CINCINNATI — The 2024-25 NFL Playoffs begin next Saturday, January 11th. If the regular-season has shown us anything, the Playoffs this season are going to be wild and thoroughly entertaining.
Since division realignment in 2002, the NFL has seen many great playoff games the last 22 seasons prior to this season. From today, January 3rd, through January 30th, I’m going to be looking at the NFL playoff games that happened on each day over the next 28 days. These are all games going back to the 2002-03 Playoffs.
Today, January 3rd, has six games that occurred in the Playoffs for the 2003, 2008 and 2014 seasons. We’ll look back at two AFC rivalries that graced the Postseason stage, and we’ll also look back at one of the great all-purpose yards performances in NFL playoff history that both occurred on this date.
With that, here are the NFL playoff games that occurred on this date, January 3rd.
2003 AFC Wild Card: 5. Tennessee Titans (12-4) 20 @ 4. Baltimore Ravens (10-6, AFC North Champions) 17
Venue: M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore
Network: ABC
Commentators: Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, Suzy Kolber
Referee: Jeff Triplette
Vegas Line: Tennessee Titans (-1.0)
Over/Under: 38.0
Attendance: 69,452
Titans Leaders
Passing – Steve McNair: 14/23, 159 yds, TD, 3 INT; 4 rush for 16 yds
Rushing – Eddie George: 25 rush, 88 yds; Chris Brown: 11 rush, 61 yds, TD
Receiving – Justin McCareins: 2 rec., 62 yds, TD
Ravens Leaders
Passing – Anthony Wright: 20/37, 214 yds, TD, 2 INT; 2 rush, 19 yds
Rushing – Jamal Lewis: 14 rush for 35 yds
Receiving – Travis Taylor: 7 rec., 82 yds; Todd Heap: 6 rec., 80 yds, TD
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said, prior to the Bengals Week 4 matchup at Tennessee in the 2023 Season, that the Titans are like an AFC North team. The Titans pride themselves on being physical, tough and rooted in the trenches. Ravens-Steelers is the premier rivalry in the AFC North and one of the premier rivalries in the NFL. But in 2003, Titans-Ravens was a heated rivalry that previously staged multiple marquee and playoff games. This playoff game on Jan. 3, 2004 is another classic in the Titans-Ravens rivalry.
Titans kicker Gary Anderson’s 46-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining lifted Tennessee to a road playoff win against the AFC North champion Ravens. Jamal Lewis, who led the NFL with over 2,000 rushing yards in 2003, was held to just 35 rushing yards and 14 carries. Tennessee out-rushed Baltimore 165-54 in a tightly-contested game between two of the AFC’s best teams at the time.
The Titans and Ravens have met three times in the Playoff since 2003, with the Ravens winning two of those meetings. Interestingly, all five playoff matchups between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens have been won by the road team. Baltimore has won three playoff games in Nashville, and Tennessee has won two playoff games in Baltimore. Three of the five playoff matchups, including this game in the 2003-04 NFL Playoffs, have been decided by seven points or less. Two have been decided by three points.
2003 NFC Wild Card: 6. Dallas Cowboys (10-6) 10 @ 3. Carolina Panthers (11-5, NFC South Champions) 29
Venue: Ericsson Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina
Network: ABC
Commentators: Al Michaels, John Madden, Lisa Guerrero
Referee: Walt Coleman
Vegas Line: Carolina Panthers (-3.0)
Over/Under: 34.0
Attendance: 73,014
Cowboys Leaders
Passing – Quincy Carter: 21/36, 154 yds, INT; 4 rush, 25 yds, TD
Rushing – Troy Hambrick: 8 rush, 29 yds
Receiving – Joey Galloway: 4 rec., 59 yds
Panthers Leaders
Passing – Jake Delhomme: 18/29, 273 yds, TD
Rushing – Stephen Davis: 26 rush, 104 yds, TD
Receiving – Steve Smith Sr.: 5 rec., 135 yds, TD
I miss these Carolina Panthers teams. They were so fun to watch with Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith taking the top off opposing defenses and running backs like Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart shredding opposing defenses on the ground.
The Panthers did both those things in this Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys. Carolina outgained Dallas 380-204, and the final score could have been bigger if Panthers kicker John Kasay didn’t have to kick five field goals. None of Kasey’s five field goals were longer than 38 yards.
Carolina rode this win all the way to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where they battled Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the absolute wire. I hope for the Panthers, and their fans, that the team and organization get back to playing playoff games and have the kind of team that is as fun to watch as the 2003 Panthers were.
2008 NFC Wild Card: 5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) 24 @ 4. Arizona Cardinals (9-7, NFC West Champions) 30
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Network: NBC
Commentators: Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth, Tiki Barber
Referee: John Parry
Vegas Line: Arizona Cardinals (-2.0)
Over/Under: 52.0
Attendance: 62,848
Falcons Leaders
Passing – Matt Ryan: 26/40, 199 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing – Michael Turner: 18 rush, 42 yds, TD
Receiving – Roddy White: 11 rec., 84 yds, TD
Cardinals Leaders
Passing – Kurt Warner: 19/32, 271 yds, 2 TD, INT
Rushing – Edgerrin James: 16 rush, 73 yds
Receiving – Larry Fitzgerald: 6 rec., 101 yds, TD
As someone who was born in Atlanta and was a huge Falcons fan at the time, I vividly remember this game. Matt Ryan, in his rookie season, was instrumental in helping the Falcons turn the page into a new, respectable and likable era. But on this day, Kurt Warner and the Cardinals were too much for the Falcons to overcome.
