Playoff losses truly sting, in any league, no matter the sport. But honestly, in the NFL, a playoff loss stings the hardest. Compared to other leagues, like the NHL, NBA, and MLB where a bad play or a loss can be corrected. That team might have a real chance to bounce back, competing through seven games. In the NFL, whether it’s a missed field goal, a game-ending interception, the opposing team scoring a walk-off touchdown or just all around bad luck, sudden death means bye-bye to the playoffs and Super Bowl dreams.
Here are 10 of the Most Heartbreaking Playoff Losses in Recent History:
2011 Baltimore Ravens missed field goal with seconds remaining
The 2011 Baltimore Ravens were a powerhouse of an NFL team with seven Pro Bowlers, a 12-4 record, and earned the two-seed in the AFC. The Ravens defeated the three-seeded Houston Texans 20-13 in the Divisional Round. Then, the Ravens traveled to Foxborough, MA for an AFC Championship matchup, with the one-seeded New England Patriots and played a very close matchup. The Ravens’ Lee Evans failed to score the game-winning touchdown on second and one and Billy Cundiff came out to attempt to kick the game-tying field goal. Unfortunately, Cundiff missed a 32-yard kick that would’ve sent the game to overtime. The Patriots went on to Super Bowl 46 and lost 17-21 to the New York Giants. Cundiff was released by the Ravens and replaced by then-rookie kicker Justin Tucker. The 2012 Ravens met the Patriots again, in the AFC Championship game, and won 28-13. They later went on to win Super Bowl 47, 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers.
2012-13 Denver Broncos double overtime loss to the Ravens
Staying on the 2012 Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens clashed with the one-seeded Denver Broncos, led by Peyton Manning in a double overtime matchup in the “Mile-High City.” Nicknamed the Mile High Miracle, Manning’s Broncos finished the 2012 season with a 13-3 record and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The game was a neck-and-neck contest, with both teams playing very consistent football, throughout the entire game. With the Ravens trailing 28-35 in the fourth quarter, Joe Flacco threw a 70-yard pass to Jacoby Jones as burned Broncos cornerback Tony Carter to score the game-tying touchdown. It took two overtime periods to end the game, on a Justin Tucker 47-yard game-winning field goal, that broke the hearts of many Broncos fans looking to see their team advance. The silver lining to this story is the Broncos did make two Super Bowl appearances, after this razor thin match-up, and won Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season- with the No-Fly-Zone defense.
2007-08 Green Bay Packers overtime meltdown
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The 2007 Green Bay Packers were on a mission to help Brett Favre capture that elusive second Super Bowl. All that was in their way, to Super Bowl 42, was the five-seeded New York Giants. In a frigid Lambeau Field (which was one of the coldest games in NFL history), the Packers led the Giants 10-6, at halftime. The Giants wouldn’t go down without a fight as Brandon Jacobs bulldozed his way into the endzone for a touchdown, while Favre threw a touchdown pass to Donald Lee to retake the lead. The Giants answered back with an Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown as they re-took the lead. The Giants kept the Packers out of the endzone in the fourth quarter as Mason Crosby kicked the game-tying field goal that eventually sent the game to overtime. In the second play of the overtime period, Favre threw a costly interception to Giants cornerback Corey Webster, as the G-Men set up Lawrence Tynes for a 47-yard field goal, which won the game for the Giants. They went on to win Super Bowl 42 against the undefeated New England Patriots. That pass was Favre’s last as a Green Bay Packer. He would retire from play, then he unretired and was traded to the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers took the Packers starting role in 2008 and helped the Packers win Super Bowl 45 a couple of years later.
