Going for Greinke

I was pretty sure the Astros were going to do something. I thought it might have been Syndergaard at first. In the end it was Greinke, a 35-year old pitching savant that is aging like a fine wine - someone unlike his new teammate who is aging like a powerful batch of scotch. Obviously I feel excited about this development.

The Astros were already a really good team, but had one serious flaw being their stunning lack of starting pitching depth. Now they need less depth than most because of how good Verlander and Cole are, but depth is damn important. They won the 2017 World Series because their surplus of starters turned into good relievers which was doubly needed when their regular receivers went to shit. That may get to happen here, but it will be even better when the Astros have their good starters anyway.

That isn't to say this is a 100% win, both in terms of its on-the-field impact, and my mental state as a fan of the team. For the on-the-field part, this is a clear win in 2019. That is undebateable. Assuming no injuries or serious regression, they have the clear best #1-3 in baseball. Greinke will be there next year. They didn't give up anything that would impact their chances in 2019. There's even a chance none of those guys would make an impact in 2020 - specifically Beer who is blocked and Moran who is recovering from TJ.

But what this likely means is Gerrit Cole is gone after this season. He probably was going to be gone anyway, but there was a chance the Astros would pony up the $30-35m it would take to sign a great, durable, pitcher in his prime. Instead, they'll put all the eggs in the "hope Verlander and Greinke continue to age well + McCullers returns well from TJ" basket. That's still a good basket, a better one that was able to still win the World Series in 2017, but having to lose Cole is not fun.

From a personal standpoint, I hate having all the expectations. I hate being the enemy, the juggernaut, the team people expect to win. There is no doubt that the Astros are the favorite now. That should be great, but the true favorite hasn't won the World Series in a while (forget last year for a second). The Astros were truly great in 2017, with a silently historically good offense, but they weren;t the favorite - the Dodgers were.

I don't think the Astros are necessarily seen as a Yankees type team that generates mass hate and derision - but they're close, be it the (deservedly) smug attitude their front office takes at times, or their smarter than everyone else approach - which again is well deserved. Jeff Luhnow pulled off his second trade deadline coup in three years. The first time it ended with a World Series title. It might do so this time as well.

I also want to look at the macro view of where the Astros are now versus four years ago, when they surprisingly won the Wild Card, and also made a deadline deal - the first sign they thought they had arrived and got to a point where they should be buyers.

I wrote at the time how I was happy how Jeff Luhnow was not mortgaging the future in what ended up being fairly bad trades for Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers and Scott Kazmir. That trade didn't really work out - the best player somehow ended up being Mike Fiers, but they gave up nothing.

Four years later, teh incentives are different. The Astros are more ready to mortgage the future. They can trade three prospects that they wouldn't have dreamed of parting with four years ago. But do you know what I love a about Luhnow is that this isn't just for 2019. This is for 2020, bolstering a rotation that may get worse with Cole leaving. This is also picking up Sanchez who they will hope to resurrect the way they did Morton. This is about timing the expiry of Greinke and Verlander's deals when they'll be 37 and 38, and Correa is up for an extension. This is holding on to Whitley and Tucker in the hope they can fulfill the promise everyone was hoping they would.

In the end, it is still more likely than not the Astros don't win the World Series, but it is so good to have a team know they are in a special run and want to maximize it. It is so good to have a GM that is creative and active and still prioritizes sustainability. And it is so good to have Zack Greinke, that effing wizard, on your team.

Seventeen Years of the NFL: Ranking the Divisional Games, Pt. 3

Tier VI – The Great Games

15.) 2007 NFC Divisional – (N5) Giants 21 @ (N1) Cowboys 17

Review: It was a long time ago when Tony Romo was universally more accepted as a better quarterback than Eli Manning.This is where it all turned around. After a 13-3 season, the Cowboys were riding high as prohibitive favorites. They looked the part on offense, scoring TDs on back-to-back 90+ yard drives in the 1st half, including a 20 play, 12 minute monster to make it 14-7. What the Giants lacked in haste, they made up with brevity, scoring in 1:10 to tie it up. Then came an epic Greek Play of a 2nd half. After not making a dent on Romo, the Giants unleashed a furious pass rush just as the Cowboys o-line lost its edge. Romo ran for his life in the 4th quarter. The Giants put up just 85 yards of offense in the 2nd half, but capitalized on every little mistake the Cowboys made. In the end, the Giants picked off Romo in the end zone as the game ended, a fitting way to end to "critically acclaimed" portion of Romo's career, and start the "maddeningly inconsistent" era. For the Giants, they claimed their first '#1 seed' scalp of this run. Their d-line built off that momentum and hasn't really stopped since.

Interesting/Memorable Play: On both of Romo's sacks, he had ample time to throw the ball away, rolling  out to escape the initial burst of pressure, but he held onto the ball which allowed the Giants defense to reach him. Of course, later in the 4th quarter, Romo finally did throw the ball away when pressured, but he didn't leave the pocket, and it was flagged as intentional grounding.

 
Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the first time that the NFC's #1 seed lost its opening playoff game since 1987, when the Vikings upset the 49ers. For 19 straight years, the #1 seed won. Of course, starting with this game, four of the last five top seeds in the NFC lost their opening playoff game, with only the 2009 Saints avoiding that infamy.

14.) 2003 NFC Divisional – (N3) Panthers 29 @ (N2) Rams 23(2OT)

Review: In a game that was a battle of attrition than anything else, the NFL had a double-OT game for the second time in NFL history. The game was marked by Marc Bulger's erratic play for the first 45 minutes, during which Mike Martz reportedly asked Warner to come in, which he declined. In that time, Bulger threw three interceptions, and despite losing the turnover battle and yardage battle, the Rams were able to muster out three four field goals and force three from Carolina to enter the 4th quarter at 16-12. Then, after a Carolina TD by DeShaun Foster (who replaced an injured Stephen Davis after a 50-yard run), the Rams finally awoke. Using mainly Marshall Faulk out of the backfield, the Rams scored a TD and added a 2-point conversion. Then, they recovered one of the few (non-surprise) onside kicks in recent memory. The Rams were in great position to steal the game, down just 23-20 with over two minutes left, when the notoriously aggressive Martz decided to not risk Bulger throwing another interception and run out the clock and kick a 5th field goal. And that was just regulation. Both teams missed field goals in the first OT, and then on the first play of the 2nd OT, Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith in stride for a 66-yard TD to end the 2nd longest game in NFL history.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The Panthers first TD came when Jake Delhomme was sack-fimbled by Leonard Little at the 6-yard line. The fumble rolled all the way into the End Zone, where it was recovered by Muhsin Muhammad.

13.) 2007 AFC Divisional – (A3) Chargers 28 @ (A2) Colts 24

Review: This game was maybe the most immediately painful Colts loss. As time goes on, I’ve come to accept that the Patriots would have beaten the Colts 34-20, but I would have wanted them. With Dwight Freeney injured and out, and Robert Mathis limited, the Colts had absolutely no pass rush, and the Chargers just lit up the Colts defense. The game is notable for Rivers tearing his ACL and being replaced by Volek, but prior to the tear, Rivers was having an awesome game, going 14-19 for 264 yards and 3 TDs with 1 INT. Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers abused the Colts smaller corners, and the hammer was Darren Sproles 56 yard screen pass for a TD as the 3^rd quarter expired. That said, Manning was basically as good. After seeing Brady’s 26-28 performance the night before, Manning started completing his first 16 throws. The game turned on Marvin Harrison's fumble, an obvious sign of rust after missing the last eight regular season games. The Colts were inside the red zone up 7-0 after picking off Rivers. From that moment, the game was as tight as could be. Phil Riveres had to leave, and Billy Volek led a game-winning drive, led in large part by Legedu Naanee. As for the Colts, Manning threw for 402 yards, but threw two key interceptions on passes that first touched the hands of Colts player. It was that kind of day. The Colts did everything but win, but considering the people who weren't on the field by the end for the Chargers, they absolutely deserved it.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The first sign that this was an odd game was right before the half, with the Colts driving near midfield up 10-7, Manning was intercepted near the 10 when his pass deflected off of Reggie Wayne's hands. Antonio Cromartie returned it 90 yards, but a highly debatable holding call was made on the return.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: The 2nd interception was even unluckier, as driving at the Chargers 5, facing 3rd-and-goal, Manning threw a screen pass to Kenton Keith. It bounced off his hands, right into the hands of Eric Weddle, who was engaged in a block at the time. It was that kind of day.

