The Greatest Choke Jobs in NFL Playoff History

The NFL Conference Championship Games kick-off today, with the New England Patriots going up against the Denver Broncos, and the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Seattle Seahawks. We've seen these games before: Peyton vs. Brady, and Carroll vs. Harbaugh. They're sure to be competitive match-ups, and you can definitely be certain that some heroes are going to be made. Will Russell Wilson be able to continue his upward ascension? Will Colin Kaepernick prove that last year wasn't a fluke? We can only wait and see.

However, with the winners, there will also be losers. And when it comes to losing in sports, there's always that possibility attached to it that your team completely choked. You know what it looks like: Scott Norwood in Super Bowl XXV, Matt Hasselbeck throwing a pick-six to lose to the Green Bay Packers in the 2004 NFC Wild Card, and, most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs blowing a 28-point lead to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. These moments are never pretty, but they happen. So, with two rounds of the playoffs still to go, here's a list of The Greatest Choke Jobs in NFL Playoff History, just to remind you of what could happen in the closing match-ups of the postseason. What choke do you think was the worst? Take a look at our list and let us know in the comments.

20. The Failure in Foxborough

Date: 1/22/2012
Match-up: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens
Game: AFC Championship Game
People involved: Billy Cundiff, Lee Evans, Tom Brady

Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens were thisclose to making it to Super Bowl XLVI, Indeed, had wide receiver Lee Evans been able to hold onto the ball he was thrown in the corner of the end zone at the end of the game, or if kicker Billy Cundiff had made a 32-yard chip shot, they could've beaten the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game for the 2011 season, sending them to the Super Bowl to face the New York Giants. Instead, they got nothing, and Evans' case of butterfingers, along with Cundiff's totally inexplicable miss, allowed the Pats to sneak into the Super Bowl, despite the fact that Tom Brady had thrown two interceptions, and had been held without a passing touchdown for the first time in 36 games. It isn't every game that you get to shut down the New England Patriots, and missing out on opportunities like that is totally inexcusable.

19. Field General Favre's Last Stand

Date: 1/24/2010
Match-up: New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings
Game: NFC Championship
People involved: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Drew Brees

Brett Favre was unabashed about his gunslinging tendencies throughout his career, for better and for worse. Yes, it was this fearlessness that allowed him to put up the numbers that he did during his playing days but inside those numbers are also a lot of ugly interceptions. Perhaps the worst of them all came against the New Orleans Saints when Favre, playing for the Minnesota Vikings, threw a deadly pick that ended Minnesota's shot at a Super Bowl.

The pick came at the end of regulation, with the game tied at 28. Dropping back to pass, Favre was flushed out of the pocket, and had to force a pass across the field. Deep in New Orleans territory, the ball was picked off at the 22, saving the Saints from a game-losing field goal. In OT, New Orleans possessed the ball first and took it right into field goal range, where Garrett Hartley would nail the game-winner, sending the Saints to the Super Bowl. It was a tough break for Favre, and ended up being his last meaningful game in the league. He certainly could've chosen a better way to go out.

18. The Catastrophe at Candlestick

Date: 1/22/2012
Match-up: San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants
Game: NFC Championship
People involved: Kyle Williams, Alex Smith, Eli Manning

The Giants and the Niners have had some pretty memorable battles over the years, and one of the most unfortunate characters to emerge from all of the match-ups has undoubtedly been former 49er, Kyle Williams. In the NFC Championship game for the 2011 season, the Niners had a chance to go to the Super Bowl in Jim Harbaugh's very first season. Their defense was tenacious, their offense had finally found its footing under Alex Smith, and everything seemed to be falling into the place for the storied franchise.

However, an untimely injury to punt returner Ted Ginn Jr. would end up being a crucial loss for San Francisco, as his back-up, Kyle Williams, was responsible for two muffed punts, and the subsequent fumble recoveries by the Giants. The first one happened in regulation, and allowed the Giants to get the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. The second would prove even more costly, as the fumble in overtime allowed the Giants to kick the game-winning field goal. It's always tough to put the blame on one person for a single game, but Williams' difficulties catching the ball certainly didn't help San Francisco's chances.

17. Cleveland Can't Close

Date: 1/4/1986
Match-up: Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns
Game: AFC Divisional Game
People involved: Earnest Byner, Bernie Kosar, Dan Marino, Ron Davenport

When people talk about the greatest quarterbacks of the '80s and '90s, former Cleveland Brown Bernie Kosar is often the odd man out in the conversation. Kosar was certainly talented, and was able to lead even the sadsack Browns to some memorable seasons, but when it came to the playoffs, Kosar was always second to names like Dan Marino, John Elway, and Joe Montana.

Never was this more apparent when Kosar and his Browns gave up a 21-3 lead in the second half of the 1986 AFC Divisional game to lose to Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. Kosar—who threw for just 66 yards, a touchdown, and an interception—was awful that day, and Cleveland was largely carried on the back of running back Earnest Byner, who ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns. However, Byner's heroics wouldn't be enough, as Marino and Miami running back, Ron Davenport, would combine for three scores in the third and fourth quarters to give the Dolphins the 24-21 win. Blowing a 17-point lead in the playoffs? Sounds like business as usual for the Browns.

16. The Flacco Fling

Date: 1/12/2013
Match-up: Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens
Game: AFC Divisional Game
People involved: Jacoby Jones, Joe Flacco, Peyton Manning

For years, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco had to deal with the criticisms of being a boring, ho-hum quarterback. Sure, he could take his team to the playoffs, but that didn't mean that he had the talent to win a Super Bowl. However, in last year's AFC Divisional game against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, all those myths were dispelled as Flacco had a monster game, as well as 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones that sent the game to overtime. It was a huge defensive miscue that allowed Jones to get so open, and that play, along with two crucial interceptions from Peyton Manning, made this game the choke that it was for Broncos. Instead of seeing him send Denver to the AFC Championship game and a shot at a Super Bowl appearance, critics of Manning continued to pile on him about not being able to come through in the clutch. Will he be able to change that narrative against the Patriots this year?

15. The Music City Miracle

Date: 1/8/2000
Match-up: Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills
Game: AFC Wild Card
People involved: Frank Wychek, Kevin Dyson, Rob Johnson

A lot of people call this one, "The Miracle at Music City," but let's also remember it as payback for the huge lose-from-ahead defeat that the Tennessee franchise suffered in 1993 against the Bills when the Titans were still known as the Houston Oilers. Seven years later, the Titans would finally get revenge, as an unbelievable and controversial play from their special teams would give them the win in the end. Down 16-15 with just seconds to go, the Titans received a short kickoff from the Bills that put the ball in Frank Wycheck's hands after a reverse handoff from Lorenzo Neal. Scrambling, Wycheck threw the ball across the field to Kevin Dyson, in what many viewed as an illegal forward pass. However, the refs didn't call it in the moment, and Dyson sprinted up the sideline for touchdown.

Reviews of the play were deemed inconclusive, and the ruling on the field held, giving Tennessee the 22-15 win. However, the game may have never even been this close had Bills head coach Wade Phillips not made the decision to play quarterback Rob Johnson instead of Doug Flutie. Though Flutie had led the Bills to a 10-5 record in the games he started, Phillips inexplicably chose Johnson over Flutie for the playoffs and was justly rewarded for his idiotic decision. Johnson completed just 10 of his 22 passes for 131 yards and no touchdowns, and the fact that the Bills were even in the game at the very end is pretty unbelievable. Still, though, thanks to poor special teams and terrible coaching, Buffalo ended up on the wrong side of the choke in this contest.

14. The Ambush at Mile High

Date: 1/4/1997
Match-up: Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Game: AFC Divisional Game
People involved: Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, John Elway

We'll all remember John Elway for the back-to-back Super Bowl victories that closed out his career, but let's not be too quick to dismiss all the playoff disappointments that preluded those wins. Among a few notable losses in the Super Bowl, Elway and his Broncos also had this gem in 1997 when, after finishing the regular season at 13-3 and earning a first round bye, Denver was upset by the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional round.

Jacksonville had snuck into the playoffs that year, winning five straight at the end to go 9-7 and earn a wild card berth in just their second season as a franchise. After knocking out Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in the first round, the Jags showed Denver that they weren't afraid of anyone, as they would go on to beat the Broncos 30-27, overcoming a 12-point deficit in the process. Jacksonville quarterback Mark Brunell played absolutely out of his mind, throwing the decisive score to Jimmy Smith in the fourth quarter to lead the Jaguars to an unexpected W. It's hard to argue that this game wasn't one that the Broncos absolutely should've won. Had they, Elway very well may have been looking at three straight Super Bowl titles instead of two.

13. The Prediction

Date: 1/4/2004
Match-up: Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Game: NFC Wild Card
People involved: Matt Hasselbeck, Al Harris, Shaun Alexander

If there was anything that you could ever call "The Reverse Guarantee," then this would be it. Unlike Joe Namath's signature moment, in which the famous former Jets quarterback declared that his team would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, former Seattle Seahawks QB, Matt Hasselbeck, incorrectly predicted that he and his teammates would beat the Green Bay Packers on the very first possession in OT. In fact, after the team won the coin toss for overtime, Hasselbeck's words were, "We want the ball, and we're going to score."

Can you blame him? The Seahawks had just tied it in regulation after Shaun Alexander had punched it in to knot things up at 27, so Hasselbeck had to be feeling good. But, unfortunately for him, Hasselbeck would end up having things a little mixed up, as it was Packers who would go on to score and win when Al Harris picked him off on the Seahawks' sixth play. Going straight to the house for a 33-27 win, Harris made Hasselbeck look like a fool, and certainly nothing like a prophet.

12. Kasay Kicks It Out

Date: 2/1/2004
Match-up: Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots
Game: Super Bowl XXXVIII
People involved: John Kasay, Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri

Most people won't remember Super Bowl XXXVIII for John Kasay's botched kick-off at the end of the game, and that's more than fair. There were plenty of other, more entertaining moments that will people will want to hold onto, such as Tom Brady's unbelievable play, Jake Delhomme's equally unbelievable play, the back-and-forth nature of the game, Adam Vinatieri's winning field goal, and, of course, Janet Jackson. However, you can't talk about the result of this game without bringing up the fact that, when the two teams were tied at 29 with just 1:08 left in the game, longtime Panthers placekicker, John Kasay hit the kick-off out of bounds. This gave the Patriots the ball at their own 40, only needing 37 more yards before they were able to put Vinatieri in position to boot the winning kick. Had Kasay not shanked, we may have gone to the first OT period in Super Bowl history and, from there, who knows what would've happened? Instead, Kasay crumpled in the moment, giving New England a short path to victory that Brady & Co. had no problem taking.

11. The Romo

Date: 1/6/2007
Match-up: Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
Game: NFC Wild Card
People involved: Tony Romo, Tony Romo, Tony Romo

When sports fan talk about Tony Romo, they inevitably talk about choking. And when they talk about Tony Romo choking, the first bit of evidence that they'll often bring up has to do with the 2006 NFC Wild Card game when Romo, acting as the placeholder for the deciding field goal, muffed the snap, and sunk Dallas' chances in the playoffs. It had been Romo's first season making his name in the NFL, and even then, he was still an all-world choke artist. Though the field was from a mere 19 yards out, Romo let the pressure of the moment get to him, and after recovering the bobbled snap, tried to run into the end zone in a last ditch effort to win the game. He was, of course, unsuccessful in this attempt, and the Seahawks would recover the ball on downs, and run out the clock to win the game. As we all know, it certainly hasn't gotten better for Romo since.

