It isn’t always nice to take a stroll down memory lane. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher ranked the 10 best playoff moments in NFL history, and the New Orleans Saints were on the wrong side of several of his picks — but there’s no mention of their heroics in actually winning a Super Bowl, which neither of the teams Mosher highlighted accomplished.
Mosher’s premise specifies that “For this piece, we are focusing on singular plays that everyone remembers. The greater the stage, the higher the ranking.
“Lasting impact matters, too, so expect plays that alter NFL history to appear higher on the list.”
So it’s tough to see how Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” run qualifies. Sure, it was a fun play (for Seahawks fans and neutral observers), and the defending-champ Saints did get bounced out of the playoffs because of it. But Seattle joined them on the couch just a week later after getting blown out 35-24 by the Chicago Bears. It didn’t have a lasting impact outside of NFL highlight reels and ad campaigns, but Mosher ranked it No. 9 on his list.
But that wasn’t the only time the Saints were victimized here. Despite acknowledging that it “might have only been the Divisional Round,” Mosher clocked Stefon Diggs’ walkoff touchdown from the “Minneapolis Miracle” at No. 7. Again, yeah, it’s a memorable play. But the Vikings didn’t carry any momentum from it into the NFC Championship Game. They went and got embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles in a 38-7 loss. Minnesota hasn’t won a home playoff game since.
So what is the lasting impact from these plays? Which big stages did they happen on? Neither of these plays won a Super Bowl trophy or even a conference championship. They’re something fun for fans of those teams to look back on, but they’re far from meaningful when you check the scoreboard.
It’s disappointing that the Saints’ efforts to win Super Bowl XLIV were overlooked in this list. Those plays actually mattered and brought home a banner to hang for as long as pro football is played in America. Tracy Porter’s win-sealing pick-six off of Peyton Manning is an all-timer. Pierre Thomas scoring from 16 yards out on a screen play is teach tape for young offensive linemen and running backs everywhere. Lance Moore managing to score a two-point conversion while upside-down in midair remains impressive. Any of these plays mattered more than what Lynch or Diggs did years later in games that won no trophies, so it’s a shame to see them on the sidelines. But we’re happy to talk about them if no one else is.
