14 Greatest Conference Championship Matchups We Never Got! 

Brady vs Manning in 2007 & Jackson vs Mahones in 2019 was the matchups I wanted, but it always happens in the NFL, any given Sunday

8:00 - Umm, What?!?! Pretty sure the 2011 Conference Championship game most of us wanted to see in the NFC was Packers vs Saints, especially after their amazing Season Opener. We never got a Brees-Rodgers playoff matchup, and this would've been when both QBs were in their primes. We've seen Niners vs Packers plenty over the years...

Before watching the video, one that stands out to me is a Brees/Rodgers NFC title game. Crazy considering how many years they were both in the NFC

eli manning the crusher of the greatest teams 16-0 pats and the 15-1 packers

A Brady vs Rodgers Super Bowl would’ve been awesome to see

The best part about that KC “miracle comeback” was that it was all done within the second quarter-eliminating a 24-0 deficit in less than 10 minutes. Truly amazing…until you realize it was against the Texans, and then it’s like “oh, of course.”

The 2007 loss by the colts to the chargers isn’t talked about more not only did the chargers win they won WITHOUT LT & Rivers

As a Ravens fan, we could have hosted both Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game in 2006 and 2019. Yet both times we bowed out because the offense fell apart at the worst possible times, and suffered two devastating home defeats. Brian Billick never recovered from 06, and Harbaugh based on the fact that we've made the playoffs only because of easy schedules since then may be headed down that same road.

Also, just want to say something random in that I love the scripts that are put together for these retrospective spotlights. As strange as it sounds, I'm a big fan of wordage used in docu-pieces such as this (childhood heroes Rod Serling, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack), and everytime I watch one of these I come away impressed with what ended up on the page. Keep up the great work.

0:37 after 3 years of waiting, we finally got it

Bucs vs packers last year in the nfc championship game, both were tied for the best records in the nfl last year woulda been nice too see brady vs rodgers one more time with a trip too the super bowl on the line

Some of the best what ifs in nfl history

Soooooo many Green Bay heartbreaks.

Nice to see the 2020 NFC Championship Game (Which was when Brady & Rodgers finally meet each other in the playoffs, and probably for the only time.) get mentioned, although that does make it weird that the 1972 AFC Championship Game (Which featured Miami on the road vs Pittsburgh in what was retroactively its first year of its dynasty) wasn't mentioned when talking about 1974 AFC Championship Game. Also speaking of the 1972 AFC Championship Game, Miami Dolphins @ Oakland Raiders in the 1972 AFC Championship Game would have been great from a retroactive perspective (Although it's understandable why it wasn't included in the video.), as in the Early 70s (More specificity 1970 to 1974.), Miami & Oakland played each other 5 times, and each win had some sort of significance: 1970 Week 3, Oakland 13 @ Miami 20; Miami's first win against the Raiders in franchise history. 1970 AFC Divisional Round, Miami 14 @ Oakland 21; Miami's first postseason game in franchise history. 1973 Week 2, Miami 7 @ Oakland 12; Oakland snaps Miami's 18 game win streak (Then NFL record.) & does so without scoring a Touchdown. 1973 AFC Championship Game, Oakland 10 @ Miami 27; Miami's first (And to date only.) postseason win against the Raiders in franchise history. 1974 AFC Divisional Round, Miami 26 @ Oakland 28; Sea of Hands Game, Oakland ends Miami's 3peat dreams. In all 5 of these games, the Home team won, so it's safe to say that had a Miami @ Oakland 1972 AFC Championship taken place, Oakland would have advanced to Super Bowl VII. Just makes the immaculate reception even more infuriating for Raiders fans, honestly.

1986 was what popped into my head first, would have been the first conference championship between two 14+ win teams. Didn't happen until 1998 with Minnesota and Atlanta, and then again in 2004 with Pittsburgh and New England.

I would argue Favre V Rodgers 2009. Rodgers losing against Warner in OT shootout, and Favre making it to the title game but facing the Saints instead and we all know how that ended.