12.) 2006 NFC Divisional – (N4) Seahawks 24 @ (N1) Bears 27(OT)

Review: Before the game, all the talk was about Rex Grossman, the embattled QB of the Bears. He had finished the regular season, in a game that admittedly meant nothing for the Bears, with a tidy 0.0 passer rating. Grossman wasn't perfect in this game, but was about as good as he could have been, going 21-38 for 272 yards and a TD, with just one interception. The game itself was a battle between a resourceful Seahawks team trying to keep their crown, and a Bears team adjusting to life without Tommie Harris. The Seahawks played about as gutty as they could have. Shaun Alexander had a rare great playoff game, going for 108 yards on 26 carries and two scores against a great defense. Mike Holmgren was risky, going for it twice on 4th down, including one where Alexander ran a draw in for a TD. As for the Bears, their offense was dynamite for a half, as they too scored a rushing TD on 4th down, and Rex hit Bernard Berrian with a perfect rainbow for a 68-yard score. The Bears defense then took over late in the 2nd half, holding the Seahawks out of field goal range with a great Lance Briggs stop. In OT, Grossman had another pretty pass to Rashied Davis, and Robbie Gould ended it, kicking a ultra-clutch 49-yard field goal on a 10 degree day. It was a battle between two flawed teams that at their best were probably the two best in the NFC in 2006, and they made it count with a special game in great January Football conditions at Soldier Feild.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Devin Hester had an interesting day. He muffed three punts, but recovered them all himself, and on the 3rd, he took the recoverd muff 66 yards for a TD, but it was called back on a penalty.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: This game is notable for two NFL on FOX infamous memories. First, was a beautifully timed promo for '24' with 0:24 left in the 4th quarter with the game tied 24-24. The other was Joe Buck, who was describing Charles Tillman wearing cleats with 5/8" spikes, and asking, seemingly honestly, if 5/8" spikes were longer or shorter than 1/2".

11.) 2006 NFC Divisional – (N3) Eagles 24 @ (N2) Saints 27

Review: This game was the really the playoff game that helped rebuild New Orleans. The 2006 Saints were a miracle team, with Sean Payton and Drew Brees combining to lift a 3-13 team to 10-6. The Eagles themselves were something of a Cinderella Story as well, with the team at 5-5 when Donovan McNabb got hurt. Jeff Garcia replaced him and led the team to a a 5-1 record down the stretch to steal the NFC East. The game itself was extremely well played. Brian Westbrook was a monster, running for 116 yards on 13 carries, including a 62-yarder to make it 21-13 early in the 3rd. The real star, though, was Duece McAlister. After a long Saints career, Reggie Bush was brought in as the new star, and although Reggie had a nice game, Duece had the most memorable game of his career. McAlister had 143 yards on 21 carries, and caught a TD to make it 27-21 in the 4th. The Eagles had a good chance to take the lead back with about 5 minutes to go, but their drive stalled at the Saints 6. Then, needing just to run clock to win the game, Sean Payton called for a pitchback to Bush, which never reached Bush. The Eagles recovered in great shape to kick a game-tying field goal, but when a holding call turned a converted 4th and 5 into a 4th and 15, Andy Reid decided to punt. This time, the Saints got their requisite 1st down and ran out the clock, bringing forth one of the best celebratory crowds in NFL history.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Reggie Bush had a good game overall (52 yards on 12 carries with a TD), but had a great "Welcome to the NFL" moment, when Sheldon Brown absolutely hammered him on a Brees swing pass.

10.) 2014 AFC Divisional - (A6) Ravens 31 @ (A1) Patriots 35

Review: I had to convince myself to give this game the ranking it deserved, ahead of those two games that I really love from 2006. In the end, though, as much as I hated the outcome, and as much as the Patriots eligible-receiver shenanigans marred some of the game, it truly was a fantastic contest. The Patriots started out slow, giving up back-to-back TDs to the Ravens, and then nearly losing the ball on teh ensuing kick-off. Had that fumble been recovered by Baltimore, this may have been a repeat of the 33-14 thrashing they laid on the Patriots in 2009. Instead, that fumble turned into a TD and the game turned into a classic. Joe Flacco was on fire for much of the game, firing four TDs that were all on well designed plays, but two costly interceptions helped to blow two different 14-point leads. That said, the Patriots earned those comebacks, with some great play by Brady, and a fantastic swing-to-WR-pass from Edelman to Amendola. It shows just how much the Patriots respected and feared the Ravens that they had to play awfully tricky to win this game. In the end, a Flacco interception on a needlessly silly deep ball ended what could have been a game-winning TD drive, and the Patriots moved on to ring #4. Still, we were very close to this being a laugher. While I would have loved that outcome, the world got the benefit of this outcome.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The first fumble could have widened the gap to a deficit of too much, but the real turning point of the game was a completion by Brady and 3rd and 8 following the Baltimore score to make it 14-0; that completion gained a first down that ended up being a TD that brought the Patriots back to life.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: The real fumble though was one recovered by Baltimore at the New England 40 with 9:00 to go up 31-28. The play was then overturned as Shane Vereen's knee was just down in time. Still, that may not have ended the game, but the Ravens came that close to pulling it off.


9.) 2016 NFC Divisional - (N4) Packers 34 @ (N1) Cowboys 31

Review: It is hard to really think that this game should not be higher up. You have two of the bluest-of-blood teams matching up, and it ending with three straight 50+ yard field goals to take the lead, tie the game, and re-take it for good at the gun. The only reason it is not higher up is because the Divisional Round has given us a few games that match up, and for most of the game it wasn't that close. The Cowboys took a while to get going, trailing 21-3 early in the second quarter. They would then go on a 25-7 run to draw level at 28-28. To that point, you had Ty Montgomery rushing for two TDs, Aaron Rodgers being Aaron Rodgers, and Dez Bryant catching two TDs from Dak Prescott, who went from frazzled rookie in a playoff game to brilliant leader in about a quarter. The game ended with a stirring finish. First, the Packers had 1st and 10 at the Cowboys 33 with 1:52 to go, but lost five yards on a run, and needed Mason Crosby to hit a 56-yarder to take a 31-28 lead. He did. Then Dallas quickly got to the Packers 40, but managed just seven yards around two Prescott incompletions. Dan Bailey hit the 51 yarder, but left 0:35 on the clock. That was enough time for Rodgers to roll to his left on 3rd and 20 and fire a perfect 36 ayrd pass across his body to Jared Cook who made a brillaint catch on the sidelines. All to set up a 51-yard field goal that Crosby nailed. It was a brillaint last three minutes to cap a fairly great first 57.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: After a spate of upsets from 2005-2012 in the divisional round, the Cowboys loss would make them the only #1 seed to lose its Divisional Round game from 2013-2017. The top teams have taken over, seen by four different #1 seed vs. #1 seed Super Bowls in those five years (2016 being the exception with Atlanta making it), but the Cowboys, hilariously, didn't get the message.

Interesting/Memorable Play: I mentioned it already, but really I can't get enough of how ridiculous that Rodgers to Cook play was. Generally, great, memorable passing plays are either memorable for the throw or the catch, not both (Eli Manning's throws to Tyree and Manningham being exceptions). Here, Rodgers ability to throw across his body while rolling left as a right-hander (something basically impossible for most NFL QB's) was insane. For Cook, his sliding catch was nearly as great. It took something special for the Packers to pull this one out.

8.) 2015 NFC Divisional - (N5) Packers 20 @ (N2) Cardinals 26 (OT)

Review: Much like the game about to come, what was an slightly above average 50 minutes was redeemed by an absolute bananas last 10 + OT, as the Packers and Cardinals staged a classic with one of the great endings ever. For those first 50 minutes, the undermanned Packers, who lost Randall Cobb midway, were somehow beating the Cardinals. The Packers gave up the first score, but put up 13 straight points by the guile of Rodgers, a resurgent Eddie Lacy, and timely, great coverage against the Cardinals great passing attack. A slightly off Palmer didn't help matters, but somewhere around the 3rd quarter, Palmer started clicking. The Cardinals took the lead 17-13 with 3:50 to go after a nice 80-yard drive, and that is when the madness started. First, it was a turnover on downs, and a controversial decision by throw on 2nd down stopping the clock. Still, the Packers needed a 4th and 20 roll-out and bomb to Jeff Janis from the 4-yard line for 60 yards, and a Hail Mary for 41 yards just to send the game to OT. The 4h and 20 throw may have been the greatest play by Rodgers in his long career of absolutely brilliance. However, the game would end quickly, with the Cardinals needing just two plays in OT to get a TD, both as good as the next. The first was Palmer doing his own Houdini act to avoid a sack and throw back against his body to Fitz for a catch and run for 76 yards. And then two plays later, a perfectly called shovel pass to Fitz for the game ender. It was a perfect designed play for teh Cardinals to finally put away a game Packers squad in an instant, and completely unexpected classic in the desert.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game only needed OT because of the Hail Mary, where teh Cardinal did the interesting and blitzed Rodgers with 7 guys, leaving 4 back in coverage. They nearly got to Rodgers, but he escaped and launched his heave. Still, the Cardinals had two men on Janis and couldn't pull the ball away.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The coin toss will always be memorable for referee Clete Blakeman rightfuly being called out for not actually flipping the coin. It was shocking how quickly the Packers noticed this as it is something I have ever seen before. Had the Packers won the re-toss, it would have been a huge controversy.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the 4th time the Packers were beaten in OT in the playoffs in 9 years (''07, '09, '14, '15), and they were all ridiculously quick executions. They lasted just 2:26 (L, NYG), 1:10 (L, ARZ), 3:11 (L, SEA), and 1:00 (L, ARZ).

