All-Time NFL Playoff Team

Big players make big plays in big games. These are the biggest.

All-Time NFL Playoff Team

1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Jack Lambert, L.C. Greenwood, Gary Dunn, Joe Greene — The biggest players make the biggest plays in the biggest games on the gridiron.

Yes, we're talking about playoffs. And, no, this isn't a Jim Mora retrospective.

Since 1933, the NFL has been playing games after the regular season to determine a champion. Thousands of players have had their numbers called in search of glory. Only the best thrive in the postseason crucible. But who are the best of the best — 11 players on offense, 11 players on defense, one punter, one kicker, one return man, and one head coach?

Depending on the position, picking the greatest players in NFL postseason history can either be an exercise in simplicity or a head-scratching endeavor. Either way, it's lots of fun.

This is the NFL's all-time playoff team.

Quarterback — Joe Montana

Career: 1979-90, 1992-94 (15 seasons)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs

Career highlights: 192 games. Completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 40,551 yards, 271 TDs and 139 interceptions. Three-time first-team All-Pro and two-time NFL MVP.

Playoff games: 23

Playoff record: 16-7

Playoff stats: 460 completions (20 per game) for 5,772 yards (251 per game) and 45 TDs (1.96 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)

Bottom line: With apologies to Tom Brady, no quarterback ever shined as brightly in the Super Bowl as Joe Montana, who was named Super Bowl MVP three times and never threw an interception in 122 attempts over four games.

He finished his career with 11 Super Bowl touchdown passes, including five in a 55-10 rout of the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.

Montana’s Super Bowl passer rating of 127.8 is No. 1 all-time.

Running Back — Emmitt Smith

Career: 1990-2004 (15 seasons)

Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals

Career highlights: 226 games. Rushed for an NFL-record 18,335 yards (81.2 per game) and 164 touchdowns. Four-time first-team All-Pro and 1993 NFL MVP.

Playoff games: 17

Playoff record: 12-5

Playoff stats: 349 rushes (20.5 per game) for 1,586 yards (93.3 per game) and 19 TDs (1.2 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 3 (1992,1993, 1995)

Bottom line: The NFL’s all-time leading rusher also ranks No.1 in postseason rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He also holds the Super Bowl record for career rushing touchdowns with five.

Smith was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII when he rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 30-13 win over the Bills.

Running Back — Franco Harris

Career: 1972-84 (13 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks

Career stats: 173 games. Rushed 2,949 times for 12,120 yards and 91 TDs. First-team All-Pro in 1977. Selected to nine Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 19

Playoff record: 14-5

Playoff stats: Rushed 400 times (21.1 per game) for 1,556 yards (81.9 per game) and 16 TDs (0.8 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Franco Harris was a key member of the Steelers' four Super Bowl championship teams, but it was his performance in the 1974 playoffs that cements his place on this team.

He was unstoppable that postseason, rushing for six touchdowns in three games en route to winning Super Bowl IX MVP honors. His two fourth-quarter touchdowns sealed the Steelers' 24-13 comeback win over the Oakland Raiders in the AFC championship game, and he ran for a then-record 158 yards and a touchdown in their 16-6 Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Harris holds the record for career Super Bowl rushing yards with 364.

Wide Receiver — Jerry Rice

Career: 1985-2004 (20 seasons)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks

Career highlights: 303 games. Caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards, averaging 14.8 per catch, and 197 TDs. 10-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to 13 Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 29

Playoff record: 17-12

Playoff stats: Caught 151 passes (5.2 per game) for 2,245 yards (77.4 per game) and 22 TDs (0.8 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 3 (1988, 1989, 1994)

Bottom line: Not surprisingly, the greatest receiver in the history of the game also dominated the postseason. Jerry Rice is the all-time leader in postseason catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches. In fact, no one is even close in any of those categories.

He also holds multiple Super Bowl receiving records, including career receptions (33), career receiving yards (589) and receiving yards in one Super Bowl (215 in Super Bowl XXIII, when he was voted MVP).

His selection to this team is as no-brainer as no-brainers get.

Wide Receiver — John Stallworth

Career: 1974-87 (14 seasons)

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: 165 games. Caught 537 passes for 8,723 yards, averaging 16.2 yards per catch, and 63 TDs. First-team All-Pro in 1979. Selected to three Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 18

Playoff record: 13-5

Playoff stats: Caught 57 passes (3.2 per game) for 1,054 yards (58.6 per game) and 12 TDs (0.7 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Often overshadowed by teammate Lynn Swann’s acrobatic Super Bowl catches, John Stallworth was nevertheless the more productive postseason receiver during the Steelers’ Super Bowl dynasty.

