The Most Common Playoff Matchups In NFL History

[Fountain City Blues]

So, this AFC Championship game is the 7th playoff meeting between the Chiefs and the Bills. It will be the 4th meeting with entry in what is now known as the Super Bowl on the line. So I did some digging to see the most common playoff matchups, turns out, the Chiefs and Bills will now by the most common "AFC Championship*" game after next week. For those wondering, it is the 2nd playoff meeting between the Eagles and [Commanders.]

Will be going reverse order of the top 10, or tied with.

12.) Buccaneers vs. Eagles (6 times)

1979 24 - 17 NFC Divisional
2000 3 - 21 NFC Wild Card
2001 9 - 31 NFC Wild Card
2002 27 - 10 NFC Championship
2021 31 - 15 NFC Wild Card
2023 32 - 9 NFC Wild Card

11.) Raiders vs. Steelers (6 times)

1972 7 - 13 AFC Divisional
1973 33 - 14 AFC Divisional
1974 13 - 24 AFC Championship
1975 10 - 16 AFC Championship
1976 24 - 7 AFC Championship
1983 38 - 10 AFC Divisional

10.) 49ers vs. Vikings (6 times)

1970 17 - 14 NFC Divisional
1987 24 - 36 NFC Divisional
1988 34 - 9 NFC Divisional
1989 41 - 13 NFC Divisional
1997 38 - 22 NFC Divisional
2019 27 - 10 NFC Divisional

9.) Cowboys vs Vikings (7 times)

1971 20 - 12 NFC Divisional
1973 10 - 27 NFC Championship
1975 17 - 14 NFC Divisional
1977 23 - 6 NFC Championship
1996 40 - 15 NFC Wild Card
1999 10 - 27 NFC Wild Card
2009 3 - 34 NFC Divisional

8.) Chiefs vs Bills (7* times)

1966 31 - 7 AFL Championship (Chiefs advanced to SB I)
1991 14 - 37 AFC Divisional
1993 13 - 30 AFC Championship
2020 38 - 24 AFC Championship
2021 42 - 36 AFC Divisional
2023 27 - 24 AFC Divisional
2024* TBD AFC Championship

7.) Giants vs 49ers (8 times)

1981 24 - 38 NFC Divisional
1984 10 - 21 NFC Divisional
1985 17 - 3 NFC Wild Card
1986 49 - 3 NFC Divisional
1990 15 - 13 NFC Championship
1993 3 - 44 NFC Divisional
2002 38 - 39 NFC Wild Card
2011 20 - 17 NFC Championship

6.) Broncos vs Steelers (8 times)

1977 34 - 21 AFC Divisional
1978 10 -33 AFC Divisional
1984 17 - 24 AFC Divisional
1989 24 - 23 AFC Divisional
1997 24 - 21 AFC Championship
2005 17 - 34 AFC Championship
2011 29 - 23 AFC Wild Card
2015 23 - 16 AFC Divisional

5.) Vikings vs Rams (8 times)

1969 23 - 10 NFL "Divisional" (Vikings advanced to SB IV after subsequent NFL Championship)
1974 14 - 10 NFC Championship
1976 24 - 13 NFC Championship
1977 14 - 7 NFC Divisional
1978 10 - 34 NFC Divisional
1988 28 - 17 NFC Wild Card
1999 37 - 49 NFC Divisional
2024 9 - 27 NFC Wild Card

4.) Rams vs Cowboys (9 times)

1973 16 - 27 NFC Divisional
1975 7 - 37 NFC Championship
1976 14 - 12 NFC Divisional
1978 0 - 28 NFC Championship
1979 21 - 19 NFC Divisional
1980 13 - 34 NFC Wild Card
1983 24 - 17 NFC Wild Card
1985 20 - 0 NFC Divisional
2018 30 - 22 NFC Divisional

3.) Cowboys vs 49ers (9 times)

1970 17 - 10 NFC Championship
1971 14- 3 NFC Championship
1972 30 - 28 NFC Divisional
1981 27 - 28 NFC Championship
1992 30 - 20 NFC Championship
1993 38 - 21 NFC Championship
1994 28 - 38 NFC Championship
2021 17 - 23 NFC Wild Card
2023 12 - 19 NFC Divisional

