The NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.
In a minor change to the start times of the first two rounds, the second game in each round started fifteen minutes later. This was in response to the previous year's double overtime NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and the St. Louis Rams carrying over into the AFC Divisional Playoff between the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots, making fans switch over several minutes into the later game.
| Playoff seeds | ||
| Seed | AFC | NFC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner) | Philadelphia Eagles (East winner) |
| 2 | New England Patriots (East winner) | Atlanta Falcons (South winner) |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (South winner) | Green Bay Packers (North winner) |
| 4 | San Diego Chargers (West winner) | Seattle Seahawks (West winner) |
| 5 | New York Jets | St. Louis Rams |
| 6 | Denver Broncos | Minnesota Vikings |
Wild card round
NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Game time: 4:30 pm EST; Game weather: 45 °F (Partly cloudy)
TV announcers (ABC): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, and Paul Maguire
The Rams won a back-and-forth game that was not decided until the final seconds. Rams quarterback Marc Bulger threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score to tight end Cam Cleeland with 2:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks marched to the Rams' five-yard line on the following drive, but a fourth-down pass was dropped by wide receiver Bobby Engram with 27 seconds left. With the win, the Rams became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game after going .500 (8-8) in the regular season.
- Scoring
- STL - Holt 15 pass from Bulger (Wilkins kick)
- SEA - FG Brown 47
- STL - Faulk 1 run (Wilkins kick)
- SEA - Engram 19 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick)
- SEA - FG Brown 30
- STL - FG Wilkins 38
- SEA - Jackson 23 pass from Hasselbeck (Brown kick)
- STL - FG Wilkins 27
- STL - Cleeland 17 pass from Bulger (Wilkins kick)
AFC: New York Jets 20, San Diego Chargers 17 (OT)
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at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Game time: 8:00 pm EST; Game weather: 55 °F (Slight drizzle)
TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels and John Madden
New York entered the game after losing their last two regular season games. Although the Chargers were heavily favored on this wind-and-rain-soaked evening, the Jets led 17-7 going into the fourth quarter. But a Nate Kaeding field goal with 10:43 left to play pulled San Diego within a touchdown. A fourth-down pass by quarterback Drew Brees with under 20 seconds left fell incomplete into the end zone, but Jets linebacker Eric Barton was penalized for roughing the passer, giving the Chargers a first down from the one-yard line. Brees threw a touchdown to tight end Antonio Gates on the following play, setting up overtime. Kaeding missed a 40-yard field goal late in the extra period, allowing the Jets to come back down the field. Kicker Doug Brien won the game for the Jets with a 28-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in overtime.
- Scoring
- SD - McCardell 26 pass from Brees (Kaeding kick)
- NYJ - Becht 13 pass from Pennington (Brien kick)
- NYJ - Moss 47 pass from Pennington (Brien kick)
- NYJ - FG Brian 42
- SD - FG Kaeding 35
- SD - Gates 1 pass from Brees (Kaeding kick)
- NYJ - FG Brian 28
AFC: Indianapolis Colts 49, Denver Broncos 24
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| Colts | 14 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game time: 1:00 pm EST; Game weather: N/A (Inside a domed stadium)
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
The Colts followed up their wild-card blowout of the Broncos in the previous year's Wild Card Round, and also made up for a loss in Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile High a week earlier with another thrashing. Indianapolis scored a franchise playoff record seven touchdowns and led 35-3 at the half. Colt quarterback Peyton Manning, who threw a record 49 touchdown passes in the 2004 regular season, threw four touchdown passes, including two to receiver Reggie Wayne (who had 221 yards receiving on the day), and one each to receivers Dallas Clark and James Mungro. Manning and running backs Edgerrin James and Dominic Rhodes scored rushing touchdowns. The Broncos' lone bright spot was a 14-point third quarter with two touchdown passes from quarterback Jake Plummer.