Another one could've been a Bucs-49ers NFC Title Game last yr. Brady vs his favorite team growing up. Brady vs 49ers was also a Super Bowl matchup we had 2 shots at seeing (2011 and 2012) but never got.

I was born-and-raised a Redskins fan. I lived my whole life with the Burgundy-and-Gold. But for one game, in Super Bowl 42, I was the biggest Giants fan I’d ever been. It’s still the best Super Bowl I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Hey this was another great idea for a video NFL Throwback. I thought you would miss the potential 1986 matchup between the Bears/Giants, but nothing seems to escape your gaze boss. A lot of of great games we never got to see. The 1979 Oilers/Steelers definitely sticks out, and I really would have liked to have seen what happened there. The amount of times Vernon Perry ends up in these retrospectives is a testament to how remarkable of a performance he had that day. A couple of other games I would have liked to have maybe seen would have been 2003 Chiefs/Patriots and 2006 Ravens/Chargers (even though we already had that earlier that season).

This video is so awesome and entertaining, keep making more of these fantastic videos.

I always thought about 1986 NFC. The Giants and Bears were both 14-2 and the Bears were the defending SB champs...

Great video! So many video ideas you could make from this round. I would love to see a video on the best teams to never make the conference championship game.

This is a nice sequel to your super bowls video about this 5 years back. Thanks guys.

A lot of NFL history would be changed if it wasn’t always for that “One inexplicable Chargers loss”

1989 would have been a good one to add. 14-2 49ers vs 12-4 Giants was a highly anticipated matchup. Unfortunately the Rams came into Giants stadium and screwed everything up, only to get blown out 30-3 by SF the next week. But at least we got that matchup the following year. Also, I don’t think many people were anticipating a SF vs GB matchup in 2011. If anything, it was Saints Packers that most people were expecting. It turned out to be a double loss, just like TB and GB last year.

As a huge fan of the 85 Bears, I would have loved it if the Cowboys that year could have somehow gone into Anaheim and beaten the Rams in the divisional round and we'd have had a rematch with Tom Landry's team only a month or so after destroying them 44-0 in Dallas. Certainly wouldn't have been a greatest conference championship game ever, but I'd have love to have seen it. Not that I have any complaints about how things turned out, but getting another chance to destroy the Cowboys, only this time on national tv for a trip to the Super Bowl is something that makes me tingle.

A few that would have been good: Hawks vs niners 2013(we got that the following year but it almost happened a year earlier if hawks didnt blow a late lead vs falcons after a huge comeback) Hawks vs cowboys 2014(would have been a rematch of there great regular season matchup but dallas lost the round before in the Dez catch game to packers) Saints vs eagles 2018(saints lost to vikings in the minneapolis miracle game) Steelers vs patriots 2018(would have been a rematch of the jesse james catch/no catch game but steelers got lit up by jags) Packers vs panthers 2015(would have been cool to see mvp cam vs rodgers but packers lost to cards in the larry fitz game where rodgers threw that hail mary to send it to ot) Those are just some recent ones that come to mind

Steelers vs patriots for the 2017-18 afc Championship game

I was hoping the Bills-Chiefs game on a neutral site would take place, but that’s off the table now. I was hoping that the Colts-Patriots 2007 game would happen, but the Chargers shut down those plans for Indy in the divisional playoff game

How about the weirdest Super Bowl matchups we almost got ? For example: Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh, 1980.

11:50 Perry was literally gift wrapped 4 of those interceptions via Dan haha im sure he’s just as confused but not enough credit was ever given to the Oilers defensive scheme adjusting for their pass beautifully. They made Dan look through routes down progression across the linebackers and it became clear he was NOT comfortable throwing there having set in the pocket a few seconds already

Some others I'd add: 1991- Cowboys at Redskins (Cowboys handed Washington their first loss that season and it'd have been a hell of a lot more competitive than the Lions and Redskins) 1999- Colts at Jaguars- Brunell, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith vs Peyton, Edgerrin and Marvin Harrison 2006- Colts at Chargers- Peyton vs LT 2007- Packers at Cowboys- Favre vs Romo, one of them would've thrown an idiotic INT to win the game for the other team

Thanks that brought back some great memories

I Like This Awesome Video NFL Throwback 🏈🏉 Keep Up The Good Work 👍.