The play that stands out to me in this game was the Cardinals first touchdown, where Warner threw a flea-flicker pass into double coverage that Larry Fitzgerald leaped up to grab. Playing in their first home playoff game since 1947 and first home playoff game in Arizona, the Cardinals owned the moment. This was the start of Fitzgerald’s incredible Postseason in 2008, nearly carrying the Cardinals to an improbable Super Bowl title.
On another note, I miss Tom Hammond calling games on NBC. Growing up, he was terrific calling the Saturday late afternoon NFL playoff game and Notre Dame Football throughout the Fall.
2008 AFC Wild Card: 5. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) 17 @ 4. San Diego Chargers (8-8, AFC West Champions) 23 (OT)
Venue: Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, California
Network: NBC
Commentators: Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer
Referee: Ron Winter
Vegas Line: Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
Over/Under: 50.0
Attendance: 68,082
Colts Leaders
Passing – Peyton Manning: 25/42, 310 yds, 2 TD
Rushing – Joseph Addai: 16 rush, 44 yds, TD; 4 rec., 28 yds
Receiving – Reggie Wayne: 4 rec., 129 yds, TD
Chargers Leaders
Passing – Philip Rivers: 20/36, 217 yds, INT; 2 rush, 13 yds
Rushing – Darren Sproles: 22 rush, 105 yds, 2 TD; 5 rec., 45 yds; LaDainian Tomlinson: 5 rush, 25 yds, TD
Receiving – Antonio Gates: 8 rec., 87 yds
What I didn’t include above, but will here, is that Darren Sproles had way more than just 105 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards. Sproles also had 106 kick return yards and 72 punt return yards. It’s one of the greatest all-purpose yards performances in NFL playoff history.
I also remember this game for how good Chargers punter Mike Scifres was in this game. Seven Colts drives started inside their own 20-yard line with four starting inside their own 10-yard line and two starting inside their own five-yard line. There was so much talent on the field on both teams and on both sides of the ball, but special teams really played a major factor in deciding this game.
This was also the last game for Colts head coach Tony Dungy, who retired after the season and has since been a fantastic analyst on Football Night in America and all of NBC’s NFL coverage. In addition, this was the last playoff game John Madden broadcasted in his legendary career as a color analyst. He would broadcast Super Bowl XLIII for his final ever broadcast.
2014 NFC Wild Card: 5. Arizona Cardinals (11-5) 16 @ 4. Carolina Panthers (7-8-1, NFC South Champions) 27
Venue: Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina
Network: ESPN
Commentators: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters
Referee: Ed Hocculi
Vegas Line: Carolina Panthers (-6.5)
Over/Under: 37.5
Attendance: 71,849
Cardinals Leaders
Passing – Ryan Lindley: 16/28, 82 yds, TD, 2 INT
Rushing – Kerwynn Williams: 10 rush, 23 yds
Receiving – John Brown: 4 rec., 34 yds
Panthers Leaders
Passing – Cam Newton: 18/32, 198 yds, 2 TD, INT; 7 rush, 35 yds
Rushing – Jonathan Stewart: 24 rush, 123 yds, TD
Receiving – Fozzy Whittaker: 1 rec., 39 yds, TD
I remember going into this game how weird of a matchup it was. In addition to Carolina hosting this game, despite a losing record, Arizona was playing with their third-string quarterback after starting quarterback Carson Palmer and backup quarterback Drew Stanton both sustained injuries during the regular season.
Carolina held the Cardinals to 78 total yards, a record low for an NFL playoff game. This was the first playoff win for Cam Newton, which helped springboard him to his MVP season in 2015.
Palmer would return in 2015 and lead the Cardinals to a 13-3 record and NFC Championship appearance where they, again, fell to Carolina.
2014 AFC Wild Card: 6. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) 30 @ 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5, AFC North Champions) 17
Venue: Heinz Field – Pittsburgh
Network: NBC
Commentators: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michelle Tafoya
Referee: Clete Blakeman
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0)
Over/Under: 45.0
Attendance: 62,780
Ravens Leaders
Passing – Joe Flacco: 18/29, 259 yds, 2 TD
Rushing – Justin Forsett: 16 rush, 40 yds
Receiving – Steve Smith Sr.: 5 rec., 101 yds
Steelers Leaders
Passing – Ben Roethlisberger: 31/45, 334 yds, TD, 2 INT; 2 rush, 16 yds
Rushing – Josh Harris: 9 rush, 25 yds
Receiving – Antonio Brown: 9 rec., 117 yds
You may remember this game for Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs’s between-the-legs interception. I also remember this game for how the Ravens absolutely dismantled the Steelers. This was the Ravens first playoff win in Pittsburgh, after three agonizing losses at the Steelers in the Playoffs in 2001, 2008 and 2010.
Joe Flacco was stellar in this game. Fun fact, though; this is the last playoff game Flacco has won in his career. This, at the time, was the sixth time in seven years that the Ravens had won at least one playoff game, a remarkable run of consistency.
Worth noting, though, is that Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell did not play in this game after sustaining a hyperextended knee in the Steelers Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition, this was the last game for Steelers Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu, who announced his retirement in April the next offseason.
All stats and Game info: Pro Football Reference
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 