The best NFL postseason performances of all time

It's said that legends are made in the playoffs, when it matters most. That doesn't always mean they are the best players — though of course there are plenty of all-time greats who've made their marks in the postseason.

Whether they were by Hall of Famers earning their stripes or lesser-known contributors breaking out, these legendary playoff performances are still remembered fondly by NFL fans.

1 of 27

Jan. 18, 1976: L.C. Greenwood records four sacks in Super Bowl X

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Greenwood had a dominating day, as the Steelers beat the Cowboys, 21-17, to win Super Bowl X. He finished the game with four sacks, following his All-Pro regular season.

2 of 27

Sept. 29, 1979: Vernon Perry records four picks and blocked field goal in upset win

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The Oilers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history by beating the Chargers, 17-14, in the divisional round, with the help of Perry. He had four interceptions and a blocked field goal in the game.

3 of 27

Jan. 16, 1983: Dennis Thurman helps Cowboys win with huge day

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Dallas was able to defeat Green Bay, 37-26, in the divisional round, and Thurman played a big part defensively. He picked off Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey three times and ran one of the interceptions back for a touchdown.

4 of 27

Jan. 23, 1983: A.J. Duhe helps Dolphins shut out Jets

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It was a defensive battle in the AFC championship game between Miami and the Jets, and Duhe was the clear star. He had three interceptions, including one for a touchdown, in a 14-0 win.

5 of 27

Jan. 20, 1985: Joe Montana stars in Super Bowl XIX

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Montana had one of his finest performances in San Francisco's 38-16 win over Miami in Super Bowl XIX. He was 24-of-35 for 331 yards and three touchdowns, adding five carries for 59 yards and one score on the ground.

6 of 27

Jan. 6, 1990: Thurman Thomas runs over Browns

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Thomas was in just his second NFL season but really established himself with a huge running day against Cleveland in the divisional round. Buffalo went on the road to win, 34-30, as Thomas showed his versatility with 13 receptions for 150 yards and two scores. He also had 10 carries for 27 yards.

7 of 27

Jan. 23, 1994: Thurman Thomas runs over K.C. in AFC championship

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Buffalo had an easy 30-13 win against Kansas City, punching its ticket to a fourth straight Super Bowl. Thomas did his part with 33 carries for 186 yards and three scores, along with 22 yards receiving.

8 of 27

Jan. 15, 1994: Ricky Watters runs over the Giants

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Watters had himself a day for the 49ers in a 44-3 dominating win over New York. The running back had 24 carries for 118 yards and five touchdowns, adding five receptions for 46 yards. The 49ers would lose to the Cowboys the following week in the NFC championship game.

9 of 27

Jan. 29, 1995: Steve Young has Super Bowl performance for the ages

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Young got the monkey off his back in an MVP performance vs. the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. The 49ers quarterback was 24-of-36 for 325 yards and a playoff-record six touchdown passes in a 49-26 win.

10 of 27

Jan. 5, 2003: Jeff Garcia leads 49ers to big comeback

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Down 24 points in the third quarter, Garcia helped lead the 49ers back against the Giants. He had 331 yards passing and three passing touchdowns, adding 60 yards rushing and one score.

11 of 27

Jan. 5, 2003: Terrell Owens comes up big for 49ers

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One of the most memorable performances of Owens' career, he had nine receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-38 win vs. the Giants, coming back from 24 points down in the third quarter in a huge day from quarterback Jeff Garcia.

12 of 27

Jan. 9, 2005: Reggie Wayne tears up the Denver secondary

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Peyton Manning and Wayne were in sync in the wild-card round. Manning threw for 458 yards and four scores, with 221 yards and two scores going to Wayne in a 49-24 win.

13 of 27

Jan. 7, 2006: Willie McGinest breaks playoff sack record

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The Jaguars couldn't block McGinest in the wild-card round, as the veteran broke the playoff record with 4.5 sacks in a 28-3 win by the Patriots. New England would lose the following week at Denver in the divisional round.

