You remember where you were when the magic finally ran out for the New England Patriots, right? It was January 2020. A rainy, miserable night in Foxborough. Tom Brady threw a pick-six to his former teammate Logan Ryan, and just like that, an era died. That's the thing about the NFL playoffs 2020. It wasn't just a tournament; it was a changing of the guard that felt like a tectonic plate shifting under the entire league.
Everyone expected the usual suspects to dominate. Instead, we got Derrick Henry turning into a human wrecking ball and Patrick Mahomes proving that a double-digit deficit is basically just a light warm-up for him.
The Tennessee Titans and the Death of the Patriot Way
Honestly, the wildest part of the NFL playoffs 2020 was the Tennessee Titans. They were the six-seed. They weren't supposed to be there, let alone ruin everyone's bracket. But Mike Vrabel, a guy who basically grew up in the Patriots' system, knew exactly how to dismantle it. He used the clock. He used the rules. He used a 247-pound running back who looked like he was playing against middle schoolers.
Derrick Henry ran for 182 yards against New England. 182! In their own house.
It was disrespectful. It was beautiful.
Then they went to Baltimore. The Ravens were the top seed. Lamar Jackson was the unanimous MVP. Everyone thought Baltimore would sleepwalk into the Super Bowl. Nope. Henry threw a jump-pass touchdown. He ran for another 195 yards. The Titans didn't just win; they bullied the best team in the regular season. It was a reminder that in January, being "finesse" can get you killed.
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Wild Card Weekend Was Actually Drunk
If you like "normal" football, the opening round of the NFL playoffs 2020 probably gave you a headache. We had two overtime games. That almost never happens.
- The Bills-Texans Meltdown: Josh Allen was doing Josh Allen things—running like a madman, lateraling the ball to nobody in particular. Deshaun Watson somehow escaped a sack from two different guys at once to set up the winning field goal. It was peak chaos.
- Kirk Cousins Silences the Superdome: The Saints were 13-3. They were massive favorites. But Kyle Rudolph caught a fade in the corner of the end zone in OT, and suddenly the "Kirk can't win big games" narrative took a week off.
- Seattle Outlasts Philly: This was the game where Jadeveon Clowney knocked Carson Wentz out early. Josh McCown, at 40 years old, came in and played his heart out with a torn hamstring. It was gutsy, but the Seahawks moved on 17-9.
The Chiefs and the Art of the Comeback
If you're talking about the NFL playoffs 2020, you have to talk about the Divisional Round game between the Texans and the Chiefs. This game was a fever dream.
Kansas City fell behind 24-0 in the first quarter. At home. At Arrowhead. Fans were literally leaving the stadium. Then, Patrick Mahomes decided he didn't feel like losing. The Chiefs scored 41 unanswered points. They didn't just come back; they treated a playoff opponent like a scout team. They scored a touchdown on seven straight possessions. It's the kind of stat that makes you double-check the box score because it doesn't seem physically possible.
That win set the tone. It told the rest of the league that no lead was safe. Not 10 points, not 24.
Mahomes vs. The San Francisco Defense
By the time we got to Super Bowl LIV in Miami, the narrative was set. It was the irresistible force (KC's offense) vs. the immovable object (the Niners' pass rush). For three and a half quarters, the immovable object was winning.
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Nick Bosa and DeForest Buckner were living in the backfield. Jimmy Garoppolo was doing just enough. With about seven minutes left, the 49ers were up 20-10. Mahomes had thrown two interceptions. It looked over.
Then came "Jet Chip Wasp."
Third and 15. The season is on the line. Mahomes launches a 44-yard bomb to Tyreek Hill. Everything changed in that heartbeat. The Chiefs scored three touchdowns in five minutes.
Andy Reid finally got his ring. The "Big Red" curse was officially dead.
Why 2020 Still Matters for Fans Today
We look back at these games and see the blueprint for the modern NFL. This was the year the league fully transitioned into the "Mahomes Era." It was the last time we saw the old playoff format with only two teams getting byes—a system that felt a lot more prestigious than what we have now.
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It also taught us that coaching matters more than almost anything. Kyle Shanahan's late-game management became a talking point for years. Mike Vrabel's manipulation of the ticking clock showed that the rulebook is a weapon.
Actionable Takeaways for the Next Postseason
- Don't bet against the comeback: If a team has an elite QB, a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter is a dangerous illusion.
- Style points don't count: The Titans proved that a physical, run-heavy scheme can still de-rail a high-flying MVP offense if the weather and the momentum align.
- Watch the "bye" teams: Since this was the transition year, we saw how much rust can affect a #1 seed (like Baltimore). If you're a bettor or a hardcore fan, look for teams that are "hot" coming out of Wild Card weekend rather than just rested.
If you want to relive the specific magic of that January, go back and watch the highlights of Chiefs-Texans. It remains the most absurd 60 minutes of football played in the last decade. Honestly, it's just a reminder of why we watch this sport in the first place. You think you know what's going to happen, and then a guy like Damien Williams runs 38 yards into the end zone to seal a championship for a city that waited 50 years.
Next Steps for You
Check the official NFL archives for the full Super Bowl LIV mic'd up segments. Hearing the communication between Mahomes and Reid during that 4th-quarter comeback gives you a whole new perspective on how they stayed so calm while the world was on fire. Also, take a look at the 2020 draft results right after these playoffs—it’s wild to see how teams tried to react to the "Chiefs problem" by hunting for speed.