Top 5 NFL teams with best Playoff records

As the chase for the NFL playoffs reaches its final stretches, fans of the contenders are engaged in the time-honored tradition of distributing bragging rights. Granted, it's a pastime that never really subsides, but things often reach fever pitch as the months get colder.

So what determines the GOAT amongst the supposed GOATs? Is it merely Super Bowl titles? Should NFL/AFL championships factor in?

SK takes a look at the top five NFL squads ranked by their playoff wins since 1940.

Which NFL teams have earned the most playoff wins?

The 49ers' last NFL playoff victory came during their 2020 conference title game showing against Green Bay (Photo: Getty)

#5 - San Francisco 49ers (33)

In perhaps serendipitous timing, the 49ers earned their first franchise playoff victory in 1949, topping the New York Yankees in a divisional title. The Bay Area has been mining postseason gold ever since, the most precious nuggets being five Super Bowl titles. San Francisco's spot in the top five had been threatened by championship efforts in Denver and Philadelphia, but the 49ers managed to boost their numbers back up with two wins in the 2020 postseason, a journey that ended with their seventh Big Game showing.

Jason Garrett (L) and Tony Romo embrace after the Cowboys' dramatic Wild Card victory during the NFL's 2015 postseason (Photo: Getty)

#4 - Dallas Cowboys (34)

Dallas are a relatively young entry to this list, as their first postseason victory didn't come until 1967. But once Dallas earned their first taste of the postseason, they've been back constantly, notably owning two of the longest postseason streaks in NFL history. While the Dallas detractors have had the last laughs over the past three decades — the Cowboys have earned only four playoff wins since their triumph in Super Bowl XXX — supporters could rightfully ask what's taken their haters' squads so long to catch up.

The antics of Aaron Rodgers have allowed the Packers to enjoy consistency at or near the top of the NFL standings (Photo: Getty)

#T-2 - Green Bay Packers (36)

The Packers are here because one has to go way back to truly document their success in the NFL postseason, as their first playoff triumph came in the Championship Game over Washington. Green Bay have the advantage of playing in a city that has the audacity to bestow upon itself the moniker of "Titletown," but the Packers have backed that gall up with consistent winter showings since the 1960s. The modern wearers of cheese appear well-poised to add to their total this postseason, as they're currently Arizona's top competition for the NFC's top seed as rare owners of a tiebreaker over the Cardinals.

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Also check out: Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more

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Hines Ward, seen during Super Bowl XLV, was part of the finest Steeler squads at the turn of the century (Photo: Getty)

T-2 - Pittsburgh Steelers (36)

The Steelers were also late bloomers on the playoff win list: shockingly, their first NFL playoff win came in 1972, supposedly through divine intervention. Nonetheless, the Steelers have taken advantage of the gift from the gridiron gods, establishing one of the most valuable streaks of consistency in NFL history. Since they embarked on their 1970s dynasty, the Steelers have had only six losing seasons, the last of which came in 2003.

Tom Brady, seen during his final New England playoff victory in 2019, guided the Patriots to a jaw-dropping 30 postseason victories.

#1 - Boston/New England Patriots (37)

What a difference a (potential) GOAT makes. Entering the new century, it'd be absurd to assume the Patriots would be anywhere near this list: they reached two unsuccessful Super Bowls after the AFL/NFL merger (respectively falling to Chicago and Green Bay in the 20th and 31st editions), but they still have only seven playoff victories over their first three-plus decades of existence. Tom Brady rose to the occasion and the rest is obviously history. Alas for the many New England detractors spread across the nation, this NFL nightmare might be ready to start all over again as the Patriots are the current holders of the AFC's playoff bye.