10. The Fumble

Date: 1/17/1987
Match-up: Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
Game: AFC Championship Game
People involved: Earnest Byner, Jeremiah Castille, Bernie Kosar

Never forget that so long as Cleveland has sports teams, they will be forever cursed. Exhibit A: The Fumble. With the Browns down 38-31, and knocking on the door of the game-tying TD, running back Earnest Byner was given the ball on a deciding play that would stop Cleveland right in their tracks. Taking the handoff from Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar—who had thrown for 356 yards and three touchdowns up to that point—Byner was hit by Denver safety Jeremiah Castille, forcing the ball out and into the Broncos' hands. From there, Denver took an intentional safety in the end zone and the Browns ran out of time before they could have another serious chance to score. With the game on the line, you have to hold onto the ball. Anything else is just a choke.

9. Better To Be Luck-y Than Good

Date: 1/4/2014
Match-up: Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Game: AFC Wild Card
People involved: Alex Smith, Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most tortured playoff teams in NFL history, as—with their most recent loss to the Indianapolis Colts—they're now on an eight-game losing skid in the postseason. It's hard to think that this one didn't hurt the most, though, given that the Chiefs were up 38-10 early in the third quarter, with the game seemingly in hand. Unfortunately for Kansas City fans everywhere, nothing is guaranteed with this franchise, as they ended up blowing that 28-point lead to the charging Andrew Luck. Though Luck had already thrown two picks on the day at that point, nothing could stop the Indianapolis QB from leading his team back from the brink of elimination, throwing two touchdown passes, and running in a miraculous fumble-recovery-turned-rushing-touchdown in the final two quarters. Luck's finest work undoubtedly came on his final touchdown pass, when he throw a 64-yard bomb to T.Y. Hilton to put Indy up for good. Though Alex Smith had himself a spectacular game with 378 yard, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, he was no match for the Luck-ier Colts.

8. The T.O. KO

Date: 1/3/2003
Match-up: San Francisco 49ers vs New York Giants
Game: NFC Wild Card
People involved: Terrell Owens, Jeff Garcia, Tai Streets, Trey Junkin

Though the post-Steve Young 49ers have yet to win a Super Bowl title, back in the days when Jeff Garcia was manning things under center, San Francisco was still able to get themselves into some pretty thrilling playoff games. In large part, we have Terrell Owens to thank for that who, despite his famously outrageous personality, was able to back up his talk on the gridiron every Sunday. One of the best examples of his talent as a wide receiver came when Owens was still with the Niners, and the team was matched up against the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card game for the 2002 season.

In the game, the Giants had taken a large lead on the Niners, and were looking to close the game out in the third quarter, when they were up 38-14. However, San Francisco would storm back on the strength of Jeff Garcia (331 yards, 3 TDs), Terrell Owens (9 rec, 177 yards, 2 TDs) and Tai Streets, the latter whom hauled in the winning TD with a minute left. Even then, the Giants still had a chance to win the game, as they barrelled down the field in the final seconds of regulation to attempt a last-second, game-winning field goal. However, a bad snap from Trey Junkin doomed New York's try at getting the kick off, and instead, they had to settle for one of the biggest chokes in NFL history.

7. Peyton's Revenge

Date: 1/21/2007
Match-up: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
Game: AFC Championship Game
People involved: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Marlin Jackson

For years, the New England Patriots have had Peyton Manning's goat, as the All-Pro legend has often struggled against the complex, physical defenses of Bill Belichick and his Pats. However, there was one notable instance where Manning was finally able to break through against New England, and it came in a manner that few would've expected from New England. Up 21-3 in the second quarter, and 21-6 at halftime, the game looked as good as sealed for the Patriots. However, a heroic comeback by the Colts would shock New England in the end, and take Manning to his first, long-awaited appearance in the Super Bowl.

As the second half went underway, Manning quickly went to work picking apart the Patriots D, tying the game at 21 before the Pats regained a seven-point lead to start the fourth quarter. However, 17 fourth quarter points by Indianapolis would end up being the difference here, as New England had no answer for Manning's play. Even worse for the Patriots, their own hero, Tom Brady, ended up throwing a decisive interception to Indianapolis cornerback, Marlin Jackson, sealing the game for the Colts with just 17 seconds to go. It was a huge victory for the Colts, as Manning finished the day with 349 yards, a touchdown, and one gigantic monkey off of his back.

6. Smith's Big Slip

Date: 1/29/1979
Match-up: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Game: Super Bowl XIII
People involved: Jackie Smith, Roger Staubach

Before his brief career in Dallas, Jackie Smith was an All-Pro tight end who, with his playing days coming to a close, decided to head over to the Cowboys to see if he could pick up a ring before he was done with pro football. Though he had been named to the Pro Bowl five separate times, and held the record for receiving yards by a tight end until 1990, Smith was only used as a blocking end for Dallas, and didn't catch a single pass throughout the regular season. Perhaps this explains why, in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII, with the Cowboys down by a touchdown to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith inexplicably dropped a sure-thing TD from Roger Staubach when Smith was wide-open in the end zone.

As you'll see from the video, Smith slips as he tries to make the catch, causing the drop that would leave Dallas down by four points after they opted to kick a field goal. In the end, that amount would end up being the difference as Dallas fell by a score 35-31. As the announcer says in the video, Smith had to be the sickest man in America after that mistake and, given his decision to retire in the following offseason, it seems that Smith agreed.

5. The Guarantee

Date: 1/12/1969
Match-up: Baltimore Colts vs. New York Jets
Game: Super Bowl III
People involved: Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Matt Snell

Former Jets quarterback Joe Namath was always larger than life, and a character both on the field and off of it. This personality had its most famous moment when Namath, sick of the media that was heavily favoring the Baltimore Colts, stated that the Jets were absolutely going to win the game, sealing his prediction with a guarantee. It was a moment that could've easily been forgotten had the Jets lost. Namath would've been just another loud-mouth loser who turned out to be wrong. However, it ended up being his most iconic moment as a player, and one of professional football's greatest stories ever. The Colts, led by Johnny Unitas, and representing the NFL, took on Namath's AFL Jets with the expectation of a walkover. They were favored by 18 points, as the NFL's Packers had easily taken the first two Super Bowls over the AFL. With Johnny U on their side, Baltimore seemed unstoppable.

But the predictions were premature. The Colts wouldn't even score 18 points on that day, clamped down by an unforgiving Jets defense that only allowed a single touchdown and picked off Unitas and his back-up, Earl Morrall, a combined four times. Namath certainly wasn't spectacular either, throwing for just 208 yards and no touchdowns, but still picked up the Super Bowl MVP honors anyway. Indeed, if anyone should've gotten recognized it should've been either the Jets D, or fullback Matt Snell, who scored New York's only TD of the game and ran for 121 yards. In the end, though, the victory was all that mattered, as the Jets conquered Baltimore 16-7, and made Namath look like a genius.

4. The Miss

Date: 1/17/1999
Match-up: Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons
Game: NFC Championship
People involved: Gary Anderson, Morton Andersen, Chris Chandler, Randall Cunningham

Next to the 2007 New England Patriots, the 1997 Minnesota Vikings were one of the most dominant regular season teams of the past 20 years, as their offense, led by Randall Cunningham and rookie Randy Moss, scored a then-NFL record 556 points in the regular season. They were, by many measures, the greatest offensive team of the 1990s. However, their aura would eventually fall apart in the playoffs when, matched up against the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings would lose in OT after a crucial missed field goal prevented them from putting the game away in regulation.