2009-10 Minnesota Vikings falling in overtime in the Super Dome
Staying on the topic of Brett Favre, Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 season for another chance at winning a Super Bowl. Favre’s Vikings finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and cruised to the NFC Championship game on the road against the one-seeded New Orleans Saints. Both the Saints and the Vikings played a close neck-and-neck battle. Sidney Rice scored a receiving touchdown while Adrian Peterson scored three rushing touchdowns on the ground. The Game came down to the fourth quarter, when the Vikings were in field goal range, but were penalized for too many men on the field. Really. That signaled the first domino to fall. The second domino to fall, was Favre throwing a costly interception to Tracy Porter, who helped send the game to overtime. The Saints had full control of the ball as they marched down the field. Garrett Hartley kicked the game-winning field goal that sent the Saints to Super Bowl 44, where they defeated Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. Favre played for one more season with the Vikings, as injuries derailed the teams’ chances of reaching the playoffs. He retired again, after the 2010 season.
2018-19 New Orleans Saints controversial pass interference loss
The 2018 New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams were both two of the most dominant teams in the NFL. Both entered the playoffs as the top two-seeded teams on the NFC side. The Saints had the one-seed and home-field advantage and the Rams were the two-seed.
The Rams and Saints met in the Super Dome for the NFC Championship game. The Saints started the game with a 13-0, at the end of the first quarter, before the Rams kept them out of the endzone in the second. The Rams scored 10 points of their own, for a 13-10 halftime score. The Saints’ Michael Thomas, was heavily covered by both Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Thomas only had 36 receiving yards. When the game was tied 20-20, The Saints’, Drew Brees threw an incomplete pass intended for Tommylee Lewis. Lewis was hit by Nickel Robey-Coleman- which was an illegal hit that was not flagged by the referees. The Saints settled for a Will Lutz field goal, while the Rams tied the game up and sent the match to overtime. In overtime, Brees threw a costly interception to John Johnson as the Rams went on to set up Greg Zuerlein who kicked the game-winning 57-yard field goal which sent the team to Super Bowl 53. The Rams lost that Super Bowl 3-13 to the New England Patriots and Drew Brees retired from playing football after the 2020 season.
2015-16 Blair Walsh’s missed field goal against the Seahawks
The 2015 Minnesota Vikings shockingly won the NFC North and earned a home playoff matchup against the defending Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks. The game was a very close scoring affair between the Seahawks and Vikings in the frigid Minnesota winter. The Vikings kept the Seahawks out of the endzone for most of the game but couldn’t score a touchdown all game as they relied on Blair Walsh who kicked three field goals to give the Vikings a 9-0 lead entering the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson found an open Doug Baldwin in the endzone who scored the only touchdown of the game, and Seahawks kicker Stephen Hauschka scored a 47-yard field goal. With 20 seconds left in the game, the Vikings called on Walsh to kick what was thought to be an easy 27-yard field goal to win the game. However, the kick went wide-left as the Seahawks escaped TCF Bank Stadium with a 10-9 victory. The Seahawks ended up losing 24-31 to the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional Round that season while Blair Walsh played one more year for the Vikings before joining the Seahawks in 2017.
2014-15 Detroit Lions controversial wildcard playoff loss
The 2014 Detroit Lions were a very fun and optimistic team to watch, as then-head coach Jim Caldwell helped the team earn an 11-5 record and a Wildcard playoff berth. The Lions squared off against the Dallas Cowboys, on the road, and had a 17-7 lead at halftime. The Cowboys came back in the second half, with DeMarco Murray scoring a rushing touchdown, to end the third quarter. Dan Bailey kicked a field goal making the score 17-20. Then controversy struck, with eight minutes and 25 seconds left to play, as Matthew Stafford threw an under-thrown pass to Brandon Pettigrew as Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was in coverage. Hitchens did have some contact with Pettigrew which resulted in the referee Pete Morelli throwing a flag for pass interference. Morelli picked up, as head referee Jerry Bergman, said there was no penalty on the play, from his angle. The no-call ended up hurting the Lions, as the Cowboys went on to win the game 24-20, with a Terrence Willians touchdown. Upon play review, Hitchens did have his arms making contact with Pettigrew, which was pass interference. The Cowboys went to the NFC Divisional round and lost 21-26 to the Green Bay Packers, as they faced some controversy of their own. The Detroit Lions would not win a playoff game until the 2023 season.