Think a Brady-Jimmy G conference championship game would’ve been cool

Epic video, would've been cool to see more Buffalo matchups but it be like that

Steelers Pats in 2017-18. Whole year all anyone was talking about was if the steelers could beat the pats, and then the Jesse James game happened which was so crucial for home field in the AFC. Jags beat the Steelers in the divisional round to go to the AFC chip game instead

Dang Colts and Patriots at Foxboro on ‘08 would’ve been a dream. Remember colts had a great defense with Bob Sanders as defensive Player of the year!

Don't like the Pats but man watching Brady and Moss in 07 was so awesome. Still can't believe they lost in SB.

That 86 nfccg would have been really interesting

Yea when I thought of these, immediately I went to all-time great teams/storylines such as: 1974 - Steelers vs Dolphins (team of 70s vs. first dynasty of the 70s) 2007 - Colts vs Pats (Honestly best Colts & Pats teams of the decade. 05 Colts were great but defensively it was their best team and they had a HoF kicker here in Vinatieri) 1986 - Bears vs Giants (2 best defenses of the era and how does TWO 14-2 teams NOT make it?) 2019 - Chiefs vs Ravens 1979 - Steelers vs Chargers (how the Chargers didn't go and win the SB that year is crazy. They were clearly better than even my Steelers) 1995 - 49ers vs Cowboys (Niners were honestly better than Dallas even in that year but lost to rising Packers) Only omissions that came to mind were: 2017 - Steelers vs Pats (best Steelers team of late Big Ben's career and we should've beat them earlier that year!) 1989 - Giants vs 49ers (coulda got the thriller a year before but with Simms at QB) 2011 - 49ers vs Packers or Saints vs Packers 2012 - Broncos vs Pats 2012 - Seahawks vs 49ers (the two hottest teams down the stretch and Hawks beat them like 42-10 late in the year. They should've beat Atlanta too)

It really didn't come all that close to happening since both teams choked going 1 and done but a 49ers (13-2)/Saints (12-3) NFC Title Game in 1987 would've been awesome!

Cowboys Seahawks 2014-15

I hope the 05’ bengals, are on here. Since that team was loaded and our best shot at winning it all before the past 2 yrs 🥺

Great topic to talk about. I have almost no complaints except maybe Rams Vikings in '73. The Cowboys were a worthy contender, while Minnesota and LA would later on meet up four times in the playoffs during the seventies ('74, '76, '77, '78). Two I would nominate, 1968 - The 13-1 Baltimore Colts were the class of the league and beat the Browns for the NFL title (the one team to beat them in the regular season). But they could've faced a 12-2 Dallas squad poised to finally assume the championship throne vacated by Lombardi. It would've been the #1 Baltimore defense versus the #1 Dallas offense in the NFL title game (eventually became the NFC championship). 1996 - Dallas was the defending champs and still had a mystique around them, while Green Bay was the current favorite and #1 seed. Dallas had owned every matchup so far in the nineties, including three straight playoff wins ('93-'95). Everyone anticipated another rematch in the NFC title game, but Dallas came out flat and lost to the second year expansion Panthers in the divional round.

The fact that we got Sea of Hands out of this ain’t so bad

Minnesota vs. San Francisco in 1998. Wonder how would Steve Young fare against Elway that year should they have had advanced to the championship.

How about Packers vs Saints in 2011 and even 2021. We never got a Rodgers vs Brees matchup in the playoffs which is wild to think about.

The 2022 AFC championship game between the bills and chiefs would have been epic.