14 of 27

Jan. 15, 2006: Steve Smith has huge day vs. Bears

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Smith had one of the best playoff performances by a receiver in postseason history, as the Panthers beat the Bears 29-21 at Soldier Field in the divisional round. The Carolina wideout finished with 12 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns, also adding three carries for 26 yards.

15 of 27

Jan. 18, 2009: Larry Fitzgerald helps Cardinals beat Philly

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Arizona was on its way to the Super Bowl after a huge game from Fitzgerald. He had nine receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns, as the Cardinals won, 32-25.

16 of 27

Jan. 7, 2012: Megatron has huge game in losing effort

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Calvin Johnson was known for his mammoth performances during his NFL career, and his biggest playoff performance came in a loss to the Saints. The Lions lost, 45-28, but Johnson still had 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

17 of 27

Jan. 14, 2012: Tom Brady throws six TDs vs. Denver

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Tim Tebow led Denver to a shocking victory in the wild-card round, but it was his opposing quarterback who had the big day in the divisional round. Brady tied a playoff record with six touchdowns and threw for 363 yards in a 45-10 win over the Broncos.

18 of 27

Jan. 14, 2012: Gronk is unstoppable vs. Broncos

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Rob Gronkowski was one of the biggest beneficiaries of a huge game from Tom Brady. The tight end had 10 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-10 win over Denver.

19 of 27

Jan. 12, 2013: Green Bay defense has no answer for Colin Kaepernick

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Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and the Green Bay defense had nightmares after Kaepernick and the 49ers put up 45 points on them in the divisional round. Kaepernick was 17-of-31 for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but he made an even bigger impact with his legs. The quarterback finished with 16 carries for 181 yards and two scores.

20 of 27

Jan. 4, 2014: T.Y. Hilton flashes in epic comeback over Chiefs

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Andrew Luck helped orchestrate one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history, as the Colts were trailing 31-10 at halftime in the wild-card round vs. the Chiefs. But Hilton put up the most eye-popping stat line. He finished the game with 13 receptions for 224 yards and two scores.

21 of 27

Jan. 11, 2014: LeGarrette Blount runs over Colts with four scores

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The Patriots' running game, led by Blount, stomped over the Colts in the divisional round. He had 24 carries for 166 yards and four scores. Stevan Ridley also had 14 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.

22 of 27

Jan. 24, 2016: Cam Newton dominates the Arizona defense

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Newton was on fire in the 2016 NFC championship game, throwing for 335 yards and two scores, with 47 rushing yards and two rushing scores. The Panthers won 49-15 before losing to Denver in the Super Bowl.

23 of 27

Jan. 15, 2017: Chris Boswell kicks Steelers past Chiefs

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The Steelers struggled in the red zone in their visit to Arrowhead Stadium in the divisional round, but Boswell was able to pick them up. He had a playoff-record six field goals, accounting for all of the Steelers' points in an 18-16 win over the Chiefs.

24 of 27

Jan. 22, 2017: Matt Ryan has big day en route to Super Bowl

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Ryan led the Falcons past Green Bay, 44-21, in an enormous performance in the NFC championship game. He was 27-of-38 for 392 yards and four touchdown passes, adding 23 yards rushing and one score on the ground.

25 of 27

Feb. 5, 2017: James White is the hero in Super Bowl LI

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Tom Brady won Super Bowl LI MVP, but White was the real hero. He helped the Patriots come back from a 28-3 third-quarter deficit, finishing with six carries for 29 yards and two scores, along with 14 receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown. He scored both the game-tying and game-winning touchdowns.

26 of 27

Jan. 14, 2018: Big Ben throws five TDs in losing effort

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The Steelers were shocked by the Jaguars, 45-42, in the AFC Divisional Round, but Ben Roethlisberger still put up huge numbers in the losing effort. He was 37-of-58 with 459 yards and five touchdowns.

27 of 27

Feb. 4, 2018: Nick Foles wins Super Bowl LII MVP

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Replacing starter Carson Wentz late in the season, Foles completed his improbable playoff run with a brilliant Super Bowl showing. He was 28-of-43 passing for 373 yard and three touchdowns, but the biggest highlight of his night came on a 1-yard touchdown catch on a play known as the "Philly Special."

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