12 most memorable NFL Divisional Round games of all time

The NFL Playoffs are rolling on with the Divisional Round set to kick off on Saturday with a slew of great games headlined by a monster Ravens-Bills matchup on Sunday night. That game is the most highly anticipated of the weekend as MVP front runners Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen face off in Orchard Park with a trip to the AFC Championship Game on the line, which should lead to an instant classic.

Most football fans view the Divisional Round as the peak of the NFL season since eight of the best teams of the year play in four games over two days, giving us the most concentrated dose of high quality football all season long. The round has produced plenty of classics over the years, so let's look back at 12 of the most memorable games from the Divisional Round of all time. With an admitted recency bias, the list will start in the late 90s as last week's Wild Card upsets list did.

Most Memorable Divisional Round NFL Playoff Games Of All Time

1997 - Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Denver Broncos 27

This game didn't look like a strong matchup on paper as the Jaguars, who snuck into the playoffs in their second year of existence as a 9-7 wild card, were heavy underdogs to a 13-3 Denver Broncos juggernaut trying to help John Elway secure a Super Bowl title towards the end of his career. Things got off to a good start for the Broncos, who put the first 12 points of the game on the board, but the Jaguars scored on their next six possessions to score a 30-27 upset in a game they entered as two touchdown underdogs.

Denver tried to make a last gasp comeback in the fourth quarter as Elway hit Ed McCaffrey (also known as the father of star running back Christian McCaffrey for you Gen Z fans) for a touchdown to bring it within three but failed to snag the onside kick to give Elway a final crack at the win. Things worked out okay for the Broncos, who would go on to win the Super Bowl the next year, while the Jaguars came up short in the AFC Championship Game as they lost to the New England Patriots.

2002 - New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 13 (OT)

If you can sum up a game with a play or a phrase, it was pretty much a lock to make this list. This Raiders-Patriots classic, played on a snowy Saturday night in the final NFL game ever at old Foxborough Stadium, has gone down in infamy as the Tuck Rule game that launched the New England dynasty.

The play saved the Patriots from a potentially game-ending fumble, allowing a young Tom Brady to drive New England into position to set up Adam Vinatieri for a game-tying field goal in a driving snowstorm with 27 seconds left to force overtime. New England won the coin toss in overtime and took the ball 61 yards in 15 plays, setting up Vinatieri for a game-winning 23 yard field goal attempt to send the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game and the Raiders home in controversial fashion.

The so called "Tuck Rule" lived on in the NFL for another decade before getting abolished prior to the 2013 season. Referee Walt Coleman, who made the controversial call that night, was never assigned to work another Raiders game for the remainder of his career.

2004 - Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)

Overtime playoff games are rare, so the chances of seeing a double overtime postseason game in the NFL are extremely slim. While last year's Super Bowl nearly went to double OT, this game between Carolina and St. Louis in 2004 actually made it to the second overtime period without the rule guaranteeing each side a possession, which shows how tightly fought this instant classic was.

The two teams traded the lead all day long and each blew a chance to secure a win in overtime, with Carolina having a 40-yard game-winning field goal from John Kasay wiped out to a delay of game penalty while St. Louis saw Jeff Wilkins miss a 53-yard field goal of his own. The momentum finally turned for good when Bulger threw a critical interception to end the first overtime period, setting up Jake Delhomme to hit Steve Smith for a 69-yard touchdown to end the game on the first play of the second overtime period.

This game is notable for marking the unofficial close of the Greatest Show on Turf as the Rams never hosted another playoff game in St. Louis and didn't win another playoff game for 15 years. Carolina used the momentum of this win to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history and were a consistent contender for the remainder of the decade under Delhomme.

2006 - Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Indianapolis Colts 18

This classic Divisional Round matchup from 2006 featured two franchises under a ton of pressure to secure a Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers had been regarded as postseason underachievers with Bill Cowher at the helm while the Colts had finally secured a top overall seed in the AFC, giving them home-field advantage as Peyton Manning tried to reach his first Super Bowl.

Things looked bad for the home team early as Pittsburgh built a 21-3 through three quarters, but the Colts fought back to bring the game within three. The Steelers had the ball and were trying to run the clock out with a game-icing touchdown but Colts' linebacker Gary Brackett forced Jerome Bettis to fumble, which defensive back Nick Harper picked up and returned to the Colts' 42-yard line before Ben Roethlisberger barely tackled Harper's ankle to prevent a go-ahead touchdown.

