The National Football League playoffs for the 1986 season began on December 28, 1986. The postseason tournament concluded with the New York Giants defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI, 39–20, on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XXI.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:92%; text-align:center;"
! Away team !! Score !! Home team !! Date !! Kickoff<br>(ET / UTC−5) !! TV
|-
! colspan="6"|Wild card playoffs
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| Kansas City Chiefs || 15–35 || New York Jets || December 28, 1986 || 12:30 p.m. || NBC
|-
| Los Angeles Rams || 7–19 || Washington Redskins || December 28, 1986 || 4:00 p.m. || CBS
|-
! colspan="6"|Divisional playoffs
|-
| New York Jets || 20–23 || Cleveland Browns || January 3, 1987 || 12:30 p.m. || NBC
|-
| Washington Redskins || 27–13 || Chicago Bears || January 3, 1987 || 4:00 p.m. || CBS
|-
| San Francisco 49ers || 3–49 || New York Giants || January 4, 1987 || 12:30 p.m. || CBS
|-
| New England Patriots || 17–22 || Denver Broncos || January 4, 1987 || 4:00 p.m. || NBC
|-
! colspan="6"|Conference Championships
|-
| Denver Broncos || 23–20 || Cleveland Browns || January 11, 1987 || 12:30 p.m. || NBC
|-
| Washington Redskins || 0–17 || New York Giants || January 11, 1987 || 4:00 p.m. || CBS
|-
! colspan="6"|Super Bowl XXI<br><small>Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California</small>
|-
| Denver Broncos || 20–39 || New York Giants || January 25, 1987 || 6:00 p.m. || CBS
|}
Wild Card playoffs
Sunday, December 28, 1986
AFC: New York Jets 35, Kansas City Chiefs 15
Quarterback Pat Ryan led the Jets to victory with three touchdown passes, while New York's defense held the Chiefs to 241 yards (the lowest total allowed by their defense all season) and forced three turnovers, in Kansas City's first postseason appearance since 1971.
The Chiefs scored first as backup quarterback Todd Blackledge, filling in for injured starter Bill Kenney, led the team on a 67-yard drive capped by running back Jeff Smith's 1-yard touchdown run, but Nick Lowery was unsuccessful with the following PAT. On their ensuing possession, the Jets faced fourth down and 6 on the Kansas City 33-yard line. Rather than attempt a long field goal, Ryan faked a pitch to Freeman McNeil and rushed for a 24-yard gain. Two plays later, McNeil scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown to give the Jets a 7–6 lead.
New York now had the momentum and would not give it up for the rest of the game. On Kansas City's ensuing drive, New York defenders Harry Hamilton and Russell Carter shared a tackle on running back Larry Moriarty, forcing a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Kyle Clifton. Ryan then converted the turnover with a 1-yard touchdown pass to McNeil. The Chiefs were forced to punt on their next possession due to a sack by Mark Gastineau, and the Jets increased their lead to 21–6 with another score. The key player on this drive was receiver Al Toon, who made a 30-yard reception from Ryan, and later finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown catch.
On the first play of the third quarter, Jets linebacker Kevin McArthur increased his team's lead to 28–6 by returning an interception 21 yards for a touchdown, which would be the only score of the quarter. Most of it would be taken up by the Chiefs' ensuing drive, which ended with a failed fourth and 1 conversion attempt. In the fourth quarter, they finally managed to score when cornerback Albert Lewis recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. However, this was quickly countered on the Jets next possession as Ryan completed a 38-yard pass to Wesley Walker before finishing it with a 6-yard touchdown throw to tight end Billy Griggs (his first NFL reception). The only other score of the game would be an intentional safety when Jets punter Dave Jennings ran out of the end zone in the game's closing minutes.
McNeil finished the game with 135 rushing yards, three receptions for 16 yards, and two touchdowns.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Chiefs and Jets. Kansas City won the only prior meeting when both teams were in the AFL. This was the first home postseason win for the Jets since the 1968 American Football League Championship Game. It would also be the last playoff win for the Jets until 1998.
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|+
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!Kansas City leads 1–0 in all-time playoff games
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|
|}
NFC: Washington Redskins 19, Los Angeles Rams 7
Although they outgained Washington in total yards 324–228, the Rams turned over the ball six times en route to a defeat against the Redskins.
