in Atlanta Falcons’ history. Trailing 13-0 more than halfway through the fourth quarter, Steve Bartkowski engineered an 85-yard touchdown drive, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jim R. Mitchell with just over five minutes left. On their next drive, it was Bartkowski’s 37-yard touchdown to Wallace Francis with 1:37 left that proved to be the game-winner. It was Bartkowski’s 6th game-winning drive of the 1978 season.
Ron Jaworski led the Eagles down the field to the Atlanta 16, but kicker Mike Michel was wide right on the game-winning attempt. He had earlier failed on an extra point, which led to the game being won 14-13 by Atlanta instead of a 14-14 tie. As the Captain was ready to make a Stanford reference, he became giddy over the eerie fact that Michel went to Stanford. Imagine that.
Houston at Miami (box) – After the first game ended, the Oilers travelled to Miami to take on the Dolphins. With the game tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter, Dan Pastorini led a go-ahead field goal drive, which ended with Toni Fritsch’s 35-yard field goal. That was Pastorini’s 7th game-winning drive of the season, which is a record that would stand until 2003. If you’ve been reading along all season, you know that record was Jake Delhomme with the Carolina Panthers.
After the field goal, Bob Griese was intercepted, and Earl Campbell scored a 1-yard touchdown run for insurance. In his first playoff start, Pastorini wasn’t known as a prolific passer, but he finished the game with 306 yards passing (4th most in career) and no interceptions.
In the inaugural year of the Wild Card, Houston became the first team to win two road playoff games to reach the conference championship. The Oilers would lose back-to-back AFC Championship games to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1978 and 1979 seasons.
With Tony Franklin now the kicker for Philadelphia, the Eagles passed on the field goal with the 17-17 tie in the fourth quarter, and Jaworski found RB Billy Campfield for a 63-yard game-winning touchdown pass. The Eagles would add a field goal, nearly from the same distance as Michel’s miss a year earlier (34 yards), to ice the game at 27-17.
Minnesota vs. Atlanta (box) – One week after another late game-winning touchdown drive by Tommy Kramer against Dallas, the Vikings were at home to host the Falcons. Trailing 21-16 to start the fourth quarter, Kramer threw an 11-yard touchdown to Sam McCullum for a 23-21 lead.
Kramer and Bartkowski were two of those overlooked quarterbacks from this era that for what ever reason, found themselves involved in a lot of close games in the fourth quarter. Bartkowski had a rough day (9/23 for 134 yards, 2 INT), but Atlanta regained the lead on a field goal drive.
That just led to another winning touchdown drive by Kramer; this time capped off by Ted Brown’s 5-yard touchdown run. It was the best playoff game Kramer had in his career.
Dallas vs. Tampa Bay (box) – For our first playoff game decided by a non-offensive score, it was a disastrous result for the Buccaneers. Leading 17-16 to start the fourth quarter in Dallas, Tampa Bay had just sacked Danny White on third down to force a punt.
That’s when Doug Williams threw a pass that was intercepted by Monty Hunter for a game-winning 19-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay punted, Danny White threw a touchdown to Timmy Newsome, and Dallas ran out the rest of the clock after one more three and out by the Buccaneers.
It was the last game Williams played for the Buccaneers, and it was an ugly finish. He completed just 8/28 passes for 113 yards, TD, 3 INT, including that game-losing pick six.
San Diego at Pittsburgh (box) – It was one of the biggest wins the Air Coryell Chargers had in the 80’s. Their finest playoff moment was a season earlier, but we’ll get to that next week. For this first round game, it was a trip to Three Rivers, where Terry Bradshaw would start the final playoff game of his career.
The Steelers took a 28-17 lead in the fourth quarter, which usually means game over for the opponent. But after a Bradshaw interception put the ball at the PIT 29, Dan Fouts was able to take advantage of a great opportunity. His pass was intercepted in the end zone by Mel Blount, but the Steelers were called for defensive holding, negating the pick.
Without the two-point conversion at play, the Chargers needed to go for the touchdown, and on a 4th and 6 at the PIT 8, Fouts found Kellen Winslow for the touchdown with 8:42 left.
The Chargers got the ball back with 3:59 left and needing to go 64 yards. Fouts and Winslow would beat the Steelers again, this time with a 12-yard touchdown on 3rd and 7 with 1:00 left. Bradshaw’s Hail Mary attempt for John Stallworth failed, and the Chargers pulled off a stunning comeback in Pittsburgh, that all but put the final nail in the coffin on the Steel Curtain era.
It ended up being the most thrilling Wild Card game the league would see for five years.
At least the first game was a win, as they hosted the Seattle Seahawks. With a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter, Warren Moon engineered a long drive to set up Tony Zendejas (one member of the incredibly mediocre Zendejas’ kicking family) for a 29-yard field goal.
If good, Seattle would have trailed by 10 points with less than two minutes left. Instead, Zendejas hit the left upright, and it was game on. Dave Krieg completed a fourth down pass to Steve Largent, and would later find Largent for a 12-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 0:26 left. Krieg was 4/10 for 80 yards on the drive.
The game went to overtime, and Seattle went three and out on the opening drive. Zendejas would redeem himself, as he kicked the 42-yard game-winning field goal after Moon drove the Oilers into range.
A game that should have been put away early was not, and it would be a sign of things to come for Houston in the postseason.
To make matters worse, Cleveland was forced to start backup quarterback Don Strock in place of the injured Bernie Kosar. Strock had to leave with an injury early in the game, forcing Mike Pagel behind center for the majority of the game.
But after a Warren Moon interception in the third quarter, the Browns were able to score a go-ahead touchdown on a short field for the 16-14 lead. Houston answered right back, as the game went into the fourth quarter, and Lorenzo White pushed ahead for a 1-yard touchdown. Houston led 21-16 with plenty of time left.
After the teams exchanged punts, Pagel’s pass was intercepted, and Moon put together another long drive to set Zendejas up for a 49-yard field goal attempt. Now remember, an 8-point lead would be a two-score lead in 1988, and it was only a year earlier that Zendejas missed a much easier 29-yard field goal in the same situation.
This time he made the tough kick, and Houston led 24-16 with 1:54 left. Pagel quickly led a 71-yard touchdown drive, but it was too little too late. After the onside kick took three attempts (glad these rules were changed), the Oilers finally had the ball back and Moon took a knee to end the game.
After the Steelers took a 16-9 lead in the fourth quarter on Gary Anderson’s 48-yard field goal, Warren Moon led an 80-yard game-tying touchdown drive. The Steelers went three and out, and Moon remained hot, throwing his second touchdown pass of the quarter to Ernest Givins for a 23-16 lead.
Pittsburgh had just over four minutes left, and Bubby Brister was the quarterback. He did not have his best day (15/33 for 127 yards), but completed 4 short passes for 22 yards, and Merril Hoge scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game with 0:46 left.
The game would go to overtime. The Steelers won the toss, but went three and out. On their first play from scrimmage, the Oilers handed the ball to Lorenzo White, but he fumbled, and it was recovered by Rod Woodson at midfield.
Three runs moved the ball 13 yards, and the Steelers called on Gary Anderson for the 50-yard field goal. He made it (this time), and the Steelers pulled off the upset. In the regular season they were 9-7 and outscored by 61 points on the season, but they won this game, and then nearly pulled off another upset in Denver against the top-seeded Broncos.
It was the first real heartbreaking loss for the Oilers, but the worst was yet to come.
1/5/1991: Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs (box)
Type: 4QC/GWD
Largest Deficit: 13 (16-3)
Quarterback: Dan Marino (36 4QC, 51 GWD – table)
The 90’s got off to a great start with a classic comeback in Miami. Both teams entered with a top 5 scoring defense, but the Chiefs actually scored more points on the season behind Steve DeBerg’s career season (23 TD, 4 INT).
DeBerg got the better of Dan Marino early on in the passing battle, and the Chiefs had taken a 16-3 lead late in the third quarter. It was the final play of the third quarter that proved to be critical, as the Dolphins converted a 4th and 2 at the KC 45 with a 2-yard run by Sammie Smith for the first down.
On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Marino found Tony Paige for the 1-yard touchdown pass. The Chiefs punted, and Marino was right back in action. He started the drive with a 37-yard pass to Ferrell Edmunds, and ended it with the 12-yard winning touchdown pass on a bullet to Mark Clayton with 3:28 left. Marino was 5/5 for 68 yards on the 85-yard drive.
Kansas City drove to the MIA 34, but All-Pro kicker Nick Lowery was just short on a 52-yard field goal with 0:49 left. Marino took two knees to secure the comeback win. It was the second time in his career he led a comeback of 13+ points in the playoffs against a Marty Schottenheimer team (1985 Browns – 18 points).
It was also the start of some playoff misery for “Martyball” in Kansas City.
Losing fourth quarter leads was common for those Saints teams. In 1991, they went 11-5 despite having a fourth quarter lead in all 16 games (all 17 counting playoffs). That’s what you call rare company.
In 1992, the Saints were 12-4 with two blown fourth quarter leads (and then another in the playoffs).
Let’s start with 1991.
Atlanta at New Orleans (box) – The Saints/Falcons rivalry is no stranger to close games, and this is the only playoff meeting between the two. The Saints took a 20-17 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Dalton Hilliard.
Chris Miller played one of the best games of his career (18/30 for 291, 3 TD, INT), and led a game-tying field goal drive. Fred McAfee fumbled for the Saints, but Morten Andersen’s 54-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
After a punt by New Orleans, Miller hooked up with Michael Haynes for a game-winning 61-yard touchdown with 2:41 left. It was Miller’s 5th game-winning drive of the season, and the last one of his career.
Needing a touchdown, Bobby Hebert had the time (2:32), but needed to go 83 yards. After driving to the ATL 35 with just over a minute left, Hebert’s pass was intercepted by Tim McKyer, who laterals to Deion Sanders, who (of course) laterals to Joe Fishback for 39 more yards.
Deion’s lateral was ruled an illegal forward pass, but the Falcons kept the ball. Still, could you imagine a defense today trying to lateral a playoff game-ending interception not once, but twice?
Philadelphia at New Orleans (box) – The next year was a bigger disaster. Leading 20-7 in the third quarter, the Saints appeared on their way to their first ever playoff win. But little did they know the Eagles would score 29 unanswered points on their way to a 36-20 victory.
The Saints led 20-10 to start the fourth quarter. After a three and out,Randall Cunningham engineered a 64-yard touchdown drive to pull within a field goal. Bobby Hebert helped the cause with a poor pass on the next play from scrimmage that was intercepted.
The Eagles only had to go 26 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. On a 3rd and 23, Hebert was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Reggie White. After some big gains on the ground, the Eagles added a field goal for a 29-20 lead.
To put the cherry on top, Hebert threw a pick six to Eric Allen. Jim Mora wouldn’t coach another playoff game in New Orleans, and the team wouldn’t play another until the 2000 season.
After going 0-3 in the playoffs from 1988-90, it was the first playoff win for Randall Cunningham and that era of the Eagles. They wouldn’t get another until a 1995 win over Detroit, who is riding a 6-game playoff losing streak themselves. See how these things tend to work out for the struggling teams in the postseason?
But the 29-point run by Philadelphia was second fiddle to what happened earlier that day.
The Comeback
Type: 4QC/GWD
Largest Deficit: 4 (35-31)
Quarterback: Frank Reich (3 4QC, 3 GWD – table)
Simply put: it’s the greatest comeback in NFL history.
It had a lot of the right ingredients. Buffalo was trying to get to their third straight Super Bowl. They were starting backup quarterback Frank Reich in place of the injured Jim Kelly. Reich led what was at the time the biggest comeback in NCAA history (31 points, Maryland vs. Miami). The Oilers weren’t exactly known for finishing in the postseason.
Warren Moon couldn’t have been any better in the first half, completing 19/22 passes for 218 yards and 4 TD. Reich was just 5/11 for 59 yards, and Buffalo trailed 28-3.
Things got worse on the fourth play of the third quarter, as a pass went through TE Keith McKeller’s hands, and was intercepted for a touchdown. 35-3 with 28:19 left in the game. The crowd was dead, as they should have been. No way would Houston lose this game. No way would Buffalo rally back without Jim Kelly.
And that’s when things just started going Buffalo’s way.
A short kick backfired, and Buffalo had a short field, starting at the 50. Had Houston kicked deep, it’s possible the comeback would have never started. There were a lot of little plays the Oilers continued to miss on throughout the second half.