As a partisan of one of the teams, I prefer the actual outcome, but what about Redskins vs. Cowboys in the '91 NFC Championship Game... - It's Redskins-Cowboys - Veteran legendary Best Team Ever vs. young rising dynasty - Dallas had beaten 11-0 Washington on the road two months earlier (Jerry Jones has said that going into RFK and beating the '91 Redskins was when he knew they would be special), whereas Detroit - which at the time hadn't beaten the Redskins since the '50s and NEVER in DC - had lost 45-0 in Week 1

Aaron Rodgers poops his pants in the playoffs

Is it possible there’s a list of the top 20 Dream matchups? NOT just Super Bowls but Dream (Fantasy) matchups like The Steel Curtain (70s Steelers) vs. The West Coast (80’s 49ers) or the Legion of Boom? What about Kansas City (2019-22) against Denver (John Elway, T.D. Shannon)? Or maybe the 1958-59 Colts, with the ‘68 Colts combined, against (again) The West Coast? What about the 80’s Dolphins combined with the ‘72 Dolphins against the ‘85 Bears? They also connected with the 1960s Bears alongside Gale Sayers & Walter Payton. If they played all together, we would have Dan Marino (instead of Bob Griese), Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Larry Csonka, Mike Ditka (Not Coach but Player this time), Dick Anderson, Gale Sayers, Larry Little, Jim McMahon, Mercy Morris & Paul Warfield. We also have Don Shula & George (Papa Bear) Halas Coaching. That would be OVER 10 Hall of Famers if they played in Super Bowl 20. I wished I could see a Packers and Patriots matchup or the Chiefs both in the Super Bowl, but oh well. (Edit) (I know I’m not sorry for that) 2018-22 Chiefs match up with the 2019-22 49ers combined with 2011-13. That’s a lot better. Key Players: Patrick Mahomes, Alex Smith or Brock Purdy, Kareem Hunt, Christian McCaffrey & Frank Gore, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, Michael Crabtree, Travis Kelce, George Kittle & Vernon Davis, Joe Staley, Aldon Smith, Eric Fisher, Frank Clark, Justin Smith, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Chris Jones, Patrick Willis, Fred Warner, Kyle Juszczyk, Talanoa Hufanga, Tyrann Mathieu. A LOT. Andy Reid, Yes! Jim Harbaugh, Please! Come on, @NFLThrowback! This is getting good but it’s getting better if this happens.

Awesome video

2007 pats were lucky to even make it to the super bowl. They barely snuck by a chargers team with no LT and with Rivers playing on a torn ACL

Super Bowl match ups we didn't get to see

Burrow vs Mahomes is about to be the new Brady vs Mahomes rivalry

SB42: Manning vs. Manning

It's funny that we ended up getting Mahomes-Jackson with them each being the last two MVPs

Brady Vs manning wish we saw one

How is it possible Marino and Elway were in the same conference for 15 plus years and only played 3xs...the schedule makers failed NFL fans

The NFL thinking about a Rodgers vs 49ers battle. But I wanna know how that Rodgers vs Brees battle would’ve been in 2011

1:46 Did that end up counting? He was past the line of scrimmage, I can't remember even though I watched it.

I always wanted an all Manning Superbowl. Eli vs Peyton.

09 Colts/Chargers round 3 could of happened but Kaeding had yips missing 3 FG's in loss to Jets

2017 Pats vs Steelers. Steelers got knocked out by the Jags in divisional

“Those guys (the Patriots) didn’t seem too interested in tackling Derrick Henry. I think our mindset is a little different.” Never forget Earl Thomas saying this the week before the Titans-Ravens game. That loss will forever haunt me as a Ravens fan.

I hope this NFL narrator stays forever...he's good!

Lets be real, we’re all glad Bucs vs Packers part 2 didn’t happen

My god A pats Colts Championship game would’ve been crazy. That’s literally what every fan was rooting for outside of the teams that both teams were playing against wanted lol

Thanks, Philip Rivers. Thanks.

As a Ravens fan, I have never liked Tennessee but I to this day despise them!!!!!! They had their MOJO and it caught Baltimore off guard.