7.) 2003 NFC Divisional – (N4) Packers 17 @ (N1) Eagles 20(OT)

Review: One play from this game will live in the NFL lore. 4th and 26 will never be forgotten. Other than a certain play that is in the #1 game, 4th and 26 was probably the most famous play in the Divisional Round during this time period. Donovan McNabb's laser pass to Freddie Mitchell (who, amazingly caught the pass) who beat the Cover-2 picked up 27 yards. It was an insane play, a last desperate attempt to salvage what had been an interesting, but still successful season for the Eagles. The game that preceded it, though, harkened back to football in the 1990's. The QBs weren't deadly accurate. The run games were incredible. Ahman Green ran for 156 yards on 25 carries. McNabb ran for a QB-playoff-record 107 yards on 11 carries. The Packers pass rush was dominant, sacking McNabb eight times. The Game itself was a microcosm of the Eagles season, which started with back-to-back home losses with a combined score of 48-10, and ended with an 11-game win streak. The Packers scored two TDs on long passes from Favre to Robert Ferguson. The Eagles slowly chipped their way back in. They controlled Favre and the offense, and McNabb started his game in earnest. Running his way through the Packers pass rush, McNabb capped the comeback with a brilliant scramble-and-throw to Todd Pinkston. They traded Field Goals, and on the first pass of overtime, Favre threw the first of many duck interceptions in OT in the first play. The Eagles ran a solid drive, allowing Akers to kick an easy 31-yard field goal to end it. Overall, it was the best game of a great weekend of football (the other games were decided by 6, 3 and 7), and the Eagles ended the magic-carpet ride of Favre, who had lost his father four weeks earlier, and the Packers.

Interesting/Memorable Plays: The Packers had eight sacks made by seven players. They represent a mix  of good players and absolute nobodies. Just look at this list of names: Aaron Kampman (2), Marques Anderson(?), Nai'l Diggs, Bahwoe Jue(?), Mike McKenzie, Chukie Nwokorie(?), and Darren Sharper.

Tier VII – The Epics

6.) 2017 NFC Divisional - (N4) Saints 24 @ (N2) Vikings 29

Review: Stories will get written about this game. Maybe not as many as there should be since Minnesota lost badly the next week, but my God was their win over New Orleans special. It went from 30 minutes of Minnesota establishing dominance, with them sacking Brees twice and picking him off twice in the first half, to a tussle between two great teams in teh second. Of course, then you have that ridiculous ending, where four times the lead changes hands from 3:05 onwards. When Drew Brees got the snap with 3:05 to go, the Vikings were clinging to a 20-14 lead. The game ended 29-23. The only game to come close to this type of late drama is at #3 on this list, a game Brees lost as well. The Vikings got a field goal to make it 23-21, but left Brees 1:29. The Saints would get all the way to a 3rd and 1 at the Vikings 24, when the game hung in the balance. One yard, and the Saints would get a 1st down and be able to run down the clock. Brees had been on fire in the second half, converting a 4th and 10 minutes earlier, but the Saints decided to run it. Alvin Kamara was stoned. The Vikings had 0:25 to comeback, and they did so, with a play that will go down in infamy. Stefon Diggs catch and run may have been somewhat lucky, with rookie Marcus Williams taking a regrettable angle, but even if he didn't, Diggs catch sets up the Vikings for a game winning field goal. Instead, it was Diggs acrobatics that got everyone out of their seat, one of the great moments in NFL history. The Vikings won their first playoff game in their new digs, and while they couldn't win next week to play a Super Bowl in those digs, they made a lasting memory in the annals of the NFL due to the acrobatics of Stefon Diggs.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: It's worth repeating, there have been two playoff games since 2002 realignment to feature four different lead changes, and Drew Brees has been on the losing end of each one. Brees pur the Saints ahead twice in the fourth quarter, and lost. No non-Brees QB has ever done that since 2002 realignment.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game winning play was special because of what it bore. There are so many camera angles for that brilliance, including NFL Films' field level one where USBank Stadium goes from quiet to a rapturous joy heretofore unseen in a matter of seconds. You also get maybe the best Joe Buck call of all time in the NFL - just contrast his voice breaking on 'Diggs... Touchdown.... Unbelievable' to his call on the Tyree play.

5.) 2002 AFC Divisional – (A3) Steelers 31 @ (A2) Titans 34 (OT)

Review: A long forgotten classic played by two extremely competitive, even teams, the Steelers and Titans gave an exercise in the fluidity of momentum. The Titans scored the first 14 points, with McNair and George runs sandwiching a pick by Tommy Maddox. The Steelers then scored the next 20, capitalizing on a McNair interception and Eddie George fumble (on a play he got concussed on), with a TD pass to Hines Ward and a run by Amos Zereoue. The Titans then scored the next 14, to take a 28-20 lead, on two TD passes to Frank Wychek (who had a monster 10 catch, 123 yard day) and Aaron Kinney. The Steelers then put up the next 11, with a Hines Ward TD and 2-pt conversion, and Field Goal, to take a late 31-28 lead. Then, despite getting picked twice earlier, Steve McNair came up big, with a late field goal drive to win the game, and a long pass to Justin McCareins to set up Joe Nedney's OT game winner. The Steelers and Titans both had volatile seasons, with Tommy Maddox replacing Kordell Stewart, and Steve McNair and the Titans rebounding from a 1-4 start to go 11-5, and this ending was just as volatile. First, Nedney hit a field goal, but Cowher called timeout right before. Then, Nedney missed a 31 yarder, but the Steelers were called for running into the kicker. Finally, on his third try, Nedney hit his field goal. The gamebook reads out of an era that is so forgotten now in the NFL. Steve McNair and Tommy Maddox started. Drew Bennett was the breakout receiver. The Steelers relied on Amos Zereoue. Albert Haynesworth was just a rookie. 2002 in total was a strange season, the bridge between the Warner/Favre/Gannon era to the Manning/Brady era that would start in earnest in 2003. There's a reason why this game is forgotten, as neither of these two were that memorable teams, and the Titans lost their next game (of course that didn't stop the next game), but it deserves to be known as one of the top games to rewatch of the past 10 years.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: One of the most oddly memorable part of the game was Bill Cowher and Jeff Fisher's competing manli-ness. Both were badass black leather jackets on an oddly cold night in Nashville. The tiebreaker, though, goes to Fisher, who had a giant man-beard, while Cowher just had his usual mus-tache.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Right before Nedney's final attempt, Dick Enberg, in one of his great impromptu calls, said the great line, now Nedney and Steelers rush will go 'best two out of three.'

4.) 2012 AFC Divisional - (A4) Ravens 38 @ (A1) Broncos 35 (OT)

Review: Where to begin? The last game that had this many 'wow' moments was probably Super Bowl XLIII. There are so many plays that could have defined this game. First was Trindon Holliday's punt return to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead with Manning not touching the ball. Then came a shady pass interference call on the Ravens next drive. Two plays later Flacco hid Torrey Smith and it was game on. Lost in the madness of the 2nd half was Manning playing a damn good first half, with two great fade TDs to Stokley and Knowshon Moreno of all people. In the second half, the weather got even more ridiculous (the only game on the Divisional Round in this era that was colder was the Titans Patriots game in 2003), and the game itself got choppier. There were fumbles (Flacco and Manning each), there was the pressure Manning had to face, but it all should have ended with a Manning screen pass to Thomas that worked brilliantly for an 18 yard TD to give the Broncos a 35-28 lead. They even stopped the Ravens on the next drive, but then everything went to hell for the Broncos. They had 1st and 10, with 2:23 to go and the Ravens had 1 timeout. One first down and it is over. The Broncos paid all that money to get a top flight QB, and what do they do? run it three times and punt. We all know what happened next, with Rahim Moore failing to do the main job of a safety. The ball to Jones hung in the air forever, and any competent safety at least gets a hand on it, but Moore took a terrible route to that incredibly high arcing ball. Moore didn't have a chance, and the frigid, but loud crowd got as silent as quickly as any crowd ever. What followed was a slog in OT, ending with a truly bad throw by Peyton Manning. The game ended soon after, a tiring watch, let alone a tiring game for the players. Ray Lewis' career carried on, and the Ravens won arguably their biggest game since Super Bowl XXXV. In previous postseasons the QBs that knocked them our were: Manning, Roethlisberger, Manning, Roethlisberger, Brady. They finally beat one of those big-three in the playoffs, and it took every ounce of resourcefullness, good play (Torrey Smith, especially) and, let's be honest, luck.

Interesting/Memorable Plays: The Ravens OT performance had two critical plays outside the Manning interception. The first was maybe the best throw of Flacco's career to that point, a 24 yard strike to Pitta on 3rd and 13 backed up at their own three yard line. An incomplete there and they punt from that position, and the Broncos have excellent field position. The other was Tucker's game winning field goal. By that time, the temperature was below zero wind chill, and Tucker nailed a 47-yarder. Sure it was in altitude, but that was a damn good kick.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Sure, Manning lost another playoff game, but it was the 5th(!) time in a row his team had a lead in the 4th quarter and eventually lost the game. In those five games, three times he led a scoring drive to take the lead in the 4th quarter only to see his defense blow it (2007 Divisional, 2010 Wild Card being the others).

Interesting/Memorable Fact 2: This was the first time the Ravens had beaten a Peyton Manning team since 2001. In that time, they lost in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and earlier in 2012, with also losing in the 2006 Playoffs and 2009 Playoffs.



3.) 2011 NFC Divisional – (N3) Saints 32 @ (N2) 49ers 36

Review: This game had the best 6-minutes in NFL history, as the lead changed hands four times in that span. The 49ers had led the whole game on the back of four Saints turnovers in the 1st half, which led to the 49ers building a quick 17-0 lead. For much of the game, the narrative of the league's best offense and the league's best defense held true, and defense was winning. Drew Brees was being held under 10 ypc, and the 49ers bullied the Saints, forcing a fumble on a great hit by Donte Whitner, then Aldon Smith sacking Brees at the 2 on the next drive, and picking Brees off on the next. The Saints got in the party, repeatedly big-blitzing Alex Smith to mostly great success, sacking Smith 4 times. The game started in earnest when the Saints, down 20-17, took over at their 12 with 11:27 to go at their own 18. Brees was sacked by Ahmad Brooks on 2nd down, and threw the ball away when Justin Smith grabbed him in the bull-est of bull rushes. After the punt, the 49ers added a field goal to make it 23-17. The Saints then took over when 7:29 left, and the magic began. First, was Darren Sproles taking a short dumpoff right down the field for a 44-yard TD with 4:11 left to give the Saints their first lead at 24-23. Then, after a long completion to Vernon Davis, teh 49ers faced a 3rd and 8 with 2:18 left, when Harbaugh called a naked bootleg, which Alex Smith took for a 28-yard TD to take the lead back at 29-24. In 41 seconds, the Saints took the lead back, as Brees hit Jimmy Graham for a catch-and-run TD for 66 yards to take the lead back at 32-29. Then, for the final act, on 2nd and 10 from the 49ers 33 yard line, with just 0:40 left, Alex Smith his Vernon Davis on a crossing route for 47 yards. Then, in field goal range, facing a 3rd and 4, the 49ers went for the win, and Smith hit Davis again for the game winning TD, capping off the greatest half-quarter of football ever. The ridiculous nature of the ending did screw the narrative of the 49ers defense controlling the Saints offense. But screw the narrative; here's another one. In a year when the 49ers announced finally that they will be building a new stadium, the magic of Candlestick was revived in earnest.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The 49ers won in dramatic fashion anyway, but there is a real argument made that Alex Smith should've gone down at the 1 yard line on his naked bootleg run. At that point, the Saints had one timeout left. Assuming they call it then before the 2:00 warning, the 49ers would reach the 2:00 on 2nd down. They could run about 45 seconds off the clock per play, bringing it down to about 30 seconds left when they kick the field goal. This leaves ~25 seconds for the Saints to drive for a field goal without a time out. By any calculation, that is better than giving them 2:11 and a timeout to get a TD.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: A lot of records were set here. Drew Brees had his third straight 400-yard passing playoff game (this after never reaching 300 yards in his Super Bowl XLIV run). Twice, he needed 60+ passes to get there, though. Darren Sproles set a record for most receptions (15), and Vernon Davis set a record for most yards by a TD (180).

2.) 2006 AFC Divisional – (A4) Patriots 24 @ (A1) Chargers21

Review: In a game that perfectly defined the unluckiness of Marty Schottenheimer's playoff career, and the luckiness of Bill Belichick's the Patriots, in the last great moment of their true dynasty, beat the 14-2 Chargers despite seemingly getting madly outplayed. That said, the Patriots made the Chargers earn every yard. They flummoxed first-year starter Philip Rivers, limiting him to 14-32 for 230 yards and an interception. The Chargers defense harrassed Brady, picking him off three times overall. The only players that really had standout days were Jabar Gaffney, who had 103 yards on 10 catches and a key score right before the half to make it 14-10, and LaDainian Tomlinson who had 123 yards on 23 carries. The game itself was truly defined by one team making every mistake, and the other making none. It started on the Patriots first pass, when a batted Brady pass should have been easily intercepted by Clinton Hart was dropped. The Chargers made the following mistakes: Vincent Jackson couldn't drag his second foot in, when he caught what should have been an easy TD. Rivers was sack-fumbled, which led to the first Patriots field goal. Eric Parker muffed a punt after the Chargers forced a punt leading 14-10, and then Drayton Florence furthered that drive by headbutting Matt Light on a play that would have been a 4th and 17 leading to a 51-yard field goal attempt by Gostkowski. Then came the capper, leading 21-13, Marlon McCree picked off Tom Brady on 4th Down with 6:25 to go. Instead of knocking it down (remember, it was 4th down), McCree tried to be a hero, and Troy Brown stripped him of the ball. The Patriots got a 1st down and new life, leading to a game tying TD. Finally, after a quick Chargers 3-and-out (where they ran Tomlinson once, despite a near 6 ypc), the Patriots ended this epic with Brady throwing a beautiful pass deep to ex-Charger Reche Caldwell, and Gostkowski nailing a game-winning field goal, which was followed by Nate Kaeding, doing what he always does, missing a 54-yard field goal at the gun. The game was over, and in reality, it took a lot out of the Patriots. Bill Belichick called it the toughest game he's ever won, and  it showed.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Right after the game-tying field goal was missed by Kaeding, a few Patriots players stomped on the Chargers logo at midfield and did Shawne Merriman's "Light's Out" sack dance. LaDainian Tomlinson got upset and got into a scuffle, and after the game let out that classic line that "the Patriots showed no class, no class at all. And maybe it starts with their head coach."

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the last game of Marty Schottenheimer's epic coaching career and it was arguably his most painful defeat. During the game, Schottenheimer rarely wore his headset, instead letting Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips do most of the work. Of course, near the end of the game, when the Chargers were collapsing, Schottenheimer had that headset back on, in what was, I'm sure, a great sight for Chargers fans.

Interesting/Memorable Fact 2: In what was the Patriots last playoff win away from Gillette Stadium (they lost the next week in Indy and Super Bowl XLII and XLVI), the Patriots continued one of the weirder streaks in memory. Including the Panthers win in Chicago the previous year, the 4:30 pm Sunday Playoff game featured an upset all but one year since 2005. The one exception was the 2008 Steelers beating the Chargers, but since we've seen the Giants upset the Cowboys in 2007 and the Packers in 2011, and the Jets beat the Chargers in 2009 and Patriots in 2010.

1.) 2005 AFC Divisional – (A6) Steelers 21 @ (A1) Colts 18

Review: In what is the most painful loss for most Colts fans, the 6-seed Steelers beat the dominant 14-2 Colts by starting off red-hot and holding off what would have been Manning's most audacious comeback. The Steelers surprised the Colts by coming out throwing and throwing, leading to two first-quarter TD passes to Hines Ward and Heath Miller. After resting the last two weeks of the regular season, the Colts offense came out rusty, and woefully unprepared for the Steelers blitz scheme, which was odd since they thoroughly dominated the Steelers 26-7 in November, scoring an 80-yard TD on the first play and limiting the Steelers to under 200 yards. The Colts finally hit their rhythm, with a monster drive that took up 9:33 from their own 2 to the Steelers 2, but they couldn't punch it into the end zone, leading to only cutting the lead to 14-3 at the half. The Steelers added another touchdown in the 3rd quarter after a 30-yard drive (like many playoff losses for the Colts, field position was huge in this game) capped with a Jerome Bettis plunge. Little did Bettis know that another carry on 1st and Goal from the one would be far more memorable. The Colts took over with a little over 16 minutes left in the game, down 21-3. On the last play of the 4th Quarter, on 4th and 2 at the Colts 36, Peyton Manning waved the punt team off the field, and completed a 13-yard pass to Brandon Stokley for a 1st down. Then, on the 2nd play of the 4th Quarter, Manning found Clark for a 50-yard catch and run TD to cut it to 21-10. The Steelers would bang nearly eight minutes off the clock before they were forced to punt, twice converting 4th and 1s, giving the Colts 6 minutes to shave 11 points off the lead. Manning led another quick TD drive in 1:30, whittling through 80 yards in five plays. Of course, this wasn't without controversy, as Troy Polamalu's interception near midfield was bizarrely called incomplete, as he lost control of the ball after rolling once, and did so before his knees left the ground. The Colts took advantage, scored their TD and forced another Steelers punt. Then, the real drama began. First, Manning was sacked twice in three plays be totally free rushers that got to him within 2 seconds, and this turned the ball over on downs with 1:20 to go. The Steelers, facing 4th and Goal at the 2, couldn't simply run out the clock because the Colts had all three timeouts, so they ran a play hoping for a game icing score, but Gary Brackett put his hat perfectly on the ball in Bettis's hands, forcing a fumble, that was recovered by Nick Harper, who raced to what would seem a dramatic, infamous game-winning touchdown, but Ben Roethlisberger somehow tripped him up. This gave way to the classic's final act, a comically bad missed field goal by Mike Vanderjagt, leaving the Colts in shambles and the 'One for the Thumb' dream alive.