Stallworth was the playoff leader in receiving yards in both 1978 and 1979, and his 12 career postseason touchdown catches rank second all-time behind Rice among receivers.

His average of 40.3 yards per catch in Super Bowl XIX is still a Super Bowl record (tied with Swann), and he also holds the Super Bowl career record for average yards per catch (24.4).

Tight End — Rob Gronkowski

Career: 2010-18 (9 seasons)

Team: New England Patriots

Career highlights: 115 games. Caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards, averaging 15.1 per catch, and 79 TDs. Four-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to five Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 16

Playoff record: 12-4

Playoff stats: 81 catches (5.1 per game) for 1,163 yards (72.7 yards per game) and 12 TDs (0.8 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 3 (2014, 2016, 2018)

Bottom line: Gronk’s 12 career postseason touchdown catches are tied with John Stallworth for second all-time, and there’s little doubt Rob Gronkowski would have added to that total had he not decided to retire after only nine seasons.

He ranks first among tight ends in NFL history in career postseason catches and receiving yards, as well as in the Super Bowl for those categories.

In four Super Bowl games, he caught 23 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns.

Center — Mike Webster

Career: 1974-90 (17 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs

Career highlights: 245 games. Five-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to nine Pro Bowls. Named to 1974 All-Rookie Team.

Playoff games: 19

Playoff record: 14-5

Playoff stats: Helped Steelers offense gain 1,422 yards (355.5 per game) in four Super Bowl wins.

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Whether it was opening holes for Franco Harris or protecting Terry Bradshaw, Mike Webster was a key cog in the Steelers' 1970s Super Bowl dynasty.

After serving as a backup during the team’s first two Super Bowl wins, Webster was a first-team All-Pro in both 1978 and 1979, when the Steelers won back-to-back titles.

He was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1997, five years before his life was tragically cut short by a heart attack after years of suffering the effects of brain damage brought on by CTE.

Left Tackle — Art Shell

Career: 1968-82 (15 seasons)

Teams: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Career highlights: 207 games. Two-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to eight Pro Bowls. Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame first-team All-1970s team.

Playoff games: 23

Playoff record: 15-8

Playoff stats: Helped Raiders offense gain 806 yards (403 per game) in two Super Bowl wins.

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1976, 1980)

Bottom line: Along with guard Gene Upshaw, Art Shell helped give the Raiders one of the most dominant offensive lines in the game during the team’s glory years in the 1970s and '80s.

That dominance was on full display in Super Bowl XI when the Raiders controlled the line of scrimmage while piling up a then-Super Bowl record 429 yards of offense (including 266 on the ground) in a 32-14 rout of the Minnesota Vikings and their feared Purple People Eaters defense.

Shell, who played his college ball at Maryland State, was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013 after entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

Right Tackle — Joe Jacoby

Career: 1981-93 (13 seasons)

Teams: Washington Redskins

Career highlights: 170 games. Two-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to Pro Bowl four times. Named to NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team.

Playoff games: 21

Playoff record: 16-5

Playoff stats: Helped the Redskins gain 1,702 yards (417 per game) in four Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl titles: 3 (1982, 1987, 1991)

Bottom line: Joe Jacoby was one of the centerpieces of "The Hogs," perhaps the most famous offensive line in the history of the NFL.

His block sprung John Riggins on his game-winning touchdown run against the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, and he helped the Redskins pile up 602 yards of offense in their 42-10 destruction of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.

Jacoby played left tackle for the Redskins, but we’re moving him to the other side of the line for this team.

Left Offensive Guard — Jerry Kramer

Career: 1958-68 (11 seasons)

Team: Green Bay Packers

Career highlights: Five-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to three Pro Bowls. Named to Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1960s team.

Playoff games: 9

Playoff record: 8-1

Playoff stats: Helped the Packers gain 680 yards (340 per game) in winning the first two Super Bowls.

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1966, 1967)

Bottom line: Famous for his role in helping lead the devastating "Packers Sweep," Jerry Kramer teamed with coach Vince Lombardi and quarterback Bart Starr to win five NFL titles during his 10-year career.

Kramer finally got his call to the Hall of Fame in 2018.

He played right guard for the Packers, but we’re moving him to the other side of the line for this team.

Right Offensive Guard — Larry Little

Career: 1967-80 (14 seasons)

Teams: San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins

Career highlights: Five-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to five Pro Bowls. Named to Pro Football Hall of Fame first-team All-1970s team.

