{"id":66474,"date":"2021-01-15T05:24:55","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T05:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscroll.com\/?p=66474"},"modified":"2024-02-21T15:56:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T15:56:39","slug":"30-brutal-nfl-playoff-defeats-that-sullied-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.sportscroll.com\/30-brutal-nfl-playoff-defeats-that-sullied-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Brutal NFL Playoff Defeats That Sullied Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a team reaches the NFL playoffs they know that they have to be as close to flawless as possible. They only get one shot but things don’t always go their way. Even the best NFL players and coaches have sullied their names with poor performances at the worst possible time.<\/p>\n

Today we’re going to take a look at 30 brutal NFL postseason defeats that sullied careers. Some of these defeats were terrible<\/a> because they were blowouts. Others were very close and arguably all the more painful because of that. There are all kinds of players on this list, from quarterbacks to kickers, but all of them tarnished their careers to a degree because of one terrible moment or display. Check out the list below via Yardbreaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

30. Donovan McNabb<\/h3>\n

The Eagles suffered a third consecutive NFC Championship game defeat in 2003. They came into the postseason strong as the number-one ranked seed. After suffering multiple agonies, their fans expected them to put everything together and go for glory. Unfortunately, their quarterback McNabb didn’t read the memo as he failed to show up in the NFC Championship game. They needed him well to perform but he didn’t.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Philly played the Carolina Panthers and were big favorites to win. However, McNabb sullied his image with a dreadful display. He threw not one, but three pick-sixes, and all of them to Ricky Manning. His 19.3 passer rating showed how bad he was on the day. It was performances like these that prevent fans from considering McNabb as a top-tier quarterback.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

29. Brett Favre<\/h3>\n

Arguably the worst performance of Favre’s career, this one came in the 2001 divisional playoff round against the St. Louis Rams. ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ Rams were a different kettle of fish and this proved to be the case as they ran through the Packers. Green Bay melted under the Rams’ relentless pressure as St. Louis blew them out 45-17. But the story of this game was Favre’s awful display.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He picked the worst possible time to implode. The Rams intercepted him six times as he failed to get to grips on the game. This was the middle of Favre’s career before the retirements and the fallout with Green Bay. He totaled 11 Pro Bowl appearances so fans expected nothing short of brilliance from him. But this was just one game too many for him and tarnished his season for sure.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: Sports Illustrated<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

28. Lin Elliot<\/h3>\n

Patrick Mahomes has helped Kansas City fans to forget a lifetime of pain. But this franchise has experienced a long period of postseason ineptitude before their savior came aboard. One of the most traumatic memories in its history was when Elliot missed three field goals in 1996. The Chiefs played the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium in the divisional round of the playoffs. But nobody could have expected the agony that Elliot and Chiefs’ fans would suffer.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He missed two field goals from 47 and 35 yards in the first half. However, if he converted his third attempt in the third quarter, fans would have forgiven him. This would have tied the game, but he failed to redeem himself from 42 yards. The Chiefs cut him after the game and Elliot became one of the most vilified players in the NFL. To say he sullied his reputation is a vast understatement.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

27. Jay Schroeder<\/h3>\n

In 1990, the Los Angeles Raiders were a powerful force. They won the AFC West division and crushed the Bengals in the divisional round. But that win came with a major cost. Bo Jackson (above), the only athlete to win MLB and NFL All-Star honors, suffered an injury in that game. Because of this, he couldn’t play in the championship game against the Buffalo Bills. Then, Schroeder found himself cast into the spotlight but he sullied his reputation.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Schroeder just wasn’t in the same class as Jackson and this showed on the playing field because he had a shocking game where he threw five interceptions. Furthermore, they proved costly as one was directly responsible for the Bills putting the game beyond reach in the very first quarter. He threw a pick-six that saw Darryl Talley make the score 21-3. It was over before it began for the Raiders.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

26. Doug Brien<\/h3>\n

The New York Jets have a unique ability that enables them to inflict pain upon their fans due to every possible scenario. Brien singlehandedly cost the Jets the chance to take on the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. He missed not one, but two kicks in the final two minutes of regulation. Finally, the Steelers won the game in overtime. Even when the Jets are good, they somehow manage to be awful.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: Bleacher Report<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jets’ fans treat Brien like Lord Voldemort. Basically, don’t say his name because he will appear. The Jets did their best to ensure this never happened by releasing him immediately after the game. The Green Gang watched with bated breath before Brien sullied his reputation by missing the 43 and 47-yard kicks. But for everybody else, it was hilarious because it was so typical.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

25. Brian Sipe<\/h3>\n

Cleveland fans, look away now. The Raiders met the Browns in the 1980 playoffs in a game notorious for the play ‘Red Right 88.’ That was one of the most traumatic moments in the history of the Browns’ franchise, but it doesn’t tell the full story of the game. It shouldn’t have come down to a single play, and if Sipe actually performed well, it might have been a different story.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The league MVP threw 30 touchdown passes and threw for over 4,000 yards in a stellar season. At least, stellar right up until that postseason game. Sipe went 13 for 40 with three interceptions in one of the worst displays of his entire career. It was the wrong time to have a meltdown because the team depended on him playing at his top form. However, he tarnished the entire season with just one awful performance.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

24. Dennis Northcutt<\/h3>\n

The Cleveland Browns are a franchise accustomed to tarnished reps. In fact, it’s one of the few things they excel at. One of their most soul-destroying defeats came at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002. Their playoff defeat saw them lose by three points in a 36-33 game. But the worst part was that they could have and should have won had Northcutt not forgotten his lines.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Northcutt had already caught one touchdown pass in the game. With the Browns trailing and the game in the balance, Cleveland drove downfield. Kelly Holcomb had a magnificent game and the quarterback threw a sensational pass to Northcutt. However, Northcutt dropped the ball in the most agonizing manner. The poor Browns just couldn’t catch a break.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23. Bruce DeHaven<\/h3>\n

The Buffalo Bills special teams coordinator DeHaven had a nightmare against the Tenessee Titans due to the ‘Music City Miracle.’ Now to say that the inevitable defeat was his fault is unfair, but he was the game’s biggest casualty because the Bills fired him directly after. Buffalo had a lot of injuries and missed several key special teams players and they paid for it as the Titans took full advantage.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With just 16 seconds to play, the Bills led by a single point after Wade Phillips overruled DeHaven to call a field goal. DeHaven tried to catch the Titans out from the kickoff but it backfired because Lorenzo Neal took possession. Two passes and 75 yards later, the game was over. Kevin Dyson secured the win for Tennessee after a controversial pass from Frank Wycheck. What an ending it was.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

22. Matt Hasselbeck<\/h3>\n

“We want the ball and we’re going to score.” Those words will haunt Hasselbeck for the rest of his days. The Seattle Seahawks met the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round. The game went to overtime and the Seahawks won the resulting coin toss. That’s when the Seattle quarterback spouted those infamous words. However, things could not have gone worse for him.<\/p>\n