Interesting/Memorable Play: There was so much to examine about the Bettis fumble play. First, it was incredible that the Colts were able to get that close to a comeback without even using one timeout, which forced the Steelers to not kneel. Then, this would have been the last play of Bettis's career, which would have been a shame. Roethlisberger's part was huge, but it was odd that seemingly even before the fumble occured, he started running backwards. Finally, we get to Harper, who was slowed because he was attacked and cut by his wife in a knife attack in the previous week. Still, if he just cut to the sideline he probably escapes Ben. Just bizarre.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: Right after the missed field goal, CBS showed four images that encapsulated the game. The reactions of four key men in Dungy, Cowher, Bettis and Manning all saying the same thing "He Missed It", but in violently different ways. Dungy was dismayed, Manning was almost angry. Cowher was in complete jubilation, and Bettis was just relieved. Just a great job by the video crew.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This game started the whole idea that the Colts would get rusty after resting, and while they actually seemed rusty early, there was another factor possibly more important. This was the first game back for Tony Dungy after the suicide of his son, James. The team just didn't play right, and their flaccid play was eerily similar to the 2011 Packers, who played their divisional game right after the death of their Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin's son tragic death.

 

Up next, the best of the Super Bowls (I'm skipping the conference titles games for now, because the best of those were better).

Seventeen Years of the NFL: Ranking the Divisional Games, Pt. 2

Tier IV – Good Teams, Good Games, but Something Missing


39.) 2013 AFC Divisional - (A6) Chargers 17 @ (A1) Broncos 24

Review: The Broncos did everything to lose this game, but since they're just better than the Chargers, they still won it. The Broncos had a fumble at midfield, missed a field goal, had Wes Welker drop a TD, had Eric Decker bat a TD into the air which ended up as a pick, and then gave up an onside kick. But after all that, they won the game. How? Well, holding Rivers to one yard passing in the first half helped. Their defense was amazing, coming together against one of the best offenses in the NFL to play insanely well through three quarters. Also, Peyton Manning is a really good player. Manning's stats (25-36 for 230 yards) don't look that special, but with the team giving up yards, and TDs, all over the place, he still played darn well. He also had one of the best clutch plays that no one will remember, converting a 3rd and 17 with 2:00 left up just 7. That pass to Julius Thomas iced the game, a game that the Broncos did as much to give away as they did the year earlier when they did it.

Interesting/Memorable Play: All of the Omaha's. Manning used "Omaha" as a count signal roughly 40 times, and the term, the city, and the whole thing caught fire over the next week.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The win by Denver assured the continuation of another weird streak, with just five teams hosting AFC Title Games in the last 14 years, all multiple times (New England and Pittsburgh x4, Indianapolis, Oakland and Denver x2).

38.) 2011 AFC Divisional – (A3) Texans 13 @ (A2) Ravens 20

Review: For three straight years, the Ravens were a Wild-Card team, having to go at it the hard way on the road. Finally, they won the division again, and even earned a 1^st round bye and were able to get the TJ Yates Experience to come into M&T Bank. The game really did just come down to Yates (and Jacoby Jones muffing a punt). The Texans defense was great, sacking Flacco five times and limiting the Ravens to just 227 yards. On offense, Arian Foster had 132 yards on 27 carries, and Andre Johnson had 111 yards on 8 catches. The only problem was Yates. He threw up way too many balls for grabs, and despite dropping three potential interceptions, the Ravens picked him off three times. Ed Reed, as he always does, provided the capper, picking Yates off on a deep throw to the End-Zone with two minutes left. For all the talk about the Texans playing better, the Ravens held the Texans scoreless in the 2^nd Half, winning with defense… again.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was just the Ravens 2^nd home playoff win in their franchise history. Despite the Ravens winning 10 playoff games since 2000 (T-4^th in the NFL with the Giants behind the Patriots (16), Steelers (12) & Eagles (11) ), they’ve won only two at home. The other win was their Wild Card Round win in 2000, and in between they lost as Division Winners in 2003 and 2006.

Interesting/Memorable Fact 2: Kris Wilson caught a one-yard TD catch to make the game 17-3, and that marked Wilson’s 4^th career catch in a playoff game. Two have gone for TDs (2009 Chargers against). Wilson has also caught a 2-point conversion. So, his catches have led to points 60% of the time he’s been involved on a play.

37.) 2017 NFC Divisional - (N6) Falcons 10 @ (N1) Eagles 15

Review: The Falcons came in with some momentum, and the Wentz-less Eagles the opposite of momentum, but in the end, the Eagles defense won out, limiting Atlanta time and time again in the second half, including a final goal line stand. The only reason this game ranks so low is actually somewhat unfair: coming into the game, most thought it was the consolation game in the NFC. It was also really sloppy, with fluke plays and poor play calling ruining what was an otherwise competitive contest. In hindsight, this was a very enjoyable game, but at the time, it felt fairly drab.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The Eagles became just the third team since the NFL's 2002 realignment to be underdogs in the Divisional Round ('10 Falcons, '11 49ers), and the first #1 seed ever to be an underdog in their opening - so great was the impact of Foles's poor performances in two meaningless games in Weeks 16-17.

Interesting/Memorable Play: A run to an eventual Super Bowl was almost never there if not for a crazy play at the end of the first half. Trailing 10-6, Foles threw a wild pass over the middle that should have been an interception, but hit the Falcons defender right in the knee, popping the ball up to be caught by the Eagles for a first down. The Eagles scored a field goal on that drive, cutting the lead to 10-9.


36.) 2014 NFC Divisional - (N4) Panthers 17 @ (N1) Seahawks 31

Review: The hype around this game was more than you would expect for a team that was 8-8-1 going on the road to play a team 12-4 that had won their last 8 games. That was due to recent history where these two teams played really close games each of the past three seasons. It started out that way as both dominant defenses played dominant, but soon you saw the walls start to leak for the Panthers. They started to blitz a bit and Russell Wilson's high-arcing loops were on point, time after time hitting guys deep. Cam Newton and the offense played valiantly, especially given the opponent and location but it was never really going to be enough. The Panthers hung in there, with the game tied at 7 midway through the 2nd quarter, and just 14-10 at the start of the 4th, but it was pretty obvious they were 'hanging in there' at best. It eventually folded with Kam Chancellor's 90-yard interception return that turned a game that was close to being 24-17 into a 31-10 margin. The Seahawks won by 14, but this game showed the resiliency of the Panthers, the brilliance of Russell Wilons's deep ball, and just how good you have to be to stay with the Seahawks in Seattle.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game really turned on a 63-yard TD from Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse - again it come off of a beautiful looping throw, but also had a great catch and run. I'm really not sure why the Panthers blitzed as much as they did.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: The Panthers cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime with a field goal at the gun, but right before that they had a field goal blocked when Kam Chancellor leaped over the line. It was called back but that was the first of many memorable plays by Chancellor.

35.) 2007 AFC Divisional – (A5) Jaguars 20 @ (A1) Patriots31

Review: The Jaguars played about as well as they could on offense and about as strangely as they could on defense. For one half, it worked, as the game was tied 14-14. In the 2^nd half, the Jaguars stopped scoring TDs, while the Patriots continued, and that was the game. The game was notable for Tom Brady’s 26-28 day (for 266 yards and 3 tds), where one of the incompletions was a drop by Welker. The Jags gave Brady all day and he cut them up in surgical fashion. The strangest part was Randy Moss, fresh off his 23-TD season, had just one catch. In the end, the Jags gave their best shot, taking the necessary risks on offense (Throwing deep on 4^th and 4 on the first drive), but taking no risks on defense. Because of Brady’s insane accuracy, as well as Garrard’s good day, the game flew by, with each team staging long drive after long drive. Before you knew it, the game was over, and the Patriots went to 17-0.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The best TD came on Brady’s 2^nd TD to Wes Welker. He took the shotgun, but faked a direct snap to Kevin Faulk and turned his back to the field with his arms raised. After keeping his back to the field for at least a full second, he turned around, fired a laser to Welker, and the game was mostly over. It was a sweet, sweet play.

34.) 2011 NFC Divisional – (N4) Giants 37 @ (N1) Packers 20

Review: A year after the Packers gave the Falcons the biggest home loss for a #1 seed, the Giants gave the Packers a loss nearly as surprising in its ease. The Giants absolutely destroyed the 15-1 Packers in nearly every category imaginable. Their only failing was with their coverage scheme Rodgers ran for six first downs. On the day, Eli Manning threw for 300 yards before the 1^st half was over, including two long TDs to Hakeem Nicks. The Giants sacked Rodgers four times, and forced four fumbles and recovered three of them. The Packers were just out of sync all day on offense, as Rodgers, fresh off the most efficient QB season possibly ever (a record 122.4 passer rating), went just 24-45 on the day. The Giants played arguably their best offensive game of the year, and their defense dominated the 2^nd half. Before halftime, Tom Coughlin told Pam Oliver that the to-that-point average pass rush “was coming” and it sure was. By the end, the Giants were dancing in Lambeau, celebrating a playoff win there, again.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The game could have easily been a lot more one-sided. The Giants had two drives in their dominant 1^st half end in Green Bay territory, with Eli Manning throwing a pick and the Packers blocking a makeable field goal. Plus, the Packers two TD drives both were aided by questionable decisions. First was Bill Leavy’s ridiculous overturn of a Greg Jennings’s fumble on the 1^st TD drive, and then was a soft roughing-the-passer call on Osi on the 2^nd.

