The 2009 NFL season didn't just end with a trophy. It ended with a city's soul being stitched back together. When you look back at the nfl playoff bracket 2009, you aren't just looking at seeds and scores. You're looking at the year Brett Favre almost defied aging entirely, the year the "Who Dat" nation became a global phenomenon, and the year Peyton Manning’s perfection finally hit a wall.
It was wild.
Coming into January 2010 (the playoffs for the '09 season), the AFC was basically a gauntlet of "haves" and "have-nots." The Indianapolis Colts had cruised to a 14-0 start before pulling their starters, effectively punting on a perfect season just to stay healthy. Meanwhile, the NFC was a bloodbath between the high-flying New Orleans Saints and the revitalized Minnesota Vikings.
How the AFC Side of the 2009 NFL Playoff Bracket Shook Out
The AFC side of the nfl playoff bracket 2009 felt like Peyton Manning’s world, and everyone else was just living in it. The Colts took the #1 seed with ease. Behind them, the San Diego Chargers grabbed the #2 spot after a blistering 13-3 season. Phillip Rivers was in his prime, and honestly, that might have been the best Chargers team to never win it all.
The Wild Card round was where things got weird.
The New York Jets, led by a rookie Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan’s "ground and pound" defense, snuck in at 9-7. Nobody took them seriously. Then they went into Cincinnati and suffocated the Bengals 24-14. On the other side, the Baltimore Ravens absolutely dismantled the New England Patriots in Foxborough. It was jarring. Seeing Tom Brady look human in a 33-14 blowout felt like a glitch in the matrix.
By the Divisional Round, the "Sanchize" magic continued. The Jets traveled to San Diego and shocked the world by beating the Chargers 17-14. This was a massive upset. Nate Kaeding, one of the most accurate kickers in league history, missed three field goals. It was one of those "only in the playoffs" collapses that still haunts San Diego fans.
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But the road ended in Indy. Manning was too clinical. In the AFC Championship, the Jets actually led 17-6 at one point. Then Peyton did Peyton things. He carved up that elite Jets secondary for 377 yards and three touchdowns, securing a 30-17 win and a trip to Miami.
The NFC Side: A Tale of Two Juggernauts
If the AFC was a tactical chess match, the NFC side of the nfl playoff bracket 2009 was a heavy-metal concert.
The New Orleans Saints started 13-0. Drew Brees was putting up numbers that looked like Madden on "Rookie" difficulty. But the real story was in Minnesota. Brett Favre, the Packers legend, was wearing purple. He was 40 years old and playing the best football of his entire life.
The Wild Card round in the NFC featured the highest-scoring game in playoff history. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Green Bay Packers 51-45 in overtime. It was a video game. Kurt Warner threw five touchdowns and only four incompletions. Aaron Rodgers, in his first real playoff star turn, threw for 423 yards. It ended on a strip-sack return for a touchdown by Karlos Dansby. Pure chaos.
In the Divisional Round, the Saints didn't just beat the Cardinals; they retired Kurt Warner. A brutal hit by Bobby McCray during an interception return effectively ended the Hall of Famer's career. The Saints won 45-14. The Vikings, not to be outdone, crushed the Cowboys 34-3.
This set up the NFC Championship: Vikings vs. Saints.
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Many people—including a lot of Vikings fans—still think Minnesota was the better team that day. The Vikings outgained the Saints by nearly 200 yards. But five turnovers killed them. The game went to overtime after Favre threw a heartbreaking across-the-body interception late in the fourth quarter.
The Saints won the toss. They marched down. Garrett Hartley nailed a 40-yarder. New Orleans was going to the Super Bowl for the first time ever. The "Bountygate" controversy would later cloud this game, with allegations that the Saints had a "bounty" on Favre, but at the time, it was pure euphoria for the Gulf Coast.
Super Bowl XLIV: The Ambush and the Pick-Six
The matchup was set: Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints. It was the #1 seed vs. the #1 seed.
Most experts liked the Colts. They had the experience. They had Peyton.
The game turned on two specific plays that are now legendary in NFL lore. First, the "Ambush." Coming out for the second half, Saints coach Sean Payton called for an unexpected onside kick. It was gutsy. It was insane. The Saints recovered it, swung the momentum, and eventually took the lead.
The second play? The Tracy Porter pick-six.
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With the Colts driving to tie the game late in the fourth, Manning threw a slant toward Reggie Wayne. Porter jumped the route. 74 yards later, he was in the end zone, and the Saints were Super Bowl champions. The final score was 31-17.
Why This Specific Bracket Matters a Decade Later
The nfl playoff bracket 2009 changed the trajectory of several franchises. For the Saints, it validated a decade of rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. For the Colts, it marked the beginning of the end of the Manning era in Indy.
It also highlighted a shift in how the game was played. This was the peak of the "high-volume passing" era. Brees, Manning, Favre, Warner, and Rodgers were all active and playing at an elite level.
Lessons for Today's Football Fans
Looking back at the stats and the bracket reveals a few things that are still true about the NFL playoffs:
- Turnover Margin is King: The Vikings were better on paper in the NFC Championship, but -5 in turnovers is impossible to overcome.
- The "Bye" is a Double-Edged Sword: The Chargers looked rusty after their week off. The Saints and Colts looked sharp.
- Coaching Aggression Wins Rings: Sean Payton’s onside kick is still the gold standard for "playing to win" rather than "playing not to lose."
If you’re trying to understand the current NFL landscape, studying the 2009 season is essential. It’s where the modern passing offense really found its legs.
To dig deeper into this era of football, your next step should be to watch the "America's Game" documentary on the 2009 Saints. It provides the locker room context that a bracket simply can't show. You might also want to look up the 2010 draft class that followed this season, as it was one of the most talent-heavy groups in league history, featuring names like Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown.