97 Fun Facts About Nfl Playoff

Which NFL franchise shares the record of six Super Bowl wins with the Patriots?

The Pittsburgh Steelers won four of their six in the 1970s; the Patriots missed a seventh in Super Bowl LX and became the first team to lose six instead.

Which is the only NFL team to go unbeaten from opening day through the Super Bowl?

The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0 through Super Bowl VII; the tale that the whole team toasts with champagne when the last unbeaten club loses is a legend that coach Don Shula traced to two ex-players who were neighbors.

Who was the first player to win three Super Bowl MVP awards?

Joe Montana took the award in three of his four title games; in the other he led a 92-yard drive to win in the last minute, and a teammate took it.

Bill Belichick's only playoff win as a head coach outside New England came with which team?

The Cleveland Browns gave Belichick that win, 20-13 over the Patriots themselves in January 1995, against his former boss Bill Parcells.

Which team was the first wild-card entry to win a Super Bowl?

The Oakland Raiders did it in the 1980 season behind Jim Plunkett, a backup until the starter broke his leg five weeks in; he was named MVP of the 27-10 win over the Eagles.

Which Patriots linebacker set a playoff record with 4.5 sacks in one game in January 2006?

Willie McGinest's 4.5 sacks against Jacksonville also made him the career postseason leader with 16, yet New England released him two months later.

Which quarterback beat Aaron Rodgers 51–45 in overtime in January 2010, the highest-scoring NFL playoff game ever?

Kurt Warner threw five touchdown passes and only four incompletions for Arizona, and the 96-point game ended when his defense returned a fumble for a touchdown in overtime.

Which team lost a 1970 playoff game 5–0, the lowest score of any NFL postseason game?

The Detroit Lions' Greg Landry passed for only 48 yards against Dallas, which needed just a field goal and two fourth-quarter points when he was tackled in his own end zone.

Whose 'Double Doink' miss off an upright and the crossbar ended Chicago's season in a January 2019 playoff game?

Cody Parkey's 43-yard try was tipped at the line by an Eagles lineman before it struck the upright and the crossbar, and the defending champions escaped 16-15.

Which NFL team made 11 straight playoff appearances from 2009 through 2019?

The New England Patriots reached the playoffs every season from 2009 to 2019, then went 7-9 and missed in 2020, the first year after their quarterback of two decades left.

The trophy awarded to the AFC champion is named for which founder of the American Football League?

Lamar Hunt started the AFL after the NFL turned down his bid for a team, and he is credited with suggesting the name 'Super Bowl' for the title game between the two leagues.

Through the 2025 NFL season, which franchise was still waiting to play in its first conference championship game?

The Houston Texans, who began play in 2002, kept winning wild-card games and losing the week after, leaving them the only current team never to play for a conference title.

Under 2022 NFL playoff overtime rules, what happens after an opening-drive touchdown?

The opponent is still guaranteed a series since March 2022, a change prompted by the Chiefs' walk-off overtime win over the Bills in the 2021 divisional round.

Who is the only player to win a Super Bowl MVP award while playing for the losing team?

Chuck Howley intercepted two passes and forced a fumble for Dallas in Super Bowl V, yet the Cowboys still lost 16-13 on a field goal with five seconds left.

Which two networks both televised the first Super Bowl in January 1967?

CBS and NBC each held the rights to one league, CBS the NFL and NBC the AFL, so both aired the game with their own announcers; no Super Bowl since has been shared by two rival networks.

Which coach has won the most Super Bowls as a head coach?

Bill Belichick won six with New England; the first, in Super Bowl XXXVI, came as a 14-point underdog to the Rams' 'Greatest Show on Turf' offense.

Which sixth seed won three road playoff games and then Super Bowl XLV?

The Green Bay Packers got in as the last seed, then won at Philadelphia, top-seeded Atlanta and Chicago before beating Pittsburgh; only the 2005 Steelers had won it all from that spot.

Which Cowboys quarterback fumbled the snap as holder on a go-ahead field-goal try in a January 2007 playoff loss?

Tony Romo dropped the snap on a 19-yard try with 1:19 left, picked it up and ran, and was tackled just short of the first down; Seattle held on to win 21-20.

Which team won Super Bowl XXIV 55–10, the biggest Super Bowl blowout?

The San Francisco 49ers scored eight touchdowns to win by 45, handing Denver its third Super Bowl defeat in four seasons, each by at least 19 points.

Which team reached four straight Super Bowls and lost every one?