You can't tell me that drew Pearson didn't shove the Vikings defender away to catch the hail Mary

To keep it real with you, as a Colts fan i hate how we choked away multiple playoffs appearances against the Chargers 😡

2019 The Ravens go The Super Bowl. The Chiefs couldn’t stop the run. It would’ve been ugly.

There are a few more in the 90s that could've been put here. '98 how about Vikings vs 49ers instead of Vikings/Falcons? Atlanta of course upset Vikings but barely squeaked by 49ers 20-18 and NFC title game would've had Rice, Owens and Moss. Also '96 Cowboys/Packers instead of Panthers/Packers. Panthers got the bye their 2nd season and beat defending champ Dallas at home, but Cowboys/Packers would've been intriguing since Cowboys eliminated Pack previous 3 years and this match would've been in Green Bay (all 3 Dallas wins were at home). Also '96 Broncos/Patriots instead of Jaguars/Patriots. Of course at that time Elway hadn't won a Super Bowl yet and Jags winning was huge upset. Denver would've hosted too. Both conference title games weren't that close.

You know what would've been even more interesting with that last one? If the Colts (somehow) beat the Patriots, we get Colts vs Giants, or more specifically... Peyton vs Eli. In the *Super Bowl.* Yes please.

Greatest Super Bowl we never got to see, 49ers vs Bills , anytime from late 80’s to early 90’s. Just ask Chris Berman. I also would’ve like to see the 2000 Ravens vs The Vikings or Rams offense.

That 2011 Packers team is still the biggest let down. Rodgers had 5 weapons at WR and TE, they’re offense was scary good. Oh what could have been.

Dallas was very fortunate the 49ers lost their last regular season game in 95. Dallas was reeling & San Fran was already in their heads by that point.

Luckily We did get Frisco with a young, seemingly-poised, and unexpected QB in Brock Purdy, a quick and reliable receiving core, a swift running back, and an undeniable defense that only had 2 regular season games in which they allowed more than 20 points, scoring - to matchup against a high-flying Philly team that featured prominent wide-outs, lockdown cornerbacks, a dependable running back, and a dual threat QB. Philly, looking to return to their 2nd Super Bowl in 6 years hosts home-field advantage to a 9ers team that hopes to reign down sacks on an agile Jalen Hurts in their pursuit of just their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 4 years. Yet only one had the history to make for two potentially intriguing Super Bowl rematches between the 9ers and the Bengals and the 9ers and the Chiefs. Which team will make the trek out to Glendale Arizona to see the bright lights of February? That was anybody’s guess until……

How about 2017 - Steelers losing to the Jaguars and not getting a rematch with NE

to me, in my memory, the greatest NFL team to go one and done, that failed to win a single playoff game, the 2006 Chargers. Marlon McCree, Eric Parker, Drayton Florence, still anger me to this day, i have a good feeling they would have beaten the Colts in that AFC title game in the 2006 season

I really hope it's not too late for Jackson vs Mahomes.

Didn't get Elway vs Marino but we got Elway vs Kosar, baby

2018 AFCCG could have been the epic Chiefs vs Chargers rivalry if they hadn’t let New England curb-stomp them

The Kc come back wasn’t a miracle, it was pretty crazy but they came back from 24-0 in the start of the 2nd quarter and by halftime had taken the lead.

Well, we finally got #1 but it turned out to be a dud. And I would like to add 1975 Cardinals to this discussion. A Cowboys/Cardinals divisional NFC Title Game would have been intriguing. They played 2 thriller games in the regular season splitting those games and had the Cards gotten past the Rams(and Jim Hart forgetting that Jack Youngblood wasn't on his team) the Cards would have hosted their first ever playoff game in St. Louis and we could have gotten to see Air Coryell in the big game for the first time. Instead we got another Rams/Cowboys snoozefest.

