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Rich CiminiFeb 9, 2026, 06:00 AM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.<\/p>\n Multiple Authors<\/p>\n For the first time since 1998, the NFL postseason had no Tom Brady, no Peyton Manning and no Patrick Mahomes<\/a>. It still produced drama, except with new stars and a different script.<\/p>\n There were snow games, a record number of close games, wacky plays, great individual performances, lots of tears (we see you, Buffalo Bills<\/a>), the most ill-timed ankle injury<\/a> ever, a guy named “Stiddy,” a highly controversial call on Brandin Cooks<\/a>‘ “catch” that was ruled an interception, and a one-and-done playoff run by the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>.<\/p>\n In all, we saw 13 games, culminating with the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>‘ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots<\/a> in Super Bowl LX.<\/p>\n Here’s a look back at some of the memorable moments:<\/p>\n The play is called “Skyy Bang Reverse Pass.” It produced best trickeration moment of the postseason.<\/p>\n San Francisco 49ers<\/a> coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up the play at the perfect time, resulting in a pivotal touchdown in the Niners’ 23-19 win over the Eagles in the wild-card round.<\/p>\n Brock Purdy<\/a> handed off to Skyy Moore<\/a> on a jet sweep. He flipped it to Jauan Jennings<\/a>, who lofted a 29-yard touchdown to Christian McCaffrey<\/a>, who made like Willie Mays with an over-the-shoulder catch.<\/p>\n Turns out that Jennings was a highly touted passer in high school. In fact, 247 Sports ranked him the nation’s No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in his class (2014). By the way, the No. 6 quarterback that year?<\/p>\n Sam Darnold<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jauan Jennings’ 29-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey traveled 26 yards downfield relative to the line of scrimmage, the deepest TD reception by air yards of McCaffrey’s career.#SFvsPHI<\/a> | #FTTB<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/i0vjQCrNQh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 12, 2026<\/a> Most Valuable Patience <\/p>\n Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III<\/a> made several clutch plays, rushing for 135 yards to win Super Bowl MVP<\/a>, but there was one in particular that underscored his patience as a runner.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks 1 Related<\/p>\n With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Walker took a handoff, stopped on a dime and took a slide-step to the right (and another) before accelerating through the hole. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth loved it.<\/p>\n “That might be the most patient run I’ve ever seen,” Collinsworth said during the telecast. “Le’Veon Bell would be proud.”<\/p>\n In fact, Walker took 3.09 seconds before reaching the line of scrimmage, per NFL Next Gen Stats — an eternity in the fast-paced world of the NFL trenches.<\/p>\n He was relaxed, poised and patient. Moral of the story: Don’t hurry, be happy.<\/p>\n Elite patience from #Seahawks<\/a> RB Kenneth Walker III, a pending free agent. He’s earned himself a serious payday in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com\/U3hyhLZXy9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) February 9, 2026<\/a> Best\/most bizarre entrance in the Super Bowl <\/p>\n Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins<\/a>, known for his offbeat ways, showed up to Levi’s Stadium wearing a prison uniform, handcuffs and a Hannibal-style mask. Oh, yes, he was barefoot, too. That’s his thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Super Bowl entrance for #Patriots<\/a> WR Mack Hollins <\/p>\n (\ud83d\udcfd\ufe0f @PatriotsCLNS<\/a>)pic.twitter.com\/rZNHbqKR2Q<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 8, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Hollins also walked in carrying coach Mike Vrabel’s old high-school jersey, emblazoned with “Warriors” across the front. Perhaps that was a nod to the Patriots’ “road warriors” mentality, which became a rallying cry throughout the season.