Buffalo had a 4th and 2 at the HOU 7. If that run is stopped, that may have killed the comeback in its tracks. Instead they converted, and Kenneth Davis scored a touchdown.
Having to think an onside kick was coming, Houston didn’t react well enough and Buffalo had great field position at their own 48. It only took four plays for Reich to find Don Beebe for a 38-yard touchdown. Now it was 35-17 with 7:56 left in the third quarter, and that is making things realistic.
Houston would go three and out, and their punt went just 25 yards. Once again Buffalo had good field position, as they only needed 59 yards for another touchdown. It only took another 4-play drive before Reich found Andre Reed for a 26-yard touchdown.
An illegal motion penalty moved Houston back, and Moon threw an interception deep in his own end. Buffalo was 23 yards away from making it a 35-31 game. They did, with Reich’s 18-yard touchdown to Reed on 4th and 5.
It only took 11:15 and 184 yards of offense for Buffalo to score four touchdowns and turn a 32-point deficit into just 4. Houston’s offense that was so unstoppable in the first half could do nothing in the third quarter, as they punted once again.
But alas, as the fourth quarter started, Buffalo’s streak finally ended, and they too went three and out. Drawing on past playoff demons, a long drive put together by Moon ended with a botched field goal attempt.
With 6:53 left, Reich took over, and threw a third touchdown pass of the half to Reed for the go-ahead score with 3:08 left. It was the greatest comeback ever, and it took just 25:11. Reich finished the game 21/34 for 289 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT.
Houston was the team that needed the late comeback now, and they got it. After 6 straight completions, Moon’s pass was tipped at the line, setting up a 4th and 4 at the BUF 34. Too long for the field goal, they went for it, and Moon found Webster Slaughter for 18 yards.
After Moon was stopped on a third down scramble, Al Del Greco kicked the 26-yard tying field goal. This game was headed for overtime.
With a chance to avoid catastrophe and secure the win, Houston won the coin toss and got the ball first. But on the third play of overtime, Moon’s pass was intercepted by Nate Odomes. The ball was returned to the HOU 20, and it took just two runs by Buffalo for six yards to bring out the field goal unit.
After such a classic game, it’s a shame there wasn’t a more exciting game-winning drive attached to it, but there were plenty of fireworks up to this point. Steve Christie booted the 32-yard field goal, and the greatest comeback in NFL history was officially in the books.
The fact that it happened in the playoffs just adds to the lore of it all.
Kansas City vs. Pittsburgh (box) – No longer with the 49ers, Joe Montana did his part to help Marty Schottenheimer get close to a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 1993. It started with a Wild Card comeback against a young Bill Cowher’s Steelers.
Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter, Montana went 4/4 for 57 yards as Marcus Allen scored a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game. The Steelers regained the lead with a touchdown, and then Montana was sacked on third down.
But after the Steelers attempted to punt, it was blocked, giving Montana the ball at the 9-yard line with 2:29 left. That’s a little too easy, but the Chiefs wasted two plays with Allen gaining just one yard on the ground. On 4th and 7 with the game on the line, Montana found Tim Barnett for the game-tying touchdown.
The Steelers would go three and out and the Chiefs almost won in regulation, but Nick Lowery (him again) missed on a 43-yard field goal with 0:07 left.
The game went to overtime, and after each team punted, Montana was 5/5 for 47 yards to set up Lowery for an easier 32-yard field goal, which he made to win the game.
It was the fourth time Montana led a comeback win in the playoffs, throwing a critical TD pass in each, but he wasn’t done yet. Though that’s for the Divisional round next week.
Green Bay at Detroit (box) – After watching Montana further cement his legacy, the nation had a chance to watch a young player they probably had known little about. It was time for Brett Favre to make his playoff debut in Detroit, and the game had about every classic Favre-ism you could ask for.
He threw a pick six in the third quarter that dropped Green Bay to a 17-7 deficit, only to come right back with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe.
With the ball at the GB 5, Detroit QB Erik Kramer had a chance to extend that lead back to 10, but was intercepted by George Teague for a playoff-record 101-yard return. Green Bay led 21-17 to start the fourth quarter.
Detroit’s 89-yard touchdown drive regained the lead at 24-21. The Packers would quickly go three and out, but Detroit ended up punting the ball back with 2:26 left for Favre at his own 29.
Favre completed all four of his passes on the drive, including the memorable 40-yard game-winning touchdown to a wide open Sharpe in the back of the end zone. Favre immediately ripped his helmet off to celebrate, and the legend grew.
Detroit still had a chance to answer, but failed to get a first down as they went four and out. Favre was 15/26 for 204 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT in his playoff debut, and it ended up being one of the best playoff performances of his long, long, long career.
With the game tied 20-20 to start the fourth quarter, Mark Brunell’s pass was tipped at the line and intercepted for a touchdown by Jeff Burris. The young Jaguars did not panic, and put together a 65-yard touchdown drive to tie the game again. Brunell threw a 2-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith.
Buffalo moved the ball to midfield, but Jim Kelly, playing in his final game, fumbled on a scramble. It would be the final snap of his career. The Jaguars drove 31 yards before Mike Hollis kicked the game-winning 45-yard field goal with 3:07 left.
Todd Collins came in at quarterback to replace Kelly, but he was unable to move the offense. After taking a first down sack, Buffalo went three and out. The Jaguars ran out most of the clock, but Buffalo got it back with 0:42 left at their own 23. Collins was sacked and fumbled the ball; recovered by Jacksonville to effectively end the game.
It was considered a big upset at the time, but the Jaguars would pull off an even bigger one the following week when they took down the No. 1 seed in Denver by the same 30-27 score. Their great run ended in the AFC Championship at New England, but it was a sign to the rest of the league that an expansion team could compete, and that the Jaguars would be one of the toughest teams in the AFC for the next several seasons.
Leroy Hoard scored the touchdown, and Minnesota was back in it. They trailed 19-10 to start the fourth quarter, but added a field goal with 14:45 left. The Giants responded by eating up half the quarter to match that field goal with one of their own, and a 22-13 lead with 7:03 left.
The Vikings lost 3 yards on a strange 3rd and 4 running play, and were forced to punt. By the time they got the ball back, there was just 2:06 left. But the 26-yard punt put the ball at the NY 49, so they had good field position.
Two plays after a 19-yard pass to Cris Carter, it was Jake Reed making a 30-yard touchdown catch with 1:30 left. The quick score worked, but now Minnesota needed the onside kick recovery. They got it, and the Giants were in trouble.
After a false start penalty, Cunningham had 1:25 left at his own 34. A 21-yard pass to Carter moved the ball into New York territory. A pass interference penalty and 16-yard run by Robert Smith made it a chip shot for Eddie Murray. His 24-yard field goal was good with 0:10 left, and the Giants had pulled off the improbable comeback from a two-score deficit with just over two minutes left.
This was one Giant collapse, but it wasn’t the biggest the Giants would suffer on Wild Card weekend.
Miami vs. Buffalo (box) – AFC East rivals met in Miami, and were deadlocked at 14 to start the fourth quarter. Dan Marino completed 5/6 passes for 54 yards to set up Olindo Mare for a 23-yard go ahead field goal.
Doug Flutie, going 12 years in between playoff starts, converted a 3rd and 9 to Andre Reed, but on the very next play Reed fumbled the ball. Miami added a touchdown to take a 24-14 lead. Flutie had led a fourth quarter comeback from the same 24-14 deficit against the Dolphins in the regular season, but was down to 3:42 this time.
After settling for a field goal, Buffalo recovered the onside kick, and drove down to the red zone. But on a first down play at the MIA 5, Flutie was sacked and fumbled the ball, securing the win for Miami.
San Francisco vs. Green Bay (box) – It was the fourth straight season that the Packers and 49ers met in the playoffs, with the Packers winning each time. The Packers had won five straight games against the 49ers in the mid-90’s. Despite that domination, this lone 49er win is the most memorable of those games.
With the past meetings not being that close, this back-and-forth affair was much different. The 49ers led 20-17 to start the fourth quarter, but the Packers tied it with a field goal. The 49ers went back up on a field goal, and Brett Favre threw an interception.
But even with the ball at the GB 40, the 49ers went three and out, and the Packers went on a drive. After Dorsey Levens converted a fourth down run, Favre found Corey Bradford for a 47-yard gain. Four plays later Favre threw a 15-yard touchdown to Antonio Freeman, and the Packers led 27-23 with 1:56 left.
Steve Young didn’t have the greatest resume of game-winning drives, but the last of his career may have been the best. And (cue the Green Bay fans) it probably should have never happened as Jerry Rice fumbled the ball halfway through the drive, but it was missed by the officials.
The 49ers got the break, and took advantage of it. With the ball at the GB 25, and just 0:08 left, Young needed a touchdown. Terrell Owens had dropped several passes throughout the game, but when Young dropped back, stumbled, and regained himself, he fired a perfect strike to Owens in the end zone with 0:03 left. For a team with many historic game-winning touchdowns, this was as good as any.
San Francisco finally got over the Green Bay hurdle, but would lose in Atlanta the following week in the Divisional round. It was the final great moment in Steve Young’s career, and it was one of the best QB duels in playoff history.
Actually, the whole game wasn’t very memorable; just the last two minutes. The big storyline heading in was Buffalo coach Wade Phillips’ decision to start Rob Johnson over fan-favorite and all-around better player Doug Flutie. Johnson was a bit of an expert at the one-game audition, and had only started one game all season.
Johnson did not play well (10/22 for 131 yards), but a go-ahead touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter gave Buffalo a 13-12 lead.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Titans ran some clock and Al Del Greco kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:48 left. Buffalo started at their own 39, and moved the ball 38 yards to set up Steve Christie’s 41-yard field goal with 0:16 left.
A lead change that late usually spells doom, but the Titans had a play ready for the kick return. Lorenzo Neal pitched it back to Frank Wycheck, who threw a lateral (allegedly) back to Derrick Mason, who ran straight down the field for a 75-yard touchdown to stun the Bills.
Three lead changes after the two minute warning, but nothing will be remembered except for the “Music City Miracle.”
Miami at Seattle (box) – In Dan Marino’s farewell season, he took care of something he had never done before: win a road playoff game.
Miami trailed 17-13 in Seattle with 9:09 left. Taking over at his own 15, Marino would complete 4/7 passes for 84 yards, including conversions on 3rd-and-17 and 3rd-and-10.
The Seahawks would gain just 4 yards on their last two drives, and Jon Kitna threw an interception with 0:23 left on Seattle’s last gasp. Marino took a knee, and it would be the last victory of his career. It was also the record 36th fourth quarter comeback win of his career. The following week Miami would swing to the other end of the spectrum, losing 62-7 in Jacksonville in Marino’s final game.
The Colts led 14-0 at halftime, but Miami would pull within 14-10 in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis matched their field goal, with Mike Vanderjagt making it from 50 yards to give the Colts a 17-10 lead.
With just under five minutes left, Jay Fielder took the field and had to go 80 yards. He completed 6/10 passes for 67 yards, while scrambling twice for 14 more yards on the drive. His 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Weaver tied the game with 0:34 left.
The game went to overtime, and the Dolphins punted on the first possession. The Colts would drive to the MIA 42, but were faced with an interesting decision. Peyton Manning passed 11 yards to Marvin Harrison on 3rd and 12, but the Dolphins were off sides. Rather than take the 5-yard penalty and replay a 3rd and 7, Mora took the result of the play, setting up a 49-yard field goal attempt, as he was reportedly coaxed by Vanderjagt to try.
With a chance to win the game, Vanderjagt was wide right, and that’s putting it kindly. The kick was nowhere close, and the Dolphins took over. Lamar Smith went to work, and he finished the game with 40 carries for 209 yards, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown in overtime.
Jim Mora went to 0-6 in the playoffs, and a legacy was growing with a certain liquored-up kicker from Indy.
If we were handing out awards for most forgettable Wild Card game-winning drive, this may be the one. Trailing 15-7 in the fourth quarter, Jeff Garcia led a 61-yard drive for the 49ers, ending with scoring passes to Tai Streets to tie the game at 15.
On the next drive Favre completed 5/7 passes for 44 yards, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 45-yard field goal. Garcia was intercepted, and the Packers went 93 yards in 8 plays for a game-clinching touchdown (25-15 final).