2.) Packers vs Cowboys (9 times)

1966 34 - 27 NFL Championship (Packers advanced to SB I)
1967 21 - 17 NFL Championship (Packers advanced to SB II)
1982 26 - 37 NFC Divisional
1993 17 - 27 NFC Divisional
1994 9 - 35 NFC Divisional
1995 27 - 38 NFC Championship
2014 26 - 21 NFC Divisional
2016 34 - 31 NFC Divisional
2023 48 - 32 NFC Wild Card

1.) 49ers vs Packers (10 times)

1995 17 - 27 NFC Divisional
1996 14 - 35 NFC Divisional
1997 10 - 23 NFC Championship
1998 30 - 27 NFC Wild Card
2001 15 - 25 NFC Wild Card
2012 45 - 31 NFC Divisional
2013 23 - 20 NFC Wild Card
2019 37 - 20 NFC Championship
2021 13 - 10 NFC Divisional
2023 24 - 21 NFC Divisional

 

[Tainthappening]

My quick reseach... most meetings of 2 teams in playoffs with 1 team winning all the playoff games.

Steelers 5 / Colts 0

- 2005 Divisional 21-18 (BigBen a big tackle at end of game) - at Indy
- 1996 Wildcard 42-14
- 1995 AFC Championship 20-16 (Jim Harbaugh Colts QB, near miracle Hail Mary to end the game for Colts)
- 1976 Divisional 40-14 - at Balt.
- 1975 Divisional 28-10

 

[Fountain City Blues]

My quick reseach... most meetings of 2 teams in playoffs with 1 team winning all the playoff games.

Steelers 5 / Colts 0

- 2005 Divisional 21-18 (BigBen a big tackle at end of game) - at Indy
- 1996 Wildcard 42-14
- 1995 AFC Championship 20-16 (Jim Harbaugh Colts QB, near miracle Hail Mary to end the game for Colts)
- 1976 Divisional 40-14 - at Balt.
- 1975 Divisional 28-10

That 2005 Divisional remains one of the weirder ones of all time.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

So, this AFC Championship game is the 7th playoff meeting between the Chiefs and the Bills. It will be the 4th meeting with entry in what is now known as the Super Bowl on the line. So I did some digging to see the most common playoff matchups, turns out, the Chiefs and Bills will now by the most common "AFC Championship*" game after next week. For those wondering, it is the 2nd playoff meeting between the Eagles and [Commanders.]

Will be going reverse order of the top 10, or tied with.

12.) Buccaneers vs. Eagles (6 times)

1979 24 - 17 NFC Divisional
2000 3 - 21 NFC Wild Card
2001 9 - 31 NFC Wild Card
2002 27 - 10 NFC Championship
2021 31 - 15 NFC Wild Card
2023 32 - 9 NFC Wild Card

11.) Raiders vs. Steelers (6 times)

1972 7 - 13 AFC Divisional
1973 33 - 14 AFC Divisional
1974 13 - 24 AFC Championship
1975 10 - 16 AFC Championship
1976 24 - 7 AFC Championship
1983 38 - 10 AFC Divisional

10.) 49ers vs. Vikings (6 times)

1970 17 - 14 NFC Divisional
1987 24 - 36 NFC Divisional
1988 34 - 9 NFC Divisional
1989 41 - 13 NFC Divisional
1997 38 - 22 NFC Divisional
2019 27 - 10 NFC Divisional

9.) Cowboys vs Vikings (7 times)

1971 20 - 12 NFC Divisional
1973 10 - 27 NFC Championship
1975 17 - 14 NFC Divisional
1977 23 - 6 NFC Championship
1996 40 - 15 NFC Wild Card
1999 10 - 27 NFC Wild Card
2009 3 - 34 NFC Divisional

8.) Chiefs vs Bills (7* times)

1966 31 - 7 AFL Championship (Chiefs advanced to SB I)
1991 14 - 37 AFC Divisional
1993 13 - 30 AFC Championship
2020 38 - 24 AFC Championship
2021 42 - 36 AFC Divisional
2023 27 - 24 AFC Divisional
2024* TBD AFC Championship

