On Sunday afternoon in Glendale, Ariz., after three blowouts to start the postseason, the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals put the wild back in Wild Card Weekend.
On NFL Replay
NFL Replay will re-air the
Arizona Cardinals' 51-45 win over the Green Bay
Packers on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET.
"That's probably one of the best games ever played in the playoffs," said Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, moments after his team beat Green Bay 51-45 in overtime in the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history.
It certainly ranks up there in a postseason history littered with great games, and might be the greatest wild-card game ever played. Here's a look, in chronological order, of 10 of the most memorable wild-card games ever played (make sure to vote for your favorite in our poll and get in on the debate in our comments section):
1977 playoffs: Raiders 37, Colts 31, (2OT)
There was no such thing as "Wild Card Weekend" in 1977, when only four teams from each conference made the postseason (three division winners and one wild card). The AFC wild-card Raiders (11-3) actually had a better record than the host Baltimore Colts (10-4), champs of the AFC East. There were eight lead changes, and Dave Casper's famous "Ghost to the Post" reception set up a game-tying field goal with 29 seconds left in regulation. Then, 42 seconds into the second overtime after a scoreless first, Ken Stabler hit Casper on a 10-yard scoring strike to end it.
1989 playoffs: Steelers 26, Oilers 23 (OT)
This one finished with a bang, hardly predictable after an exchange of field goals through the first three quarters. In the final period, Warren Moon threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Ernest Givins to put Houston on top. Steelers running back Merrill Hoge sent the game into overtime with a 2-yard rushing touchdown with 46 seconds left in regulation. Rod Woodson's fumble recovery in the extra period set up Gary Anderson's winning field goal, a 50-yarder that gave Pittsburgh the unlikely victory.
1992 playoffs: Bills 41, Oilers 38
This still remains the greatest playoff comeback in NFL history, as the Bills recovered from a 32-point second-half deficit to stun the Oilers. Making the comeback even more remarkable is the fact that the Bills did it without three injured stars: Future Hall of Famers Jim Kelly (inactive) and Thurman Thomas (injured early in the game), and All-Pro linebacker Cornelius Bennett (inactive). Coming out of halftime down 28-3, things immediately got worse as backup Frank Reich was intercepted by Bubba McDowell, who returned it 58 yards for a touchdown, increasing Houston's lead to 32 points. But Reich led Buffalo to five straight touchdowns, including three receiving scores by Andre Reed, giving Buffalo a short-lived lead. Al Del Greco's field goal with 12 seconds left sent the game into OT, where Nate Odomes' interception set up Steve Christie's winning field goal.
1993 playoffs: Packers 28, Lions 24
Down 17-7 midway through the third quarter after an interception TD return by Lions CB Melvin Jenkins, Brett Favre helped Green Bay mount a comeback. Rolling out to his left, Favre threw across his body to hit Sterling Sharpe for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds left that gave the Packers the victory. It was the third scoring play the dynamic duo had connected on in the game. The Packers were also aided by a 101-yard interception return by safety George Teague that give the Packers a 21-17 advantage. The Lions regained the lead on running back Derrick Moore's 5-yard touchdown before Favre and Sharpe connected on a miraculous winning score.
1998 playoffs: 49ers 30, Packers 27
With three seconds left and the Packers leading 27-23, Steve Young hit receiver Terrell Owens at the goal line surrounded by a pack of defenders for the winning touchdown and the seventh lead change of the game. It was sweet payback for the 49ers, who had been eliminated by Green Bay in each of the previous three seasons. Owens' 25-yard TD reception, known as The Catch II, wouldn't have been possible if the officials had not ruled Jerry Rice down before he fumbled on the winning drive (replays showed Rice had clearly lost the ball before hitting the ground, but coaching challenges were still a decade away). Owens was an unlikely hero for the 49ers, who saw their No. 2 receiver drop four passes in the game and lose a fumble.
1999 playoffs: Titans 22, Bills 16
It would take another "miracle" to top "The Music City Miracle" pulled off by the Tennessee Titans in this game, widely regarded as the best playoff finish of all-time. Trailing 16-15 with 16 seconds left, the Titans received a kickoff from the Buffalo Bills, who had just made their third field goal of the game to take a one-point lead. Fullback Lorenzo Neal fielded the kick and handed it off to Frank Wycheck, who threw a lateral across the field to teammate Kevin Dyson. Dyson, in on the play only because Derrick Mason had gotten injured earlier in the game, ran down the sideline 75 yards for the winning touchdown.
2000 playoffs: Saints 31, Rams 28
Kurt Warner always seems to find his way into the greatest games conversation, although in this one it was Aaron Brooks (four touchdown passes) who stole the show in the Saints' first ever playoff win. It wasn't easy as New Orleans had to hold off the defending champs, who made a furious comeback by scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter -- two Warner passes and another on a Warner run. It was Warner, however, who was most responsible for giving the Rams a 31-7 fourth-quarter deficit with four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble). Only a muffed fair catch by Az Hakim stopped the Rams from completing their comeback.
2002 playoffs: Steelers 36, Browns 33
This game didn't provide a star-studded matchup at quarterback, but that didn't stop Pittsburgh's Tommy Maddox and Cleveland's Kelly Holcomb from putting on a show. Holcolmb staked the Browns to a 17-point halftime advantage, only to have Maddox, a journeyman quarterback, lead the Steelers to 29 second-half points, including a 3-yard touchdown run by Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala with 54 seconds left that capped the game-winning drive. Maddox finished with a franchise postseason record 367 yards and three touchdowns; Holcomb passed for 429 yards and three touchdowns.
2002 playoffs: 49ers 39, Giants 38
The 49ers must have been inspired by the Steelers' comeback earlier in the day because they used one of their own to beat the Giants. San Francisco overcame a 38-14 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points in the second half. A Matt Bryant field goal with 4:27 left in the third quarter appeared to seal the game for New York, but Jeff Garcia and the 49ers had other plans. They struck with two quick touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions, cutting the lead to 35-30 just five seconds into the fourth quarter. A field goal and a third scoring play by Garcia with a minute to play gave the 49ers the victory. Garcia passed for 331 yards, including 177 to Terrell Owens. With the two comeback victories, that day has become known by some as "The Most Exciting Day in NFL Playoff History."
2003 playoffs: Packers 33, Seahawks 27 (OT)
This game became known as much for what was said at the coin flip to determine possession in overtime as for what happened in the extra period. "We want the ball, and we're going to score," announced Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for all of Lambeau Field and a national TV audience to hear. Seattle took the ball and after three-and-outs by each team, the Seahawks got the ball back for a second possession in OT, but Hasselbeck threw an interception to Packers CB Al Harris, who returned it 52 yards for the winning score in the first playoff game ever to be won in overtime with a defensive touchdown (the second happened on Sunday in the Green Bay-Arizona game).
