NFL History: Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 5. 1997 Denver Broncos

We finally made it. The top five wild card teams in NFL history. The Denver Broncos under John Elway was a team that just couldn’t win the big one. Don’t get us wrong, they had their moments, but this would be a season that changed the narrative around Elway, the Broncos, and helicopters.

This was supposed to be Elway’s last chance to win it all. They were upset by the Jaguars the season before, but since this was a season of destiny for the Broncos, they got the Jaguars in the Wild Card round. It was not close. The Broncos rushed for 310 yards on way to a 42-17 victory. They left no doubt in this one.

The Broncos would take on the Chiefs in the next round. Both teams combined for seven first-quarter points. Then-rookie Tony Gonzalez came so close to scoring a touchdown, but he caught the ball out of bounds. The Chiefs had to settle for a field goal, and the Broncos would go on a drive. Ed McCaffrey would catch the ball inside the five-yard line, and Terrell Davis would punch it in for the go-ahead score and eventually the win.

The Broncos would face the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, a team that beat them in the regular season. There was just something different about this Broncos team. It had magic behind them. The Steelers would score a touchdown with 2:46 left in the game and down three, but they gave the ball back to Elway and the Steelers never saw it again.

In the Super Bowl, the Broncos would face the defending champion Green Bay Packers. Favre’s squad was a massive favorite. For one, the AFC had lost 13 Super Bowls in a row. Plus, the Broncos were 0-4 in The Big Game. This one was different. The big play was when Elway ran into the red zone with the game tied at 17. It gave the Broncos a first and goal, and they would eventually score. They went on to win 31-24.