The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles broke a handful of playoff records for two reasons: they were awesome, and they played in four postseason games. When you’re amazing, and you have more opportunities, you’re going to rewrite history.
None of the teams in the postseason are perfect, and there are a billion different ways the next month can go. All of the teams that we saw win in the Wild Card round still have a very real shot at making it to the Super Bowl. That means more opportunities to break more records.
It’s easier to break postseason records when you play four postseason games.
The biggest (read: most fun) takeaway from Wild Card weekend was the chaos in the first three games. So obviously, we have to start with a potential broken record on that front.
Most game-winning drives in a single postseason:
Eli Manning: 3 (2007)
Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy: 1 each
This would be the coolest record if it got broken because it means we would be chasing the dragon of the first three Wild Card games, and it means crazy stuff is happening late in games.
Luckily, we’re in a good spot because Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, and Matt Stafford all had a game-winning drive. If these guys are looking to make it to the Super Bowl, they’re going to have to play four postseason games (just like Eli Manning did in 2007). Getting one out of the way in the first round is a good start.
Most times sacked in a single postseason:
Joe Burrow: 19 (2021)
Drake Maye: 5
I totally forgot that Burrow got absolutely wrecked in the 2021 postseason. He was sacked twice by the Raiders, nine times by the Titans, once by the Chiefs, and seven times by the Rams in the Super Bowl.
Luckily, there’s a contender this season: Drake Maye. He was sacked five times against the Chargers, and he gets to see an absolutely terrifying Houston defense in the divisional round. If they win that game, then he might have to go to Denver and play that defense.
If things are chalky on the NFC side of things, then Maye would have to see the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. That’s another brutalizing defense.
The point is, no one wants to see the Patriots have any amount of postseason success… But if they do have it, we can all root for Drake Maye to get sent into the core of the Earth over and over, and over, and over again. That’s a little bit of solace.
Passes completed in a single postseason:
Eli Manning: 106 (2011)
Josh Allen: 28
I wouldn’t have thought that Josh Allen was going to complete 28 passes in the Wild Card game because I wouldn’t have thought they were going to throw the ball 28 times. That Bills running game is infinitely better than their passing game, but hey… It worked, and they won.
Let’s do math: To break the record, Josh Allen is going to have to average 27-ish completions a game. He has a 69.3% completion rate this season, which means he’d have to throw the ball 38 times per game. Teams that play the Broncos average 34-ish pass attempts, the Texans see 32-ish, and the Patriots see 31.
If this record is going to get broken, things are going to have to break in a very specific way for the Bills and Josh Allen.
Passing yards in a single postseason:
Eli Manning: 1,219 (2011)
Caleb Williams: 361
Caleb Williams is off to a HOT start on breaking this record, which is kind of what you would expect when a guy throws for a season high in passing yards (his career high is 363 yards).
Aside from being able to get turnovers at an incredibly high rate, the Bears' defense is absolute doo-doo. That’s probably going to be emphasized this weekend against the Rams. Matt Stafford has been throwing more interceptions (than he normally does) lately, and that offense also moves the ball incredibly well.
If the Bears are going to stay in this game (and every other postseason game), Caleb Williams is going to have to be nails and put up big-boy yardage. This is definitely breakable.
Playoff rushing touchdowns by quarterback:
Jalen Hurts: 10
Josh Allen: 9
Jalen Hurts has made it to the postseason every year that he’s been a starting quarterback, and Josh Allen has made it every year except for his rookie season; these guys are staples in the NFL postseason, and they’re going to be competing for this record every single year until one of them retires.
First 6-seed to win Super Bowl since 2010
Green Bay Packers: 2010
Bills and 49ers
In 2010, the Green Bay Packers won in Philadelphia in the Wild Card round, won in Atlanta in the Divisional round, and won in Chicago in the NFC Championship game.
The Bills already won in Jacksonville, and now they’re going to have to win in Denver, and in New England or Houston. That’s a hell of a playoff path.
The 49ers already won in Philadelphia, and now they’re going to have to win in Seattle, and in Chicago or Los Angeles. That’s also a hell of a playoff path.
It’s tough for those sixth-seeds, especially for a team like San Fran, which has to go from California and potentially play late-January football in a vastly different climate than what they have in California.
Fewest points allowed:
Ravens: 23 (2000)
Texans: 6
The Bullies of Baltimore are forever and always going to be one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL. But if there’s a defense that’ll be able to do what they did, or do better than what they did, it’s this Houston Texans defense.
What they did to the Steelers on Monday night was horrifying, and it was pretty much just a continuation of everything they did during the regular season.
If there’s a reason this doesn’t happen, it’ll be because of fourth-quarter, non-garbage time points. We saw C.J. Stroud look like a buffoon trying to handle snaps and turning the ball over. If he keeps doing that and putting the defense on the field, they will eventually get fatigued and have teeny windows of vulnerability.
Also, I couldn’t find the NFL record for most defensive points scored, but we’re going to be keeping an eye on what the Texans do over the next month. Right now, they’re at 12. Jot that down.
Most points allowed:
Bills: 103 (1992)
Rams 34, Bears 31
In the 1992 postseason, the Bills allowed 38 points in the first round, only 3 points in the second round, 10 points in the third round, and a whopping 52 points in the Super Bowl for a grand total of 103.
That’s not the route you would think that a team would go to allow postseason points, but it worked.