Playoff games: 12

Playoff record: 8-4

Playoff stats: Helped the Dolphins gain 697 yards of offense (232.3 per game) in three Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1972, 1973)

Bottom line: Larry Little teamed with fellow Hall of Famer, center Jim Langer, to power the Dolphins’ vaunted rushing attack that led them to consecutive Super Bowl titles, including the only perfect season in NFL history in 1972.

Little helped Larry Csonka set a then-Super Bowl rushing record of 145 yards in Super Bowl VIII against the Minnesota Vikings, as Csonka became the first running back to be named Super Bowl MVP.

Little entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Left Defensive End — L.C. Greenwood

Career: 1969-81 (14 seasons)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: 170 games. 14 fumble recoveries. Two-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to six Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 18

Playoff record: 14-4

Playoff stats: 12.5 sacks

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Some may be surprised to find L.C. Greenwood holding down a defensive line spot here over his more famous teammate, "Mean" Joe Greene, but the numbers tell the story. Specifically, the sack numbers.

Greenwood registered at least one playoff sack in seven of the eight seasons he appeared in the playoffs. He had five sacks in the 1975 postseason alone, including four of Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in Super Bowl X. He had another sack of Staubach in Super Bowl XXIII.

Greenwood was as responsible as anyone for the Steelers’ narrow Super Bowl victories over the Cowboys, and it’s likely Staubach still sees Greenwood in his dreams (or nightmares).

Right Defensive End— Richard Dent

Career: 1983-97 (15 seasons)

Teams: Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles

Career highlights: 203 games. 137.5 sacks, 37 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries. First-team All-Pro. Selected to four Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 12

Playoff record: 6-6

Playoff stats: 10.5 sacks

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1985)

Bottom line: Richard Dent makes the team largely on the basis of his 1985 postseason, when he helped establish the Bears’ suffocating "46" squad as one of the greatest defenses in league history.

Dent had six sacks in three postseason games, including 3.5 in a 21-0 shutout of the New York Giants and 1.5 en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors against the New England Patriots.

Dent was a big reason the Bears shut out both NFC playoff opponents that year and held the Patriots to a meager 123 yards of total offense in Super Bowl XX.

Left Defensive Tackle — Reggie White

Career: 1985-98, 2000 (15 seasons)

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers

Career highlights: 232 games. 198 sacks, 33 forced fumbles. Eight-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to 13 Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 19

Playoff record: 10-9

Playoff stats: 12 sacks, 1 safety

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1996)

Bottom line: Widely regarded as the greatest defensive lineman in the history of the game, Reggie White made the most of his only Super Bowl appearance, registering three sacks during the Packers’ 35-21 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.

While much of the attention was focused on Brett Favre and the high-flying Packers offense in 1996, White spearheaded a defense that manhandled the 49ers and Panthers in the NFC playoffs.

Right Defensive Tackle — Harvey Martin

Career: 1973-83 (11 seasons)

Teams: Dallas Cowboys

Career highlights: 158 games. 7 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries.

Playoff games: 22

Playoff record: 13-9

Playoff stats: 17.3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1977)

Bottom line: Harvey Martin was named co-Super Bowl XII MVP along with fellow defensive lineman Randy White as the Cowboys’ "Doomsday Defense" turned in one of the most dominating performances in Super Bowl history during their 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Martin had two sacks in the game and led a defense that forced eight turnovers and limited the Broncos to 156 yards of total offense.

The "Doomsday Defense" allowed only 23 points and forced 17 turnovers in three postseason games in 1977.

Right Outside Linebacker — Lawrence Taylor

Career: 1981-93 (13 seasons)

Teams: New York Giants

Career highlights: 184 games. 132.5 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries, 9 interceptions. Eight-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to 10 Pro Bowls. 1986 NFL MVP.

Playoff games: 15

Playoff record: 10-5

Playoff stats: 8.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1986, 1990)

Bottom line: Hands down the greatest linebacker in NFL history, L.T. led the Giants to seven playoff appearances and two championships during his Hall of Fame career.

During the 1986 NFC playoffs, Lawrence Taylor returned an interception for a touchdown in a 49-3 rout of the 49ers and helped the Giants pitch a 17-0 shutout of the Redskins the following week.