It was only his first playoff start, and Garcia would get a better hang of this Wild Card comeback thing the following season.
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland (box) – Sometimes a game comes along that doesn’t look like much on paper, and it turns out to be something great. This AFC North rivalry had quarterbacks thought to be backups at season’s start in Kelly Holcomb and Tommy Maddox. They started in the postseason and combined for 796 yards, 6 TD and 69 points on the board.
The 2002 Steelers were exposed on pass defense in Week 1 by Bill Belichick’s Patriots, and it was a season-long problem. On the very first drive of the game, Holcomb threw an 83-yard pass to Kevin Johnson down to the 1 yard line, which was a precursor of things to come.
Cleveland took a 24-7 lead in the third quarter on the road, and things started looking bleak for Pittsburgh. The Steelers would make it 24-14, but Cleveland added a field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter for a 27-14 lead. Even after Maddox came back with a 65-yard touchdown drive, Holcomb responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 12.
The Browns led 33-21, and the Steelers had just 5:30 left on the clock. They took 10 plays to get in the end zone on a touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 3:06 left.
With a chance to run out the clock, the Browns threw an incomplete pass on second down. Then after a false start, Holcomb again threw incomplete, dropped by Dennis Northcutt. The Bruce Arians-coached offense took just 31 seconds off the clock, and that’s including the punt.
Maddox had 2:35 left to drive the field, and he completed a pair of passes to both Ward and Plaxico Burress. With the ball at the CLE 3, Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala ran it in on a draw play for the touchdown. Antwaan Randle El threw a two-point conversion pass to Jerame Tuman, and the Steelers had come back to take a 36-33 lead with 0:54 left.
Holcomb, who finished with 429 yard passing, still had a chance for the field goal, but his last pass went to Andre King at the PIT 29, and he was unable to get out of bounds. The clock expired, and the Steelers beat Cleveland for the third time on the season; each win by 3 points.
Of all the games in the Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry, none were more bitter for Cleveland fans, and none may have been as sweet for Pittsburgh fans.
San Francisco vs. NY Giants (box) – If you were wore out from the first game, then the emotional swing was even greater for the double-header in San Francisco. Kerry Collins threw 4 touchdowns in the first half, and the Giants would take a 38-14 lead with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
All comebacks have to start somewhere, and that’s when the 49ers finally went to work on offense. Jeff Garcia threw a 26-yard touchdown to Terrell Owens, who also caught the two-point conversion to make it 38-22.
The Giants went three and out, and a 15-yard personal foul gave the 49ers great field position at the New York 27. Garcia ran 14 yards for a touchdown and went back to Owens for another conversion to make it 38-30. Just like that it was a one-score game.
Another three and out by the Giants, and then the 49ers went 15 plays, but had to settle for a field goal and a 38-33 deficit. The Giants went for a 42-yard field goal, but Matt Bryant missed.
Garcia took over with 3:01 left, and completed 5 passes for 56 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to Tai Streets with 1:00 left. The two-point pass was intercepted, so the Giants trailed 39-38 with time for Collins to drive into field goal range.
Collins completed 3 passes for 34 yards, and the Giants came out to attempt a 40-yard game-winning field goal. Veteran long snapper Trey Junkin was brought in for this game to replaced the injured Dan O’Leary. The long snapper only gets mentioned for one reason, and that means a botched snap. Junkin blew the snap, and holder Matt Allen scrambled with the ball before throwing a pass down the field.
There was clear pass interference on the 49ers down the field, but it wasn’t called, and the Giants’ collapse was complete. Had a flag been thrown, the Giants would have had one untimed down to kick the field goal for the win.
As of this time, it remains the last playoff wins for the 49ers, and is the second largest comeback in playoff history.
Tennessee at Baltimore (box) – If people question Joe Flacco in the playoffs, consider when the Ravens started Anthony Wright in this home playoff game. Wright actually was even statistically with co-MVP Steve McNair, which tells you about the kind of offensive struggle this game was.
Trailing 14-10, Wright was intercepted in the fourth quarter by future Raven Samari Rolle, which set up a field goal for the Titans. Wright overcame the mistake, by leading a 71-yard touchdown drive, capped off by Todd Heap’s 35-yard touchdown catch.
McNair’s deep ball was intercepted, but the Ravens went three and out. With 2:44 left, McNair got another chance and completed 4/4 passes for 28 yards. Gary Anderson made the 46-yard game-winning field goal with 0:29 left.
Wright’s last heave was incomplete, and the Titans grinded out the 20-17 win over their former AFC Central rival.
Green Bay vs. Seattle (box) – The 2003 playoffs were loaded with great moments, and one of the best games came at Lambeau Field. Mike Holmgren returned to his old stomping grounds with the Seahawks, and Matt Hasselbeck (former Green Bay QB) was starting his first playoff game.
With the running games shut down, both Hasselbeck and Favre passed for over 300 yards. The Packers trailed 20-13 to start the fourth quarter, but after converting a 4th and 1, Ahman Green scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Seattle went three and out, Green converted another 4th and 1, and went on to score another 1-yard touchdown, this time with 2:44 left.
Hasselbeck calmly guided the offense down the field, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by Shaun Alexander with 0:51 left. Favre drove the Packers into field goal range, but Ryan Longwell missed on a 47-yard attempt as time expired.
The game went to overtime, but before the kickoff, a confident Hasselbeck made a proclamation, picked up by the PA system that will always be part of his career story.
“We want the ball and we’re gonna score”, said Hasselbeck. They got the ball first, but went three and out. So did Green Bay, giving Hasselbeck a chance for a memorable game-winning drive. Instead, it was Al Harris jumping the route and intercepting Hasselbeck for a game-ending pick six.
Matt Hasselbeck remains the only quarterback in NFL history to throw an interception returned for a touchdown in overtime of a playoff game.
There’s only been one other playoff game ever decided by a defensive touchdown in overtime, and Green Bay was involved in that too (see below).
St. Louis at Seattle (box) – The 2004 NFC was less than impressive once you got past the No. 1 seed Eagles. Two teams made the playoffs with an 8-8 record, but they each managed a road playoff win against a division rival. Minnesota would beat Green Bay, but before that it was the NFC West battle in Seattle.
The Rams led 17-13 to start the fourth quarter, but it only took three plays for Hasselbeck to find Darrell Jackson for a 23-yard touchdown. Marc Bulger put together an 11-play drive that went 60 yards for a tying field goal.
Seattle had to punt, and it was the Rams driving 76 yards on the road for a game-winning touchdown. Bulger found scantily used TE Cam Cleeland for a 17-yard touchdown with 2:11 left.
Seattle was down to 2:06, and needed 64 yards to tie. Hasselbeck easily moved the offense to the 11-yard line, but was sacked on first down. He threw incomplete on second down, then found Bobby Engram for a 12-yard gain.
That set up a 4th and 4 at the 5, with the game on the line. Hasselbeck had a slight chance to scramble for the touchdown, but threw a pass to Engram, who couldn’t make the catch in the end zone. Hasselbeck fell to the ground in frustration, as Seattle’s receivers had a major problem with dropped passes that season.
NY Jets at San Diego (box) – If Hasselbeck was upset with his receiver, how do you think the Chargers felt about their rookie kicker after this one?
The Chargers were a great surprise team of 2004, finishing 12-4. Drew Brees was making his first playoff start, but his Chargers trailed 17-7 to start the fourth quarter. Nate Kaeding would make a 35-yard field goal.
The Jets burned a lot of clock, but were unable to get close enough for a field goal. They punted, and Brees had 4:46 left to go 80 yards. After driving down to the NYJ 1, LaDainian Tomlinson was unable to punch it in, even losing a yard on third down. On 4th and 2, Brees dropped back to pass, but it was incomplete. However, Eric Barton was flagged for roughing the passer, leading to an automatic first down.
Brees threw the 1-yard touchdown to newfound stud Antonio Gates on the next play to force overtime. After each teams exchanged three and outs, the Chargers drove to the NYJ 22. Kaeding came on for the 40-yard attempt, but as has often been the case in Marty Schottenheimer’s career, the kicker missed. Kaeding was 17/20 from less than 50 yards in the regular season.
The Jets took their second life and Chad Pennington drove them into field goal range. Doug Brien had no problems with the 28-yard field goal to win the game.
Nate Kaeding is an abysmal 8/15 (53.3%) on field goals in the postseason. This was the first big miss on his resume. But Jets fans can’t celebrate too much, as he passed a bug on to Doug Brien for the following week’s game in Pittsburgh.
Seattle vs. Dallas (box) – Tony Romo. Botched Hold. Choke. Isn’t that about all that needs to be said? This game has already been looked at this season, and nothing’s changed. Dallas was leading 20-13 in the fourth quarter until Terry Glenn’s fumble led to a safety for Seattle.
Seattle used the short field to their advantage as Hasselbeck found Jerramy Stevens for a 37-yard touchdown pass. Seattle led 21-20 after the two-point conversion failed.
That’s when Dallas attempted to drive for the winning score. Jason Witten’s first down catch at the 1-yard line was overturned, bringing up a fourth down. Dallas went for the game-winning field goal, but Romo couldn’t get the hold down, and was tackled short of the end zone. Seattle punted, and his Hail Mary from midfield was incomplete.
It’s the kind of playoff debut that can haunt a whole career, which it has for Romo because he’s only won one playoff game. His counterpart Matt Hasselbeck made a worse play in his playoff debut, but since he reached the Super Bowl, there is less reason to criticize him in the playoffs, fair or not.
Philadelphia vs. NY Giants (box) – This NFC East battle was so close statistically, that it’s not surprising the team with the ball last won. Eli Manning and Jeff Garcia put up about the same numbers, while Tiki Barber (in his last game) and Brian Westbrook both had stellar days on the ground.
The Giants trailed 20-10 to start the fourth quarter, but added a field goal on the second play. After an Eagles punt, the Giants went on a 13 play, 80-yard drive that ended with Eli’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 5:04 left.
Philadelphia was able to burn the rest of the clock and set David Akers up for the 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Westbrook rushed for 33 of the 46 yards gained on the drive.
Seattle vs. Washington (box) – The 2007 Redskins were a surprise playoff team that only got in on the final week of the season. The Seahawks were a declining perennial division winner trying one last time to win a Super Bowl.
Seattle led 13-0 after three quarters, but it was the first play of the fourth quarter when Todd Collins threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Antwaan Randle El. Yes, you may recall Collins became the late-season starter for the Redskins after replacing an injured Jason Campbell. He was even named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December. No, really.
Two plays later, Hasselbeck was intercepted. It only took Washington three plays to take the lead, as Collins hit Santana Moss with a 30-yard touchdown. Seattle continued the downward spiral by falling asleep on the kick return, which was recovered by Washington.
That’s when Shaun Suisham missed a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead, and exactly why Suisham draws the ire of football fans wherever he plays. Hasselbeck again was intercepted, but Washington went three and out.
Having good field position, Hasselbeck got things together and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Hackett with 6:06 left. The two-point conversion to Marcus Pollard was good, and Seattle led 21-14.
After a good return to start at their own 44, the comeback attempt was quickly thwarted as Collins was intercepted by Marcus Trufant, who returned it 78 yards for a touchdown. Collins would then come back to throw three straight incompletions at the SEA 31, turning the ball over on downs.
Seattle went three and out, and Collins’ last gasp in the final minute was also returned 57 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Washington went from trailing by 13, to leading by 1, then to finally losing by 21.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (box) – Late in the regular season Jacksonville went to Pittsburgh, led 22-7 in the fourth quarter, the Steelers rallied to tie, and the Jaguars went on to score the winning touchdown.
A similar formula would take place in the Wild Card meeting. Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions in the second quarter, and the Steelers fell behind 28-10 in the second half.
As the fourth quarter began, the Steelers were faced with a 4th and 12 at the JAX 37. Roethlisberger’s quick slant to Santonio Holmes produced a touchdown to get Pittsburgh back in the game.
Jacksonville went three and out, and the Steelers marched 69 yards for another touchdown, but their two-point conversion was unsuccessful after a penalty. David Garrard, having thrown 3 INT all season, threw one, and the Steelers only had to go 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. But again, their two-point conversion failed, and they led 29-28.
The Jaguars punted, but the Steelers went conservative and had to punt after not getting a first down. With 2:38 left, Garrard had the ball at his own 49 to start the drive, but would quickly face a 4th and 2. He was able to scramble for 32 yards down to the PIT 11.
