The five best wild-card games of all time
It is wild-card weekend in the NFL, and the slate on hand is set to feature a ton of potential moments that will be discussed for a long time- much like the following six games.
Of all the wild-card games throughout history, these are the five that stand out the most.
Colts vs. Chiefs (2014)
In what has gone down as Andrew Luck’s magnum opus, the Colts completed a 28-point comeback in the second half against the Chiefs. Kansas City led 38-10 in the third quarter when the Colts began their comeback. Consecutive drives with touchdowns made the game 38-24 before Andrew Luck threw his third interception, which the Chiefs turned into a field goal. The Colts ensued to score two more touchdowns to make it 41-38. Kansas City added a field goal with just over five minutes to play. Indianapolis scored on a 64 yard pass from Luck to T.Y. Hilton to take a 45-44 lead. The Chiefs turned the ball over on downs on their final drive and the game was over.
Packers vs. Cardinals (2010)
This game had everything. Two future Hall of Famers, one of which is now in Canton, and a ton of points. Tied 45-45 after regulation, Green Bay and Arizona went into overtime. Aaron Rodgers was sacked, fumbling in the process when Karlos Dansby recovered the fumble and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. The 96 combined points between the two teams is the most in a playoff game of all time.
Giants vs. 49ers (2003)
The New York Giants held a 38-14 lead over the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers would rally all the way back in the second half, scoring 25 unanswered points to take a 39-38 lead. The Giants had a chance to salvage the win with a field goal at the end of the game, but a botched snap by long snapper Trey Junkin forced the Giants to launch a prayer downfield, which fell incomplete, and very well could have been flagged for pass interference. The Giants lost and blew a 24-point lead in the process.
Bills vs. Titans (2000)
In a low-scoring back-and-forth game, the Titans held a 12-0 lead heading into the third quarter. Buffalo answered with two Antowain Smith touchdowns to take a 13-12 lead. Al Del Greco kicked a field goal to give the Titans a 15-13 lead with under two minutes to play, but Buffalo kicked their own field goal with 16 seconds left to send the game to overtime- or so they thought. On the ensuing kickoff, the Titans ran “homerun throwback” which featured a cross-field lateral pass to kick returner Kevin Dyson who ran for a 75-yard touchdown to win the game.
Oilers vs. Bills (1993)
Wow, the Oilers/Titans and Bills played in some classics, and the largest comeback in NFL playoff history is going to be hard to top. In terms of games that live in NFL lore, the 1993 wild-card game will be one that is talked about forever. Without Jim Kelly, the Bills entered the playoffs with backup quarterback Frank Reich. The game seemed dead and gone for the Bills after the first half, entering halftime down 28-3. A Bubba McDowell interception return for a touchdown made it 35-3, and the game was all but over. But the Bills scored four third-quarter touchdowns in a span of less than seven minutes to trim the lead down to 35-31. Buffalo took the lead on an Andre Reed touchdown reception before the Oilers tied the game to send it to overtime where Bills kicker Steve Christie hit a 32 yard field goal to win.