Four years later, he had a fumble recovery in the Giants’ 15-13 win over the 49ers in the NFC championship game, denying San Francisco’s bid for a third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Middle Linebacker — Ray Lewis

Career: 1996-2012 (17 seasons)

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Career highlights: 228 games. 31 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. 41.5 sacks, 20 fumble recoveries and 1,568 solo tackles. Seven-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to 13 Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 21

Playoff record: 14-7

Playoff stats: 2 sacks, 1 interception (returned for touchdown), 1 fumble recovery, 137 solo tackles (6.5 per game)

Super Bowl titles: 2 (2000, 2012)

Bottom line: Ray Lewis was awarded Super Bowl XXXV MVP honors as he led a Ravens defense that held the Giants to 152 yards in a 34-7 rout. Lewis made three solo tackles and blocked four passes for a defense that is regarded among the best in the history of the game.

In a 16-3 win over the Raiders in the AFC championship game, Lewis was equally dominant, recording five solo tackles and recovering a fumble.

Though well past his prime, Lewis capped his Hall of Fame career with four solo tackles in the Ravens' 34-31 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

Left Outside Linebacker — Jack Ham

Career: 1971-82 (12 seasons)

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: 162 games. 32 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. 21 fumble recoveries Six-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to eight Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 16

Playoff record: 11-5

Playoff stats: 5 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 sacks

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Jack Ham’s two interceptions against the Raiders in the 1974 AFC championship game helped launch the Steelers’ dynasty and the legend of the "Steel Curtain" defense.

In addition to picking off two Ken Stabler passes, including one in the fourth quarter that led to the winning score, Ham helped hold Oakland to 29 yards rushing in the game. He also had a pick against the Raiders in the "Immaculate Reception" playoff game in 1972.

Making plays when it matters most. That's how you make this team — and why Ham is on it.

Right Cornerback — Mel Blount

Career: 1970-83 (14 seasons)

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: 200 games. 57 interceptions, including two returned for TDs. 13 fumble recoveries. Two-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to five Pro Bowls. 1975 Defensive Player of the Year.

Playoff games: 19

Playoff record: 14-5

Playoff stats: 4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries.

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Mel Blount anchored a Steelers secondary that prevailed in Super Bowls over two of the greatest quarterbacks of the 1970s, Roger Staubach and Fran Tarkenton.

Blount picked off Tarkenton in the Steelers' 16-6 win over the Vikings in Super Bowl IX and set up the go-ahead score with an interception of Staubach in Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII.

The Hall of Famer also recovered a fumble in the Steelers' 27-13 win over the Houston Oilers in the 1979 AFC championship game.

Left Cornerback — Lester Hayes

Career: 1977-86 (10 seasons)

Team: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Career highlights: 149 games. 39 interceptions, including four returned for TDs. 7 fumble recoveries. 1980 Defensive Player of the Year. Selected to five Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 13

Playoff record: 9-4

Playoff stats: 8 interceptions, including two returned for TDs. 2 sacks.

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1980, 1983)

Bottom line: Largely forgotten among the great defensive backs in the history of the game, Lester Hayes put together a season for the record books in 1980, when he intercepted a record 13 passes during the regular season and added five more during the playoffs as the Raiders became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl.

Drenched in the gooey adhesive Stickum, Hayes seemed to catch anything thrown in his direction that year, and the league’s later decision to ban the substance became known as the "Lester Hayes Rule."

Hayes tormented his former Raiders teammate, Ken Stabler, in the 1980 wild-card playoff game against the Houston Oilers, sacking Stabler twice and intercepting two passes, including one returned for a touchdown.

Hayes added two more interceptions during the Raiders' playoff run to another Super Bowl title in 1983.

Free Safety — Jake Scott

Career: 1970-78 (9 seasons)

Team: Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins

Career highlights: 126 games. 49 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries. Two-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to five Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 12

Playoff record: 8-4

Playoff stats: 5 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1972, 1973)

Bottom line: The only name from the Dolphins' "No-Name Defense" to make our team, Jake Scott gets the nod based on his MVP performance in Super Bowl VII, when he intercepted two passes to help cap Miami’s perfect season with a 14-7 win over the Redskins.

His 55-yard interception return in the fourth quarter stopped the Redskins’ best scoring threat of the game and helped to seal the outcome. Scott and the Dolphins held quarterback Billy Kilmer to 87 net passing yards in the game.

Scott also had interceptions in the Dolphins’ 1971 playoff wins over the Chiefs and Colts.

Strong Safety — Ronnie Lott

Career: 1981-1994 (15 seasons)

Team: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets

Career highlights: 192 games. 63 interceptions, including five returned for interceptions. 16 forced fumbles and 17 fumble recoveries. Six-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to 10 Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 20

Playoff record: 14-6

Playoff stats: 9 interceptions, including two returned for TDs. 2 fumble recoveries.