The scramble set up Josh Scobee for the 25-yard game-winning field goal. The Steelers had 0:29 left, but Roethlisberger was sacked for the 6th time in the game, and fumbled the ball. The 18-point collapse in the fourth quarter would have been the biggest in postseason history, but Jacksonville erased it thanks to their quarterback’s legs. Well, also the blatant holding they got away with on the play as well.
It was the first time a team ever won at Pittsburgh twice in the same season.
More than that, Scifres pinned the Colts at their own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9, and 1 with his punts. The Colts’ average starting field position was their own 15.7, which is the lowest in the playoffs in more than a decade.
San Diego only trailed 17-14 to start the fourth quarter, but Philip Rivers threw an interception. The Colts burned over six minutes off the clock, and with 5:58 left, the Chargers had the ball back. Robert Mathis would sack Rivers on third down, forcing a late punt.
Scifres saved his best punt for last. His 52-yard punt pinned the Colts at their own 1-yard line with 2:41 left. After two runs, the Colts faced a 3rd and 2 at their own 9 just before the two-minute warning. They went to an empty backfield, and rookie TE Gijon Robinson forgot the snap count, leading to Tim Dobbins coming around the edge for a sack on Manning back at the IND 1.
The Colts punted, and San Diego started at the IND 38. Unable to get the touchdown, they settled for the 26-yard tying field goal. Nate Kaeding can make that kick.
The game would go to overtime, where San Diego won the coin toss. After the Colts aided them with three defensive penalties on the drive, Darren Sproles ran 22 yards for the game-winning touchdown. The Colts lost 23-17 in overtime much like their 2000 Wild Card loss in Miami. Sproles finished with 105 yards rushing, and 328 all-purpose yards on a career night.
A career night from your punter and scatback can be enough to get the job done.
The Packers quickly got back into the game after Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes on consecutive drives, with an onside kick recovery in between. The offensive shootout was in full force, as Warner answered right back with a 73-yard touchdown drive on just three plays.
To start the fourth quarter, Rodgers threw a 30-yard touchdown to James Jones on a 4th and 5. Arizona finally punted, and three plays later the Packers tied the game on John Kuhn’s 1-yard touchdown run.
The Cardinals would go 80 yards, with Warner throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Steve Breaston. With 4:45 left, Rodgers answered back with a 71-yard touchdown drive, ending with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Havner with 1:52 left.
That’s plenty of time, and Warner drove the Cardinals into field goal range with seconds left. Neil Rackers came on for the 34-yard attempt, but he was wide left, and the game would go to overtime.
If there was ever a game where the coin-toss winner was going to win the game, this would be the one. Green Bay won the coin toss, and could have ended the game on the first snap from scrimmage, but Rodgers missed Greg Jennings down the field.
Two plays later, of all things, but defense decided to show up for the first time since the game started. Michael Adams sacked Rodgers, who fumbled, and Karlos Dansby returned it 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
After 90 points in regulation, it was a defensive score that won the game, and just the second defensive score in overtime in playoff history.
The Colts went on a 67-yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The Jets appeared to be stopped on a three and out, but the Colts were flagged for running into the kicker. They would punt with 2:36 left.
Peyton Manning only needed a field goal for the lead, and he moved the offense 48 yards. Vinatieri added to his legacy with a 50-yard field goal right down the middle with 0:53 left. Little did we know at the time that this could have been the last drive Manning ever had with the Colts, or in the NFL period. Perhaps it’s only fitting it would be a go-ahead field goal drive for his team.
But it wouldn’t become a game-winning drive.
The Jets made a big play on special teams, as Antonio Cromartie returned the kickoff 47 yards to his own 46. Mark Sanchez completed a pass to Holmes that put the ball at the IND 34, then the Jets decided to run the ball. Jim Caldwell would call timeout for the Colts, and it allowed the Jets to plan a pass play.
Braylon Edwards caught an 18-yard pass down to the 14, and the Jets ran the clock down. Nick Folk came out and nailed the 32-yard field goal for the win. It was the second lead change in the final minute.
If it’s a close game, some notes to know:
Cincinnati – 5 of the Bengals’ 9 wins were fourth quarter comebacks, but only one of the 9 wins came against a team with a winning record. Marvin Lewis is a combined 0-6 in games played in Week 17 (0-4) with a playoff spot/seed on the line and in the postseason (0-2)
Houston – Team’s last win was 13-point comeback in Cincinnati in Week 14. T.J. Yates became first rookie since 1968 (Virgil Carter) to lead a game-winning drive in his first two starts. Led 80-yard game-winning touchdown drive with 0:02 left at Cincinnati.
The pick: Houston 20, Cincinnati 17.
Detroit – Have come back to win after trailing by 13+ points in 4 games this season (a record 3 times from 17+ point deficits). Cut 24-7 deficit to 24-17 at New Orleans this season.
New Orleans – Average 41.1 PPG at home this season, and have only had two games where a fourth quarter comeback opportunity happened on either side of the ball (came back to beat Houston, held off Detroit).
The pick: New Orleans 41, Detroit 31.
Atlanta – Matt Ryan has a record 16 game-winning drives in the first four seasons of his career, but is 0-2 in playoff starts. Threw 2 TD passes in fourth quarter to force overtime in last meeting at Giants. Has not had ball in fourth quarter, trailing by one score in two career playoff losses.
NY Giants – All playoff wins in Coughlin/Manning era from 2007 (4-0). They are 0-3 in their other playoff games. Eli Manning has record 15 touchdown passes in fourth quarter this season, and a league-leading 6 game-winning drives. Led GWD in overtime against Atlanta on 11/22/2009 in last meeting.
The pick: NY Giants 27, Atlanta 23
Pittsburgh – Team has scored a record 20+ points in all 13 of Ben Roethlisberger’s playoff starts (15 overall dating back to 2002). Roethlisberger has career-low 1 fourth quarter win in 2011 (at least two in previous 7 seasons).
Denver – 7 wins with Tim Tebow featured 6 games decided by scores in the fourth quarter/overtime. Pittsburgh’s defense has suffered league-worst 7 losses by allowing game-winning points in the last 0:37 of the fourth quarter since 2007. Denver’s last four wins of the season came when trailing after the two-minute warning.
The pick: Pittsburgh 14, Denver 10
Scott Kacsmar is a football researcher/writer who has contributed large quantities of data to Pro-Football-Reference.com, including the only standardized database of fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives. Did you notice a trend of some of the same teams suffering Wild Card heartbreak? Championship teams usually haven’t played on this week. You can send any questions or comments to Scott at smk_42@yahoo.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @CaptainComeback.
Cold, Hard Football Facts Comeback King
After putting the regular season behind us, it’s time for the playoffs. Before the Captain previews and makes his picks for this week’s action, we’ll take a long, thorough look back at the past fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives on Wild Card weekend. Don’t think of it as just another article. Think of it as the “Wild Card” chapter in the great book of fourth quarter wins.
Some of the best comebacks, including the two biggest ever, have come from the Wild Card round. The only two playoff games ever decided in overtime by a defensive score were Wild Card games. The only two playoff games with two lead changes in the final minute were Wild Card games.
When the NFL moved up to a 16-game schedule in 1978, as well as changing the passing game forever in the rule book, they also expanded the playoff field from eight teams to 10 by adding a Wild Card round.
That pivotal year in NFL history is where we start, but before we dive into the chronological order, here’s a handy table for reference of all the Wild Card wins decided in the fourth quarter or overtime.
| Team | QB | Date | Opp. | Result | Type |
| Houston | Dan Pastorini | 12/24/1978 | at Miami | W 17-9 | GWD |
| Atlanta | Steve Bartkowski | 12/24/1978 | Philadelphia | W 14-13 | 4QC/GWD |
| Philadelphia | Ron Jaworski | 12/23/1979 | Chicago | W 27-17 | GWD |
| Minnesota | Tommy Kramer | 1/9/1983 | Atlanta | W 30-24 | 4QC/GWD |
| Dallas | Danny White | 1/9/1983 | TampaBay | W 30-17 | DEF 4QC |
| San Diego | Dan Fouts | 1/9/1983 | at Pittsburgh | W 31-28 | 4QC/GWD |
| Houston | Warren Moon | 1/3/1988 | Seattle | W 23-20 OT | GWD |
| Houston | Warren Moon | 12/24/1988 | at Cleveland | W 24-23 | 4QC/GWD |
| Pittsburgh | Bubby Brister | 12/31/1989 | at Houston | W 26-23 OT | 4QC/GWD |
| Miami | Dan Marino | 1/5/1991 | Kansas City | W 17-16 | 4QC/GWD |
| Atlanta | Chris Miller | 12/28/1991 | at New Orleans | W 27-20 | 4QC/GWD |
| Buffalo | Frank Reich | 1/3/1993 | Houston | W 41-38 OT | 4QC/GWD |
| Philadelphia | Randall Cunningham | 1/3/1993 | at New Orleans | W 36-20 | 4QC/GWD |
| Kansas City | Joe Montana | 1/8/1994 | Pittsburgh | W 27-24 OT | 4QC/GWD |
| Green Bay | Brett Favre | 1/8/1994 | at Detroit | W 28-24 | 4QC/GWD |
| Jacksonville | Mark Brunell | 12/28/1996 | at Buffalo | W 30-27 | 4QC/GWD |
| Minnesota | Randall Cunningham | 12/27/1997 | at NY Giants | W 23-22 | 4QC/GWD |
| Miami | Dan Marino | 1/2/1999 | Buffalo | W 24-17 | GWD |
| San Francisco | Steve Young | 1/3/1999 | Green Bay | W 30-27 | 4QC/GWD |
| Tennessee | Steve McNair | 1/8/2000 | Buffalo | W 22-16 | 4QC |
| Miami | Dan Marino | 1/9/2000 | at Seattle | W 20-17 | 4QC/GWD |
| Miami | Jay Fiedler | 12/30/2000 | Indianapolis | W 23-17 OT | 4QC/GWD |
| Green Bay | Brett Favre | 1/13/2002 | San Francisco | W 25-15 | GWD |
| Pittsburgh | Tommy Maddox | 1/5/2003 | Cleveland | W 36-33 | 4QC/GWD |
| San Francisco | Jeff Garcia | 1/5/2003 | NY Giants | W 39-38 | 4QC/GWD |
| Tennessee | Steve McNair | 1/3/2004 | at Baltimore | W 20-17 | GWD |
| Green Bay | Brett Favre | 1/4/2004 | Seattle | W 33-27 OT | 4QC |
| NY Jets | ChadPennington | 1/8/2005 | at San Diego | W 20-17 OT | GWD |
| St. Louis | Marc Bulger | 1/8/2005 | at Seattle | W 27-20 | 4QC/GWD |
| Seattle | Matt Hasselbeck | 1/6/2007 | Dallas | W 21-20 | 4QC/GWD |
| Philadelphia | Jeff Garcia | 1/7/2007 | NY Giants | W 23-20 | GWD |
| Seattle | Matt Hasselbeck | 1/5/2008 | Washington | W 35-14 | 4QC/GWD |
| Jacksonville | David Garrard | 1/5/2008 | at Pittsburgh | W 31-29 | 4QC/GWD |
| San Diego | Philip Rivers | 1/3/2009 | Indianapolis | W 23-17 OT | 4QC/GWD |
| Arizona | Kurt Warner | 1/10/2010 | Green Bay | W 51-45 OT | DEF SCR |
| NY Jets | Mark Sanchez | 1/8/2011 | at Indianapolis | W 17-16 | 4QC/GWD |
1978: Getting Wild on Christmas Eve
The first two Wild Card games were played on Christmas Eve in 1978, and both games featured a fourth quarter win.Atlanta vs. Philadelphia (box) – The first Wild Card playoff game in NFL history was the first playoff game (and win) in Atlanta Falcons’ history. Trailing 13-0 more than halfway through the fourth quarter, Steve Bartkowski engineered an 85-yard touchdown drive, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jim R. Mitchell with just over five minutes left. On their next drive, it was Bartkowski’s 37-yard touchdown to Wallace Francis with 1:37 left that proved to be the game-winner. It was Bartkowski’s 6th game-winning drive of the 1978 season.
Ron Jaworski led the Eagles down the field to the Atlanta 16, but kicker Mike Michel was wide right on the game-winning attempt. He had earlier failed on an extra point, which led to the game being won 14-13 by Atlanta instead of a 14-14 tie. As the Captain was ready to make a Stanford reference, he became giddy over the eerie fact that Michel went to Stanford. Imagine that.