Interesting/Memorable Fact 2: This was the 1^st time that two Super Bowl MVP Quarterbacks met in a playoff game, with Eli Manning winning his in Super Bowl XLII and Rodgers in XLV. Of course, the 2^nd would happen three weeks later, with Manning and Brady. With Brady, Manning and Roethlisberger in the AFC and Manning, Rodgers and Brees in the NFC, it is hard to imagine it not happening more.

33.) 2018 NFC Divisional - (N3) Cowboys 22 @ (N2) Rams 30

Review: Against what had been one of the better defenses in the NFL, the Rams ran and ran and ran, gaining 273 yards rushing, with 100+ from both Todd Gurley and a purely svelte CJ Anderson. On the other end, the Rams gobbled up Ezekiel Elliott to 47 yards on 20 carries, with both Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh have huge games against the run. The Rams offense wans't as explosive and fun as it had been on many occasions but their methodical ruination of the Cowboys was fun to watch. They too either scored or had one missed field goal on their first seven drives. Everything seemed perfect in the first playoff win in Los Angeles for a home team in twenty-four years.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: CJ Anderson had just 299 yards in the regular season, making him the first player to have 100+ yards in a playoff game after having less than 300 for that team in the regular season - and probably the first to do so while looking obese.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Despite this game feeling like a blowout, the Cowboys had a 4th and 1 in rams territory down 23-15 in the second half. They handed off to Zeke who was stoned behind the line. The Rams then scored a TD eleven plays later, a drive that ended with a CJ Anderson TD on 4th and Goal from the 1.

32.) 2012 NFC Divisional - (N3) Packers 31 @ (N2) 49ers 45

Review: Well, the Packers do know how to lose with their defense looking as bad as possible. Unlike in 2009 and 2011 when they were hopeless against the pass, this time they decided to be hopeless against both. The 49ers ran it 43 times for 323 yards, with Kaepernick setting an NFL record for most rushing yards by a QB (this is a record for the playoffs AND the regular season). Kaepernick was the star, but it was his ability to overcome a terrible pick-six on the first possession of the game that made it all work. On the other side, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were only able to put up 17 points on offense when the game was in the balance, but really it was that they never got time. It is hard to when you allow your opponent to run it 43 times.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The play of the game was Kaepernick's read-option 56 yard TD to break a 24-24 tie midway through the 3rd quarter. He just made Erik Walden look so, so bad that it will be his "God Dammit Donald" moment, the one that defines his career no matter what he does.

Interesting/Memorable Plays: With a 31-24 lead, and backed up at their own 7, the 49ers went on one of the great power-football runs I have ever seen. Two drives, 19 plays, 186 yards, two TDs to make it 45-24 and end it. Those back to back 90-yard TD drives should be engraved on Jim Harbaugh's coaching gravestone.


31.) 2005 AFC Divisional – (A4) Patriots 13 @ (A2) Broncos27

Review: In front of a jacked-up crowd in the first playoff game at Invesco Field, the Broncos had the most deceiving zero-sack game, repeatedly pummeling Brady into mistakes and into his first playoff loss of his career. The game originally started out in Patriots-style, with the Broncos dominating statistically but not taking advantage with a failed 4^th & Goal and a pick in the red zone by Samuel. But it all changed right after the two-minute warning, with Kevin Faulk fumbling. One controversial pass interference on Samuel later, it was 7-3 Broncos. They would add another field goal off a fumble by New England and take a 10-3 lead into the half. The game was finally shut when on 3^rd and Goal for the Patriots trailing just 10-6, Tom Brady threw a pick in the end zone to Champ Bailey, who of course returned it controversially to the one yard line. The Patriots ended up with a lot more yards, but that is what happens when one team scores 14 points in just two yards of offense. In the end, the Patriots did everything wrong for the first time, with Troy Brown muffing a punt and Adam Vinatieri missing a field goal. It was all so new for the Pats, and all so fun for the Broncos and Pat-Haters.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The Broncos utilized what was called the “punt-rush defense” where they put corners off-man on the receivers and had everyone else line up at the line in a punt-rush formation. The Broncos used it enough that it didn’t work all the time, but led to Brady getting rocked often, and the pick by Bailey.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: On the pick, it was Brady’s 3^rd career playoff interception thrown into the end zone (’03 AFC Title, ’03 SB) and he has done it twice more since (’07 AFC Title, ’11 AFC Title). What is fun about the play is noting the sudden disappointment in Jim Nantz’s voice when Bailey first makes the interception. To his credit, he gets excited when Bailey seemingly gets a clear path for a touchdown. Now, I must admit. That probably was a touchback, but if there is any merit to the idea of “conclusive evidence” no way can that be overturned with the camera angles given.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This game marked the 1^st playoff game where both coaches had won multiple Super Bowls. In fact, from 2002-2011 (the timeframe for this countdown) the only other playoff game that had two coaches that had won any amount was the Giants and Packers divisional with McCarthy and Coughlin.

30.) 2008 AFC Divisional – (A6) Ravens 13 @ (A1) Titans 10

Review: In a game that was eerily similar to the 2000 Divisional meeting between these two teams, the Ravens won despite being outgained by 180 yards, the fourth largest margin since the 16-game schedule. The 3^rd largest margin? The Ravens over the Titans in 2000, who were outgained by 183. The Titans, off their almost unbelievable 13-3 season led by Kerry Collins, rolled up 391 yards of offense but were just 2-for-5 in the red zone, turning it over three times in the area. The Ravens really did nothing other than hang around and force those turnovers, with Flacco hitting just one big throw – an admittedly pretty 48-yard throw to Derrick Mason. The game also ended controversially, with the Ravens converting a 3^rd and 10 for 23 yards after snapping the ball a good two seconds after the play clock expired. There was never any good explanation given. Either way, in a game that featured a scary sense of déjà-vu, the most underrated playoff rivalry of the 2000s had its most memorable finish. With Matt Stover’s game winning field goal ushering the top-seed Titans out of the playoffs, again.

Interesting/Memorable Play: A key for the game was Chris Johnson leaving in the 2^nd quarter with an injury. He had rushed 11 times for 72 yards and caught a pass for 28 yards before he left, and he just seemed to be operating at a different speed than most of the Ravens defense. It might not have changed anything,, but the Titans were never really the same in the game after.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This loss made some infamous history for Jeff Fisher, making him the 2^nd coach ever to go one-and-done with the top-seed multiple times (did it in 2000). The other was Marty Schottenheimer, who’s done it three times (’95, ’97, ’06).

29.) 2006 AFC Divisional – (A3) Colts 15 @ (A2) Ravens 6

Review: In a fascinating chess match between the league’s best offense (and probably most forgotten great offense of the 2000s) and the league’s best defense (and probably most forgotten great defense of the 2000s), the Colts won the 2^nd playoff game ever that featured no TDs. Peyton Manning, facing an epic defense, played the most highly praised bad game I have ever seen. He was just 15-30 for 170 yards and two picks (to Ed Reed, of course), but was only sacked once, confused the Ravens dominant pass rush and anchored four 50+ yard drives. McNair was worse, considering he wasn’t playing the Ravens defense, going 18-29 with two picks of his own. The story of the game, other than the kickers, was the Colts run game rushing for 100 yards against the league’s best run defense and the ultra-conservative nature of the Ravens attack. In the end, the Colts won a fun, if slightly defensive and offensively inept, game by out Raven-ing the Ravens.

Interesting/Memorable Play: What might have been the two biggest plays of the game were defined by each quarterback throwing to covered receivers. Down just 3-0, the Ravens had 3^rd and Goal from the 3, when McNair threw to Todd Heap who was double-covered at the goal line. Antoine Bethea picked it off, and the Ravens never got that close again. Then, on 3^rd and 5 with four minutes to go up 12-6, Manning iced the game with a ridiculously tight throw to Dallas Clark, who was draped by Corey Ivy. One guy made his throw, the other did not.

Interesting/Memorable Player: Ed Reed had what might have been his greatest game. He had two interceptions (the 2^nd one he lateralled to Chris McAlister right before going out of bounds, but the refs thought he was already out), a huge hit on Dallas Clark, another sure interception tipped away early by Ray Lewis, and a play where he ran from deep centerfield to the left sideline and leaped and took the ball away from Marvin (he came down out of bounds). Ed Reed was by far the best player that day on that field.