That tackle saved the Steelers' season as the Colts got to Pittsburgh's 28-yard line before kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who had been perfect on field goals at home in the playoffs, missed a 46-yarder with 17 seconds to cost Indianapolis the game. Pittsburgh survived its white-knuckle experience to win the Super Bowl and the Colts dumped Vanderjagt after the season for Vinatieri, which paid off as he helped Indianpolis win the Super Bowl the following year.

2008 - New York Giants 21, Dallas Cowboys 17

While the Giants' upset win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII defines this playoff run, their Divisional Round upset over their bitter NFC East rivals was also extremely memorable. There was a ton of off-the-field drama prior to this week as Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo drew headlines for using the team's first round bye week to go on a vacation to Cabo with then-girlfriend Jessica Simpson and three of his teammates.

The game was tight from the jump as the two rivals were tied at 14 at the half before Dallas got a third-quarter field goal to grab a 17-14 lead. Brandon Jacobs put the Giants back in front with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but Dallas would have one last gasp as Romo was driving the Cowboys down the field in the final seconds.

The game ended on a heave from Romo to the end zone that was intercepted by R.W. McQuarters, helping the Giants secure their first appearance in the NFC Championship Game in eight years. This would also mark the final home playoff game at Texas Stadium and a bitterly disappointing end for a season that featured so much promise for Dallas.

2011 - New York Jets 28, New England Patriots 21

It may seem hard to believe now, but there was a time when the rivalry between the Jets and Patriots was one of the biggest in football. Rex Ryan's arrival as Jets' head coach raised the stakes as he promised at his opening press conference not to kiss Bill Belichick's rings and won two of his first three meetings against the future Hall of Famer, but a 45-3 Monday night blowout late in the 2010 season appeared to signify the gap between the two teams was too monstrous to overcome.

The Patriots built an early 3-0 lead but the game flipped when Brady threw a second-quarter interception to Jets' linebacker David Harris, setting up New York's first touchdown drive. A second score at the end of the quarter pushed New York's halftime lead to 14-3, but a third quarter touchdown from Brady to Deion Branch helped cut the deficit to three.

The fourth quarter proved to be a decisive one for New York, which got an incredible touchdown catch from Santonio Holmes and a game-icing run from Shonn Greene to pull off a stunning upset of a Patriots' juggernaut that went 14-2 during the regular season and led linebacker Bart Scott to pronounce that he "can't wait" to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. This game would prove to be a turning point for both teams as the Jets lost in Pittsburgh and haven't been back to the playoffs since while this was the final time New England would be eliminated before the AFC Championship Game until 2019, unofficially kicking off the second act of the Patriots dynasty.

2013 - Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35 (2OT)

Another double-overtime instant classic came in 2013, as Peyton Manning's first year with the Broncos looked poised to end with a Super Bowl title. The Broncos, who had put together one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history during the regular season, entered the game as heavy favorites while the upstart Ravens were trying to help Joe Flacco prove he belonged among the ranks of the NFL's elite quarterbacks.

The game went back and forth for a while but Denver held a 35-28 lead in the final seconds, with Flacco left to attempt a Hail Mary heave to tie the game. The Ravens' prayers were answered as Flacco's deep ball landed in the arms of Jacoby Jones, who got behind the Denver defense and streaked into the end zone to tie the game.

The two sides traded punts to start overtime before Denver's second possession ended with Ravens' corner Corey Graham intercepting Manning at the Ravens' 45-yard line. Baltimore moved into position for Justin Tucker to nail a game-winning 47-yard field goal and rode the momentum of that upset all the way to a Super Bowl title while the Broncos would have to wait until Manning's final season in 2015 to claim another Lombardi Trophy.

2015 - New England Patriots 35, Baltimore Ravens 31

The Patriots had a ton of postseason success to start the 21st century but one team that always gave them fits in the playoffs was Baltimore. The Ravens won two of their first three postseason meetings with the Patriots, including the 2012 AFC Championship Game, which was an impressive accomplishment since all three of those meetings came at Gillette Stadium.

The two sides produced another instant classic in this game, with the Ravens leading 21-14 at halftime before New England rallied in the second half to secure a 35-31 win. The victory didn't come without controversy, which is par for the course with the Patriots, after New England swung the momentum with a trick play in the third quarter that saw running back Shane Vereen report as an ineligible receiver and Brady complete a critical pass to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, who was lined up in the traditional left tackle spot but reported as eligible to the officiating crew.

The move incensed Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh, who earned a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after vigorously arguing with the officiating crew. The play itself wasn't a game changer but it did change the momentum of this game firmly towards the Patriots.