Houston at Miami (box) – After the first game ended, the Oilers travelled to Miami to take on the Dolphins. With the game tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter, Dan Pastorini led a go-ahead field goal drive, which ended with Toni Fritsch’s 35-yard field goal. That was Pastorini’s 7th game-winning drive of the season, which is a record that would stand until 2003. If you’ve been reading along all season, you know that record was Jake Delhomme with the Carolina Panthers.
After the field goal, Bob Griese was intercepted, and Earl Campbell scored a 1-yard touchdown run for insurance. In his first playoff start, Pastorini wasn’t known as a prolific passer, but he finished the game with 306 yards passing (4th most in career) and no interceptions.
In the inaugural year of the Wild Card, Houston became the first team to win two road playoff games to reach the conference championship. The Oilers would lose back-to-back AFC Championship games to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1978 and 1979 seasons.
1979
A year later it was the Eagles and Oilers once again playing in the Wild Card round. The Oilers won their game against Denver, while the Eagles once again needed a fourth quarter drive against the Chicago Bears.With Tony Franklin now the kicker for Philadelphia, the Eagles passed on the field goal with the 17-17 tie in the fourth quarter, and Jaworski found RB Billy Campfield for a 63-yard game-winning touchdown pass. The Eagles would add a field goal, nearly from the same distance as Michel’s miss a year earlier (34 yards), to ice the game at 27-17.
1980s
The 80’s got off to a less than memorable start in the Wild Card round, but a strike-shortened 9-game season in 1982 would create one season where a record 8 Wild Card games were played as 16 teams made the playoffs. Think of it as WrestleMania IV; another 80’s tournament that was a one-time deal. At least the Captain thinks it was a one-time deal, as he hasn’t watched a WrestleMania since XV.1982: Hooray for the Strike and 4-5 Playoff Teams
Out of the 8 games, three of them were decided by a fourth quarter score.Minnesota vs. Atlanta (box) – One week after another late game-winning touchdown drive by Tommy Kramer against Dallas, the Vikings were at home to host the Falcons. Trailing 21-16 to start the fourth quarter, Kramer threw an 11-yard touchdown to Sam McCullum for a 23-21 lead.
Kramer and Bartkowski were two of those overlooked quarterbacks from this era that for what ever reason, found themselves involved in a lot of close games in the fourth quarter. Bartkowski had a rough day (9/23 for 134 yards, 2 INT), but Atlanta regained the lead on a field goal drive.
That just led to another winning touchdown drive by Kramer; this time capped off by Ted Brown’s 5-yard touchdown run. It was the best playoff game Kramer had in his career.
Dallas vs. Tampa Bay (box) – For our first playoff game decided by a non-offensive score, it was a disastrous result for the Buccaneers. Leading 17-16 to start the fourth quarter in Dallas, Tampa Bay had just sacked Danny White on third down to force a punt.
That’s when Doug Williams threw a pass that was intercepted by Monty Hunter for a game-winning 19-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay punted, Danny White threw a touchdown to Timmy Newsome, and Dallas ran out the rest of the clock after one more three and out by the Buccaneers.
It was the last game Williams played for the Buccaneers, and it was an ugly finish. He completed just 8/28 passes for 113 yards, TD, 3 INT, including that game-losing pick six.
San Diego at Pittsburgh (box) – It was one of the biggest wins the Air Coryell Chargers had in the 80’s. Their finest playoff moment was a season earlier, but we’ll get to that next week. For this first round game, it was a trip to Three Rivers, where Terry Bradshaw would start the final playoff game of his career.
The Steelers took a 28-17 lead in the fourth quarter, which usually means game over for the opponent. But after a Bradshaw interception put the ball at the PIT 29, Dan Fouts was able to take advantage of a great opportunity. His pass was intercepted in the end zone by Mel Blount, but the Steelers were called for defensive holding, negating the pick.
Without the two-point conversion at play, the Chargers needed to go for the touchdown, and on a 4th and 6 at the PIT 8, Fouts found Kellen Winslow for the touchdown with 8:42 left.
The Chargers got the ball back with 3:59 left and needing to go 64 yards. Fouts and Winslow would beat the Steelers again, this time with a 12-yard touchdown on 3rd and 7 with 1:00 left. Bradshaw’s Hail Mary attempt for John Stallworth failed, and the Chargers pulled off a stunning comeback in Pittsburgh, that all but put the final nail in the coffin on the Steel Curtain era.
It ended up being the most thrilling Wild Card game the league would see for five years.
1987: Wild Card Goes to Overtime for the First Time
Houston vs. Seattle (box) – For the Houston Oilers, this was the start of a 7-season ride on a playoff rollercoaster. Unfortunately for them, it always ended with the Oilers puking all over themselves as they came to a crashing halt.At least the first game was a win, as they hosted the Seattle Seahawks. With a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter, Warren Moon engineered a long drive to set up Tony Zendejas (one member of the incredibly mediocre Zendejas’ kicking family) for a 29-yard field goal.
If good, Seattle would have trailed by 10 points with less than two minutes left. Instead, Zendejas hit the left upright, and it was game on. Dave Krieg completed a fourth down pass to Steve Largent, and would later find Largent for a 12-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 0:26 left. Krieg was 4/10 for 80 yards on the drive.
The game went to overtime, and Seattle went three and out on the opening drive. Zendejas would redeem himself, as he kicked the 42-yard game-winning field goal after Moon drove the Oilers into range.
A game that should have been put away early was not, and it would be a sign of things to come for Houston in the postseason.
1988: Houston Wins Another
But not just yet. A year later, and it was another successful Wild Card win by the Oilers, this time on the road at the Cleveland Browns. Of course the Browns were coming off their own playoff disasters with a blown 18-point lead in Miami, “The Drive” and “The Fumble” in the previous three postseasons.To make matters worse, Cleveland was forced to start backup quarterback Don Strock in place of the injured Bernie Kosar. Strock had to leave with an injury early in the game, forcing Mike Pagel behind center for the majority of the game.
But after a Warren Moon interception in the third quarter, the Browns were able to score a go-ahead touchdown on a short field for the 16-14 lead. Houston answered right back, as the game went into the fourth quarter, and Lorenzo White pushed ahead for a 1-yard touchdown. Houston led 21-16 with plenty of time left.
After the teams exchanged punts, Pagel’s pass was intercepted, and Moon put together another long drive to set Zendejas up for a 49-yard field goal attempt. Now remember, an 8-point lead would be a two-score lead in 1988, and it was only a year earlier that Zendejas missed a much easier 29-yard field goal in the same situation.
This time he made the tough kick, and Houston led 24-16 with 1:54 left. Pagel quickly led a 71-yard touchdown drive, but it was too little too late. After the onside kick took three attempts (glad these rules were changed), the Oilers finally had the ball back and Moon took a knee to end the game.
1989: Houston’s First Problem
For the third year in a row, the Oilers were involved in another nail-biter in the Wild Card round. This time it was New Year’s Eve and they hosted the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.After the Steelers took a 16-9 lead in the fourth quarter on Gary Anderson’s 48-yard field goal, Warren Moon led an 80-yard game-tying touchdown drive. The Steelers went three and out, and Moon remained hot, throwing his second touchdown pass of the quarter to Ernest Givins for a 23-16 lead.
Pittsburgh had just over four minutes left, and Bubby Brister was the quarterback. He did not have his best day (15/33 for 127 yards), but completed 4 short passes for 22 yards, and Merril Hoge scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game with 0:46 left.
The game would go to overtime. The Steelers won the toss, but went three and out. On their first play from scrimmage, the Oilers handed the ball to Lorenzo White, but he fumbled, and it was recovered by Rod Woodson at midfield.
Three runs moved the ball 13 yards, and the Steelers called on Gary Anderson for the 50-yard field goal. He made it (this time), and the Steelers pulled off the upset. In the regular season they were 9-7 and outscored by 61 points on the season, but they won this game, and then nearly pulled off another upset in Denver against the top-seeded Broncos.
It was the first real heartbreaking loss for the Oilers, but the worst was yet to come.
1990s
The 1990 season brought more significant rule changes to the league’s playoff format. The field of 10 was increased to 12 by adding two more Wild Card games. The blueprint for how the playoffs are today started with this season.
1/5/1991: Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs (box)
Winner: Miami (17-16)
Type: 4QC/GWDLargest Deficit: 13 (16-3)
Quarterback: Dan Marino (36 4QC, 51 GWD – table)
The 90’s got off to a great start with a classic comeback in Miami. Both teams entered with a top 5 scoring defense, but the Chiefs actually scored more points on the season behind Steve DeBerg’s career season (23 TD, 4 INT).
DeBerg got the better of Dan Marino early on in the passing battle, and the Chiefs had taken a 16-3 lead late in the third quarter. It was the final play of the third quarter that proved to be critical, as the Dolphins converted a 4th and 2 at the KC 45 with a 2-yard run by Sammie Smith for the first down.
On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Marino found Tony Paige for the 1-yard touchdown pass. The Chiefs punted, and Marino was right back in action. He started the drive with a 37-yard pass to Ferrell Edmunds, and ended it with the 12-yard winning touchdown pass on a bullet to Mark Clayton with 3:28 left. Marino was 5/5 for 68 yards on the 85-yard drive.
Kansas City drove to the MIA 34, but All-Pro kicker Nick Lowery was just short on a 52-yard field goal with 0:49 left. Marino took two knees to secure the comeback win. It was the second time in his career he led a comeback of 13+ points in the playoffs against a Marty Schottenheimer team (1985 Browns – 18 points).
It was also the start of some playoff misery for “Martyball” in Kansas City.
1991-92 Saints: Jim Mora and the Playoffs(!?)
It’s well known Jim Mora went 0-6 in the playoffs in his career. From 1990 to 1992, the Saints made the playoffs all three seasons, and lost every game. In both 1991 and 1992, they ranked #1 in the league in fewest points allowed, hosted a home playoff game, but lost a fourth quarter lead in each.Losing fourth quarter leads was common for those Saints teams. In 1991, they went 11-5 despite having a fourth quarter lead in all 16 games (all 17 counting playoffs). That’s what you call rare company.
| Team | Year | Record | Result |
| Ravens | 2010 | 12-4 | Lost AFC-D |
| Patriots | 2007 | 16-0 | Lost Super Bowl |
| Vikings | 1998 | 15-1 | Lost NFC-C |
| Saints | 1991 | 11-5 | Lost NFC-WC |
| 49ers | 1984 | 15-1 | Won Super Bowl |
| Dolphins | 1984 | 14-2 | Lost Super Bowl |
| Redskins | 1983 | 14-2 | Lost Super Bowl |
In 1992, the Saints were 12-4 with two blown fourth quarter leads (and then another in the playoffs).
Let’s start with 1991.
Atlanta at New Orleans (box) – The Saints/Falcons rivalry is no stranger to close games, and this is the only playoff meeting between the two. The Saints took a 20-17 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Dalton Hilliard.
Chris Miller played one of the best games of his career (18/30 for 291, 3 TD, INT), and led a game-tying field goal drive. Fred McAfee fumbled for the Saints, but Morten Andersen’s 54-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
After a punt by New Orleans, Miller hooked up with Michael Haynes for a game-winning 61-yard touchdown with 2:41 left. It was Miller’s 5th game-winning drive of the season, and the last one of his career.
Needing a touchdown, Bobby Hebert had the time (2:32), but needed to go 83 yards. After driving to the ATL 35 with just over a minute left, Hebert’s pass was intercepted by Tim McKyer, who laterals to Deion Sanders, who (of course) laterals to Joe Fishback for 39 more yards.
Deion’s lateral was ruled an illegal forward pass, but the Falcons kept the ball. Still, could you imagine a defense today trying to lateral a playoff game-ending interception not once, but twice?
Philadelphia at New Orleans (box) – The next year was a bigger disaster. Leading 20-7 in the third quarter, the Saints appeared on their way to their first ever playoff win. But little did they know the Eagles would score 29 unanswered points on their way to a 36-20 victory.
The Saints led 20-10 to start the fourth quarter. After a three and out,Randall Cunningham engineered a 64-yard touchdown drive to pull within a field goal. Bobby Hebert helped the cause with a poor pass on the next play from scrimmage that was intercepted.