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)

Bottom line: The only San Francisco 49er other than Joe Montana to play on all four of the team’s Super Bowl champions of the 1980s, Ronnie Lott showed his Hall of Fame credentials with his postseason play.

His first playoff game as a rookie in 1981 was a preview of things to come, as he intercepted two passes (returning one for a touchdown) in a 38-24 win over the Giants. Though he never recorded an interception in a Super Bowl, Lott was part of a secondary that thwarted regular-season MVPs Ken Anderson, Dan Marino and Boomer Esiason, along with future Hall of Famer John Elway, in the big game.

Lott's nine postseason picks are tied for most all-time.

Placekicker — Adam Vinatieri

Career: 1996-2019 (24 seasons)

Team: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts

Career highlights: 365 games. Converted 599 of 715 field-goal attempts (83.8 percent). 2,673 points. Three-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to three Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 32

Playoff record: 21-11

Playoff stats: 32 games. 238 points (7.4 per game) on 70 of 71 extra-point attempts and 56 of 69 field goals.

Super Bowl titles: 4 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006)

Bottom line: Adam Vinatieri’s seven career Super Bowl field goals (tied for most all-time) include game-winning kicks in Super Bowl XXXVI (20-17 over St. Louis Rams) and Super Bowl XXXVIII (32-29 over Carolina Panthers). Jim O’Brien is the only other kicker ever to make a game-winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

Vinatieri's postseason feats also include the tying and winning kicks in the snow against the Raiders in the 2002 "Tuck Rule Game" and a 5-for-5 field goal performance for the Colts in 15-6 playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2007 that helped pave the way to another Super Bowl title.

He is far and away the all-time leader in career postseason field goals made.

Punter — Ray Guy

Career: 1973-86 (14 seasons)

Team: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Career highlights: 207 games. 44,493 punting yards (42.4 per punt). Three-time first-team All-Pro. Selected to seven Pro Bowls.

Playoff games: 22

Playoff record: 15-7

Playoff stats: 111 punts for 4,705 yards (42.4 per punt)

Super Bowl titles: 3 (1976, 1980, 1983)

Bottom line: The only punter in the Hall of Fame, Guy is a shoo-in for this team as a three-time Super Bowl champion. In perhaps the ultimate testament to consistency, his playoff punting average of 42.4 yards per punt matches his career average in the category.

His Super Bowl career got off to an ominous start as he suffered the first block of his career against the Vikings in Super Bowl XI, but it had no impact on the outcome of the game. And he averaged over 40 yards per punt in each of his Super Bowl appearances.

In the 1980 AFC championship game against the San Diego Chargers, Guy boomed four punts for 224 yards, an average of 56 per punt.

Kick Returner— Brian Mitchell

Career: 1990-2003

Teams: Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants

Career highlights: 463 punt returns for 4,999 yards (10.8 per return) and 9 TDS. 607 kickoff returns for 14,014 yards (23.1 per return) and 4 TDs. First-team All-Pro in 1995.

Playoff games: 16

Playoff record: 10-6

Playoff stats: 34 punt returns for 339 yards (10.0 per return). 36 kickoff returns for 875 yards (24.3 per return) and 1 TD.

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1991)

Bottom line: One of the greatest return specialists in the history of the game, Brian Mitchell is the NFL’s career leader in postseason kickoff returns and kickoff return yardage. He’s tied for second in playoff punt returns, and ranks only behind Julian Edelman in punt return yardage.

Mitchell's lone playoff return for a touchdown came during a 14-13 loss to Tampa Bay in 2000 when he brought back a kickoff 100 yards.

Coach — Bill Belichick

Career: 1991-1995, 2000-present (25 seasons)

Teams: Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots

Career stats: 273 wins, 127 losses (.683 winning percentage).

Playoff games: 43

Playoff record: 31-12

Playoff stats: 9 AFC championships, 6 Super Bowl titles

Super Bowl titles: 6 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018)

Bottom line: Bill Belichick has won more playoff games and NFL titles than any coach in history.

In an era when the NFL was largely defined by its parity, Belichick’s most impressive feat may be keeping his Patriots entrenched among the league’s elite for close to two decades. His teams have only missed the playoffs twice since 2001.

He took the Patriots to an incredible eight consecutive AFC championship games from 2011-2018, advancing to the Super Bowl five times during that stretch and winning the big game three times.

Belichick never has said a lot to the media, so he's never had a Jim Mora moment. And that's by design. He lets his team's play do the talking.