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

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Eli Manning #10 and Brandon Jacobs #34 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 36-21. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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Offensive lineman Jason Mathews #74 of the Indianapolis Colts (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 27. 1995 Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts were terrible for a long time. Before their run in 1995, the Colts hadn’t won a playoff game since 1971. Life after Johnny Unitas was very hard for the franchise, and it included the famous move from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night. It was more than two decades of disappointment, and the Colts couldn’t even make it to the postseason for 16 of the previous 17 seasons. It was a hard existence for Colts fans.

Then, the 1995 season brought a bit of magic. After going 8-8 in 1994, the Colts finally made the playoffs the next season. Jim Harbaugh (yes, that Jim Harbaugh) took over as starting quarterback, and he led this Colts team to a 9-7 record. It was enough to get them in the playoffs as the Wild Card.

Two weeks after losing the San Diego Chargers at home, the Colts went to Southern California and suffocated the Chargers in the Wild Card game. They moved on to the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, and they won a dog fight. The Colts defense held them scoreless after the first quarter, and the offense scored just enough to win 10-7.

The Colts went to the AFC Championship for the first time since Unitas was running the league. Harbaugh was leading a magical run, but the Steelers scored a touchdown with just over 90 seconds left to give them the lead. Harbaugh led the Colts down the field for one more shot, but his pass fell incomplete in the endzone as time expired to end the magical run.

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