7.) Giants vs 49ers (8 times)

1981 24 - 38 NFC Divisional
1984 10 - 21 NFC Divisional
1985 17 - 3 NFC Wild Card
1986 49 - 3 NFC Divisional
1990 15 - 13 NFC Championship
1993 3 - 44 NFC Divisional
2002 38 - 39 NFC Wild Card
2011 20 - 17 NFC Championship

6.) Broncos vs Steelers (8 times)

1977 34 - 21 AFC Divisional
1978 10 -33 AFC Divisional
1984 17 - 24 AFC Divisional
1989 24 - 23 AFC Divisional
1997 24 - 21 AFC Championship
2005 17 - 34 AFC Championship
2011 29 - 23 AFC Wild Card
2015 23 - 16 AFC Divisional

5.) Vikings vs Rams (8 times)

1969 23 - 10 NFL "Divisional" (Vikings advanced to SB IV after subsequent NFL Championship)
1974 14 - 10 NFC Championship
1976 24 - 13 NFC Championship
1977 14 - 7 NFC Divisional
1978 10 - 34 NFC Divisional
1988 28 - 17 NFC Wild Card
1999 37 - 49 NFC Divisional
2024 9 - 27 NFC Wild Card

4.) Rams vs Cowboys (9 times)

1973 16 - 27 NFC Divisional
1975 7 - 37 NFC Championship
1976 14 - 12 NFC Divisional
1978 0 - 28 NFC Championship
1979 21 - 19 NFC Divisional
1980 13 - 34 NFC Wild Card
1983 24 - 17 NFC Wild Card
1985 20 - 0 NFC Divisional
2018 30 - 22 NFC Divisional

3.) Cowboys vs 49ers (9 times)

1970 17 - 10 NFC Championship
1971 14- 3 NFC Championship
1972 30 - 28 NFC Divisional
1981 27 - 28 NFC Championship
1992 30 - 20 NFC Championship
1993 38 - 21 NFC Championship
1994 28 - 38 NFC Championship
2021 17 - 23 NFC Wild Card
2023 12 - 19 NFC Divisional

2.) Packers vs Cowboys (9 times)

1966 34 - 27 NFL Championship (Packers advanced to SB I)
1967 21 - 17 NFL Championship (Packers advanced to SB II)
1982 26 - 37 NFC Divisional
1993 17 - 27 NFC Divisional
1994 9 - 35 NFC Divisional
1995 27 - 38 NFC Championship
2014 26 - 21 NFC Divisional
2016 34 - 31 NFC Divisional
2023 48 - 32 NFC Wild Card

1.) 49ers vs Packers (10 times)

1995 17 - 27 NFC Divisional
1996 14 - 35 NFC Divisional
1997 10 - 23 NFC Championship
1998 30 - 27 NFC Wild Card
2001 15 - 25 NFC Wild Card
2012 45 - 31 NFC Divisional
2013 23 - 20 NFC Wild Card
2019 37 - 20 NFC Championship
2021 13 - 10 NFC Divisional
2023 24 - 21 NFC Divisional

Really good stuff. Thank you for posting that especially the scores. If you hadn't posted the scores, what would have been an acceptable percentage to be considered an NFL expert to know who won each match-up? 75, 80%? You figure you have a 50-50 shot with each one.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Really good stuff. Thank you for posting that especially the scores. If you hadn't posted the scores, what would have been an acceptable percentage to be considered an NFL expert to know who won each match-up? 75, 80%? You figure you have a 50-50 shot with each one.

In the true sense of the word expert, probably, yeah. Easy.

I'd probably struggle to match up the exact year on some of these, like I could've told you the Vikings had 1 notable upset of the 49ers, but I would struggle to remember which year in the 80's it would be off the top of my head.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

In the true sense of the word expert, probably, yeah. Easy.

I'd probably struggle to match up the exact year on some of these, like I could've told you the Vikings had 1 notable upset of the 49ers, but I would struggle to remember which year in the 80's it would be off the top of my head.

The year I'd have to think about but I do recall the 49ers were prohibitive favorites to go all the way and then they couldn't stop Anthony Carter that day.