In the first quarter, a fumble lost by Los Angeles running back Eric Dickerson led to Washington kicker Jess Atkinson's 25-yard field goal. The Redskins then extended their lead, 10–0, driving 60 yards to quarterback Jay Schroeder's 14-yard touchdown to running back Kelvin Bryant. A key play on the drive was a controversial pass interference penalty against Rams Pro Bowl cornerback LeRoy Irvin, which gave the Redskins 28 yards; 13 from the initial penalty and another 15 against Irvin for arguing with officials about it. LA had a great chance to respond when quarterback Jim Everett completed a 45-yard pass to Kevin House on the Redskins 28, but the drive ended with no points when Dickerson lost another fumble.
In the second quarter, Rams tight end David Hill lost a fumble due to a hit by Monte Coleman. Linebacker Neal Olkewicz recovered the ball and returned 19 yards to Rams 30-yard line, setting up Atkinson's 20-yard field goal. Hill's fumble was confirmed by a replay review that lasted nearly five minutes, prompting Redskins safety Curtis Jordan to declare "I thought they were trying to get in touch with Oliver North." This was the first time in NFL postseason history a replay was used to confirm a field call of a fumble.
Atkinson made two more field goals in the second half. The Rams' lone score of the game was Everett's 12-yard touchdown pass to House during the final quarter at the end of a 96-yard drive that was set up by Dickerson's 65-yard run. It seemed that Dickerson was headed for the end zone but he was caught from behind by Redskins defensive back Darrell Green. Later on, the Rams had a chance to score again, but Dickerson lost his third fumble of the day, this one while trying to convert a fourth and 1 on the Redskins 39.
Redskins running back George Rogers finished the game with 119 rushing yards, while Dickerson rushed for 158. Atkinson, who had been signed by Washington a few weeks before this game and had not kicked any field goals in over a year, set a postseason franchise record with four field goals.
This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Rams and Redskins. Los Angeles had won two of the prior three meetings.
Through the 2025 playoffs, this is the only double overtime game won by the home team.
The game was featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games as the Marathon by the Lake.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Jets and Browns. The Redskins, thanks to a Vernon Dean interception of a tipped Doug Flutie pass, moved into position for a field goal late in the half, but Steve Cox's last second 50-yard field goal attempt came up short.
However, the Redskins took over the game in the second half. In the third quarter, defensive back Darrell Green returned an interception from Flutie 17 yards to the Bears 26-yard line that set up Schroeder's 23-yard touchdown pass to Monk. Chicago seemed primed to respond when Gentry returned their kickoff 48 yards to the Redskins 42, but after advancing to the Washington 17-yard line, running back Walter Payton lost a fumble due to a hit by defensive tackle Darryl Grant, and safety Alvin Walton recovered the ball. Washington then drove 83 yards, aided by a 17-yard pass interference penalty against Richardson in the end zone, for a touchdown on a George Rogers one-yard run less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Washington place kicker Jess Atkinson made two field goals in the final quarter to close out the scoring, the second one set up by Lew Barnes' muffed punt return that was recovered by Eric Yarber.
In only his second NFL start, Flutie was mauled by the Redskins' defense, completing only 11 of 31 passes, with five completions in the second half. Payton was held to 38 rushing yards on 14 carries. Gentry returned three kickoffs for 127 yards.
This was the sixth postseason meeting between the Redskins and Bears. Chicago previously won three of the five meetings coming in.
After the game when 49er head coach Bill Walsh was asked if Rice's fumble made a difference in the outcome of the game, Walsh replied sarcastically, "Yeah, [that play] did. If it weren't for the fumble, the final score would have been 49 to 10."
Morris finished the game with 24 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns, along with one receptions for two yards.
This was fourth postseason meeting between the 49ers and Giants. San Francisco took two of the previous three meetings.
In the third quarter, Denver drove 80 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed more than nine minutes and ended with Karlis' 22-yard field goal to give them a 13–10 lead. The Patriots responded with a trick play, a flea flicker that involved fullback Mosi Tatupu taking a handoff and then pitching the ball back to Eason, who threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Morgan to retake the lead, 17–13. But Elway then threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vance Johnson for the go-ahead score on the last play of the third quarter, giving the team a 20–17 lead.
New England had four possessions in the fourth quarter, but the first three ended in punts, while Broncos defensive end Rulon Jones ended the last one by sacking Eason in the end zone for a safety with 1:32 left in the game.
Elway had a rough day in the winning effort, completing only 13 of 32 passes for 257 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Eason completed 13/24 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 23 yards. His top target was Morgan, who caught three passes for 100 yards and two scores. Broncos punter Mike Horan averaged 49 yards per kick on his five punts, and placed three of them in the 20, including the final one that set up Jones' game-clinching safety.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Patriots and Broncos.