National Football League

Can a wild-card team win Super Bowl LIX? These 6 try to emulate '07 Giants, '20 Bucs

Updated Jan. 9, 2025 4:05 p.m. ET

No team in NFL history has been better at winning games on the road than the 2007 New York Giants. They were so proud of their historic accomplishment that they had "Eleven Straight on the Road" inscribed on the side of their Super Bowl XLII championship rings.

It wasn't a fluke and it wasn't an accident. They were built for that kind of success. So they know exactly what it takes for a wildcard team to go on the road in the NFL playoffs and make a championship run.

"The two biggest factors are ‘Can you run the football?' and ‘Can you stop the run?'" former Giants center Shaun O'Hara told FOX Sports. "Your defense has got to be huge for you. But you've got to be able to run the football.

"I feel like that's such an important asset. There's something deep-rooted about being able to go on the road and if you can run the ball early in the game and just kind of establish your will, it sucks the life out of the crowd a little bit. Like, ‘man, this team's physical. They're kicking our butt.' You could throw for 300 yards doing slant and fade routes, but it just doesn't have the same kind of vibe."

Those Giants had the brilliance of quarterback Eli Manning too, not to mention a swarming pass rush, but it was their toughness, their domination of the trenches, and their ability to deliver and absorb a punch that gave them the strength to pull off playoff upsets in Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay that postseason. They were one of just 11 wild-card teams to reach the Super Bowl in NFL history, and one of only seven to actually win it all.

Starting Saturday, six more wild card teams will begin their quest to join the club that last opened its doors for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Most of them will flame out early. Odds are none of them will actually reach Super Bowl LIX.

But they'll likely find out early whether they're strong enough to even have a chance.

"I think that wild-card round can be beneficial for teams that finish the regular season with some momentum," O'Hara said. "If you can get that first win, you feel like ‘OK, we got some momentum now. We belong. Here we go.'"

It takes more than just a feeling and a little momentum, though. Wild card teams instinctively know they're underdogs going up against some of the most powerful teams in football. That can be overwhelming, especially when things go wrong, if they're not also mentally tough.

"That mental toughness is about ‘How are you when you're up?' ‘How are you when you're behind?' Not every team can handle being behind. Like you look at Baltimore last year. Kansas City marched down in that AFC Championship, scored a touchdown, got up early on them, and they freaked out. They totally abandoned the run game. They didn't handle that well," O'Hara said.

"I think that mindset kind of becomes contagious within the team. When you're a wild card team you know that your margin for error is very small. You can't go on the road against a No. 2 seed, a high-powered offense, and throw an interception or fumble it. You just can't do it. When you're a wildcard team, every play is so important, so crucial."

And that's where the ability to run the ball well comes in. It's about controlling the time of possession and taking the steam out of that high-powered offense on the other side of the field. The longer an underdog can keep the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley off the field, the better chance they're going to have in the end.

"I feel like that's such an important asset," O'Hara said. "You've got to be able to be physical and win the possession (battle). If you go on the road and you're just three-and-out, not taking any time off the clock, you're giving the home team more possessions.

"You don't have to rush for 200 yards, but you've got to be able to do it effectively. If you can't run the ball then you become really one-dimensional and that plays into the hands of the home team and the crowd and the noise."

So which of the six wild card teams in these playoffs has the best chance to make a Giant-like run to the championship? Which ones are built with the run game, run defense and toughness they'll need to have success on the road against better teams?

Here's a look at each of them, ranked in order of how likely they are to be the "Road Warriors" of this year's field:

1. Minnesota Vikings (14-3, fifth seed, NFC)

It's hard to rule out a team that won 14 games and whose only road losses (6-2) were at the Los Angeles Rams — their first-round opponent — and in Detroit. They have a punishing run defense (93.4 yards against, second in the NFL), too. They're not the best rushing team (109.1, 19th), but have a dangerous and capable running back in Aaron Jones if they decide to take a little of the pressure off quarterback Sam Darnold.

2. Green Bay Packers (11-6, seventh seed, NFC)

They deserved so much better than the seventh seed, but if they somehow survive a first-round game in Philadelphia they could be off and running. Their rushing attack ranked fifth (146.8 yards per game) and their run defense ranked seventh (99.4). They also have a strong quarterback in Jordan Love and a good pass rush (45 sacks, tied for ninth). They were only 5-3 on the road, but those losses came at Minnesota and Detroit, and their opening game in Brazil against the Eagles). All the ingredients are there.

3. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, fifth seed, AFC)

New coach Jim Harbaugh has built in a toughness to this team, though they are a little more reliant on their quarterback (Justin Herbert) than they are on their running game (110.7, 17th) or rushing defense (117.5, 14th). They were 6-3 on the road with losses in Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Arizona. But at least they get the easiest possible start in Houston.

4. Washington Commanders (12-5, sixth seed, NFC)

There's always the chance that dynamic quarterback Jayden Daniels could get hot, and they are capable of running the ball with him and Brian Robinson. But that run defense (137.5, 30th) could be a problem, especially against teams like the Eagles or Lions. They were decent on the road, going 5-3 with losses at Tampa — their first-round destination — Baltimore and Philadelphia.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, sixth seed, AFC)

They've been a middling road team (5-4) and even lost three of their last four road games, which doesn't bode well for a team that starts in Baltimore (where they lost three weeks ago). They do have a strong rushing defense (95.8, 6th) and a decent rushing attack (127.4, 11th), but the Ravens are far better in both categories.

6. Denver Broncos (10-7, seventh seed, AFC)

The magical season of Sean Payton and Bo Nix has been mostly a home-centered affair. They've gone 4-5 on the road this season and lost four of their last five (including three to AFC playoff teams). With a middling rushing attack (112.2, 16th) it's hard to see them changing that trend now, unless Nix has a lot of magic left in his arm.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.