Best Wild Card playoff game, 1978 thru '89

[74_75_78_79_]

Starting with both Falcons over Eagles in Vermeil's playoff debut and then Oilers winning at Dolphins kicking off the brief 'Luv Ya Blue' era, and ending with Robinson's Rams over Buddy's Eagles followed by Chuck's 'last hurrah' at the Astrodome (getting last laugh on Glanville) - and the 20 inbetween - what WC game in this one-per-conference era did you like best?

[7DnBrnc53]

Probably the 1989 Steeler win over Houston. I like the Steelers, and it was nice to see them beat that jerk Glanville.

[Bryan]

Not sure what it is officially termed, but the 1982 first round game between the Steelers and Chargers was a great game. Pretty much every other game of that 'tournament' was terrible aside from the Cowboys-Redskins championship.

[Citizen]

1. Oilers at Browns, 1988
2. Steelers at Oilers, 1989
3. Giants at Rams, 1984
4. Bills at Jets, 1981
5. Seahawks at Oilers, 1987

[sheajets]

That Bills Jets game was played on almost a Mud Bowl type field but with actual offense. Jets down 18 in the 4th and they almost pull it off. Todd had Gaffney open for the winning TD but underthrew it and Bill Simpson sealed the win with the pick. It wasn't quality football though, the game had like 9 or 10 total turnovers. But it was a wild wild game. Sandlot football in the slop.

That 89 Steelers team was something else. Never seen so little talent go so far.

[JWL]

Seahawks at Oilers in 1987

[ChrisBabcock]

That 89 Steelers team was something else. Never seen so little talent go so far.

They gave Denver a scare in the divisional round next week as well.

I've got to go with Bills/Jets 1981 with Steelers/Oilers 1989 close behind that.
I would put Bills/Jets among the better playoff games of all time. If there were a mega-list, top 50 or so, it would possibly be in the 20-30 range.

[Gary Najman]

That 89 Steelers team was something else. Never seen so little talent go so far.

They gave Denver a scare in the divisional round next week as well.

I've got to go with Bills/Jets 1981 with Steelers/Oilers 1989 close behind that.
I would put Bills/Jets among the better playoff games of all time. If there were a mega-list, top 50 or so, it would possibly be in the 20-30 range.

I agree on the 1981 Bills-Jets WC playoff game as the best of the bunch. The 1987 Seahawks-Oilers is (I believe) the first overtime Wildcard playoff ever.

[Gary Najman]

That 89 Steelers team was something else. Never seen so little talent go so far.

I agree in part, as the Steelers had future Hall of Famers Rod Woodson and Dermontti Dawson, plus Louis Lipps and Greg Lloyd had good years. But I agree that aside of their first two games against Cleveland and Cincinnati (when they were outscored 92-10 in those two games combined), they also had two more shutout losses (against Houston and Chicago) and somehow managed to win 5 of their last 6 games and made the playoffs (despite being last in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage), when they upset Houston (who had beaten them in both regular season games) and nearly beat the eventual AFC champions Broncos at Denver (the Steelers also lost 34-7 to the Broncos in the regular season). Other interesting thing is that Pittsburgh didn't play a Monday Night game that year, I bet is one of the few times since the mid-70s that they didn't have a primetime game. Also (as it has been said before) was Chuck Noll best coaching job (he transformed a 6-10 at best team into a playoff team).

[Gary Najman]

Starting with both Falcons over Eagles in Vermeil's playoff debut and then Oilers winning at Dolphins kicking off the brief 'Luv Ya Blue' era, and ending with Robinson's Rams over Buddy's Eagles followed by Chuck's 'last hurrah' at the Astrodome (getting last laugh on Glanville) - and the 20 inbetween - what WC game in this one-per-conference era did you like best?

I also like the 1978 Eagles-Falcons game, even that most of the game was the dull, the last minutes were exciting.