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NFL playoff blowouts are fundamentally surprising. In a league built for parity and close competition, one expects close games in the playoffs. But that does not always turn out to be the case, as we have seen in the first couple of days of the NFL playoffs.
While the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders served out a thriller, it was also close all the way between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers.
The other couple of games have not been particularly close. At one point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers led the Philadelphia Eagles 31-0 before winning 31-15. We also saw an NFL playoff blowout when the Buffalo Bills played the perfect offensive game to beat the New England Patriots 47-17.
But they are nowhere near the biggest NFL playoff blowouts in history. We list them here for your benefit.
NFL playoff blowouts with the biggest margins
#5 - Washington Redskins 51-7 Los Angeles Rams
It was New Year in 1984 and the Washington Redskins had the perfect celebration as they routed the Los Angeles Rams 51-7 in the NFC Divisional Round. Their offense was nearly untouchable on the day. They scored on six of their first seven possessions and led 38-7 at halftime. They shut out the Rams in the second half.
Joe Theismann threw for 302 yards. Art Monk had two touchdown receptions. But the star was John Riggins, who scored three on the run for a total of 119 yards. The defense played its part, too, as Eric Dickerson could only gain 16 yards in 10 attempts.
#4 - San Francisco 49ers 55-10 Denver Broncos
This was not just any other NFL playoff blowout; this was a Super Bowl blowout. To this day, this remains the most lopsided Super Bowl result of all time.
Super Bowl XXIV saw the Joe Montana and Jerry Rice connection take wings. Montana threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns. He did not throw a single interception, finished with a 147.6 passer rating and was named Super Bowl MVP. Instrumental to his success was Rice, who caught for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
Not only did this result in the largest points differential in a Super Bowl, it also remains the Super Bowl with the most points scored. Instead of the points coming from both teams, though, the 49ers outscored the Broncos by 45 points for an NFL playoff blowout.
Also check out: Chicago Bears Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Top 3 NFL playoff blowouts
#3 - New York Giants 49-3 San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have been on both ends of an NFL playoff blowout. In the NFC divisional round in 1987, the New York Giants blew them off the park. On offense, Phil Simms was imperial, throwing four touchdown passes. Their ground game was not too shabby either, as Joe Morris ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
But it was the defense that really stepped up in this game for the New York Giants. They limited the vaunted 49ers offense featuring Joe Montana and Jerry Rice to just 189 yards and nine first downs. Rice dropped the ball when clean through early in the play, and Montana was intercepted twice before being removed.
#2 - Buffalo Bills 51-3 Oakland Raiders
The Buffalo Bills were imperious against the New England Patriots on Sunday, but their greatest NFL playoff blowout came on an even larger stage. In the AFC Championship game of the 1997 season, the Buffalo Bills routed the Oakland Raiders 51-3.
The defense was at its finest and was the primary reason for this NFL playoff blowout. They snuffed out the run game and limited Marcus Allen to just 26 yards on 10 carries. Raiders quarterbacks Jay Schroeder and Vince Evans completed 15 of 39 attempts for a combined 176 yards, with a staggering six interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The Bills were leading 41-3 by halftime, and only easing in the second half would stop this from being the biggest NFL playoff blowout of all time.
#1 - Jacksonville Jaguars 62-7 Miami Dolphins
The record for the biggest NFL playoff blowout belongs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who demolished the Miami Dolphins 62-7 in the AFC Divisional round.
The Jaguars were so comfortable that they let both their quarterbacks, starter Mark Brunell and backup Jay Fiedler, play. Each threw for two touchdowns.
The running game was also dominant. Fred Taylor ran for 135 yards and a touchdown and also had a touchdown reception. James Stewart ran for 62 yards and a touchdown and Chris Howard ran for 54 yards and a touchdown.
For the Miami Dolphins, almost everything that could go wrong did. It would turn out to be the last game of two Pro Football Hall of Famers. Dan Marino played his final game as Miami quarterback, and head coach Jimmy Johnson also coached his last game.