The Buffalo Bills lost Super Bowls XXV through XXVIII; the first slipped away 20-19 when a 47-yard field-goal try sailed wide right in the final seconds.

When the NFL playoffs grew to 14 teams in 2020, which seed in each conference lost its first-round bye?

The No. 2 seed now has to play on wild-card weekend, hosting the new seventh team, so only the club with each conference's best record gets the week off.

Who threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes in Super Bowl XXIX?

Steve Young said afterward that he had never thrown six touchdown passes in any game in his life before doing it on the sport's biggest stage.

Which team won the 1940 NFL Championship Game 73–0?

The Chicago Bears had lost 7-3 to the same Washington team three weeks earlier; in the rematch they scored eleven touchdowns.

Which team won Super Bowl XXXII, ending the NFC's run of 13 straight Super Bowl wins?

The Denver Broncos beat Green Bay 31-24 as Terrell Davis ran for three touchdowns and the MVP award despite sitting out most of the second quarter with a migraine.

Which team lost Super Bowl XXIX 49–26, the highest-scoring Super Bowl ever played?

The San Diego Chargers, 18.5-point underdogs in their only Super Bowl, fell behind 14-0 as the favorites scored touchdowns on their first two drives.

Which NFL coach has the best playoff winning percentage among coaches with 10+ postseason games?

Vince Lombardi went 9–1 in the postseason; his only loss came to the Eagles in the 1960 title game, after which he won five NFL championships in seven years.

Which team scored just 3 points in Super Bowl LIII?

The Los Angeles Rams, second in the NFL in scoring that season, managed one field goal in a 13-3 loss; only Miami, in Super Bowl VI, had also been held to three.

Through the 2024 postseason, who held the record for most career playoff receiving yards?

Jerry Rice had 2,245 postseason receiving yards and 22 touchdown catches, both still records through the 2024 postseason, though Travis Kelce took his record for playoff receptions in January 2024.

Which team scored an NFL-record 145 points across a single postseason run in 2024?

The Philadelphia Eagles scored 145 points in four playoff games; 55 came in the NFC title game against Washington, which had beaten them five weeks earlier.

Who was the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises?

Peyton Manning won with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI and the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, and he also lost a Super Bowl with each team.

Through Super Bowl LX, which two metro areas had hosted the most Super Bowls, eleven each?

Miami and New Orleans each hosted eleven of the first 60 Super Bowls and Los Angeles eight; the league has traditionally steered the game to warm-weather cities or roofed stadiums.

Which franchise went 51 years between playoff wins, from its 1947 title to 1999?

The Arizona Cardinals won the 1947 NFL title as Chicago's team, moved to St. Louis and then Arizona, and finally won again by upsetting Dallas in a wild-card game.

Who is the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl?

Ben Roethlisberger was 23 when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL in his second season, a game he won despite a passer rating of 22.6.

Which NFL playoff game is known as 'The Greatest Game Ever Played'?

The 1958 NFL Championship (Colts vs. Giants) was the first NFL game settled in sudden-death overtime, and it is credited with starting pro football's surge in popularity.

Which kicker holds the record for most career playoff field goals?

Adam Vinatieri made 56 playoff field goals and scored a record 238 postseason points, including the last-second winners in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII.

Which player holds the record for most career playoff rushing yards?

Emmitt Smith ran for 1,586 postseason yards and 19 touchdowns; in Super Bowl XXVIII he scored both of his touchdowns after halftime as Dallas came from behind, and was named MVP.

Wild cards joined pro football's playoffs in 1970 alongside which change?

The AFL–NFL merger left each conference with three division winners, so the best of the rest was added as a wild card to fill out a four-team bracket.

Which team forced a Super Bowl-record nine turnovers in Super Bowl XXVII?

The Dallas Cowboys forced nine turnovers in a 52-17 rout that could have been worse: Leon Lett, celebrating early on a fumble return, had the ball knocked away at the goal line by Don Beebe.

Who is the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl?

Tom Brady was 43 when Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV, his first season after 20 years in New England; he broke his own record, set at 41.

Which quarterback was sacked a record-tying nine times in a January 2022 playoff game and still won?

Joe Burrow went down nine times against Tennessee, matching a playoff mark set in the 1993 season, yet Cincinnati won 19-16 for its first road playoff victory ever.

The NFL's longest game, a double-overtime Dolphins–Chiefs playoff in 1971, was played on which holiday?

Christmas Day 1971 was the first time the NFL scheduled games on the holiday, a choice that drew heavy criticism; the game ran 82 minutes and 40 seconds before Miami won 27-24.

