Winning it all from the bottom. Honestly, it sounds like a movie script. You scrape into the playoffs by the skin of your teeth, travel to three different hostile stadiums, and somehow end up holding the Lombardi Trophy while confetti rains down on your head. Most NFL fans assume the top seed has a lock on the ring. They’re wrong.
Actually, being a wild card isn't the death sentence people think it is. Since 1980, seven teams have done the "impossible." They didn't win their division. They didn't get a week off to rest their bruised ribs. They just kept winning.
The Raiders Started the Chaos in 1980
Before the 1980 Oakland Raiders, no wild card team had ever climbed the mountain. It just didn't happen. People thought the playoff expansion was just a way to get more TV revenue, not a legitimate path to a title.
Jim Plunkett wasn't even supposed to be the guy. He was the backup. When Dan Pastorini broke his leg in Week 5, the season looked cooked. Oakland was 2-3. Fans were restless. But Plunkett found some weird magic with guys like Cliff Branch and a defense that simply refused to break.
They had to go to Cleveland for the "Red Right 88" game, which was basically played inside a freezer. Then they went to San Diego. Finally, they dismantled the Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. One of the most famous photos in sports history is Rod Martin holding up three fingers—one for each interception he snagged that day.
Why 1997 Changed the Narrative for Wild Card Super Bowl Winners
For a long time, the NFC dominated the 80s and 90s. The AFC was the "junior varsity" conference. When the 1997 Denver Broncos entered the playoffs as a wild card, nobody gave them much of a shot against the reigning champion Green Bay Packers.
Denver was 12-4. That’s a record that usually wins a division, but the Chiefs were just slightly better that year. So, Terrell Davis and John Elway had to take the long road.
The game against the Packers is legendary for "The Helicopter." Elway, 37 years old and desperate for a ring, launched his body into the air, spun like a propeller after a hit, and got the first down. That moment proved that a wild card team could have more "want-to" than a rested 1-seed. They won 31-24, breaking a 13-year NFC winning streak.
The Defense That Didn't Need an Offense
You've probably heard the jokes about the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Their offense went five straight games without scoring a touchdown during the regular season. Five! That’s a month of football without crossing the goal line on offense.
But that defense? Pure nightmare fuel.
Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, and Tony Siragusa basically bullied the rest of the league. They allowed only 165 points all season. When they got to Super Bowl XXXV against the Giants, it wasn't even a contest. They won 34-7. They’re the proof that if you can stop the other team from breathing, your seed doesn't matter.
The "Road Warrior" Era: Steelers and Giants
Between 2005 and 2007, the wild card path became a legitimate blueprint.
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers were 7-5. Coach Bill Cowher basically told them every game from December on was a playoff game. They won eight straight. Jerome Bettis was on his "Last Bus" tour to his hometown of Detroit for the Super Bowl. They beat the Bengals, the top-seeded Colts (in a heart-stopper), and the Broncos on the road.
Then came the 2007 New York Giants.
Basically everyone thought the 18-0 New England Patriots were going to cruise to a perfect season. The Giants were 10-6. They were an afterthought. But Eli Manning and that ferocious defensive line had other plans. Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan lived in Tom Brady's jersey that night.
The David Tyree "Helmet Catch" is the highlight everyone sees, but the real story was the Giants' ability to win in Tampa, Dallas, and a frozen Green Bay just to get there. They showed that "peaking at the right time" is more than just a cliché.
The Last Two: Rodgers and Brady
Aaron Rodgers won his only ring as a 6-seed. In 2010, the Green Bay Packers were decimated by injuries. They had to win their final two regular-season games just to get in. Once they got in, Rodgers went on a tear that we haven't seen many times since. They played every single game on the road until they hit North Texas for the Super Bowl against the Steelers.
Finally, we have the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tom Brady moved to Florida, and for the first half of the season, it looked... messy. They were 7-5. People were calling Brady "washed." Then the bye week happened.
They didn't lose again.
They became the first team to win a Super Bowl in their own stadium, but they had to win three road games to get that privilege. They beat Drew Brees in New Orleans and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. By the time they faced Patrick Mahomes in the final, they looked like a completely different team than the one that struggled in October.
What This Means for Your Bracket
Honestly, the biggest takeaway from these wild card super bowl winners is that momentum is a real, tangible thing in the NFL. Teams that have to fight for their lives in December often have a "playoff gear" that rested teams struggle to match in the Divisional Round.
If you're looking for the next "Cinderella," look for these traits:
🔗 Read more: UFC Fighter With Mustache: Why This Old-School Look Still Rules the Octagon
- A veteran quarterback who has seen it all (like Brady or Elway).
- A pass rush that doesn't need to blitz to get home (the 2007 Giants).
- A dominant run game that travels well in cold weather (the 2005 Steelers).
The road to the Super Bowl is harder from the wild card spot, but the history books show it’s a road that’s been paved seven times already. Don't count out the underdogs just because they don't have a "1" next to their name.
Next Steps for Your Research:
Check the current NFL injury reports for the teams currently sitting in the 5th and 6th seed spots. Often, a wild card team is only in that position because a key player was hurt in October. If they’re getting healthy now, they are the most dangerous teams in the bracket. Look specifically at "Adjusted Games Lost" stats to see which underdogs are actually "stealth" contenders.