By Darin Hayes In a recent episode of the Pigskin Daily History Dispatch podcast, host Darin Hayes welcomed football historian Ed Kleese to share his highly subjective—but brilliantly curated—list of the Top 10 Forgotten NFL Playoff Moments in league history. Kleese established strict criteria: the moments must not be a Super Bowl play (a topic for another day), they must have had a significant impact on that season’s postseason outcome, and they must be moments that the casual fan has genuinely forgotten. This means no “Immaculate Reception,” no “Sea of Hands,” and no “Tuck Rule.”
Kleese’s list dives deep into the archives of the Super Bowl era, unearthing shocking upsets, egregious officiating errors, and career-defining gaffes that truly altered the course of NFL history. The conversation revealed some phenomenal near-misses and stunning turns of fate that often get overlooked in the highlight reels.
Honorable Mentions
Before diving into the Top 10, Kleese quickly highlighted three plays that just missed the cut:
- The 2010 Jets defeating both the Colts and Patriots on the road en route to the AFC Championship game (a team now rarely discussed).
- The pivotal Roger Craig fumble that allowed the Giants to beat the 49ers 15-13 in the 1990 NFC Championship game.
- John Elway’s forgotten playoff comeback against the Houston Oilers in the 1992 Divisional Round.
Top 10 Forgotten NFL Playoff Moments (Ranked 10-1)
| Rank | Year | Teams & Game | The Forgotten Moment | Impact & Details |
| 10 | 1995 | Colts at Chiefs (Divisional) | Lynn Elliot’s 3 missed field goals | The heavily favored, No. 1 seed Chiefs lost 10-7 in a frigid Arrowhead. Elliot missed kicks from 35, 39, and a game-tying 42 yards late in the 4th quarter, sending the Colts to the AFC Championship. |
| 9 | 1987 | Vikings at 49ers (Divisional) | Anthony Carter’s 227-yard receiving day | In a massive upset, the Vikings beat the favored 49ers 36-24. Carter had 10 catches for 227 yards—without scoring a touchdown—shredding what was considered the best team in the NFL and ensuring the NFC Championship was played in Washington instead of Candlestick. |
| 8 | 1986 & 1987 | Redskins at Bears (Divisional) | Redskins End the Bears Dynasty | The Redskins went into Soldier Field and beat the dominant Bears two years in a row following Chicago’s Super Bowl season (1985), effectively ending the reign of the iconic Chicago team. |
| 7 | 2015 | Packers at Cardinals (Divisional) | Larry Fitzgerald’s overtime heroics | After an incredible finish featuring a game-tying Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, Fitzgerald immediately took over in overtime with a 75-yard catch-and-run, setting up the game-winning touchdown just moments later. |
| 6 | 2011 | Giants vs. 49ers (NFC Championship) | The Kyle Williams Punt Fumbles | Williams, a backup returner, fumbled two punts in the final stages of the game—one late in the 4th quarter and another in overtime—handing the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants the victory. |
| 5 | 2003 | Packers at Eagles (Divisional) | Brett Favre’s Overtime Interception | With the game tied in overtime, Favre threw what Kleese called the “single worst pass” he’s ever seen—a jump ball on 1st-and-10—that was easily intercepted, setting up the Eagles’ game-winning field goal. |
| 4 | 1979 | Rams at Cowboys (Divisional) | Rams Upset the Heavily Favored Cowboys | The Rams, led by quarterback Vince Ferragamo, were huge underdogs but scored a 50-yard touchdown with 2:30 left to win 21-19, avoiding a likely Cowboys-Steelers Super Bowl rematch. |
| 3 | 1979 | Oilers at Steelers (AFC Championship) | The Mike Renfro Non-Touchdown | The infamous missed call where Mike Renfro clearly caught a touchdown pass to tie the game in the third quarter, but it was ruled incomplete. This egregious error cemented the need for instant replay and helped the Steelers secure the win. |
| 2 | 1976 | Patriots at Raiders (Divisional) | The Controversial Roughing the Passer Call | With the Patriots leading by four points late in the game, an incredibly questionable roughing the passer penalty on a 3rd-and-18 incompletion kept the Raiders’ drive alive, leading to the game-winning touchdown for the eventual Super Bowl champions. |
| 1 | 2018 | Jaguars at Patriots (AFC Championship) | Jaguars’ Near-Upset of the Patriots | The Jaguars held a surprising 10-point lead with only eight minutes left at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots staged a dramatic comeback, but the Jags got the ball back, crossed midfield, and were one sack/penalty away from getting into field goal range to challenge the dynasty. |