I have a secret that I rarely tell anyone, and haven’t spoken of for years. Here goes…I used to be a closet Tim Tebow fan. And I’m not talking about just in his college days, when it was easy to say out loud that you backed Tebow. No, I stuck with him even after he went pro, when you had to keep a low profile, and know you were in a safe environment before quietly whispering that you were cheering for him. And I was probably one of the very few supporters that wasn’t a pot-committed Christian.
So it was an exciting afternoon for me over 10 years ago when Tebow delivered one of my best playoff football memories on a Wild Card weekend in Denver. As we head into this year’s playoffs, I thought it would be fitting to list the best games I remember watching over the years during the Wild Card round.
After the Top 5 you’ll find my two plays for this week. I lost on Seattle last weekend, as they won, but couldn’t convert on a two-point conversion to get me the cover. That brought my overall season record in the magazine to 30-14-1 ATS on my 45 picks; a record I’m happy with after the regular season.
Now, let’s take a trip down my “Wild Card” memory lane.
5) Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Jan. 8, 2012)
As I stated above, I was a Tim Tebow fan. And I’ve never been a Steeler fan. Respect to Coach Tomlin, but I always thought Ben Roethlisberger was a pseudo-diva, with his never-ending whinging about playing hurt (all QBs do Ben, you just talk about it non-stop).
The Steelers had a small lead early in this one, but Denver’s offense showed some spark, scoring 20 unanswered points in the second quarter. Pittsburgh rallied, outscoring the Broncos 17-3 in the second half to force overtime.
There was a glimmer of hope when the Broncos won the toss and received the ball to start. And with the first play, Tebow went right to Demaryius Thomas on a slant route meant to get them some room. It was the final play of the game. Thomas stiff-armed cornerback Ike Taylor and raced 80 yards to the end zone. It was the obvious high-mark of a career filled with low points for Tebow, but what a moment!
4) Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks (Jan. 4, 2004)
Packers 33, Seahawks 27
Did I actually just hear that? I swore QB Matt Hasselbeck just said “We want the ball, and we’re going to score” after winning the overtime coin toss. If so, that was awesome. I loved it. Turned out to be one of those “famous last words” lessons.
It was Lambeau, in January, setting the table for a classic battle. It went back and forth all game. These were the days in Seattle before Shaun Alexander got that big contract and immediately decided he never wanted to get hit again. He was rambling all over in this one. With under a minute left in regulation, Alexander tied the game on his third goalline TD dive, sending it to OT.
And that’s when Hasselbeck made his infamous declaration. The winning score did indeed come from a Hasselbeck throw – right to Packers’ cornerback Al Harris who ran it back for a game-winning pick-six. Ouch.
3) Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints(Jan. 8, 2011)
Seahawks 41, Saints 36
Beast Mode! It was an exciting matchup all game, but one play cemented this into my Top 5. A single play everyone has seen and one that has its own nickname: “Beast-Quake”
The Seahawks stumbled into the playoffs as NFC West champions despite a drab 7-9 record, and even with that record, got to host the 11-5 Saints. This was a New Orleans team preparing for a long playoff run. Seattle played an inspired game, building a 34-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Saints clawed their way back to make it a one score game, at 34-30, setting up the comeback win, until……Marshawn Lynch busted it all up. In what is lauded as one of the most electrifying runs in NFL history, Lynch broke tackle after tackle on his way to a 67-yard touchdown that he punctuated with a now famous celebratory dive, sending the fans into a frenzy. Playoff lore.
2) San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers (Jan. 3, 1999)
Niners 30, Packers 27
Before Terrell Owens banged out pushups in his driveway and had us all constantly worried about his mental health, I watched him and Steve Young combine for one of the best plays I’ve seen; playoffs or not.
TO’s entire game was amazing, but that final play was epic. It was the Niners and Packers in an absolute Wild Card thriller back in 1999. I was plunked down watching this game with my Dad and older brothers, hoping for a Green Bay win, as I’d been seduced early on by the Brett Favre lore, helped by my subscription to Sports Illustrated which loooved Favre and spread the propaganda hard.
I’d been waiting to watch this game all week, wearing my Favre jersey to school on Friday. And being told by our gym teacher, Mr. Keryluk, that “Dan Marino makes Brett Favre look like Evan Fisher playing football”. Evan had been a classmate since Grade 1, and a good friend. Evan also had cerebral palsy, and would head out to play touch football with us every lunch hour. That’s the way teachers rolled back in the 90s. And Evan was right there when he said it. Marino fan or not, c’mon. But I digress.
Green Bay went ahead late in the fourth quarter and all was good in the Abruzzo home. My mom had just set down a plate of canolis to chase the sausage and peppers as I enthusiastically I high fived my brother’s girlfriend, who had no idea who Brett Favre was, or Terrell Owens, prepping to get loud when the final whistle went off. Hold the phone. With their season on the line, Steve Young executed the two-minute drill, getting to the Packers’ 25-yard line with eight seconds left on the clock. Get a stop here and get out with a win.
What followed was “The Catch II.” Young dropped back and fired a dart, which Owens caught on the goalline while getting crushed by two Packers. But he held on to the ball for the game-winning touchdown. As Owens ran to the sideline bawling, tears also flowed in our TV room. Another iconic moment in playoff history.
1) Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills (Jan. 8, 2000)
Titans 22, Buffalo Bills 16
I wrote about this game back in Week 1 I believe, when I kicked off the season with a “Bad Beats” column and this game was front and center. No way you can put together a “Best of…” Wild Card Weekend and not have “The Music City Miracle” hanging around near the top.
The setting – the Bills had just taken a one-point lead with just 16 seconds remaining.
I’m guessing we all know how this played out, but the Bills kicked off, and yada, yada, yada…one lateral later and we see Kevin Dyson sprint 75 yards for a game-winning touchdown. It remains one of the most controversial and unforgettable plays in NFL history. The debate over whether Wychek’s pass was actually a lateral or a forward pass rages on, but that afternoon, on the field, the TD stood after review. It was mayhem. The “Music City Miracle” remains one of the greatest plays in NFL postseason history.
Let’s have a look at this week’s plays.
Last Week: 0-1 ATS
Season Record: 30-14-1 ATS
COLLEGE
Ohio State vs. Texas
Talk about a wake-up call. Coach Day and the Buckeyes certainly perked up after that embarrassing loss to Michigan for the fourth straight year to close out their regular season. They’ve chosen to put that in the rearview mirror by completely shredding every other opponent they face. It started with Tennessee in their first CFP game, getting out to a 21-0 lead within basically minutes, going out to blow them out, and then they pulled the same routine on #1 ranked Oregon. Two very good defenses in this matchup, but I’m not comfortable backing QB Quinn Ewers vs. one of the best defenses in the country. A little hesitation creeps in when considering OSU savaged the man coverage of the Vols and Oregon, while Texas plays a zone scheme that has been troubling for teams. I’ll bet on the Buckeyes adjusting.
Play: I’m on Ohio State -6
NFL
Commanders vs. Buccaneers
The Bucs stumbled around last week, barely beating a bad Saints team. Not a great look heading into the playoffs, but I’ll give them a small pass. The matchup I like here is not as much the Bucs’ offense vs. a Washington defense they should be able to run on, but that Tampa D that has been carrying some water. I expect Vita Vea to have a day, as he usually does, and his teammates to make life tough on rookie QB Jayden Daniels making his first playoff start on the road. That Commanders’ O-line is vulnerable, which will be a problem. Laying a field goal, I like the edges for the home side.
Play: I’m taking Tampa Bay -3.