<\/p>\n He also donned the jersey before the game for warmups.<\/p>\n His entrance turned out to be more compelling than the Patriots’ offense, however.<\/p>\n Patriots WR Mack Hollins is wearing Mike Vrabel’s high school jersey for the pregame of Super Bowl LX.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @Patriots<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/DVDCzj2Rw7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 8, 2026<\/a> Best single play in a losing effort<\/p>\n You’ve heard of three-, five- and seven-step drops for a quarterback. How about a 22-step drop (give or take)?<\/p>\n Chicago Bears<\/a> star Caleb Williams<\/a> did more backtracking than a politician on his miraculous, game-tying fadeaway touchdown pass to Cole Kmet<\/a> in the NFC divisional round. The ball was snapped at the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>‘ 14-yard line with 27 seconds left in regulation. A heavily rushed Williams was at the 40 by the time he threw to the end zone, meaning his pass had to travel 51 yards before it found Kmet.<\/p>\n It turned out to be the night Chicago cried — a Williams interception in overtime led to a 20-17 loss<\/a> — but, oh, what a thrilling ride it was on the Caleb Coaster.<\/p>\n Caleb Williams’ 14-yard game-tying touchdown pass to Cole Kmet traveled 51.2 yards in the air, the longest completed pass by air distance in the red zone in the NGS era (since 2016).<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd39 Completion Probability: 17.8%#LARvsCHI<\/a> | #DaBears<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/8zWqIc27KP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 19, 2026<\/a> Most painful loss<\/p>\n After carrying the Bills into the AFC divisional round, Josh Allen<\/a> played like a quarterback whose shoulders got tired of bearing the weight of massive expectations. The 2024 MVP tied a career high with four turnovers, contributing to the Bills’ 33-30 overtime loss<\/a> to the Denver Broncos<\/a> in another early playoff exit.<\/p>\n Allen now owns the unwanted distinction of having the most postseason starts (15) for a quarterback without a Super Bowl start. He was gutted by the loss, openly sobbing at his postgame news conference. It was a hard watch, especially for owner Terry Pegula, who was so distraught that he fired coach Sean McDermott<\/a> a few days later.<\/p>\n “Feel like I let my teammates down tonight.”<\/p>\n Josh Allen is visibly upset after Buffalo’s season ended pic.twitter.com\/U4jYoTorYm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2026<\/a> Most unlikely performance<\/p>\n What’s happened to Houston Texans<\/a> quarterback C.J. Stroud<\/a>?<\/p>\n The third-year quarterback and the Texans took care of the ball in the regular season, with their 12 turnovers being the second fewest in the NFL. But Stroud, who had only eight interceptions in the 2025 regular season, threw four interceptions (all in the first half) in the Texans’ sloppy divisional round loss to the Patriots.<\/p>\n Houston’s offense, which led all teams in the playoffs with eight turnovers heading into the Super Bowl, was so out of sync — rattled? — that even routine pitch-and-catch plays were a challenge. It will be a long, painful offseason for the Texans, who had enough defensive firepower to make a long run.<\/p>\n “There’s absolutely no disguise whatsoever from this Patriots defense.”@ChaseDaniel<\/a> is beside himself after C.J. Stroud’s FOURTH INT \ud83d\ude32 pic.twitter.com\/JZLZL7NnyL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 18, 2026<\/a> Best and worst lip service<\/p>\n Vrabel suffered a bloody lip while celebrating a wild-card victory with defensive end Milton Williams<\/a>, who gave his coach a head-butt to the kisser.<\/p>\n “Well, we talked to him about being willing to spill some blood out there and that the big dogs come out in January,” Vrabel said later.<\/p>\n But a fat lip is better than loose lips.<\/p>\n The Seahawks’ Riq Woolen<\/a> provided the latter in the NFC Championship Game, woofing at the Rams’ sideline after he broke up a pass. He was flagged for taunting (later fined $17,389), then got torched for a touchdown on the next play, a potential game-changing sequence. Lucky for him, the Seahawks bailed him out and prevailed.