Wanting to wish everyone another Happy Wednesday! Today we are going through the best Championship games. I know that most films will have the Dwight Clark game (81 Cowboys 49ers) as the top Championship games of all time but I was not alive yet so this game will not be on the list. Remember to be part of the list it has to be a game that I watched and talked about with my family and peers. So let’s get to the list HOME TEAM IN CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#12 (1999) RAMS OVER bucs 11-6
The greatest show on turf could not be stopped in 1999 en route to maybe the most improbable super bowl run in the history of the game. The one team who almost did the feat was the 1999 Bucs. The Bucs were up 6-5 (just your typical Rays Angels game on Wednesday night) midway through the 4th when Dre Bly picked off Sean King at midfield giving the Rams a golden opportunity. The Rams would capitalize when fourth wide receiver Ricky Proehl would catch a 30 yard go route from Kurt Warner. The Bucs ensuing drive would be stopped on downs and the Rams would survive.
#11 (2011) PATRIOTS OVER ravens 23-20
In 2011 the Patriots and the Ravens would be a slobber knocking back and forth affair. Both teams would have the leads throughout the game with the Pats taking a 23-20 lead with 11:29 to play on a Tom Brady QB sneak. Quarterback Joe Flacco (remember he used to play for Baltimore wink wink) would lead the Ravens down to the Pats 14 before Sterling Moore would strip a possible game winning Touchdown pass to Lee Evans. This would force the Ravens to try a 32 field goal that kicker Billy Cundiff would miss just a tad left. The win would get the Pats back to the big game for first time in four years.
#10 (2015) BRONCOS OVER patriots 20-18
In what would be Peyton Manning’s last home game and the last Manning VS Brady game would be one of the best games of their storied rivalry. Manning would throw two early touchdowns to Owen Daniels top put the Broncos on top early. The Broncos defense would make two fourth down stops in the fourth quarter to hold a 20-12 lead. The Patriots would get one more chance and take advantage of it with Rob Gronkowski making two huge fourth down catches with the second being a touchdown to cut the lead to 2 with 12 seconds remaining. On the two point conversion Bradley Roby would intercept a tipped pass to hold for the win. John Elway and Peyton Manning are the only quarterbacks to end their careers with a super bowl victory.
#9 (2014) SEAHAWKS OVER packers 28-22 (F/OT)
There has been many tough playoff defeats in the great career of Aaron Rodgers but the 2014 loss in Seattle still is the toughest loss of his career because of the stakes and circumstances. The Packers were up 16-0 in the third quarter and Russell Wilson had thrown three interceptions. The Hawks would get on the board late in the third on a fake field goal with punter Jon Ryan throwing a 19 yard pass to lineman Garry Gilliam. The Packers were still up 19-14 late in the 4th but the Seahawks would recover the onside kick when reserve tight end Brandon Bostick would have the ball slip through his hands into the Hawks receiver Chris Matthews. After a Marshawn Lynch run and a ridiculous houdini pass by Wilson to Tight end Luke Willson to put the Hawks on top. Rodgers would get the Packers in field goal range to force overtime but the Hawks won the toss. Russell Wilson found Jeramine Kearse on a seam route to finish the improbable comeback.
#8 (1994) chargers 17 STEELERS 13
The Chargers would almost be outgained 2 to 1 by the Steelers. But a 49 yard Touchdown catch by Tony Martin from the Stan Humphries (remember him) gave the Chargers a 17-13 lead late. The Steelers would get down to the red zone but the Chargers would stop the Steelers on 4th and goal to seal the victory. Remember the 4th and goal for the next intro to the countdown.
#7 (1995) STEELERS OVER colts 20-16
Remember that 4th down stop the previous AFC Championship game? The Steelers were down 16-13 to Jim Harbaugh (yes the Michigan and former 49ers coach who was just know as Captain Comeback at this time!) and the Colts late in the game. Steelers were facing a 4th and 3 from the Indy 40 with under two minutes left but Neil O’Donnell would hit Ernie Mills on a sideline go route for 39 yards to setup Bam Morris go ahead touchdown to go up 20-16. But Captain Comeback would not be done as Harbaugh would get the Colts into hailmary range. The pass would be caught by Aaron Bailey?? Or not the pass would just hit the ground and because there was no replay in 1995 could not be challenged, the Steelers would survive!
