Four Times the Top Seeds Flopped in the NFL Playoffs

The last two NFL seasons have contrasted wildly when it comes to postseason aspirations. Last season was the first time in five years in which the top seeds in both the AFC and NFC Conferences made it all the way to the playoffs. As we all remember, the Kansas City Chiefs managed to rally from a massive halftime deficit to claim a second Lombardi in four years however, if we take a look at the year prior, the postseason showdowns couldn't be any more contrasting.

At the culmination of the 2021 campaign, the Green Bay Packers were the top seeds in the NFC with an impressive 13-4 record. Aaron Rodgers was fresh off of winning his fourth MVP award and he was expected to be well en route to his second Super Bowl ring. However, the Wisconsin-based outfit was narrowly defeated by the sixth-seed San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, and their campaign ended abruptly.

The same was the case in the AFC. The Tennessee Titans were the top seed in that conference however, they hadn't banked on the brilliance of an upstart Cincinnati Bengals side spearheaded by the brilliance of young quarterback Joe Burrow. Jackpot Joey steered his side to a 19-16 victory en route to his first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years. That would ultimately end in disappointment as the Los Angeles Rams held their nerve to claim a late victory at SoFi Stadium, but Cincy has since established itself as one of the top sides in the league.

Last season, the Bengals reached a second consecutive AFC Championship game, and they did so by securing a victory over Josh Allen and his resurgent Buffalo Bills. If you're considering trying out football betting once the new season gets underway, you could do worse than backing the Bengals for that maiden Lombardi. They are currently the +800 second favorites.

In the NFL playoffs, the top seeds are expected to perform well, dominate their opponents, and make a statement to the whole league. After all, they had fought hard to earn the highest seeding throughout the regular season. However, sometimes things do not go as planned, and the top seeds flop unexpectedly, such as on these five previous occasions. 

The 2010 New England Patriots

With Tom Brady front and center as the greatest quarterback on the planet, the New England Patriots were expected to take the AFC by storm in 2010, and they did exactly that. They steamrolled teams throughout the course of the campaign, romping to the top spot in the conference with a blistering 14-2 record. But in their divisional round matchup against the New York Jets, the Boston-based team was outplayed in every department.

They were hoping to rekindle their dominance of the 2000s and an unfancied Jets side wasn't expected to put up much of a fight especially considering the fact that they were thumped 45-3 by the Pats during the regular season. In the end, however, they did exactly that winning the game 28-21, and throwing a dagger into New England's hopes of reviving their once-daunted dynasty.

The 2016 Dallas Cowboys 

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2016-17 NFL playoffs with a seemingly unstoppable momentum after finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record. Fans and analysts alike were shouting from the rooftops that the Lone Star State outfit was finally back and that they meant business, expecting them to make a deep postseason run and possibly even contend for a first Super Bowl in two decades. However, things didn't go according to plan.

They faced A-Rod's Packers in the divisional round and the star quarterback threw for a whopping 364 yards and four touchdowns as he thwarted the valiant effort of newcomer quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, en route to a 34-31 victory for the underdogs. 

The 2012 Denver Broncos 

The Denver Broncos compiled a remarkable 13-3 record during the 2012 regular season and boasted one of the most formidable quarterbacks in the game in five-time MVP Peyton Manning. Fans had every reason to believe that the Colorado outfit would breeze through the postseason and into the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, as would be the case with the Cowboys a few years later, things didn't work out as expected. The Broncos lost a nervy encounter to an upstart Baltimore Ravens side in their first playoff game. The 38-35 overtime setback was a sad disappointment for Denver fans who had high expectations for their squad but who ultimately let them down when the going got tough. Four years later though, Manning and Co. would put the setback behind them the following year as they would reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 15 years. 

The 2011 Green Bay Packers 

The Green Bay Packers of 2011 were on course to be remembered as perhaps one of the greatest football teams ever assembled. They had an incredible regular season, finishing with an impressive record of 15-1 and threatening to become just the third team in history to complete a perfect regular season. A narrow defeat on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs in the third-to-last game of the campaign was the only blemish on their record. However, when it came time for the playoffs, the wheels would come off.

The Packers suffered one of the biggest upsets in playoff history when they were beaten by the New York Giants in that year's divisional round. The MetLife Stadium outfit is no strangers to pulling off a shocking upset, with their 17-14 Super Bowl XLII victory over the perfect New England Patriots immediately springing to mind. They would once again spring the shock four years later with this resounding 37-20 victory at Lambeau Field.