Tier V – The Good Games

28.) 2016 AFC Divisional - (A3) Steelers 18 @ (A2) Chiefs 16

Review: The Steelers persistance ended a dream 12-4 season for the Chiefs, outlasting Kansas City with a lot of Le'veon Bell, and even more field goals  - six from Chris Boswell. The Steelers won despite having just two trips into the red zone, one ending in a field goal and the other an interception. Roethlisberger was poor, Alex Smith mostly as bad. This was not a game for the offense heavy, with both defenses exerting tons of control. In the end, Le'Veon Bell was the star, with his 30 carry 170 yard day keeping many drives alive - the Steelers ended the game with six field goals on their nine drives. The Chiefs never got a consistent flow, scoring a late TD to make it 18-16, only to give up a first down on the final drive to end it.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This game was delayed from its initial 1pm timeslot due to a snowstorm in KC, making it the first Sunday primetime Divisional Game. The ratings were huge, and I'm already somewhat surprised the NFL hasn't made this a thing. Sunday Night Football is the NFL's golden goose, it only seems natural to extend that to the playoffs.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The Steelers broke the record for most field goals in a win where the only points scored were on field goals, beating the Colts record of five in 2006. It was almost 10 years to the day from when the Colts beat the Ravens 15-6 scoring only field goals.

27.) 2003 AFC Divisional – (A3) Colts 38 @ (A2) Chiefs 31

Review: In the 1^st playoff game ever to have no punts, the Colts played ‘Catch Me If You Can’ with the Chiefs, by outgunning them in Arrowhead. The only reason that this isn’t higher is other than the Chiefs first drive of the game, they never had the ball with a chance to tie the game. The Colts were that good, scoring on each of their six real possessions in the game (they ran out the clock in the other). The Colts didn’t play perfectly, as the Chiefs rolled up 408 yards on 60 plays, with a 176 yard day for Priest Holmes. The Chiefs even got a Kick-Off Return TD from DeAngelo Hall (remember him?). But Manning never wavered. He was flawless, going 22-30 for 304 yards and 3 tds, and Edgerrin James had his best playoff game of his career, with 125 yards on 26 carries and two TDs. The Colts made it look easy, and even though the Chiefs made it look almost as easy, the one turnover, a fumble by Priest Holmes in the beginning of the 2^nd quarter, was the only break the Colts needed.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Manning entered the game off of his perfect passer rating day in Denver, and was nearly as good. For the two combined games, he was 44-56 (78.6%) for 681 yards (12.2 ypa!!) with 8 TDs and no picks. That’s a passer rating of 156.9, the highest ever by any QB ever in a two-game stretch.

26.) 2015 NFC Divisional - (N6) Seahawks 24 @ (N1) Panthers 31

Review: In the ultimate tale of two halves, the Panthers played maybe the best 30 minutes of football any team has played during this stretch of playoff games and NFL seasons. The first 30 minutes saw them take a 31-0 lead, scoring three TDs and a Field Goal on their five drives, picking of Wilson twice (including a pick six) and sacking him two other times. It was absolute dominance, especially scary given who they did it against. But the Seahawks just don't ever get blown out in the Wilson era, and they didn't hear, with a great second half that showed their Championship mettle. They scored two quick TDs, then a third on a ridiculous scramble and heave. The comeback finally ended with the Seahakwks not recovering an onside kick down 7, but until then the game was a feature of how great the 2015 Panthers were, and how mentally tough and physical the Russell Wilson-era Seahawks were and continue to be.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game started auspiciously, with Jonathan Stewart taking the hand-off for 59 yards. So often we hear about teams practicing those first 15 plays, well the Panthers probably practiced that first 1 play dozens of times and ran it perfectly.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Much was made of the Seahawks having to play the game at 1PM EST, and maybe for good reason. They have had to do it five times in the Pete Carroll era, and are 2-3 in those games. More stark, they have been outscored in the first half in those games 0-17, 10-14, 0-20, 0-6 and 0-31. Cumulative score: 10-78.

25.) 2018 NFC Divisional - (N6) Eagles 14 @ (N1) Saints 20

Review: Ten minutes into the game, the Saints had thrown an interception on their first play, which the Eagles turned into a TD, the Saints had then gone three and out without gaining a yard, which the Eagles also turned into a TD. The Saints actually then were forced to punt on their next drive after Brandon Graham sacked Drew Brees. The Eagles then drove to midfield. At this point, 1:15 into the second quarter, everyone in America had to fully accept that Big Dick Nick is real and this team was destined. And then Foles threw an interception on the next play and the Saints were able to ever so slowly wedge their way back into the game. At no point in that game were the Saints seemed in control, but the Eagles were lifeless after that interception for a long, long time on offense. The Saints finally took the lead on a monster 20 play (22 with penalties) drive that took 11:29 off the clock. The drive featured the Saints overcoming two different offensive holding penalties, and converitng four different 3rd downs. It was great, and it almost different matter. With the Eagles 27 yards away from stealing the game right before the two minute warning, a well thrown pass near the 15 fell through Alshon Jeffery's hands and was intercepted to end the game and breath some life into what had been a breathless Superdome.

Interesting/Memorable Play: On the monster 20-play drive, twice the Saints tried to use Taysom Hill as QB - a thing that was maddeningly common in 2018 - but both were called back for offensive holding.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: With the Eagles taking a 14-point lead, this became the first time in the 32-team era (since 2002) that all four divisional games featured one team taking a 14-point lead.

24.) 2003 AFC Divisional – (A5) Titans 14 @ (A1) Patriots 17

Review: On a bitterly cold night, with wind chill at -10, the Patriots outlasted a game Titans team on Adam Vinatieri’s most forgotten clutch kick. The game started out fast, with the Patriots taking a 14-7 lead two minutes into the 3^rd quarter, but became a struggle after as the wind picked up. Brady had an odd day. On the good side, he didn’t turn the ball over and threw a gorgeous 41-yards TD to Bethel Johnson, but he also completed just 21 out of 41 passes. McNair was efficient, going 18-26 against the league’s best defense, but made two crucial mistakes. The 1^st was an interception. The 2^nd was a lot more harmful. After the Titans tied the game on a nifty TD catch-and-run by Derrick Mason, the Patriots ran a 33 yard drive leading to Vinatieri’s game winning field goal. However, that was still with 4:11 left on the clock. The game finished hauntingly. At the 2:00, the Titans had 2^nd and 3 at the Patriots 33 yard line, about ten yards out of reasonable field goal position. McNair then took an intentional grounding, which was followed up holding penalty. 2^nd and 3 became 3^rd and 23. After a nice gain, on 4^th an 11, McNair launched a pass that Drew Bennett dropped around the Patriots 10. End of game, and end of classic in the bitter, bitter cold.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game ended strangely, with the Patriots, with 0:03 left, on 4^th and  15 actually running a play. Instead of risking  a punt return (a pretty minimal risk), Belichick instructed Brady to run backwards, run out the clock and launch a pass out-of-bounds. It worked perfectly, and the Patriots securely finished the game.

23.) 2010 AFC Divisional – (A5) Ravens 24 @ (A2) Steelers 31

Review: The two teams combined for 389 yards. That’s combined. They also combined for 55 points. This was the most defensive high-scoring game ever, and that weird dichotomy probably ruined it from being as memorable as it was. In many ways, this game was seeing both teams play defense as well as they could, but the Steelers did it just a little bit better. They both forced and recovered two fumbles, but the Steelers got the game’s only interception. The Ravens had five sacks, and the Steelers had six. Terrell Suggs had three sacks, and James Harrison answered him with three of his own. In the end, what is memorable is the Steelers not even flinching when falling down 21-7, and missing a field goal going into the half. The Steelers scored 17 points around two Ravens turnovers to  take the lead, but credit the Ravens for coming back and tying it up. The final nail in the coffin, though, was a 58-yard bomb to Antonio Brown on 3^rd and 19 to set up the game winning TD run by Mendenhall. At the end, it was a far more entertaining game than one that features 11 punts, five turnovers and 389 yards of offense.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The Game essentially ended when TJ Houshmandzadeh dropped a 4^th and 18 pass that would have been a 1^st down on the final drive, but it really went bad for the Ravens when Anquan Boldin dropped a TD on 3^rd and Goal on the drive that tied it at 24.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Here are the lengths of the TD drives in this game: Steelers: 80 (26 via penalty), 23, 25, 65; Ravens: 68 (28 via penalty), 0 (fumble return), 16. That’s how you get a 31-24 game. Have the seven TD drives combined be just 223 yards of offense.

22.) 2009 AFC Divisional – (A5) Jets 17 @ (A4) Chargers 14

Review: The 1^st of two great Jets upsets, Rex and Co. beat the Chargers, who entered the game on an 11-game winning streak. In reality, it was more the Chargers buying the sword that the Jets used to do the slaughtering. In perfect Chargers fashion, they did everything wrong. Nate Kaeding missed three field goals (two from inside 45 yards). They committed two 15-yard penalties that stifled late drives. They didn’t take advantage of a 1^st half where the Jets offense could do nothing. Philip Rivers threw two interceptions, the 2^nd of which was a horrible pass out of his own end zone. The Chargers did almost everything right besides these self-destructive plays, and the Jets took full advantage. Mark Sanchez did enough with what Philip Rivers gave him, and Shonn Greene continued his breakout posteason with 128 yards, including a dramatic, game-clinching 53 yard TD run to make it 17-7. Rex Ryan’s schemes didn’t work perfectly (Rivers threw for 298 yards), but they confused Philip just enough. It wasn’t the brilliant defensive performance that came a year later, but it was maybe more stunning. In a weekend where the three previous bye teams all won at a combined 99-20, the Chargers fell flat.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Rivers’ first interception was just a ridiculous play by Darrelle Revis, where he jostled the ball out of Jackson’s hands, and when they both fell to the ground, had it bounce of V-Jax’s ass, where Revis scooped it up. Almost as shocking as the play was the fact that the officials got it right on the field.