The Eagles only had to go 26 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. On a 3rd and 23, Hebert was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Reggie White. After some big gains on the ground, the Eagles added a field goal for a 29-20 lead.
To put the cherry on top, Hebert threw a pick six to Eric Allen. Jim Mora wouldn’t coach another playoff game in New Orleans, and the team wouldn’t play another until the 2000 season.
After going 0-3 in the playoffs from 1988-90, it was the first playoff win for Randall Cunningham and that era of the Eagles. They wouldn’t get another until a 1995 win over Detroit, who is riding a 6-game playoff losing streak themselves. See how these things tend to work out for the struggling teams in the postseason?
But the 29-point run by Philadelphia was second fiddle to what happened earlier that day.
The Comeback
1/3/1993: Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Oilers (box)
Winner: Buffalo (41-38 OT)
Type: 4QC/GWDLargest Deficit: 4 (35-31)
Quarterback: Frank Reich (3 4QC, 3 GWD – table)
Simply put: it’s the greatest comeback in NFL history.
It had a lot of the right ingredients. Buffalo was trying to get to their third straight Super Bowl. They were starting backup quarterback Frank Reich in place of the injured Jim Kelly. Reich led what was at the time the biggest comeback in NCAA history (31 points, Maryland vs. Miami). The Oilers weren’t exactly known for finishing in the postseason.
Warren Moon couldn’t have been any better in the first half, completing 19/22 passes for 218 yards and 4 TD. Reich was just 5/11 for 59 yards, and Buffalo trailed 28-3.
Things got worse on the fourth play of the third quarter, as a pass went through TE Keith McKeller’s hands, and was intercepted for a touchdown. 35-3 with 28:19 left in the game. The crowd was dead, as they should have been. No way would Houston lose this game. No way would Buffalo rally back without Jim Kelly.
And that’s when things just started going Buffalo’s way.
A short kick backfired, and Buffalo had a short field, starting at the 50. Had Houston kicked deep, it’s possible the comeback would have never started. There were a lot of little plays the Oilers continued to miss on throughout the second half.
Buffalo had a 4th and 2 at the HOU 7. If that run is stopped, that may have killed the comeback in its tracks. Instead they converted, and Kenneth Davis scored a touchdown.
Having to think an onside kick was coming, Houston didn’t react well enough and Buffalo had great field position at their own 48. It only took four plays for Reich to find Don Beebe for a 38-yard touchdown. Now it was 35-17 with 7:56 left in the third quarter, and that is making things realistic.
Houston would go three and out, and their punt went just 25 yards. Once again Buffalo had good field position, as they only needed 59 yards for another touchdown. It only took another 4-play drive before Reich found Andre Reed for a 26-yard touchdown.
An illegal motion penalty moved Houston back, and Moon threw an interception deep in his own end. Buffalo was 23 yards away from making it a 35-31 game. They did, with Reich’s 18-yard touchdown to Reed on 4th and 5.
It only took 11:15 and 184 yards of offense for Buffalo to score four touchdowns and turn a 32-point deficit into just 4. Houston’s offense that was so unstoppable in the first half could do nothing in the third quarter, as they punted once again.
But alas, as the fourth quarter started, Buffalo’s streak finally ended, and they too went three and out. Drawing on past playoff demons, a long drive put together by Moon ended with a botched field goal attempt.
With 6:53 left, Reich took over, and threw a third touchdown pass of the half to Reed for the go-ahead score with 3:08 left. It was the greatest comeback ever, and it took just 25:11. Reich finished the game 21/34 for 289 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT.
Houston was the team that needed the late comeback now, and they got it. After 6 straight completions, Moon’s pass was tipped at the line, setting up a 4th and 4 at the BUF 34. Too long for the field goal, they went for it, and Moon found Webster Slaughter for 18 yards.
After Moon was stopped on a third down scramble, Al Del Greco kicked the 26-yard tying field goal. This game was headed for overtime.
With a chance to avoid catastrophe and secure the win, Houston won the coin toss and got the ball first. But on the third play of overtime, Moon’s pass was intercepted by Nate Odomes. The ball was returned to the HOU 20, and it took just two runs by Buffalo for six yards to bring out the field goal unit.
After such a classic game, it’s a shame there wasn’t a more exciting game-winning drive attached to it, but there were plenty of fireworks up to this point. Steve Christie booted the 32-yard field goal, and the greatest comeback in NFL history was officially in the books.
The fact that it happened in the playoffs just adds to the lore of it all.
1993: Old Legend and New
On January 8, 1994, two Wild Card games were decided with a critical touchdown pass coming late in the fourth quarter of each. One was thrown by a legend that had done it several times before, while the other was by a young gunslinger in his first playoff start.Kansas City vs. Pittsburgh (box) – No longer with the 49ers, Joe Montana did his part to help Marty Schottenheimer get close to a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 1993. It started with a Wild Card comeback against a young Bill Cowher’s Steelers.
Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter, Montana went 4/4 for 57 yards as Marcus Allen scored a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game. The Steelers regained the lead with a touchdown, and then Montana was sacked on third down.
But after the Steelers attempted to punt, it was blocked, giving Montana the ball at the 9-yard line with 2:29 left. That’s a little too easy, but the Chiefs wasted two plays with Allen gaining just one yard on the ground. On 4th and 7 with the game on the line, Montana found Tim Barnett for the game-tying touchdown.
The Steelers would go three and out and the Chiefs almost won in regulation, but Nick Lowery (him again) missed on a 43-yard field goal with 0:07 left.
The game went to overtime, and after each team punted, Montana was 5/5 for 47 yards to set up Lowery for an easier 32-yard field goal, which he made to win the game.
It was the fourth time Montana led a comeback win in the playoffs, throwing a critical TD pass in each, but he wasn’t done yet. Though that’s for the Divisional round next week.
Green Bay at Detroit (box) – After watching Montana further cement his legacy, the nation had a chance to watch a young player they probably had known little about. It was time for Brett Favre to make his playoff debut in Detroit, and the game had about every classic Favre-ism you could ask for.
He threw a pick six in the third quarter that dropped Green Bay to a 17-7 deficit, only to come right back with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe.
With the ball at the GB 5, Detroit QB Erik Kramer had a chance to extend that lead back to 10, but was intercepted by George Teague for a playoff-record 101-yard return. Green Bay led 21-17 to start the fourth quarter.
Detroit’s 89-yard touchdown drive regained the lead at 24-21. The Packers would quickly go three and out, but Detroit ended up punting the ball back with 2:26 left for Favre at his own 29.
Favre completed all four of his passes on the drive, including the memorable 40-yard game-winning touchdown to a wide open Sharpe in the back of the end zone. Favre immediately ripped his helmet off to celebrate, and the legend grew.
Detroit still had a chance to answer, but failed to get a first down as they went four and out. Favre was 15/26 for 204 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT in his playoff debut, and it ended up being one of the best playoff performances of his long, long, long career.
1996: Power Shift in Buffalo
Jacksonville at Buffalo (box) – The Jacksonville Jaguars were in just their second season, and after starting the season 3-6, rallied to make the playoffs with a 9-7 record. No one expected them to go far, especially when their path started with a road game against a fading AFC powerhouse in Buffalo.With the game tied 20-20 to start the fourth quarter, Mark Brunell’s pass was tipped at the line and intercepted for a touchdown by Jeff Burris. The young Jaguars did not panic, and put together a 65-yard touchdown drive to tie the game again. Brunell threw a 2-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith.
Buffalo moved the ball to midfield, but Jim Kelly, playing in his final game, fumbled on a scramble. It would be the final snap of his career. The Jaguars drove 31 yards before Mike Hollis kicked the game-winning 45-yard field goal with 3:07 left.
Todd Collins came in at quarterback to replace Kelly, but he was unable to move the offense. After taking a first down sack, Buffalo went three and out. The Jaguars ran out most of the clock, but Buffalo got it back with 0:42 left at their own 23. Collins was sacked and fumbled the ball; recovered by Jacksonville to effectively end the game.
It was considered a big upset at the time, but the Jaguars would pull off an even bigger one the following week when they took down the No. 1 seed in Denver by the same 30-27 score. Their great run ended in the AFC Championship at New England, but it was a sign to the rest of the league that an expansion team could compete, and that the Jaguars would be one of the toughest teams in the AFC for the next several seasons.
1997: One Giant Collapse
Minnesota at NY Giants (box) – Randall Cunningham may have only been 3-6 as a starter in the playoffs, but at least he was part of some incredible wins. The Vikings looked dead at halftime as they trailed 19-3. But a Tiki Barber fumble early in the third quarter put the ball at the NYG 4, and that kind of field position change you can get from a turnover can often be the difference maker in kick-starting a comeback.Leroy Hoard scored the touchdown, and Minnesota was back in it. They trailed 19-10 to start the fourth quarter, but added a field goal with 14:45 left. The Giants responded by eating up half the quarter to match that field goal with one of their own, and a 22-13 lead with 7:03 left.
The Vikings lost 3 yards on a strange 3rd and 4 running play, and were forced to punt. By the time they got the ball back, there was just 2:06 left. But the 26-yard punt put the ball at the NY 49, so they had good field position.
Two plays after a 19-yard pass to Cris Carter, it was Jake Reed making a 30-yard touchdown catch with 1:30 left. The quick score worked, but now Minnesota needed the onside kick recovery. They got it, and the Giants were in trouble.
After a false start penalty, Cunningham had 1:25 left at his own 34. A 21-yard pass to Carter moved the ball into New York territory. A pass interference penalty and 16-yard run by Robert Smith made it a chip shot for Eddie Murray. His 24-yard field goal was good with 0:10 left, and the Giants had pulled off the improbable comeback from a two-score deficit with just over two minutes left.
This was one Giant collapse, but it wasn’t the biggest the Giants would suffer on Wild Card weekend.
1998: The Duels
Wild Card weekend 1998 featured two good quarterback duels. But only one ended with a historic game-winning touchdown pass that you’ve probably seen 429 times by now thanks to ESPN/NFL Films/NFL Network.Miami vs. Buffalo (box) – AFC East rivals met in Miami, and were deadlocked at 14 to start the fourth quarter. Dan Marino completed 5/6 passes for 54 yards to set up Olindo Mare for a 23-yard go ahead field goal.
Doug Flutie, going 12 years in between playoff starts, converted a 3rd and 9 to Andre Reed, but on the very next play Reed fumbled the ball. Miami added a touchdown to take a 24-14 lead. Flutie had led a fourth quarter comeback from the same 24-14 deficit against the Dolphins in the regular season, but was down to 3:42 this time.
After settling for a field goal, Buffalo recovered the onside kick, and drove down to the red zone. But on a first down play at the MIA 5, Flutie was sacked and fumbled the ball, securing the win for Miami.
San Francisco vs. Green Bay (box) – It was the fourth straight season that the Packers and 49ers met in the playoffs, with the Packers winning each time. The Packers had won five straight games against the 49ers in the mid-90’s. Despite that domination, this lone 49er win is the most memorable of those games.
With the past meetings not being that close, this back-and-forth affair was much different. The 49ers led 20-17 to start the fourth quarter, but the Packers tied it with a field goal. The 49ers went back up on a field goal, and Brett Favre threw an interception.
But even with the ball at the GB 40, the 49ers went three and out, and the Packers went on a drive. After Dorsey Levens converted a fourth down run, Favre found Corey Bradford for a 47-yard gain. Four plays later Favre threw a 15-yard touchdown to Antonio Freeman, and the Packers led 27-23 with 1:56 left.
Steve Young didn’t have the greatest resume of game-winning drives, but the last of his career may have been the best. And (cue the Green Bay fans) it probably should have never happened as Jerry Rice fumbled the ball halfway through the drive, but it was missed by the officials.
The 49ers got the break, and took advantage of it. With the ball at the GB 25, and just 0:08 left, Young needed a touchdown. Terrell Owens had dropped several passes throughout the game, but when Young dropped back, stumbled, and regained himself, he fired a perfect strike to Owens in the end zone with 0:03 left. For a team with many historic game-winning touchdowns, this was as good as any.
San Francisco finally got over the Green Bay hurdle, but would lose in Atlanta the following week in the Divisional round. It was the final great moment in Steve Young’s career, and it was one of the best QB duels in playoff history.
1999: One Miracle and One Last Win
Tennessee vs. Buffalo (box) – Even though they were 13-3, the 1999 Tennessee Titans were a Wild Card team, and opened their run to the Super Bowl with a memorable game against the Buffalo Bills.Actually, the whole game wasn’t very memorable; just the last two minutes. The big storyline heading in was Buffalo coach Wade Phillips’ decision to start Rob Johnson over fan-favorite and all-around better player Doug Flutie. Johnson was a bit of an expert at the one-game audition, and had only started one game all season.
Johnson did not play well (10/22 for 131 yards), but a go-ahead touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter gave Buffalo a 13-12 lead.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Titans ran some clock and Al Del Greco kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:48 left. Buffalo started at their own 39, and moved the ball 38 yards to set up Steve Christie’s 41-yard field goal with 0:16 left.
A lead change that late usually spells doom, but the Titans had a play ready for the kick return. Lorenzo Neal pitched it back to Frank Wycheck, who threw a lateral (allegedly) back to Derrick Mason, who ran straight down the field for a 75-yard touchdown to stun the Bills.
Three lead changes after the two minute warning, but nothing will be remembered except for the “Music City Miracle.”
Miami at Seattle (box) – In Dan Marino’s farewell season, he took care of something he had never done before: win a road playoff game.
Miami trailed 17-13 in Seattle with 9:09 left. Taking over at his own 15, Marino would complete 4/7 passes for 84 yards, including conversions on 3rd-and-17 and 3rd-and-10.
The Seahawks would gain just 4 yards on their last two drives, and Jon Kitna threw an interception with 0:23 left on Seattle’s last gasp. Marino took a knee, and it would be the last victory of his career. It was also the record 36th fourth quarter comeback win of his career. The following week Miami would swing to the other end of the spectrum, losing 62-7 in Jacksonville in Marino’s final game.
2000s
The new millennium brought a slight change to the playoff format in 2002, with the new realignment of 8 division/32 teams.2000: Vanderjagt Makes His Mark
Miami vs. Indianapolis (box) – Right after Dan Marino’s retirement, the Dolphins were back in the playoffs and hosting the Colts. It was Jim Mora’s last attempt at winning a playoff game, which usually means another fourth quarter collapse.The Colts led 14-0 at halftime, but Miami would pull within 14-10 in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis matched their field goal, with Mike Vanderjagt making it from 50 yards to give the Colts a 17-10 lead.
With just under five minutes left, Jay Fielder took the field and had to go 80 yards. He completed 6/10 passes for 67 yards, while scrambling twice for 14 more yards on the drive. His 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Weaver tied the game with 0:34 left.
The game went to overtime, and the Dolphins punted on the first possession. The Colts would drive to the MIA 42, but were faced with an interesting decision. Peyton Manning passed 11 yards to Marvin Harrison on 3rd and 12, but the Dolphins were off sides. Rather than take the 5-yard penalty and replay a 3rd and 7, Mora took the result of the play, setting up a 49-yard field goal attempt, as he was reportedly coaxed by Vanderjagt to try.
With a chance to win the game, Vanderjagt was wide right, and that’s putting it kindly. The kick was nowhere close, and the Dolphins took over. Lamar Smith went to work, and he finished the game with 40 carries for 209 yards, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown in overtime.
Jim Mora went to 0-6 in the playoffs, and a legacy was growing with a certain liquored-up kicker from Indy.
2001: 49ers Hate Favre
Green Bay vs. San Francisco (box) – It was the first playoff meeting since the 1998 Wild Card classic, but like most of the battles between Favre’s Packers and the 49ers, it went Green Bay’s way. Since 1995, the Packers are 13-1 against the 49ers.If we were handing out awards for most forgettable Wild Card game-winning drive, this may be the one. Trailing 15-7 in the fourth quarter, Jeff Garcia led a 61-yard drive for the 49ers, ending with scoring passes to Tai Streets to tie the game at 15.
On the next drive Favre completed 5/7 passes for 44 yards, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 45-yard field goal. Garcia was intercepted, and the Packers went 93 yards in 8 plays for a game-clinching touchdown (25-15 final).
It was only his first playoff start, and Garcia would get a better hang of this Wild Card comeback thing the following season.
2002: Comeback Sunday
After two Saturday stinkers (games decided by a combined 68-7 margin), Sunday provided arguably the most riveting day of comebacks in NFL history.Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland (box) – Sometimes a game comes along that doesn’t look like much on paper, and it turns out to be something great. This AFC North rivalry had quarterbacks thought to be backups at season’s start in Kelly Holcomb and Tommy Maddox. They started in the postseason and combined for 796 yards, 6 TD and 69 points on the board.
The 2002 Steelers were exposed on pass defense in Week 1 by Bill Belichick’s Patriots, and it was a season-long problem. On the very first drive of the game, Holcomb threw an 83-yard pass to Kevin Johnson down to the 1 yard line, which was a precursor of things to come.
Cleveland took a 24-7 lead in the third quarter on the road, and things started looking bleak for Pittsburgh. The Steelers would make it 24-14, but Cleveland added a field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter for a 27-14 lead. Even after Maddox came back with a 65-yard touchdown drive, Holcomb responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 12.
The Browns led 33-21, and the Steelers had just 5:30 left on the clock. They took 10 plays to get in the end zone on a touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 3:06 left.
With a chance to run out the clock, the Browns threw an incomplete pass on second down. Then after a false start, Holcomb again threw incomplete, dropped by Dennis Northcutt. The Bruce Arians-coached offense took just 31 seconds off the clock, and that’s including the punt.
Maddox had 2:35 left to drive the field, and he completed a pair of passes to both Ward and Plaxico Burress. With the ball at the CLE 3, Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala ran it in on a draw play for the touchdown. Antwaan Randle El threw a two-point conversion pass to Jerame Tuman, and the Steelers had come back to take a 36-33 lead with 0:54 left.
Holcomb, who finished with 429 yard passing, still had a chance for the field goal, but his last pass went to Andre King at the PIT 29, and he was unable to get out of bounds. The clock expired, and the Steelers beat Cleveland for the third time on the season; each win by 3 points.
Of all the games in the Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry, none were more bitter for Cleveland fans, and none may have been as sweet for Pittsburgh fans.
San Francisco vs. NY Giants (box) – If you were wore out from the first game, then the emotional swing was even greater for the double-header in San Francisco. Kerry Collins threw 4 touchdowns in the first half, and the Giants would take a 38-14 lead with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
All comebacks have to start somewhere, and that’s when the 49ers finally went to work on offense. Jeff Garcia threw a 26-yard touchdown to Terrell Owens, who also caught the two-point conversion to make it 38-22.
The Giants went three and out, and a 15-yard personal foul gave the 49ers great field position at the New York 27. Garcia ran 14 yards for a touchdown and went back to Owens for another conversion to make it 38-30. Just like that it was a one-score game.
Another three and out by the Giants, and then the 49ers went 15 plays, but had to settle for a field goal and a 38-33 deficit. The Giants went for a 42-yard field goal, but Matt Bryant missed.
Garcia took over with 3:01 left, and completed 5 passes for 56 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to Tai Streets with 1:00 left. The two-point pass was intercepted, so the Giants trailed 39-38 with time for Collins to drive into field goal range.
Collins completed 3 passes for 34 yards, and the Giants came out to attempt a 40-yard game-winning field goal. Veteran long snapper Trey Junkin was brought in for this game to replaced the injured Dan O’Leary. The long snapper only gets mentioned for one reason, and that means a botched snap. Junkin blew the snap, and holder Matt Allen scrambled with the ball before throwing a pass down the field.
There was clear pass interference on the 49ers down the field, but it wasn’t called, and the Giants’ collapse was complete. Had a flag been thrown, the Giants would have had one untimed down to kick the field goal for the win.
As of this time, it remains the last playoff wins for the 49ers, and is the second largest comeback in playoff history.
2003: We’re Gonna Score
The 2003 Wild Card weekend started with a defensive struggle, and Sunday’s early game featured a defensive highlight for the ages.Tennessee at Baltimore (box) – If people question Joe Flacco in the playoffs, consider when the Ravens started Anthony Wright in this home playoff game. Wright actually was even statistically with co-MVP Steve McNair, which tells you about the kind of offensive struggle this game was.
Trailing 14-10, Wright was intercepted in the fourth quarter by future Raven Samari Rolle, which set up a field goal for the Titans. Wright overcame the mistake, by leading a 71-yard touchdown drive, capped off by Todd Heap’s 35-yard touchdown catch.
McNair’s deep ball was intercepted, but the Ravens went three and out. With 2:44 left, McNair got another chance and completed 4/4 passes for 28 yards. Gary Anderson made the 46-yard game-winning field goal with 0:29 left.
Wright’s last heave was incomplete, and the Titans grinded out the 20-17 win over their former AFC Central rival.
Green Bay vs. Seattle (box) – The 2003 playoffs were loaded with great moments, and one of the best games came at Lambeau Field. Mike Holmgren returned to his old stomping grounds with the Seahawks, and Matt Hasselbeck (former Green Bay QB) was starting his first playoff game.
With the running games shut down, both Hasselbeck and Favre passed for over 300 yards. The Packers trailed 20-13 to start the fourth quarter, but after converting a 4th and 1, Ahman Green scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Seattle went three and out, Green converted another 4th and 1, and went on to score another 1-yard touchdown, this time with 2:44 left.
Hasselbeck calmly guided the offense down the field, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by Shaun Alexander with 0:51 left. Favre drove the Packers into field goal range, but Ryan Longwell missed on a 47-yard attempt as time expired.
The game went to overtime, but before the kickoff, a confident Hasselbeck made a proclamation, picked up by the PA system that will always be part of his career story.
“We want the ball and we’re gonna score”, said Hasselbeck. They got the ball first, but went three and out. So did Green Bay, giving Hasselbeck a chance for a memorable game-winning drive. Instead, it was Al Harris jumping the route and intercepting Hasselbeck for a game-ending pick six.
Matt Hasselbeck remains the only quarterback in NFL history to throw an interception returned for a touchdown in overtime of a playoff game.
There’s only been one other playoff game ever decided by a defensive touchdown in overtime, and Green Bay was involved in that too (see below).
2004: Kaeding Makes His Mark
Wild Card Saturday in 2004 produced two exciting finishes, as Hasselbeck got another shot, and another “I’m really accurate in the regular season” kicker began to cement his legacy.St. Louis at Seattle (box) – The 2004 NFC was less than impressive once you got past the No. 1 seed Eagles. Two teams made the playoffs with an 8-8 record, but they each managed a road playoff win against a division rival. Minnesota would beat Green Bay, but before that it was the NFC West battle in Seattle.
The Rams led 17-13 to start the fourth quarter, but it only took three plays for Hasselbeck to find Darrell Jackson for a 23-yard touchdown. Marc Bulger put together an 11-play drive that went 60 yards for a tying field goal.
Seattle had to punt, and it was the Rams driving 76 yards on the road for a game-winning touchdown. Bulger found scantily used TE Cam Cleeland for a 17-yard touchdown with 2:11 left.
Seattle was down to 2:06, and needed 64 yards to tie. Hasselbeck easily moved the offense to the 11-yard line, but was sacked on first down. He threw incomplete on second down, then found Bobby Engram for a 12-yard gain.
That set up a 4th and 4 at the 5, with the game on the line. Hasselbeck had a slight chance to scramble for the touchdown, but threw a pass to Engram, who couldn’t make the catch in the end zone. Hasselbeck fell to the ground in frustration, as Seattle’s receivers had a major problem with dropped passes that season.
NY Jets at San Diego (box) – If Hasselbeck was upset with his receiver, how do you think the Chargers felt about their rookie kicker after this one?
The Chargers were a great surprise team of 2004, finishing 12-4. Drew Brees was making his first playoff start, but his Chargers trailed 17-7 to start the fourth quarter. Nate Kaeding would make a 35-yard field goal.
The Jets burned a lot of clock, but were unable to get close enough for a field goal. They punted, and Brees had 4:46 left to go 80 yards. After driving down to the NYJ 1, LaDainian Tomlinson was unable to punch it in, even losing a yard on third down. On 4th and 2, Brees dropped back to pass, but it was incomplete. However, Eric Barton was flagged for roughing the passer, leading to an automatic first down.
Brees threw the 1-yard touchdown to newfound stud Antonio Gates on the next play to force overtime. After each teams exchanged three and outs, the Chargers drove to the NYJ 22. Kaeding came on for the 40-yard attempt, but as has often been the case in Marty Schottenheimer’s career, the kicker missed. Kaeding was 17/20 from less than 50 yards in the regular season.
The Jets took their second life and Chad Pennington drove them into field goal range. Doug Brien had no problems with the 28-yard field goal to win the game.
Nate Kaeding is an abysmal 8/15 (53.3%) on field goals in the postseason. This was the first big miss on his resume. But Jets fans can’t celebrate too much, as he passed a bug on to Doug Brien for the following week’s game in Pittsburgh.
2006: The Hold
2006’s Wild Card weekend featured three NFC East teams in action, and one player would make a mistake that haunts him to this very day.Seattle vs. Dallas (box) – Tony Romo. Botched Hold. Choke. Isn’t that about all that needs to be said? This game has already been looked at this season, and nothing’s changed. Dallas was leading 20-13 in the fourth quarter until Terry Glenn’s fumble led to a safety for Seattle.
Seattle used the short field to their advantage as Hasselbeck found Jerramy Stevens for a 37-yard touchdown pass. Seattle led 21-20 after the two-point conversion failed.
That’s when Dallas attempted to drive for the winning score. Jason Witten’s first down catch at the 1-yard line was overturned, bringing up a fourth down. Dallas went for the game-winning field goal, but Romo couldn’t get the hold down, and was tackled short of the end zone. Seattle punted, and his Hail Mary from midfield was incomplete.
It’s the kind of playoff debut that can haunt a whole career, which it has for Romo because he’s only won one playoff game. His counterpart Matt Hasselbeck made a worse play in his playoff debut, but since he reached the Super Bowl, there is less reason to criticize him in the playoffs, fair or not.
Philadelphia vs. NY Giants (box) – This NFC East battle was so close statistically, that it’s not surprising the team with the ball last won. Eli Manning and Jeff Garcia put up about the same numbers, while Tiki Barber (in his last game) and Brian Westbrook both had stellar days on the ground.
The Giants trailed 20-10 to start the fourth quarter, but added a field goal on the second play. After an Eagles punt, the Giants went on a 13 play, 80-yard drive that ended with Eli’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 5:04 left.
Philadelphia was able to burn the rest of the clock and set David Akers up for the 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Westbrook rushed for 33 of the 46 yards gained on the drive.
2007: Jaguars Avoid Collapse
2007’s Wild Card Saturday saw two teams lose double-digit leads in the fourth quarter, only to regain them in the nick of time.Seattle vs. Washington (box) – The 2007 Redskins were a surprise playoff team that only got in on the final week of the season. The Seahawks were a declining perennial division winner trying one last time to win a Super Bowl.
Seattle led 13-0 after three quarters, but it was the first play of the fourth quarter when Todd Collins threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Antwaan Randle El. Yes, you may recall Collins became the late-season starter for the Redskins after replacing an injured Jason Campbell. He was even named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December. No, really.
Two plays later, Hasselbeck was intercepted. It only took Washington three plays to take the lead, as Collins hit Santana Moss with a 30-yard touchdown. Seattle continued the downward spiral by falling asleep on the kick return, which was recovered by Washington.
That’s when Shaun Suisham missed a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead, and exactly why Suisham draws the ire of football fans wherever he plays. Hasselbeck again was intercepted, but Washington went three and out.
Having good field position, Hasselbeck got things together and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Hackett with 6:06 left. The two-point conversion to Marcus Pollard was good, and Seattle led 21-14.
After a good return to start at their own 44, the comeback attempt was quickly thwarted as Collins was intercepted by Marcus Trufant, who returned it 78 yards for a touchdown. Collins would then come back to throw three straight incompletions at the SEA 31, turning the ball over on downs.
Seattle went three and out, and Collins’ last gasp in the final minute was also returned 57 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Washington went from trailing by 13, to leading by 1, then to finally losing by 21.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (box) – Late in the regular season Jacksonville went to Pittsburgh, led 22-7 in the fourth quarter, the Steelers rallied to tie, and the Jaguars went on to score the winning touchdown.
A similar formula would take place in the Wild Card meeting. Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions in the second quarter, and the Steelers fell behind 28-10 in the second half.
As the fourth quarter began, the Steelers were faced with a 4th and 12 at the JAX 37. Roethlisberger’s quick slant to Santonio Holmes produced a touchdown to get Pittsburgh back in the game.
Jacksonville went three and out, and the Steelers marched 69 yards for another touchdown, but their two-point conversion was unsuccessful after a penalty. David Garrard, having thrown 3 INT all season, threw one, and the Steelers only had to go 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. But again, their two-point conversion failed, and they led 29-28.
The Jaguars punted, but the Steelers went conservative and had to punt after not getting a first down. With 2:38 left, Garrard had the ball at his own 49 to start the drive, but would quickly face a 4th and 2. He was able to scramble for 32 yards down to the PIT 11.
The scramble set up Josh Scobee for the 25-yard game-winning field goal. The Steelers had 0:29 left, but Roethlisberger was sacked for the 6th time in the game, and fumbled the ball. The 18-point collapse in the fourth quarter would have been the biggest in postseason history, but Jacksonville erased it thanks to their quarterback’s legs. Well, also the blatant holding they got away with on the play as well.
It was the first time a team ever won at Pittsburgh twice in the same season.
2008: The Night of the Punter
San Diego vs. Indianapolis (box) – If there’s ever been a playoff game where a punter was the difference, this would be the one. San Diego’s Mike Scifres punted 6 times with an average net of 51.7 yards.More than that, Scifres pinned the Colts at their own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9, and 1 with his punts. The Colts’ average starting field position was their own 15.7, which is the lowest in the playoffs in more than a decade.
San Diego only trailed 17-14 to start the fourth quarter, but Philip Rivers threw an interception. The Colts burned over six minutes off the clock, and with 5:58 left, the Chargers had the ball back. Robert Mathis would sack Rivers on third down, forcing a late punt.
Scifres saved his best punt for last. His 52-yard punt pinned the Colts at their own 1-yard line with 2:41 left. After two runs, the Colts faced a 3rd and 2 at their own 9 just before the two-minute warning. They went to an empty backfield, and rookie TE Gijon Robinson forgot the snap count, leading to Tim Dobbins coming around the edge for a sack on Manning back at the IND 1.
The Colts punted, and San Diego started at the IND 38. Unable to get the touchdown, they settled for the 26-yard tying field goal. Nate Kaeding can make that kick.
The game would go to overtime, where San Diego won the coin toss. After the Colts aided them with three defensive penalties on the drive, Darren Sproles ran 22 yards for the game-winning touchdown. The Colts lost 23-17 in overtime much like their 2000 Wild Card loss in Miami. Sproles finished with 105 yards rushing, and 328 all-purpose yards on a career night.
A career night from your punter and scatback can be enough to get the job done.
2009: Record-Setting Desert Shootout
Arizona vs. Green Bay (box) – The highest scoring game in playoff history looked like it was going to be all Arizona early on. The Cardinals led 31-10 in the third quarter after Kurt Warner threw his third touchdown pass.The Packers quickly got back into the game after Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes on consecutive drives, with an onside kick recovery in between. The offensive shootout was in full force, as Warner answered right back with a 73-yard touchdown drive on just three plays.
To start the fourth quarter, Rodgers threw a 30-yard touchdown to James Jones on a 4th and 5. Arizona finally punted, and three plays later the Packers tied the game on John Kuhn’s 1-yard touchdown run.
The Cardinals would go 80 yards, with Warner throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Steve Breaston. With 4:45 left, Rodgers answered back with a 71-yard touchdown drive, ending with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Havner with 1:52 left.
That’s plenty of time, and Warner drove the Cardinals into field goal range with seconds left. Neil Rackers came on for the 34-yard attempt, but he was wide left, and the game would go to overtime.
If there was ever a game where the coin-toss winner was going to win the game, this would be the one. Green Bay won the coin toss, and could have ended the game on the first snap from scrimmage, but Rodgers missed Greg Jennings down the field.
Two plays later, of all things, but defense decided to show up for the first time since the game started. Michael Adams sacked Rodgers, who fumbled, and Karlos Dansby returned it 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
After 90 points in regulation, it was a defensive score that won the game, and just the second defensive score in overtime in playoff history.
2010: Manning’s Indy Finale?
NY Jets at Indianapolis (box) – It was a rematch of the 2009 AFC Championship. The Jets trailed 10-7 to start the fourth quarter, but their 17 play, 87-yard touchdown drive consumed nearly ten minutes on the clock, and it ended with LaDainian Tomlinson’s 1-yard touchdown run.The Colts went on a 67-yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The Jets appeared to be stopped on a three and out, but the Colts were flagged for running into the kicker. They would punt with 2:36 left.
Peyton Manning only needed a field goal for the lead, and he moved the offense 48 yards. Vinatieri added to his legacy with a 50-yard field goal right down the middle with 0:53 left. Little did we know at the time that this could have been the last drive Manning ever had with the Colts, or in the NFL period. Perhaps it’s only fitting it would be a go-ahead field goal drive for his team.
But it wouldn’t become a game-winning drive.
The Jets made a big play on special teams, as Antonio Cromartie returned the kickoff 47 yards to his own 46. Mark Sanchez completed a pass to Holmes that put the ball at the IND 34, then the Jets decided to run the ball. Jim Caldwell would call timeout for the Colts, and it allowed the Jets to plan a pass play.
Braylon Edwards caught an 18-yard pass down to the 14, and the Jets ran the clock down. Nick Folk came out and nailed the 32-yard field goal for the win. It was the second lead change in the final minute.
2011 Wild Card Preview
If it’s a close game, some notes to know:Cincinnati – 5 of the Bengals’ 9 wins were fourth quarter comebacks, but only one of the 9 wins came against a team with a winning record. Marvin Lewis is a combined 0-6 in games played in Week 17 (0-4) with a playoff spot/seed on the line and in the postseason (0-2)
Houston – Team’s last win was 13-point comeback in Cincinnati in Week 14. T.J. Yates became first rookie since 1968 (Virgil Carter) to lead a game-winning drive in his first two starts. Led 80-yard game-winning touchdown drive with 0:02 left at Cincinnati.
The pick: Houston 20, Cincinnati 17.
Detroit – Have come back to win after trailing by 13+ points in 4 games this season (a record 3 times from 17+ point deficits). Cut 24-7 deficit to 24-17 at New Orleans this season.
New Orleans – Average 41.1 PPG at home this season, and have only had two games where a fourth quarter comeback opportunity happened on either side of the ball (came back to beat Houston, held off Detroit).
The pick: New Orleans 41, Detroit 31.
Atlanta – Matt Ryan has a record 16 game-winning drives in the first four seasons of his career, but is 0-2 in playoff starts. Threw 2 TD passes in fourth quarter to force overtime in last meeting at Giants. Has not had ball in fourth quarter, trailing by one score in two career playoff losses.
NY Giants – All playoff wins in Coughlin/Manning era from 2007 (4-0). They are 0-3 in their other playoff games. Eli Manning has record 15 touchdown passes in fourth quarter this season, and a league-leading 6 game-winning drives. Led GWD in overtime against Atlanta on 11/22/2009 in last meeting.
The pick: NY Giants 27, Atlanta 23
Pittsburgh – Team has scored a record 20+ points in all 13 of Ben Roethlisberger’s playoff starts (15 overall dating back to 2002). Roethlisberger has career-low 1 fourth quarter win in 2011 (at least two in previous 7 seasons).
Denver – 7 wins with Tim Tebow featured 6 games decided by scores in the fourth quarter/overtime. Pittsburgh’s defense has suffered league-worst 7 losses by allowing game-winning points in the last 0:37 of the fourth quarter since 2007. Denver’s last four wins of the season came when trailing after the two-minute warning.
The pick: Pittsburgh 14, Denver 10
Scott Kacsmar is a football researcher/writer who has contributed large quantities of data to Pro-Football-Reference.com, including the only standardized database of fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives. Did you notice a trend of some of the same teams suffering Wild Card heartbreak? Championship teams usually haven’t played on this week. You can send any questions or comments to Scott at smk_42@yahoo.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @CaptainComeback.
Read more: 2011 NFL Playoffs, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Buffalo Bills, Captain Comeback, Dan Marino, Drew Brees, Fourth Quarter Comebacks, Frank Reich, Game-Winning Drives, Houston Oilers, Joe Montana, Kurt Warner, Marty Schottenheimer, music city miracle, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon, Wild Card
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