2014-15 Green Bay Packers overtime meltdown in Seattle
The 2014-15 Green Bay Packers looked to help Aaron Rodgers return to the Super Bowl and possibly hoist the Lombardi Trophy. All that was in their way, was the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The Packers led the Seahawks 16-0 after the first half. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks’ offense slowly clawed back, despite throwing four interceptions earlier in the first half. Jon Ryan, ran a fake field goal and threw a touchdown pass to offensive tackle Garry Gillman, as the Seahawks cut the score to 7-16. Marshawn Lynch scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, making the score 14-19, with two minutes left to play. Packers’ tight end, Brandon Bostick, misplayed an onside kick by the Seahawks, as he stepped in front of his teammate, Jordy Nelson, as the ball bounced off his helmet and was recovered by Chris Matthews, of the Seahawks. Bostick’s miscommunication led to Russell Wilson throwing a touchdown to Luke Wilson giving the Seahawks a 22-19 lead. Mason Crosby kicked a field goal and sent the game to overtime. In overtime, the Seahawks had control of the ball and Jermaine Kearse won 28-22 the game for Seattle sending them to Super Bowl 49. The Seahawks ended up losing Super Bowl 49 in last second fashion to the New England Patriots while the Packers suffered three more NFC Championship meltdowns in 2016, 2019, and 2020, respectively.
2019-20 Titans end the Patriots dynasty
The 2019 defending Super Bowl champion, New England Patriots, were a good team, but had their flaws that showed, at the end of the 2019 regular season. The Patriots entered the playoffs as the three-seed and hosted the six-seeded Tennessee Titans, led by Ryan Tannehill and former Patriots linebacker turned head coach, Mike Vrabel. The Titans led the Patriots 14-13, at halftime, and kept New England out of the endzone throughout the second half of the game. Titans’ punter Brett Kern pinned the Patriots down at their own one yard line, with seconds left in the game. Tom Brady attempted to throw a pass to Mohamed Sanu, only to bounce out of his hands and was picked off by Logan Ryan (who used to play for the Patriots from 2013 to 2016), to end the Patriots dynasty and helped the Titans advance to the Divisional round.
The game may not have been heartbreaking for many who disliked the Patriots dynasty, but it was a painful loss for Patriots’ fans to endure. Tom Brady left the Patriots after the 2019 season and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he helped them win Super Bowl 55 against the Kansas City Chiefs. As for the Patriots, they only made the playoffs once in 2021 and Bill Belichick stepped down as head coach at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
2021-22 Bills overtime loss to Kansas City
The Buffalo Bills have been on the rise in the AFC East ever since the arrival of Sean McDermott and Josh Allen. The Bills managed to become a playoff contender in the 2020s, but can’t seem to get over the playoff losing hump. They have run into playoff heartbreak each and every time.
The most painful playoff loss, for the Bills, came in their 2021-22 Divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, both played incredibly, as they kept the score of the game very close, in a hard fought battle in Arrowhead Stadium. The last two minutes of the game saw the Chiefs and Bills score a combined 25 points, which resulted in overtime. The Chiefs won the coin toss, and maintained control of the ball, as Patrick Mahomes drove 75 yards down the field and threw the game-winning touchdown to Travis Kelce. Thus, putting a dagger in the hearts of Bills fans, as they never had a chance to make anything happen, thanks to the overtime rules.
The game is also remembered as Bills receiver, Stefon Diggs, stood outside and watched the Chiefs celebrate their victory and advance to the AFC Championship game. The Bills recently lost a heartbreaker via a missed game-tying field goal, in a 24-27 Divisional Round loss to the Chiefs in Orchard Park, NY in the 2023-24 playoffs.