21.) 2017 AFC Divisional - (A3) Jaguars 45 @ (A2) Steelers 42

Review: This might have been the most unlikely game in this whole run, with the league's best defense giving up 42 points and winning, because their much maligned offense woke up for a game. In the end, the 45-42 score overrates teh actual game, in which the Jaguars led 21-0, and the Steelers never had the ball with a chance to win, cutting it multiple times to one score only to see the Jags take the lead right back. Early on, the game played to the Jaguars script, with Fournette getting two TDs and the defense forcing both an interception, and fumble they would return for a TD. The game would become something of a brilliant farce, though, when Roethlisberger connected on 4th down on a long TD to Martavis Bryant, a play that the Jaguars had perfectly covered, to make it 28-14 right before half. Roethlisberger did the same thing in the second half, with another 4th down TD bomb, but it was never enough, The Jaguars somehow kept their calm all day and made out with a win - the first team to win a divisional game in Pittsburgh.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The Jaguars became the first team to lead the NFL in scoring defense and win a playoff game when giving up more than 30 points - again, they gave up 42. Predicting a Jaguars win wasn't impossible, but doing so when giving up 42 points was truly ridiculous.


20.) 2015 AFC Divisional - (A6) Steelers 16 @ (A1) Broncos 23

Review: In what was just the second ever playoff meeting between Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning, the Broncos took every shot the Steelers had, capitalized on one little mistake, and stole a well played game in tough, windy conditions. The game started well for the Broncos, with two long punt returns setting their first two drives up in Steelers territory, but both turned into field goals. From that point onwards, the Broncos just held on. Ben Roethlisberger and his receivers were special, where despite missing Antonio Brown, they had 8 different plays for 15+ yards. Bad field position turned all of that explosivity into just 13 points, but midway through the 4th quarter, they were clinging to a 13-12 lead. A fumble by back-up running back Fitzgerald Touissant was recovered by Demarcus Ware. The Broncos scored on the ensuing possession to take a lead they would not relinquish, but that drive took one patented Manning pass, a seam throw to Bennie Fowler for 20 yards on 3rd and 12 - one play where Manning seemed to go back in time five years. Manning finally got his revenge against the Steelers and Big Ben, but not before fighting off every challenge the resourceful Steelers could pose.

Interesting/Memorable Play: A very strange play nearly ruined the game in controversy, when Markus Wheaton seemed to muff a punt, which then rolled into the end zone and was recovered by Pittsburgh. At first, the Steelers were given the ball on the 20. Then it was turned to the 6 (where Wheaton first touched the ball) but somehow it was not given as a safety.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Because of Mike Tomlin's smart decision to immediately kick a field goal when down 23-13 when in range, the game became the second push of the weekend (Patriots were favored by 7), making this the first Divisional Weekend when multiple games were pushes.



19.) 2014 NFC Divisional - (N3) Cowboys 21 @ (N2) Packers 26

Review: This might seem low for a game played between two marquee franchises, both being really good teams, that had a infamous play and refereeing decision swing the game, but that really speaks more to how good Divisional Weekend has been. The Packers and Cowboys played a great game here, with the largest margin being 8 points. Both QBs played excellently. Aaron Rodgers was noticeably limping and hobbling with no real mobility in the 1st half, but seemed re-born in the second, a half that had two bullet throws for TDs, first a catch and run to Devante Adams to make it 21-20, and the final rocket to Richard Rodgers to take the 26-21 lead. Demarco Murray, in his final game as a Cowboy, had a solid game with 123 yards on 25 carries, but couldn't get a few key third downs early. Romo was pressured, but mostly made great plays, but in the end it all comes down to the bad call. On 4th and 1 near midfield, the Cowboys showed giant cajones, throwing deep to Dez Bryant, who caught it leaping over Sam Shields, and extended to the end zone. Of course, because the ball bobbled when Bryant reached for the end zone, it was ruled incomplete in another use of the famed Calvin Johnson rule. That effectively ended the game, one that if the TD stood would have probably been higher up the list, especially if the Packers drove down and did something with their next position down 27-26 or 29-26.

Interesting/Memorable Play: That game was defined by a few 4th downs, but also two 4th downs where the Cowboys decided not to use their all-world O-Line and running back. In addition to throwing deep on 4th and 2 for Dez, they passed up two chances on 3rd and 4th and 1 in the end of the first half, in the end throwing incomplete (again deep) and then a false start pushed the field goal back and finally no good.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the first time since the Ice Bowl, that the Packers beat the Cowboys in a playoff game.

18.) 2012 NFC Divisional - (N5) Seahawks 28 @ (N1) Falcons 30

Review: The game was defined by what has made the Matt Ryan era so fascinating. First, was the 0-3 playoff record staring them in the face, included getting beaten by the collective score of 72-23 the previous two seasons. They finally broke that playoff barrier in the most Matt Ryan way possible, with a FG to win on a drive that started with less than 30 seconds to go, as he's done more in his career than anyone else. The game before that was a testament to how to come back in games: keep calm and play your game. The Seahawks fell behind 20-0 because they were partly unlucky and partly run over. They came back by not abandoning their offense, and Russell Wilson, who never had to lead such a comeback, did so with ease. His 385 yards passing on 36 attempts is unbelievable. He and the Seahawks played admirably in defeat, but this was Matt (B)Ryan(T)'s day, as the QB led the drive, and the old kicker banged it true from 47. The other story of the game was a resurgent Falcons run game. After being a weakness all year, the run game picked up for an average Matt Ryan game, with both Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers getting over 6 yards a carry. In the end though, it was that 30 second drive. Two passes, to Harry Douglas and Tony Gonzalez. Matt Ryan needed just two passes to undo years of playoff failures and to avoid his most embarrassing potential failure yet.

Interesting/Memorable Player: Zach Miller was underused in the regular season, but the Seahawks quickly realized the Falcons were apparently unaware of the position of TE, and hit him repeatedly, as Miller finished with 8 catches for 145 yards and a TD. I hope for the Falcons sake they learned how to cover TEs over the offseason.


17.) 2010 AFC Divisional – (A6) Jets 28 @ (A1) Patriots 21

Review: One year after beating the 13-3 Chargers who entered on a 11-game win streak, the Jets beat the 14-2 Patriots who entered on an 8-game win streak. Not only were the Patriots the best team in the NFL, but they had beaten the Jets 45-3 in that same stadium. Rex Ryan said he had to be better than Bill Belichick for one day, and he was. His defense masterfully confused Brady, dropping back into coverage and flooding the middle zones. Even when the Jets didn’t get pressure, Brady had nowhere to throw. It was scintillating defensive football. Mark Sanchez was confident, throwing for three TDs, including one on a ridiculous catch by Santonio Holmes. Rex Ryan called it the “2^nd biggest game in the Jets’ franchise history.” That could be debated, but it was a giant game that the Jets showed up for. I have never seen Brady that rattled without being pressured that much, and I have never seen or enjoyed, Gillette being that stunned in silence.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Brady entered the game having not thrown an interception since Week 6 against Baltimore. On the first drive of the game, Brady floated a screen pass that David Harris picked off. The audible gasp by the crowd was a harbinger of the awful day it would be for the Patriots.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: There was controversy as the game started, as Bill Belichick benched Wes Welker for the 1^st series after Welker playfully alluded to the alleged foot-fetish videos created by Rex Ryan and his wife. It was very clever, but probably out-of-bounds (don’t go after someone’s private sex life), and most certainly put the Patriots in a weird funk at the start.

16.) 2004 AFC Divisional – (A5) Jets 17 @ (A1) Steelers 20(OT)

Review: The 3^rd straight Jets game brings us to their most harrowing loss. In Ben Roethlisberger’s first playoff game following his astounding 14-0 rookie season, he looked very much like a rookie, throwing two interceptions including a key pick-6. The Steelers did lead the game 10-0, and had a lot of success on the ground, running for 193 yards (101 from Bettis), but the Jets led late 17-10 after returning a punt and pick for scores. After a nice drive was capped off with a Roethlisberger TD to Ward with 6 minutes to go, the Jets staged two drives into Steelers territory, but two missed kicks by Doug Brien, from 47 and 43 yards, and his life was never the same. Unlike Giants’ kicker Lawrence Tynes in the 2007 NFC Championship, Brien never got a 3^rd chance in OT. The Steelers won in OT on a kick by Jeff Reed, keeping their dream 15-1 season alive.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Doug Brien attempted both his field goals into the open end of Heinz Field, which is historically incredibly tough to kick into. Of course, the next week, Adam Vinatieri would nail a 48-yarder into that same end, setting the record for the longest field goal into the open end (at the time).