- Scoring
- IND - Mungro 2 pass from Manning (Vanderjagt kick)
- IND - James 1 run (Vanderjagt kick)
- IND - Clark 19 pass from Manning (Vanderjagt kick)
- DEN - FG Elam 33
- IND - Wayne 35 pass from Manning (Vanderjagt kick)
- IND - Manning 1 run (Vanderjagt kick)
- DEN - Smith 9 pass from Plummer (Elam kick)
- DEN - Putzier 35 pass from Plummer (Elam kick)
- IND - Wayne 43 pass from Manning (Vanderjagt kick)
- DEN - Bell 1 run (Elam kick)
- IND - Rhodes 2 run (Vanderjagt kick)
NFC: Minnesota Vikings 31, Green Bay Packers 17
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 17 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Packers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game time: 4:30 pm EST; Game weather: 26 °F (Cloudy. Freezing drizzle)
TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth
The Vikings — who, like the Rams, were an .500 (8-8) franchise during the regular season — made up for two of their losses, both of them in the last seconds to the Packers, with a stellar performance on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper threw four touchdowns, while his Green Bay counterpart Brett Favre threw four interceptions. Wide receiver Randy Moss caught two touchdowns for Minnesota, but drew controversy for his celebration after his second, which decided the outcome of the contest. Moss pretended to "moon" Packers' fans, better known as "cheeseheads" by pretending to pull down his pants, mocking a move done by Packer fans to the losing team's bus as they leave Green Bay. The NFL was not amused, and docked Moss $10,000 (US) for his actions a few days later. Moe Williams and Nate Burleson also scored for the Vikings, while Bubba Franks and Najeh Davenport provided touchdowns for the Packers.
- Scoring
- MIN - Williams 68 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick)
- MIN - Moss 20 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick)
- MIN - FG Andersen 35
- GB - FG Longwell 43
- GB - Franks 4 pass from Favre (Longwell kick)
- MIN - Burleson 19 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick)
- GB - Davenport 1 run (Longwell kick)
- MIN - Moss 34 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick)
Byes
Divisional playoff round
Saturday January 15, 2005
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 20, New York Jets 17 (OT)
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at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 4:30 pm EST; Game weather: 28 °F (Fair)
TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf
The Jets came out on the losing end of this overtime game when placekicker Doug Brien missed two consecutive field goals. Despite a subpar performance by Steelers' rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers managed to win after Jeff Reed made a game-winning 33-yard field goal 11:04 into the extra period.
- Scoring
- PIT - FG Reed 35
- PIT - Bettis 3 run (Reed kick)
- NYJ - FG Brian 42
- NYJ - Moss 75 punt return (Brien kick)
- NYJ - Tongue 86 interception return (Brien kick)
- PIT - Ward 4 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick)
- PIT - FG Reed 33
NFC: Atlanta Falcons 47, St. Louis Rams 17
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Falcons | 14 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 47 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game time: 8:00 pm EST; Game weather: N/A (In a domed stadium)
TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston
In a classic rout, quarterback Michael Vick and the Falcons steamrolled over the Rams in their first home playoff game since 1999. Vick combined for 201 yards while running back Warrick Dunn scored two of Atlanta's touchdowns — one of them a 62-yard dash. and Allen Rossum set a NFL post-season record with 152 return yards.
- Scoring
- ATL - Crumpler 18 pass from Vick (Feely kick)
- STL - Curtis 57 pass from Bulger (Wilkins kick)
- ATL - Dunn 62 run (Feely kick)
- ATL - Dunn 19 run (Feely kick)
- STL - Holt 28 pass from Bulger (Wilkins kick)
- ATL - Rossum 68 punt return (Feely kick)
- STL - FG Wilkins 55
- ATL - Price 6 pass from Vick (Feely kick)
- ATL - FG Feely 38
- ATL - Safety, B. Smith sacked Bulger in end zone
- ATL - Duckett 4 run (Feely kick)
Sunday January 16, 2005
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Minnesota Vikings 14
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: 31 °F (Cloudy);
TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth
The Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the fourth consecutive year on the strength of quarterback Donovan McNabb (21 out of 33 compleations for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns). The Vikings shot themselves in the foot after a miscommunication led to failed fake field goal attempt involving Randy Moss. Freddie Mitchell scored two touchdowns for the Ealges, including a fumble recovery in the end zone of an L. J. Smith catch. David Akers also added a pair of field goals for the Eagles. Fox televised the game.