Which coach won a record eight road playoff games, all with the Baltimore Ravens?

John Harbaugh won eight playoff games on the road from 2008 on, two of them at Denver and New England on the way to the Super Bowl XLVII title; he left Baltimore after the 2025 season.

Which Vikings quarterback threw a late interception that cost Minnesota the 2009 NFC Championship Game in New Orleans?

Brett Favre threw it with Minnesota on the edge of field-goal range in a tie game; Tracy Porter intercepted and the Saints won in overtime. Favre finished with 30 playoff interceptions, then a record.

Who was named MVP of Super Bowl LX in February 2026?

Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards as Seattle built a 12-0 lead on field goals alone through three quarters, then pulled away to beat New England 29-13.

Which quarterback started for the Ravens in their Super Bowl XXXV win?

Trent Dilfer, who replaced Tony Banks as Baltimore's starter at midseason, started the Ravens' 34-7 win over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV and was not re-signed that offseason.

Which team came closest to a Super Bowl three-peat, losing Super Bowl LIX after winning the previous two?

No team has won three straight Super Bowls; the Kansas City Chiefs, the first to reach a Super Bowl after winning the previous two, lost 40-22 in New Orleans.

Whose toe-tap touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left won Super Bowl XLIII?

Santonio Holmes caught four passes for 73 yards on the final drive, the last a 6-yard touchdown, after Arizona had taken its first lead with 2:37 to play; he was named MVP.

Whose quarterback sneak in the final seconds won the frozen 1967 'Ice Bowl'?

Bart Starr, out of timeouts and watching his backs slip on the ice, kept the ball himself from a yard out with 13 seconds left to beat Dallas 21-17.

Who made 'The Catch' to win the 1981 NFC Championship Game for the 49ers?

Dwight Clark's leaping, fingertip grab in the back of the end zone capped an 89-yard drive in the final minute, a 28-27 win over Dallas seen as the start of the 49ers dynasty.

Which Steelers player caught the 'Immaculate Reception' in 1972?

Franco Harris caught Terry Bradshaw's deflected pass and scored on fourth down with 22 seconds left, giving Pittsburgh its first playoff win; whether Jack Tatum or Frenchy Fuqua touched the ball is still argued.

Which Titans player threw the lateral on the 'Music City Miracle' kickoff return?

Frank Wycheck took the kickoff handoff from Lorenzo Neal and threw the cross-field lateral to Kevin Dyson, whose 75-yard return beat Buffalo 22-16 after the Bills had led 16-15 with 16 seconds left.

Who caught the 'Minneapolis Miracle' touchdown as time expired in January 2018?

Stefon Diggs scored on a 61-yard catch as time expired after Saints safety Marcus Williams missed the tackle, the first NFL playoff game to end on a walk-off touchdown in regulation.

Which Raiders cornerback forced the apparent fumble in the 2001 'Tuck Rule Game'?

Charles Woodson's corner blitz knocked the ball from the Patriots' quarterback, but after a replay review it was ruled an incomplete pass under the tuck rule, which the league abolished in 2013.

Which Giants receiver made the 'Helmet Catch' in Super Bowl XLII?

David Tyree pinned Eli Manning's pass to his helmet for 32 yards with the Giants trailing late, setting up the winning touchdown; he had just four regular-season catches in 2007 and never caught another NFL pass.

Which backup quarterback led the Bills' record playoff comeback from 35–3 down in 1993?

Frank Reich, in for the injured Jim Kelly, threw four touchdown passes after halftime to win 41-38 in overtime; in college he had led Maryland back from 31-0 down against Miami.

Which Eagles quarterback threw for 407 yards in the 1988 'Fog Bowl' loss to the Bears?

Randall Cunningham threw for 407 yards as visibility fell to 15-20 yards at Soldier Field, but Philadelphia managed only four field goals and lost 20-12.

Which team hosted and won the 1981 AFC title game known as the 'Freezer Bowl'?

The Cincinnati Bengals beat San Diego 27-7 with the air at 9 below zero and a wind chill reported as 59 below, a week after the Chargers had won in the heat and humidity of Miami.

On the 'Philly Special', who threw the touchdown pass to the Eagles' quarterback?

Trey Burton, the third-string tight end, took a pitch from undrafted rookie Corey Clement and lofted the pass to the wide-open quarterback on fourth-and-goal just before halftime of Super Bowl LII.