#6 (2009) SAINTS OVER vikings 31-28 (f/ot)
Time to start the Brett Farve heartbreaking interception tour. The game was tied at 28 with 15 seconds left and the Vikings were at the Saints 38 yard line. Farve rolled out to his right and had some room to run but decided to instead throw the ball across his body which Saints cornerback Tracy Porter would jump and intercept. The Saints would get the ball first and go downfield and win it on a 40 yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. This game would be the game that would eventually change the overtime rule to a team having to score a touchdown on their first possession of overtime to win the game.
#5 (2007) giants over PACKERS 23-20 (F/OT)
We go next to Green Bay for Brett Farve’s last pass as a Packer. Just to prove most endings end tragically Brett Farve’s, Tom Brady’s and Drew Brees final passes in their icon careers with their most known teams was an interception. None were worse than Farve’s against the Giants in 07. After a gift to even get to overtime when Giants Kicker Lawrence Tynes pulled a 36 yard field goal at the end of regulation the Packers would have a chance to win it getting the ball first to start overtime. Brett Farve would throw an interception however on the third play of overtime to Giants cornerback Corey Webster. Tynes would redeem himself hitting a 47 yard field goal to win it. The game was one of the coldest in playoff history with temps at zero degrees at kickoff.
#4 (2013) SEAHAWKS OVER 49ers 23-17
The 49ers and Seahawks have had some awesome games over the season who can remember the two games in 2019 (maybe the two best games of last season the Week 10 Monday night game was number one). This game lived up to the hype in a back and forth slug fest. The Seahawks would take the lead early in the 4th on a Jermaine Kearse 35 yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson. The 49ers would have their chance late as Colin Kaepernick would lead the niners to the the Seahawks 18 was intercepted by Malcolm Smith on a deflected pass by Hawks corner Richard Sherman (who oddly now plays for San Fran). The pass was intended for Michael Crabtree who after the play and game Richard Sherman would have some of the most awesome trash talk we have ever seen.
#3 (2018) patriots over CHIEFS 37-31 (F/OT)
This game featured the GOAT vs the possible future GOAT. The game would explode in the 4th quarter when a 17-7 Patriots lead would turn into a 28-24 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs would intercept Tom Brady in what appeared to seal the game but Dee Ford lined up offside. The Patriots would capitalize on the mistake on a 4 yard Rex Burkhead touchdown run to go up 31-28 with 39 seconds left. Patrick Mahomes was able to get the Chiefs in field goal range to force overtime. In overtime the Patriots won the toss and Tom Brady would show why he’s the goat. Brady would convert three third and 10’s to get the Pats into range to win the game. Rex Burkhead would run it in from 2 yards out to seal the win.
#2 (1998) falcons over VIKINGS 30-27 (F/OT)
The Vikings went 15-1 and had maybe the best offense in history (if you compare the production to the rest of the league at that time). The Vikings were up 27-20 with just over two minutes left when kicker Gary Anderson who hadn’t missed a kick lined up for a 39 yarder to seal the game. I just jinxed Anderson again as he hooked the kick left giving the Falcons extra life. The Falcons would capitalize with a 16 yard touchdown catch from Terance Mathis from Chris Chandler (Chandler was the original Ryan Fitzpatrick check his career bio) with 57 seconds left to force overtime. Some stalled drives on both ends would finally be broken when the Falcons would get into field goal range on a big 22 yard completion from Chandler to tight end O.J Santiago. The Falcons would seal the win with a Morten Anderson (not to be confused with Gary) 38 yard field goal to seal the Falcons first ticket to the super bowl.
#1 (2006) COLTS OVER patriots 38-34
#1 has to be a Manning Brady game there is no other way. The two legends met 17 times and this may be the best game yet. This game had the Pats with an 18 point lead. Then offensive lineman scoring touchdowns on both sides. Manning and Brady trading blows but the Colts would get the last laugh. The Colts would take the lead for the first time in the game when Colts running back Joseph Addai would run it in from 3 yards out with exactly a minute left to put the Colts up by 4. Tom Brady would drive into Colts territory but the drive would stall when Colts safety Marlin Jackson jumped a Brady pass to get Manning to his first super bowl in a game that Manning would win in a driving rain storm in Miami.