Their kicker, Gary Anderson, was an all-time great who had kicked a historical year in 1998, being the first kicker to not miss a single field goal or PAT in the regular season. He chose a fine time to miss his first, as he went wide left on 38-yard field goal near the end of the fourth quarter to keep the score at 27-20 (go to 1:52:30 in the video to see the kick). From there, the Falcons would tie it and then take it in the extra time, as Atlanta's Morton Andersen would take an attempt of his own from 38 yards that went straight through the uprights. Even with their quarterback, Chris Chandler, on a bad ankle, the Falcons still managed to upend the once-invincible Vikings, proving that, when it comes to the playoffs, Minnesota can just never catch a break.

3. Wide Right

Date: 1/27/1991
Match-up: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants
Game: Super Bowl XXV
People involved: Scott Norwood

Scott Norwood's fateful miss against the New York Giants with just seconds remaining in Super Bowl XXV remains, to this day, one of the most heart-wrenching misses you'll ever see in a pro football game. The Bills went to four straight Super Bowls from 1990 to 1993, but their first loss was certainly the most painful, as it was the closest that they'd ever come to an NFL title. If there's one lesson that should come from Norwood's miss, it's this: always have a reliable kicker on your team.

Amazingly, Scott Norwood had only made one of his kicks from 40+ yards on grass that season, with his longest being 41. The deciding kick in Super Bowl XXV was 47 yards; he didn't have a chance.But why would the Bills keep a guy on their roster who clearly wasn't equipped to make a field of any substantial distance? 47 yards is nothing. Kickers today sneeze and make 47-yarders. The fact that Norwood couldn't hit that field goal was definitely on him, but the fact that he was even on the roster to begin with was a major blunder by Bills management. With Norwood's miss, the Giants won the game 20-19.

2. 18-1

Date: 2/3/2008
Match-up: New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
Game: Super Bowl XLII
People involved: Tom Brady, Eli Manning, David Tyree

It's a weird thing when a choke comes as a result of expectations instead of performance. Yes, there were crucial plays that can be viewed as crucial moments of the choke (see: David Tyree's helmet catch) but the largest aspect that loomed over the Patriots' loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII was the fact that they were 18-0 and they had no business losing this game. The game was supposed to be the coronation of the Patriots dynasty, and the crowning moment on the greatest season of all-time. Not only would New England have been 19-0 had they won, but they had also obliterated every noteworthy offensive record in the process. It would've been Brady and Belichick's fourth Super Bowl title.

Leading up to the game, many saw it as a formality more than anything. But, as the New York Giants would prove, defense is what ultimately wins championships, as the stout D from the G-Men stuffed New England's hopes of putting the finishing touches on their Super Bowl victory. Within the game, there aren't many moments you can point to that say, "choke." The Helmet Catch was more of a brilliant play from Eli Manning than anything. Rather, the result itself was choke. When it comes down to it, the Pats had to win this game. Anything else was a disappointment.

1. The Choke

Date: 1/3/1993
Match-up: Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Oilers
Game : AFC Wild Card
People involved: Warren Moon, Frank Reich, Steve Christie, Nate Odomes

The Buffalo Bills' come-from-behind win against Warren Moon and the Houston Oilers was one for the record books, as Buffalo erased a seemingly insurmountable 32-point deficit to eventually shock the Oilers in OT. Most amazingly of all, the Bills did it without their franchise hero, Jim Kelly, who, after leaving the game with a strained knee ligament, was replaced by back-up Frank Reich. The transition was seamless. Reich would end up having a hand in four out Buffalo's five second-half TDs, as the Bills—down 35-3 at one point—stormed back to tie the game in regulation. When they entered OT, a fateful interception from Warren Moon (who had completed a then-playoff-record 36 passes that day) went into the arms of Buffalo cornerback Nate Odomes. From there, Bills kicker Steve Christie knocked it in to give Buffalo the unexpected win.