Between 2001 and 2022, the NFL played 22 different seasons of football -- as many as it played, say, from 1971 to 1992. What are the best games of the 21st century? Pro Football Reference picked the NFL's top 100 games in history last year, and here are their picks for the top 10 games in this century, along with where they ranked in the overall top 100:
5. Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England 14 (Feb. 3, 2008)
8. Super Bowl XLIX: New England 28, Seattle 24 (Feb. 1, 2015)
9. Super Bowl LI: New England 34, Atlanta 28 (OT) (Feb. 5, 2017)
12. Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23 (Feb. 1, 2009)
14. Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia 41, New England 33 (Feb. 4, 2018)
15. 2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs: New England 16, Oakland 13 (Jan. 19, 2002)
20. Super Bowl XXXVI: New England 20, St. Louis Rams 17 (Feb. 3, 2002)
21. 2006 AFC Championship: Indianapolis 38, New England 34 (Jan. 21, 2007)
24. 2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs: Minnesota 29, New Orleans 24 (Jan. 14, 2018)
30. Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore 34, San Francisco 31 (Feb. 3, 2013)
This list came out last year, so it didn't include the 2021-22 playoffs. I would certainly put last year's Kansas City/Buffalo game on the list -- I thought it was the best game I'd seen since the Chargers/Dolphins playoff game back on January 2, 1982. They had that Chargers/Dolphins game as number 4, on their list, but above the Super Bowl where the Giants ended New England's perfect season. I would fit the Kansas City/Buffalo game in between those two. In other words, for me it was the best game of the 21st Century. There were a lot of good playoff games last year, but I think that's the only one that would make the top ten.
I think that from now on, I'm going to try to think of sports more in 21st century terms. There's so much nostalgia in the sports world now that we aren't giving enough credit to what's happening in front of us.
I love it all.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent list, by the way. I remember each of these games, and each was just terrific. And I agree with you about the Chiefs' game last season. I'd probably rank it third on this list, though it would fall to fourth with my addition of Miami over Buffalo yesterday as No. 1.
ReplyDeleteI agree that these were all great games. If anything, Super Bowl XLII should be even more famous than it is.
ReplyDeleteHere the top 10 games from 1971 to 1992, according to Pro Football Reference:
ReplyDelete2. 1981 NFC Championship: San Francisco 28, Dallas 27 (Jan. 10, 1982)
4. 1981 AFC Divisional Playoffs: San Diego 41, Miami 38 (OT) (Jan. 2, 1982)
7. 1992 AFC Wild Card Game: Buffalo 41, Houston 38 (OT) (Jan. 3, 1993)
10. Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo 19 (Jan. 27, 1991)
11. 1986 AFC Championship: Denver 23, Cleveland 20 (Jan. 11, 1987)
13. 1972 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Pittsburgh 13, Oakland 7 (Dec. 23, 1972)
17. Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 (Jan. 21, 1979)
18. 1971 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Miami 27, Kansas City 24 (OT) (Dec. 25, 1971)
19. Super Bowl XXIII: San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 (Jan. 22, 1989)
22. 1987 AFC Championship: Denver 38, Cleveland 33 (Jan. 17, 1988)
Interesting to see that both of the Denver/Cleveland title games made the list.
DeleteI would have included the 1974 Raiders-Dolphins Playoff, the 1977 Raiders-Colts Playoff, and the 1985 Dolphins-Bears Monday Night Game. I would have dropped Super Bowl XXIII, the second Broncos/Browns game, and the Buffalo comeback against Houston in the 1992 wild card.
DeleteHere are games in the top 30 from 1993 to 2000:
ReplyDelete16. Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee 16 (Jan. 30, 2000)
26. 1999 AFC Wild Card: Tennessee 22, Buffalo 16 (Jan. 8, 2000)
27. Super Bowl XXXII: Denver 31, Green Bay 24 (Jan. 25, 1998)