The 7 Most Shapely NFL Playoff Runs Since 2000

Top-seeded teams assuredly reign supreme in the NFL playoffs. Every few years, on the other hand, an underdog tips the postseason.

Since this millennium started, we now maintain viewed a pair of sixth-seeded teams—then the closing qualifier of a conference—set up collectively a comely championship high-tail. Now we maintain watched the New York Giants in a technique characteristic up to dethrone the New England Patriots. Twice.

But no worries, Tom Brady fans, inclusion right here is no longer at all times a unhealthy for the supreme quarterback of all time.

While the list is subjective, context is actually appropriate along with a team’s playoff seed, road games and Grand Bowl opponent. Desire is given to franchises that won a title.

Because of hindsight, we be wakeful the 2001 season because the origin of Tom Brady’s ascent with the New England Patriots.

In the moment, no person had that vision.

Brady replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 and by no technique relinquished the starting job. On the other hand, he wasn’t exactly lights up field scores with a modest 6.9 yards per pass strive.

New England landed the AFC’s No. 2 seed but entered the playoffs with minor expectations. Correct away, the Patriots wished a controversial reversal—the “Tuck Rule Sport”—to outlive the Oakland Raiders in the divisional spherical and protect alive in the postseason.

But the Pats then swiped two victories as double-digit underdogs. They clipped the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship and timorous the excessive-scoring St. Louis Rams for an attractive pick up in Grand Bowl XXXVI.

Provided that the Pittsburgh Steelers had posted a 15-1 file one 365 days earlier, they arrived to the 2005 season as a revered team. Despite the total lot, second-365 days QB Ben Roethlisberger had assumed motivate watch over of the offense.

On the other hand, the Steelers ended up retaining the sixth seed in the AFC and confronted a road-crammed direction to the Grand Bowl.

They made it happen anyway.

Pittsburgh picked off the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals prior to upsetting Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. As a 3.5-point underdog in the AFC Championship, the Steelers hammered the Denver Broncos 34-17 to set aside away with all three of the AFC’s high-seeded teams.

To punctuate the memoir high-tail, Pittsburgh defeated the Seattle Seahawks—the NFC’s most productive team—in Grand Bowl XL.

On one sideline, Grand Bowl XLII featured Brady and the unbeaten Patriots. They’d set up collectively a 16-0 usual season, added a pair of playoff wins and sat getting ready to fantastic NFL history.

And on the other, you had the New York Giants—a community that stumbled down the stretch. They raced out to a 6-2 file nonetheless performed 10-6 in the serve of a turnover-prone offense, losing to New England in the usual-season finale whereas tumbling to the No. 5 seed in the NFC.

So, naturally, the Giants assembled a stellar postseason.

They won three straight games as a road underdog—taking down the tip-seeded, rival Dallas Cowboys and the second-seeded Green Bay Packers—to open as a 12.5-point underdog reverse the Pats.

David Tyree’s helmet get characteristic up Eli Manning’s game-successful touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the closing minute of regulations. New York ruined a supreme season with a 17-14 triumph.

Postseason letdowns grew to remodel a theme of Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the Green Bay Packers, so the juxtaposition of his lone Grand Bowl victory is especially tantalizing.

Briefly: They had been lucky to even designate the 2010 playoffs.

Green Bay performed with a 10-6 file and in a 3-technique impasse for the NFC’s closing wild-card berth. It took a fourth tiebreaker to separate the Packers from the Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the postseason, the Packers won road contests over the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears. They capped the season with a 31-25 pick up in opposition to the Steelers in Grand Bowl XLV no subject three main first-half of accidents thinning the roster.

Rodgers led Green Bay to the playoffs in 9 more seasons nonetheless by no technique made the Grand Bowl but again.

One amongst the causes Rodgers by no technique returned to the Astronomical Sport? Oh, these pesky 2011 Giants.

New York notched a minus-six point differential in the usual season but stood atop a frail NFC East at 9-7. Particular, the Giants had home-area profit and trounced the Atlanta Falcons to open the playoffs, nonetheless high-seeded Green Bay—which boasted a 15-1 file—will seemingly be next.

Because of four takeaways, the G-Males pulled off a 37-20 stunner at Lambeau. They parlayed that upset exact into a 20-17 time previous regulations road pick up in opposition to the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.

All over but again, the Patriots awaited.

All over but again, the Giants knocked off New England.

Eli Manning conjured up a second spherical of heroics, launching a supreme 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham that sparked Ahmad Bradshaw’s final-minute touchdown in a 21-17 pick up.

Gradual in the usual season, a knee crash sidelined doubtless MVP-successful quarterback Carson Wentz. That, in idea, must maintain ruined the Eagles’ hopes of a Grand Bowl high-tail.

As an different, it unleashed the underdog craze of 2017.

Philly secured the NFC’s high seed nonetheless managed cramped appreciate. The sixth-seeded Falcons closed as a 2.5-point favourite in the divisional spherical, nonetheless the Eagles squeezed out a 15-10 victory. The second-seeded Minnesota Vikings headed to the Linc as a 3-point favourite, nonetheless Philly defended its home area in a commanding 38-7 blowout.

As you might even imagine, the Grand Bowl used to be no diversified. Brady and the Patriots held a 4.5-point edge on the Reduce Foles-led Eagles.

Foles responded with a occupation-defining efficiency, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns—including a late 11-yard winner to Zach Ertz—and catching a fourth come by on a memorable trick play.

In fairness, Brady’s presence lessens the shock ingredient. Tampa Bay, however, confronted a flowery direction to hang a banner in 2020.

The Buccaneers recovered from a 7-5 launch nonetheless entered the playoffs as a wild-card team in a flowery NFC.

After successful on the road as anticipated over Washington, Tampa traveled to New Orleans to face the Saints—who already had a pair of double-digit victories over the Bucs. The defense snatched three interceptions on Drew Brees and sparked a 30-20 upset of the Saints.

Top-seeded Green Bay hosted the NFC Championship, nonetheless two astronomical errors on either facet of halftime doomed the Packers whereas sending the Bucs to a 31-26 triumph.

As a relentless pass high-tail silenced the Kansas City Chiefs in a 31-9 Grand Bowl LV victory, Brady solidified his legacy with a seventh ring.