Which quarterback caught a touchdown on the 'Philly Special' in Super Bowl LII?

Nick Foles became the first player to both throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, and won MVP as a backup who had started the season behind Wentz.

Whose 67-yard touchdown run against the Saints was dubbed the 'Beast Quake'?

Marshawn Lynch shed defender after defender on the 67-yard run against New Orleans in the January 2011 wild card game, and the crowd's roar registered on a nearby seismometer.

Which team in 2010 became the first to win a division with a losing record in a full NFL season?

The Seattle Seahawks finished 7-9, won the NFC West anyway, then knocked out the defending champion Saints 41-36 in the wild-card round.

Which kicker missed the 47-yard 'Wide Right' field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV?

Scott Norwood had made only one of five career tries from beyond 40 yards on grass; this one drifted wide by about a yard, and the Giants won 20-19.

Which quarterback led 'The Drive', 98 yards to tie the 1986 AFC Championship Game?

John Elway took over at his own 2-yard line after a muffed kickoff and tied the game in the final minute; Denver won 23-20 in overtime on a 33-yard field goal.

Which Browns running back lost 'The Fumble' at the goal line in the 1987 AFC title game?

Earnest Byner, who had already scored twice, was stripped by Jeremiah Castille near the goal line with Cleveland driving to tie late; it came one year after 'The Drive' in the same matchup.

The 1977 'Ghost to the Post' playoff pass went to which Raiders tight end?

Dave Casper, nicknamed 'Ghost' after Casper the Friendly Ghost, made the 42-yard catch that set up Errol Mann's tying field goal; Oakland beat Baltimore 37-31 in double overtime.

Which Ravens receiver caught the 70-yard tying touchdown in the 2012 'Mile High Miracle'?

Jacoby Jones got behind the Broncos' safeties with under a minute left to catch Joe Flacco's 70-yard bomb; Baltimore went on to win the Super Bowl that season.

Which Raiders defensive back intercepted Cleveland's 'Red Right 88' pass in January 1981?

Mike Davis, a safety with a reputation for poor hands, intercepted Brian Sipe's end-zone pass intended for Ozzie Newsome; coach Sam Rutigliano had told Sipe to throw it into Lake Erie if the play wasn't open.

Who caught Roger Staubach's 1975 playoff 'Hail Mary' pass against the Vikings?

Drew Pearson hauled in Staubach's 50-yard pass for the winning touchdown in the final half-minute at Minnesota; Staubach said he closed his eyes and said a Hail Mary, and the phrase stuck.

The first Super Bowl in January 1967 was played at which venue?

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted the game, then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game; it did not sell out, and the Packers beat the Chiefs 35-10.

Which team did the Jets upset 16–7 in Super Bowl III?

The Baltimore Colts, 18-point favorites, fell 16-7 in the first AFL win over the NFL and the first game officially branded as the Super Bowl.

Which quarterback publicly guaranteed a win three days before Super Bowl III?

Joe Namath made the boast at the Miami Touchdown Club, then was named MVP without throwing a touchdown pass as the AFL's Jets won 16-7.

Super Bowl V in 1971 was the first played on artificial turf, at which stadium?

Miami's Orange Bowl had swapped its grass for Poly-Turf in 1970; the sloppy game had 11 turnovers, and the Colts won 16-13 on a field goal with five seconds left.

Who shared Super Bowl XII's co-MVP award with Harvey Martin?

Randy White and Martin, the only co-MVPs in Super Bowl history, led a Dallas defense that held Denver to eight completions and 61 passing yards in a 27-10 win.

Which team won the 16-team 'Super Bowl Tournament' after the 1982 NFL strike?

The Washington Redskins went in as the NFC's top seed after a nine-game season; with divisions ignored and eight teams seeded per conference, they won four straight, the last over Miami 27-17.

Who was MVP of Super Bowl XVIII after rushing for a then-record 191 yards?

Marcus Allen reversed field on a 74-yard touchdown run and was the third Heisman winner named Super Bowl MVP as the Raiders routed Washington.

Which Bears defensive tackle scored a 1-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XX?

William 'The Refrigerator' Perry lined up in the backfield and plunged in from the 1 in the Bears' 46-10 rout of New England; the score cost Las Vegas sportsbooks heavily on prop bets.

Who became the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl, winning XXII with Washington?

Doug Williams, who began 1987 as Jay Schroeder's backup, threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter of a 42-10 rout of Denver and was named the game's MVP.

Who performed the national anthem before Super Bowl XXV in 1991?