- Scoring
- PHI - Mitchell 2 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)
- PHI - Westbrook 7 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)
- MIN - Culpepper 7 run (Andersen kick)
- PHI - Mitchell fumble recovery in end zone (Akers kick)
- PHI - FG Akers 21
- PHI - FG Akers 23
- MIN - Robinson 32 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick)
AFC: New England Patriots 20, Indianapolis Colts 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Patriots | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game time: 4:30 pm EST; Game weather: 25 °F (Cloudy, snow)
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
In a somewhat driving snowstorm, quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots dismantled the league's highest scoring team. Peyton Manning suffered his seventh loss in Foxborough, even though he had more yards passing than Brady did in the game. The Patriots limited Manning to 238 passing yards with 1 interception and no touchdowns, and Edgerrin James to just 39 rushing yards. The Patriots also held possession of the ball for 37:43, including 21:26 in the second half and recording three long scoring drives that each took over 7 minutes off the clock.
- Scoring
- NE - FG Vinatieri 24
- NE - FG Vinatieri 31
- IND - FG Vanderjagt 23
- NE - Givens 5 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick)
- NE - Brady 1 run (Vinatieri kick)
Conference Championships
Sunday January 23, 2005
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 27, Atlanta Falcons 10
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game time: 3:00 pm EST; Game weather: 17 °F (Partly sunny)
TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth
Despite a game-time temperature of 17 °F (-8 °C) and a swirling wind that sent wind chills into sub-zero tempratures, the Eagles finally succeeded in advancing to the Super Bowl in their fourth consecutive NFC Championship Game appearance. The Eagles' defense held Michael Vick to a combined total of 162 yards, sacking him four times. Tight end Chad Lewis caught two touchdown passes of three and two yards from Donovan McNabb, however, he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot catching the second touchdown in the process, and would miss the Super Bowl. Dorsey Levens also scored on a four-yard run for Philadelphia and Akers contributed two field goals. Atlanta got their points from a Jay Feely 23-yard field goal and a Warrick Dunn ten-yard touchdown run.
- Scoring
- PHI - Levens 4 run (Akers kick)
- ATL - FG Feely 23
- PHI - Lewis 3 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)
- ATL - Dunn 10 run (Feely kick)
- PHI - FG Akers 31
- PHI - FG Akers 34
- PHI - Lewis 2 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)
AFC: New England Patriots 41, Pittsburgh Steelers 27
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 10 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 27 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 6:30 pm EST; Game weather: 11 °F (Fair)
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
The game-time temperature of 11 °F (-12 °C) made it the second-coldest game ever in Pittsburgh and the coldest ever in Steel City playoff annals. However, it was the Patriots that handed Ben Roethlisberger his first loss after a 14-game winning streak, the longest by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch scored two touchdowns — one on a 60-yard reception, the other on a 23-yard run — and also got touchdowns from David Givens (nine-yard catch) and Corey Dillon (25-yard run), and kicker Adam Vinatieri's two field goals. On defense, Rodney Harrison returned one of Roethlisberger's interceptions 87 yards for a touchdown. Roethlisberger was intercepted 3 times and running back Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh's leading rusher, was held to just 64 yards. The Steelers, whose 15-1 season ended on a sour note, got scores from Jerome Bettis (five-yard run), Hines Ward (30-yard reception), and Plaxico Burress (seven-yard catch), while kicker Jeff Reed added two field goals.
- Scoring
- NE - FG Vinatieri 48
- NE - Branch 60 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick)
- PIT - FG Reed 43
- NE - Givens 9 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick)
- NE - Harrison 87 interception return (Vinatieri kick)
- PIT - Bettis 5 run (Reed kick)
- NE - Dillon 25 run (Vinatieri kick)
- PIT - Ward 30 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick)
- PIT - FG Reed 20
- NE - FG Vinatieri 31
- NE - Branch 23 run (Vinatieri kick)
- PIT - Burress 7 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick)