Any NFL fan knows that playoff football is the most exciting sport there is to watch. It’s a fresh start to the teams that squeaked into the playoffs, and a chance to show power to the teams that earned a bye. The running is faster, the hitting is harder, and the best of the best step up to get a chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy in the Super Bowl.
There are tens of hundreds of plays throughout the playoffs, but here are my Top 5 NFL playoff moments of all time.
In the 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Colts and Steelers, No. 5 could be considered one of the best tackles by a quarterback, ever. With the Steelers leading the game 21-18 and on the Indianapolis 2-yard line with 1:20 left in the game, Steelers’ Jerome Bettis had an easy “hit the line hard for a touchdown” type play. Bettis would receive the handoff and be hit hard at the line by Colts’ Gary Brackett, fumbling the ball. Indianapolis defensive back Nick Harper recovered the ball with 98 yards of freedom to the end zone, but not with Big Ben Roethlisberger on the field. He would make what would be the game winning tackle at the Colts’ 45. This would lead to a missed 46-yard field goal by normally sure footed Mike Vanderjagt, and the Steelers sealing the deal with a 21-18 victory.
Being the week of the infamous Tuck Rule ten year anniversary, No. 4 comes in with the snowy AFC divisional playoff game between the Patriots and Raiders. The Patriots were trailing 13-10 in Raider territory with less than two minutes left to play in the game. Raider cornerback Charles Woodson would make a tackle of quarterback Tom Brady that would have appeared to cause a fumble with the Raiders recovering and the Patriots Super Bowl hopes over. The play would then be reviewed and resulted in overturning the call, with the controversial “Tuck Rule” putting the ball back in Brady’s hands to lead his team downfield and Adam Vinateri kicking a 45-yard field goal for the win.
No. 3 comes in with legendary quarterback Joe Montana is trailing 27-10 with just under five minutes left to play in the 1981 NFC Championship game against the Cowboys. Montana received the ball at his own 11-yard line and drove his offense 83 yards to make the play that is most often known as “The Catch,” a 6-yard throw off of his back foot to Dwight Clark for the game winning touchdown with only 51 seconds to play.
Many people can remember No. 2 being called “The Music City Miracle” in the 1999 AFC Wild Card game between the Bills and Titans. Buffalo would lead the Titans 16-15 with only 16 seconds left in the game, and the Bills prematurely celebrating a playoff win when a miracle happened. Titans’ Lorenzo Neal caught the ensuing kickoff at the 25-yard line, and would then hand off the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck who would then throw up a last second lateral to wide receiver Kevin Dyson who ran 75 yards down the field untouched for the game winning touchdown with only 3 seconds left to play. This win would put the Titans into their first ever Super Bowl of all time.
At No.1, who could forget the play deemed the best moment in NFL history for years when Franco Harris made the play called “The Immaculate Reception.” In the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoffs between the Raiders and Steelers, Pittsburgh trailed 7-6 with 1:17 left in the game. On a Hail Mary attempt to win the game with 22 seconds left to play, Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw heaved up a ball downfield that would be knocked down by Raiders’ Jack Tatum, and sending the ball toward the ground when Franco Harris scooped it up before it hitting the ground. Harris would run for a 60-yard game winning touchdown putting the Steelers ahead 13-7 with five seconds left to play in the game.