Whitney Houston sang it with the Florida Orchestra ten days into the Gulf War, and her recording was later released as a charity single.

Who became the first special-teams player named Super Bowl MVP, in Super Bowl XXXI?

Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return touchdown, a Super Bowl record at the time, sealed Green Bay's 35-21 win over New England; he had won the 1991 Heisman Trophy at Michigan.

Which Rams linebacker made 'The Tackle' on the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV?

Mike Jones wrapped up Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line as time expired, preserving the Rams' 23-16 win over the Titans.

Which Steelers receiver threw a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XL, a Super Bowl first for a wideout?

Antwaan Randle El, a former Indiana quarterback, threw the 43-yard reverse-pass touchdown to Hines Ward in the fourth quarter to clinch the Steelers' 21-10 win over Seattle.

Who returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI 92 yards for a touchdown?

Devin Hester took the opening kickoff 92 yards just 14 seconds in, the first opening-kickoff touchdown in Super Bowl history, but the Bears lost 29-17 to the Colts in the rain.

Who returned an interception a record 100 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII?

James Harrison picked off a pass at the goal line on the last play of the first half and rumbled 100 yards, the longest interception return in Super Bowl history.

Which coach called the surprise onside kick that opened the second half of Super Bowl XLIV?

Sean Payton's Saints trailed 10-6 at halftime; rookie punter Thomas Morstead's kick was recovered and turned into a go-ahead touchdown, and New Orleans went on to win 31-17.

Which stadium went half dark for 34 minutes during Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013?

The Superdome lost power to half its lights early in the third quarter with Baltimore up 28-6; after the delay the 49ers scored 17 straight points before falling 34-31.

What type of score came just 12 seconds into Super Bowl XLVIII, the fastest ever?

A safety came when the first snap sailed past Denver's quarterback into the end zone, 12 seconds in; Seattle went on to win 43–8.

Which Patriots cornerback intercepted at the goal line to seal Super Bowl XLIX?

Malcolm Butler, an undrafted rookie, jumped Ricardo Lockette's slant at the 1-yard line with 20 seconds left, sealing a 28-24 win and a lasting debate over Seattle's decision to pass instead of handing off.

Who was named MVP of Super Bowl 50 in February 2016?

Von Miller had 2.5 sacks and two strip-sacks of Cam Newton that led to Denver touchdowns in a 24-10 win; the Broncos gained only 194 yards, the fewest by a Super Bowl winner.

What deficit did the Patriots overcome to win Super Bowl LI in overtime?

28–3 was Atlanta's lead midway through the third quarter; New England scored the game's last 31 points and won the first overtime Super Bowl on James White's touchdown run.

Which Patriots receiver was named MVP of Super Bowl LIII?

Julian Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards, more than half of New England's receiving total in the 13-3 win, in a season he had begun by serving a four-game suspension.

Which team was the first to play a Super Bowl in its own home stadium?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Kansas City 31-9 at Raymond James Stadium in Super Bowl LV; COVID-19 limits capped attendance near 25,000, the smallest ever, and the Rams repeated the home feat a year later.

Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 was the first held in which US state?

Nevada's Allegiant Stadium, in Paradise beside Las Vegas, hosted the longest Super Bowl by game clock; it ended on a touchdown three seconds before a second overtime period.

Who was named MVP of Super Bowl LIX in February 2025?

Jalen Hurts ran for 72 yards, breaking the Super Bowl record for a quarterback that he had set in a loss two years earlier, and accounted for three touchdowns in a 40-22 win.

Which company makes the trophy presented to the Super Bowl winner?

Tiffany & Co. has made the sterling-silver trophy since the first Super Bowl; its designer sketched it on a cocktail napkin during a 1966 lunch with Pete Rozelle, and each winner keeps its trophy permanently.

Which Rams receiver was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI after catching the winning touchdown with 85 seconds left?

Cooper Kupp's 1-yard catch finished a 15-play, 79-yard drive to beat Cincinnati 23-20, capping a season in which he led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Which Cowboys cornerback was MVP of Super Bowl XXX with two second-half interceptions?

Larry Brown, a 12th-round pick in 1991, was the first cornerback named Super Bowl MVP after picking off Neil O'Donnell twice, then signed a big free-agent deal with the Raiders.

Which team made its first Super Bowl appearance in XXXVIII, losing 32–29?

The Carolina Panthers, in their first Super Bowl, fell 32-29 to New England on a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left, after a record 26:55 of scoreless play to open the game.