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The NFL's Greatest Last-Minute Drives in Playoff History

by Jeremy Block - 1/20/2025

NFL greatest last-minute playoff drives Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders

NFL Playoff football -- the time when the clock is your worst enemy, and the quarterback has to summon every ounce of magic in their soul to avoid  a heartbreak. These are the drives that make you rethink your entire life, question time itself, and have you screaming at the TV like a lunatic. 

So let’s dive into the greatest last-minute playoff drives in NFL history, because who doesn’t love a good “Wow, how did they do that?” moment?

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1. Jaden McDaniels' Game-Winning Drive - 2025 NFC Wild Card 

January 2025, NFC Wild Card. The Washington Commanders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are locked in a 20-20 tie, and the clock is ticking down. Enter QB Jayden Daniels, who looked like he’d been born for this moment. With just under a minute left, Daniels pulls a classic “scramble for a critical first down” move, keeping the drive alive like he’s got ice in his veins.

But wait, there’s more. With 2:00 left on the clock, McDaniels hit Austin Ekeler for a clutch 18-yard pass to move the chains. Right after, Daniels handed the ball off to Ekeler, who rumbled for a solid 8-yard gain. Now, McDaniels is feeling it, so he decided to take matters into his own hands -- literally. He took off for an additional 4 yards, putting the Commanders in prime field goal territory.

With 3 seconds left, McDaniels set up Zane Gonzalez for a 37-yard field goal attempt. The pressure was on, and when Gonzalez's kick clanged off the right upright - every Commanders fan collectively held their breath. But somehow - against all odds - it went through. Final score: Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20.

And with that, the Commanders walked away with their first playoff win in nearly 7,000 days. You couldn’t write a better script. 

2. Tom Brady’s “The Drive” - 2017 Super Bowl LI

How can we forget Super Bowl LI? The Falcons were owning Tom Brady and the Patriots with a 28-3 lead towards the end of the third quarter. It looked like Brady might finally be dethroned as the king of comebacks. However, if there’s one thing Brady didn’t do, it’s quit. After storming back to tie the game 28-28 and sending it into overtime, the Patriots won the coin toss. And once Brady got the ball, he showed the world exactly why they call him the GOAT.

On the first drive of OT, he hit Julian Edelman for a 15-yard catch. A couple of incompletions later, Brady handed it off to James White, who took it around the right side and found the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Final score: Patriots 34, Falcons 28.

Brady finished with 466 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, but those final moments in OT are what sealed his place as the greatest quarterback to ever lace up cleats. When the game was on the line, Brady was the definition of clutch. 

3. Nick Foles’ Game-Winning Drive - 2017 Super Bowl LII

Super Bowl LII, Eagles vs. Patriots. The stage was set, and it was Nick Foles' time to shine. With 3:00 left in the game, the Eagles were down 32-33 to the Patriots. Foles had to keep the chains moving and burn the clock.

With New England scrambling to adjust, Foles connected with Zach Ertz on a quick 11-yard touchdown with 2:25 remaining, putting the Eagles up 38-33. The two-point conversion failed, but the damage was done. Now, the Eagles were up by 5, and the Patriots were in desperation mode.

But Foles wasn’t finished just yet. After a defensive stop and forcing Brady’s offense to burn some timeouts, the Eagles got the ball back, and Jake Elliott nailed a 46-yard field goal, making it 41-33 with just under 1:10 left.

Brady had one last shot to make something magical happen, but the Philly defense was well-equipped to cause havoc -- and that’s exactly what they did, shutting the Pats down on their drive. The game ended with an incomplete Hail Mary to Rob Gronkowski with just 9 seconds left. Game over.

4. Russell Wilson’s Game-Winning Drive - 2014 NFC Championship

Seattle was down 19-14 with just over a minute left. Russell Wilson had a chance to save Seattle’s Super Bowl hopes, but he had to act fast. You know what that meant? It was “Beast Mode” time.

Marshawn Lynch took a 24-yard run into the end zone, putting Seattle up 20-19. Then, Wilson hit Luke Willson for the two-point conversion to make it 22-19. Boom. Just like that, Seattle was in the lead, but don't go thinking this was over yet.

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t having any of it. With just 19 seconds left, he led the Packers down the field to set up Mason Crosby for a clutch 48-yard field goal that tied the game at 22-22, sending it into overtime.

Now it’s overtime, and Russell Wilson wasn’t done. He hit Doug Baldwin for a quick 10 yards to get things started, then handed it off to Lynch for another 4-yard run. He followed it up with a 35-yard deep pass to Baldwin.

With the ball in the red zone, Wilson and the offense kept pushing, eventually setting up the game-winning score with a field goal. Seattle 22, Green Bay 19. Seattle’s offense and defense came through when it mattered most, and the Seahawks were headed to the Super Bowl.

5. Matt Stafford’s Game-Winning Drive - 2022 Super Bowl LVI 

Super Bowl LVI, Rams vs. Bengals. It was 20-16, and QB Matthew Stafford had one last shot to prove why he was the guy the Rams traded for. With less than 1:50 left on the clock, Stafford went to work. 

After a defensive pass interference gave the Rams a little extra breathing room, Stafford kept the chains moving down field. With 1:29 left, Stafford found Cooper Kupp with a quick 1-yard touchdown pass. Just like that - the Rams were up 23-20 with a minute to go.

The Bengals had one final chance, but Stafford’s drive was all they needed to seal the win. He finished with 283 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 picks, showing that stats aren't the only thing that matter - it's clutch moments like this that can also define a career. 

6. Eli Manning’s Game-Winning Drive - 2012 Super Bowl XLVI

Super Bowl XLVI - Giants vs. Patriots. Eli Manning was already a Super Bowl MVP. However, in 2012, he had a chance to double down in that department. With 1:15 left in the game, the Giants were trailing 15-17, and Manning needed to make something magical happen to secure a second Super Bowl win.

First, he connected with Hakeem Nicks for a quick 4-yard pass on the left side. Then, with 1:09 left, RB Ahmad Bradshaw took a 1-yard run to set up a 2nd-and-6. The Patriots called a timeout, hoping to freeze the clock, but it didn’t faze this New York team. 

With 1:04 remaining, Bradshaw took the ball up the middle again for 6 yards, and -- bam -- touchdown. The Giants were now leading 21-17 with 59 seconds left to play. The Patriots had one final shot to respond, but it wasn’t enough. Eli Manning’s cool, calm drive put the icing on the cake, giving the Giants their second Super Bowl in four years. 

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