What's The Best-Ever NFL Wild Card Game?

And away we go.

Wild-card weekend is now. A glorious time of couch-sitting and consuming crap food, the games themselves can often be hit or miss. Over time, some have been amazing contests. I’m gonna attempt to “rank” or at least “acknowledge” some of those.

Interestingly, we currently live in a time where Frank Reich has just been fired twice mid-season in two years (Colts, Panthers). I’d argue Reich is the star of the best wild-card game ever, so we can begin there.

1992 Playoffs: Bills 41, Oilers 38

It does get confusing years-wise on these lists sometimes because this game was played in 1993 (January 3rd), much as the games this weekend will be played in 2024 but reflect the 2023 season. Onward.

The Oilers led this game 35–3 at one point in the third quarter. Somehow they lost. The NBC graphics on this game are so beautifully simple compared to how we televise football now:

I despise how the NFL blocks YouTube content. Anyway.

I think my personal first NFL game I recall was Giants over Broncos Super Bowl (also referred to as “The Phil Simms Super Bowl”), but I was an active follower of the NFL after Giants-Bills (Norwood). I remember watching this game and thinking it was absolutely incredible. I was probably 12.

I still love Frank Reich — he was great on Colts’ Hard Knocks — and I hope he finds the right spot for him soon.