Saturday night’s game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts will be a hot topic. The winner advances to the playoffs and the loser goes home.
It’s pretty simple unless there’s a tie, but don’t fall into that doomsday scenario just yet.
This game is the perfect appetizer for the playoffs, something that doesn’t happen often. This is the 31st winner-take-all game in the final week of the regular season in NFL history and the 11th since 2000, according to pro football researcher Ivan Urena.
These matches feature a “win-win” scenario for both teams and are played at kick-off, either going into the final week or based on the results from earlier in the day.
This will be the first winner-take-all regular season game in Texans history and the Colts’ third, having defeated the Titans in 2018 and the Rams in 1967 in do-or-die games.
Former Jets defensive end Marvin Washington best described these games after the Jets swept the Dolphins in 1991.
“We may be the ugliest girls in dance…but we’re going to put on ruby red lipstick, wear pumps, wear miniskirts, and we’re not going to stand on the wall. We’re I’m going to ‘dance,”’ Washington said (via The New York Times ).
In recent years, winner-take-all games have given fans a lot of cheer. The Beastquake won’t happen unless the Seahawks defeat the Rams in a winner-take-all game to qualify for the tournament. The 2011 Giants needed a win before reaching the Super Bowl. The Cowboys famously lost three consecutive winning games from 2011 to 2013, and let’s not forget their 44-6 loss to the Eagles in 2008. This was another all-or-nothing game for both teams. Robert Griffin III helped Washington reach the playoffs as a rookie in 2012, culminating in a win over the Cowboys. Cam Newton overcame a car accident and subsequent back injury to put on a Superman performance in 2014, culminating in a win that helped Carolina bounce back from a 3-8-1 start and make the playoffs. contributed to.
Importantly, winner-take-all games have a unique history. In the best-case scenario for the league and its fans, it would be treated like the do-or-die game between the Chargers and Raiders in 2021, when the score was nearly tied.
Here are the last 10 winner-take-all games:
The game was a winner-take-all game based on how the game played out earlier in the day. In other words, the Colts, who were a big favorite for the Jaguars, lost. There was also a scenario where both teams played in a draw between the Raiders and Chargers and the Steelers were eliminated. That almost happened after a furious Chargers comeback and OT time ticking down. But Josh Jacobs’ 10-yard run put Las Vegas within FG range, and Daniel Carlson got the game-winner.
2018: Colts 33, Titans 17
Andrew Luck threw three touchdowns and easily outplayed Blaine Gabbert, who replaced injured starter Marcus Mariota. This game was Luck’s final playoff appearance of his career before his retirement.
After Carolina’s 31-point win over the Falcons in Week 17, Cam Newton bounced back from a car accident and subsequent back injury to lead them into the playoffs with a 3-8-1 start. Carolina also won a playoff game.
2013: Eagles 24, Cowboys 22
Kyle Orton sealed the Cowboys’ fate with a late INT in place of Tony Romo, who was out with a back injury. It was the third year in a row that they lost in a win-or-home game in the final week.
Aaron Rodgers, coming back from a broken collarbone, completed one of the most iconic passes of his career, a 48-yard touchdown to Randall Cobb on a fourth-and-8 in the final minute, winning the game.
2012: Washington 28, Dallas 18
Robert Griffin III led Washington’s comeback from a 3-6 start to the NFC East title, finishing the season with seven straight wins, including a 28-18 victory over Tony Romo and the Cowboys. Fellow rookie Alfred Morris was a hero with 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
2011: Giants 31, Cowboys 14
Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns, including a 74-yarder to Victor Cruz, who had 178 receiving yards in the win. Dallas lost four of its final five games and missed the playoffs, but this victory helped New York advance to the Super Bowl.
2010: Seahawks 16, Rams 6
The Seahawks defeated rookie Sam Bradford and the Rams, who started at QB in place of the injured Matt Hasselbeck, with Charlie Whitehurst, winning the Division I championship with the lowest losing record in NFL history. Seattle hosted a playoff game the following week and defeated the Saints, known for Marshawn Lynch’s “Beastquake” exploits.
2008: Eagles 44, Cowboys 6
The game was a do-or-die game just before kickoff, as Tampa Bay and Chicago lost. The Eagles won 44-6 in a close game against their former team that featured Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens. This remains the biggest win for the Eagles in the history of the rivalry.
2008: Chargers 52, Broncos 21
The Chargers started 4-8 thanks to the Broncos’ loss in Week 17, and went 8-8 and into the playoffs, trailing the Broncos by three games with three weeks left. Philip Rivers beat Jay Cutler in a slightly bloody QB showdown, and LaDainian Tomlinson scored three touchdowns in the win.