<\/p>\n Otherwise, Woolen would’ve been the goat, and not in the greatest of all time sense of the word.<\/p>\n .@miltonw_12<\/a>‘s really took Mike Vrabel’s challenge to “spill a little blood” to heart \ud83d\ude02@insidetheNFL<\/a> NFL Playoffs Mic’d Up on X pic.twitter.com\/ogSxKQm7zc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2026<\/a> Best performance in an impromptu postgame news conference<\/p>\n Broncos coach Sean Payton can be prickly with the media, but he shined after beating the Bills. After his news conference, he returned to the media room for an unscheduled briefing to announce quarterback Bo Nix<\/a>‘s fractured ankle. It was a master class in public relations and motivational coaching.<\/p>\n Not only did Payton get ahead of the story, but he also used the platform to bang the drums for backup Jarrett Stidham<\/a> — a tone-setter for the run-up to the AFC Championship Game. It almost worked; the Broncos fell just short<\/a> with a quarterback who hadn’t started a game since the 2023 season.<\/p>\n Now if Payton had only applied the same sound decision-making on the fourth-and-1 in the second quarter.<\/p>\n “We felt like it’d be best to just tell everyone now.”<\/p>\n Sean Payton announced Bo Nix fractured a bone in his right ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com\/Tgwy3ZiPCB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 18, 2026<\/a> Most disappointing exits<\/p>\n Not every legend gets a storybook ending. Few do, actually.<\/p>\n Aaron Rodgers<\/a>, 42, in what might have been his final game, was overmatched in the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a>‘ 30-6 wild-card loss<\/a>. The quarterback with a computer-like mind was moving slowly, like 1990s dial-up internet. Meanwhile, the Texans were humming at 100 Mbps.<\/p>\n Rodgers passed for only 146 yards in the loss, with his final pass resulting in a pick-six.<\/p>\n But will that be his final pass ever?<\/p>\n TEXANS PICK-SIX ON AARON RODGERS TO PUT THIS GAME ON ICE \ud83e\udd76 <\/p>\n Houston’s second defensive TD of the night \ud83d\ude33 pic.twitter.com\/wecpKBvJd4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) January 13, 2026<\/a> Best weekend … ever?<\/p>\n Four of the six wild-card games were decided by four or fewer points — a record for a single postseason, let alone one round. Talk about drama: There were a record 11 go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and some exciting game-sealing plays to back them.<\/p>\n The fun continued into the divisional round, which produced multiple overtime games for only the fourth time in history. The championship games were decided by three and four points.<\/p>\n By then, football fans were thinking like the Harbaugh brothers: “Who’s got it better than us? Noooobody!”<\/p>\n CHECKMATE BISHOP.<\/p>\n BILLS SEAL THE WIN ON THE INTERCEPTION. pic.twitter.com\/cLqLvUYjlX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026<\/a> Best in snow<\/p>\n What is it with the Patriots, snow games and field goals?<\/p>\n This is the team that gave us the “snow plow game” in 1982 and the “tuck rule” game in the 2001 playoffs (Adam Vinatieri<\/a>‘s iconic field goals). The latest frozen-in-time kick occurred in the AFC Championship Game. This time, the Patriots prevented a dramatic field goal from happening.<\/p>\n In heavy snow and swirling winds in Denver, seldom-used Leonard Taylor III<\/a>, elevated from the practice squad, blocked Wil Lutz<\/a>‘s potential game-tying field goal with under five minutes to play to preserve the Patriots’ 10-7 win.<\/p>\n Players from both teams were slipping and sliding around the field, but the Patriots held on to the ball (no turnovers!) and prevailed in the lowest-scoring championship game in 23 years.<\/p>\n And that’s not flake news.<\/p>\n The @Patriots<\/a> tip the field goal and hold the lead!<\/p>\n NEvsDEN on CBS\/Paramount+ \u2014 NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/_end_rule.png\")
Best ‘bang’ for their money<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770643995_966_sam-darnold-evolution-1-1x1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\"){kind=spacer}
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