The Top 5 NFL Playoff Games of the 21st Century

It’s January. And that means one thing—playoff football.

As the final eight teams of the 2025 season square off this weekend, let’s take a look back and relive the best postseason games of the century so far.

#5 - 2009 NFC Wild Card: Arizona Cardinals 51, Green Bay Packers 45 (OT)

The Cardinals raced out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, and led 24-10 at halftime. They extended the lead to 24 early in the third quarter.

Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to make it a one-score game. However, Larry Fitzgerald would double Arizona’s lead with his second TD, and the score was 38-24.

The Packers tied the game with a pair of touchdowns, the latter coming with 1:52 left in regulation. Arizona moved the football into field goal range, but Neil Rackers missed, and the game went to overtime.

On the second play, defensive back Michael Adams hit Rodgers, jarring the ball loose. Karlos Dansby recovered for a scoop-and-score to win the game for the Cardinals.

#4- 2012 AFC Divisional Round: Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35 (2OT)

This game had everything.

The opening score was a punt return from Denver’s Trindon Holliday. Denver gained even more momentum when Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones fumbled the kickoff and was downed on the six-yard line.

However, on third down, pass interference gave the Ravens a first down, which turned into a score for wide receiver Torrey Smith, to tie the game. Baltimore took the lead on a pick-six. Denver retaliated with a touchdown. The game was tied at 14 going into the second quarter.

Denver took a 21-14 lead. They lost their chance to tack on when kicker Matt Prater missed a field goal, and Baltimore responded with Smith’s second touchdown, and the game entered halftime tied.

On the first play of the second half, Holliday returned the kickoff for the score, making him the first player in postseason history to score on a punt return and a kick return. Later in the quarter, Baltimore recovered a fumble and ran it five straight times with Ray Rice to tie the game again.

After Denver took the lead, Joe Flacco found Jacoby Jones for a touchdown to tie it back up, and the game proceeded into overtime and then double overtime.

Rookie kicker Justin Tucker won the game with a field goal, and the Ravens went on to win the Super Bowl.

#3- 2021 AFC Divisional Round- Kansas City Chiefs 42, Buffalo Bills 36 (OT)

This is the most exciting playoff game of the decade so far.

The two teams traded touchdowns in both the first and second quarters, entering halftime tied at 14.

Kicker Harrison Butker drilled a field goal to give Kansas City the lead. The Chiefs tacked on with a touchdown; however, Butker missed the point after try, and the lead held at nine. Buffalo immediately responded with a 75-yard touchdown from Josh Allen to Gabe Davis, cutting the lead to two entering the fourth quarter.

Butker kicked another field goal to give the Chiefs a 26-21 lead.

Allen and the Bills were faced with 4th down and 13 on the first play after the two-minute warning. Allen found Davis for a touchdown and converted the 2-point try. The Bills led by three as Kansas City got the ball back.

The Chiefs marched down the field, as Tyreek Hill caught a pass from Patrick Mahomes and raced 64 yards for the score. Now it was Buffalo on the ropes. The Bills regained the lead as Allen found Davis for the third time and they led by three with thirteen seconds remaining.

However, Mahomes moved into field goal range, but Butker’s try as time expired was good, and the game moved to overtime, where the Chiefs won on a touchdown.

#2 - Super Bowl XLII - New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14.

The undefeated Patriots, coming off one of the most dominant seasons in history, faced the scrappy Giants, who barely squeaked into January.

Unlike the other games on this list, this was a defensive struggle, with New England leading 7-3 at halftime. The score held as the game moved to the fourth quarter, where the Giants took a 10-7 lead on a David Tyree touchdown.

The Patriots received the ball with 7:54 remaining. Tom Brady drove his team down the field with short plays, resulting in a Randy Moss touchdown to give New England a 14-10 lead with 2:42 remaining.

On New York’s drive, they successfully converted a fourth-and-one situation. Two plays later, Eli Manning was nearly picked off, but the pass was dropped.

Escaping heavy pressure, Manning fired it deep down the field, where it was caught by Tyree, who pinned the ball to his helmet in one of the most iconic plays in history.

Plaxico Burress ultimately caught a touchdown for the lead, and New York had stopped the Patriots from their 19-0 season.

#1 - Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)

28-3.

Those numbers still haunt the city of Atlanta nearly a decade later, and for good reason. With MVP Matt Ryan under center, Atlanta took a quick 21-0 lead.

New England got on the board just before halftime with a field goal. Atlanta responded with an eight-play drive resulting in a touchdown, giving the Falcons a 28-3 lead.

The Patriots responded with their first touchdown drive of the game, which included a rare rush from Tom Brady. However, Stephen Gostkowski missed the point after the try, and the score held at 28-9.

After a field goal, linebacker Dont’a Hightower strip-sacked Ryan, and the Patriots recovered. Five plays later, Brady found Danny Amendola in the end zone and successfully converted the two-point try to make it a one-score game.

The Falcons had a chance to ice the game after an acrobatic catch by Julio Jones that moved Atlanta into field goal range; however, Ryan took a 12-yard sack on third down, which forced a punt.

New England tied the game on a drive that nearly ended in an interception; Julian Edelman made an incredible, bobbling catch.

The game went to overtime, the first in Super Bowl history.

New England won the coin toss and ultimately the championship.

And that’s the list. Who knows? Maybe one of the games this postseason will find its way onto next year’s edition.

Jacob Petrarca is a fourth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email jap6840@psu.edu