Brady vs. Rodgers or Brees would’ve been an awesome SB

Man I wanna see ravens vs Chiefs in 2019 afc championship I would love to see it

2018 Eagles vs Rams. Eagles the defending champs Vs The team that injured their would of been MVP QB the year before. That results in a rematch 🦅 vs Patriots the Birds repeat as Champs. Nick Foles gets another statue.

some of the real games were really good. like steelers/oilers in 79

Purdy vs Hurts seems like its going to be here for a while

Cowboys-Falcons 2016

2005 comes to mind when both the Patriots and Colts lost in the divisional round both to the Broncos and Steelers.

2017 steelers vs patriots rematch.

The 90s oilers could've played the Bills three straight times in the postseason in 1991 they lost to elway and the Broncos

Recent 2023-24 ravens vs bills

Who's here after we got a jackson vs mahomes when the ravens had the top seed, Mahomes won MVP the year before, and Lamar is going to win MVP in the year of?

What if playoff matchups (in general): 1973 NFC Championship: Vikings @ Rams (mentioned) 1974 AFC Championship: Dolphins @ Steelers (mentioned) 1976 NFC Championship: Cowboys @ Vikings (mentioned) 1979 AFC Championship: Steelers @ Chargers (mentioned) 1980 NFC Championship: Eagles @ Falcons 1982/1983/1985 AFC Championship: Dolphins @ Raiders 1984 AFC Championship: Broncos @ Dolphins (mentioned) 1984 NFC Championship: Redskins @ 49ers (mentioned) 1985 AFC Divisional: Broncos @ Raiders (if 11 win Denver made the playoffs over New England and beat the Jets) 1986 AFC Divisional: Seahawks @ Browns (if Seattle made the playoffs over Kansas City and definitely beat the Jets without Ken O'Brien) 1986 NFC Championship: Bears @ Giants (mentioned) 1988 NFC Championship/1990 NFC Divisional: Eagles @ 49ers (48 vs. Montana) 1989 NFC Championship: Giants @ 49ers (the year before it actually happened) 1991 NFC Divisional: Eagles/49ers @ Lions (either one of these two teams beat New Orleans in the wild card if they made playoffs over Falcons) 1993 AFC Championship: Oilers @ Bills (mentioned) 1995/1997 AFC Championship: Steelers @ Chiefs 1995 NFC Championship: 49ers @ Cowboys (mentioned) 1996 AFC Championship: Patriots @ Broncos 1999 AFC Championship: Jaguars @ Colts 2003 NFC Championship: Rams @ Eagles 2007 AFC Championship: Colts @ Patriots (mentioned) 2009 NFC Divisional Round/2011 NFC Championship/2019 NFC Divisional Round/2020 NFC Championship: Saints vs. Packers (how did we never get a Brees vs. Rodgers playoff matchup?) 2009 AFC Championship: Chargers @ Colts 2010 AFC Wild Card: Ravens @ Chargers (if their historically bad special teams didn't lose them a game) 2011 NFC Championship: 49ers @ Packers (mentioned) / Giants @ Saints (Eli vs. Brees 4 years earlier in playoffs) 2012/2014 AFC Championship: Patriots @ Broncos 2014 NFC Championship: Cowboys @ Seahawks 2016 NFC Championship: Falcons @ Cowboys 2017 AFC Championship: Steelers @ Patriots (rematch) 2019 AFC Championship: Chiefs @ Ravens (mentioned) 2021 AFC Championship: Bengals @ Bills (if the Bills didn't play prevent defense against Mahomes in 13 seconds) 2021 NFC Championship: Buccaneers @ Packers (mentioned) 2022 AFC Championship: Bills @ Chiefs (mentioned)

the rodgers/brady narrative is so funny to see them try to make them look like equals. Rodgers got dominated against San Fran and they framed it as being all about special teams.. then they showed all Brady's lowlights against the Rams and said he "didn't fair much better" dismissing the miraculous comeback he pulled out of a hat and put up like 4 Touchdowns compared to Aaron being held to like 10 points. I don't care how many MVPs he wins or how good he looks when he's beating up on the Chicago Bears in week 10, Rodgers is not a particularly good leader and not the player Tom Brady was.