2016 - Arizona Cardinals 26, Green Bay Packers 20

Some of the more interesting playoff games over the last 20 years have come between the Packers and Cardinals, who tend to get into epic shootouts when they meet in the postseason. With the last meeting being a memorable 51-45 Wild Card triumph for Arizona in 2009, expectations were high for this meeting between Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer.

The game looked like a traditional victory for Arizona before Rodgers dove into his bag of tricks and delivered a Hail Mary on the final play of regulation to Jeff Janis for a 41-yard game-tying touchdown. The play marked the first time in NFL postseason history that a game-tying touchdown was thrown on the final play of regulation, but it was all for naught as Palmer got his chance at magic after the Cardinals won the coin toss.

The first play of overtime saw Palmer hit Larry Fitzgerald on a quick route where Fitzgerald broke three tackles and took the ball all the way to the Green Bay five yard line. Palmer and Fitzgerald connected again on the next play for a five-yard touchdown to win the game, giving Palmer his first career postseason win and rendering Rodgers' Hail Mary to the dustbin of history as an ultimately inconsequential play.

2017 - Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 21

There have been plenty of classic Packers-Cowboys playoff clashes over the years, with Rodgers notably tormenting the Cowboys with dramatic postseason performances. 2017 was no exception as hopes were high for Dallas, which looked poised to make a deep playoff run behind the exceptional rookie tandem of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, but this game dashed them in crushing fashion.

The Packers entered the fourth quarter holding a 28-20 lead before Prescott led the Cowboys on a game-tying touchdown drive, setting up Green Bay to take the lead again on a Mason Crosby field goal with 1:38 to go. Prescott was undaunted, driving the Cowboys into field goal range quickly as Dan Bailey hit a 52-yard field goal with 40 seconds to go to tie the game at 31.

Rodgers had one more rabbit to pull out of his hat, however, as he hit Jared Cook for a 36-yard gain on third-and-20 that required a ridiculous sideline effort from his tight end to put the ball at the Cowboys' 33-yard line with three seconds to go. That heave was enough to set up Crosby for the game-winning field goal, sending the Packers to the NFC Championship Game while the Cowboys were left to lament what could have been.

2018 - Minnesota Vikings 29, New Orleans Saints 24

As we discussed earlier, if a game ends up with a quotable line or memorable play it is pretty much a lock to make this list. This classic between the Vikings and Saints will go down in history as the game that produced the "Minneapolis Miracle", which will forever go down in Vikings lore and Saints infamy as a play that changed the course of history.

This contest had heartbreak potential for Minnesota, which built a 17-0 lead at halftime and coughed it all up with New Orleans entering the final minutes up 24-23. With 10 seconds to go and needing a miracle, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw up a jump ball to Stefon Diggs, who caught the pass and eluded the tackle of Saints' safety Marcus Williams, who collided with the nearby cornerback on his way to the ground. That collision left no one around Diggs, who used one hand to stay on his feet and then raced to the end zone to deliver a walkoff winner for Minnesota.

The Vikings ended up losing to the Philadelphia Eagles the following week, costing them a chance to become the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The defeat ended up being more costly for the Saints, who saw their chance at a second Super Bowl in the Drew Brees era come to an end in incredulous fashion both here and next season, when they were robbed of a pass interference call that would have set them up for a game-winning score in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.

2022 - Kansas City Chiefs 42, Buffalo Bills 36 (OT)

We wrap up this list with a doozy as the Bills-Chiefs playoff rivalry reached epic heights in 2022 with a contest many have viewed as the greatest NFL game ever played. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes traded haymakers all day long, leading to a thrilling finish to regulation that saw the teams score a combined 25 points after the two minute warning.

The game appeared to be headed towards a win for Buffalo when Allen hit Gabe Davis for a go-ahead touchdown, Davis' fourth of the day, to put the Bills up 36-33 with 13 seconds to go. Instead of squibbing the kick to force time off the clock Buffalo opted to kick deep, allowing no time to run off the clock and setting up Mahomes to move the Chiefs to Buffalo's 31-yard line on two plays, setting up Harrison Butker for a game-tying field goal.

The Chiefs won the coin toss and went right down the field to score the game winning touchdown, generating such a controversial finish that the NFL changed its postseason rules the following year to guarantee each team a possession in overtime even if the winner of the coin toss goes on to score a touchdown. This game has gone down in history as the 13-second game for Mahomes' late rally to force the extra session, but anyone who watched it live will have a hard time finding another game capable of living up to the sheer drama the Bills and Chiefs produced at Arrowhead Stadium that day.