Given what we witnessed during the divisional round of the 2024 NFL playoffs, fans could be in for an extremely memorable championship weekend.
The four survivors from last weekend’s divisional round — the 49ers, Lions, Ravens and Chiefs — will play this weekend for the right to represent their respective conferences in Super Bowl LVIII. Among the big storylines entering championship weekend include the Chiefs’ quest at a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years, the Lions in pursuit of the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance, and Lamar Jackson’s first AFC title game start.
There’s a very good chance that one or both of this weekend’s games will one day crack the following list of the greatest conference championship games in NFL history. Several all-time classics made the list, including a few games that included two of the best quarterbacks in league annals in Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
20. 2011 AFC Championship: Patriots 23, Ravens 20
While Colts-Patriots was No. 1, the Patriots’ rivalry with the Ravens during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era was up there, too. The two played in consecutive AFC title games during the early 2010s, with the first one coming right down to the wire.
The Patriots took the lead on a Brady touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Defense dominated the next several drives before Joe Flacco led Baltimore on a two-minute drive. Flacco appeared to throw the game-winning touchdown to Lee Evans, but Evans was unable to secure the pass. The Ravens lost the game two plays later when Billy Cundiff missed his game-tying 32-yard field goal try.
19. 2008 AFC Championship: Steelers 23, Ravens 14
This was a vintage Steelers-Ravens game that was full of big hits and big defensive plays. The biggest defensive play was turned in by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, whose 40-yard pick six of Joe Flacco with just under five minutes left proved to be the game-clinching score.
Pittsburgh’s only offensive touchdown that day came on Santonio Holmes’ 65-yard catch-and-run on a pass from Ben Roethlisberger. The score proved to be a foreshadowing of things to come, as Holmes turned in an MVP performance in Super Bowl XLIII.
18. 2020 NFC Championship: Buccaneers 31, Packers 26
The only playoff game between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers lived up to the hype. The two future Hall of Fame QB’s traded early touchdown…
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