All four of the playoff games this weekend feature teams that met in the regular season, and in two cases the previous games were blowouts. The Patriots beat Houston 27-0 in Week 3, and Pittsburgh walloped Kansas City 43-14 a week later. What (if anything) can we learn from those earlier games?

I have checked the historical numbers, and in most years, there have been playoff games between teams that were involved in regular-season blowouts – with one team winning by 20-plus points. Those teams haven’t been as dominant in the follow-up games.

There have been 32 of these playoff games in the last 30 years (with one of the teams winning by 20-plus points in the regular season). On 10 of these games (almost a third) the team that lost in the regular season came back and won in the postseason. On another five games, the same team still won but needed overtime.

In only six of the 32 games did the team that won by 20-plus in the regular season come back and win again by 20-plus points.

On the chart I’ve thrown together, I’ve put in bold games where a different team won. I’ve put a black dot (•) by the teams that won both backs by 20-plus.

For divisional series, I used only the most recent games. That is, if a team beat an opponent 30-0 in September but then won a December rematch 27-21, that game wouldn’t be listed.

BLOWOUT REMATCHES SINCE 1970
YearOpponentsRegular SeasonPlayoffs
1972S.F.-Dall.49ers 31-10Cowboys 30-28
1976N.E.-Oak.Patriots 48-17Raiders 24-21
1977L.A.-Min.Rams 35-3Vikings 14-7
1979Dall.-L.A.Cowboys 30-6Rams 21-19
1980L.A.-Dall.Rams 38-14Cowboys 34-13
1980Phil.-Min.Eagles 42-7Eagles 31-16
1981Cin.-S.D.Bengals 40-17• Bengals 27-7
1981S.F.-Dall.49ers 45-1449ers 28-27
1983Was.-L.A.Washington 42-20• Washington 51-7
1984L.A.-NYGRams 33-12Giants 16-13
1984Mia.-Pitt.Dolphins 31-7Dolphins 45-28
1984S.F.-NYG49ers 31-1049ers 21-10
1987Hou.-Den.Oilers 40-10Broncos 34-10
1989L.A.-NYGRams 31-10Rams 19-13 (OT)
1989Den.-Pitt.Broncos 34-7Broncos 24-23
1990Cin.-Hou.Bengals 40-20• Bengals 41-14
1991K.C.-Buff.Chiefs 33-6Bills 37-14
1991Hou.-Den.Oilers 42-14Broncos 26-24
1991Det.-Dall.Lions 34-10• Lions 38-6
1991Was.-Det.Washington 45-0• Washington 41-10
1991Was.-Atl.Washington 56-17Washington 24-7
1992Hou.-Buff.Oilers 27-3Bills 41-38 (OT)
1993Hou.-K.C.Oilers 30-0Chiefs 28-20
1993Dall.-G.B.Cowboys 36-14Cowboys 27-17
1994S.F.-S.D.49ers 38-15• 49ers 49-26
1999Ten.-Jac.Titans 41-14Titans 33-14
2002Oak.-Ten.Raiders 52-25Raiders 41-24
2003G.B.-Sea.Packers 35-13Packers 33-27 (OT)
2006Chi.-Sea.Bears 37-6Bears 27-24 (OT)
2007G.B.-NYGPackers 35-13Giants 23-20 (OT)
2007N.E.-S.D.Patriots 38-14Patriots 21-12
2008Phil.-Ariz.Eagles 48-20Cardinals 32-25
2009G.B.-Ariz.Packers 33-7Cardinals 51-45 (OT)
2009Dall.-Phil.Cowboys 24-0• Cowboys 34-14
2009NYJ-Cin.Jets 37-0Jets 24-14
2010N.E.-NYJPatriots 45-3Jets 28-21
2012N.E.-Hou.Patriots 42-14Patriots 41-28
2013Sea.-N.O.Seahawks 34-7Seahawks 23-15
2014Pitt.-Balt.Steelers 43-23Ravens 30-17
2014N.E.-Ind.Patriots 42-20• Patriots 45-7
2014Ind.-Cin.Colts 27-0Colts 26-10
2014Sea.-G.B.Seahawks 36-16Seahawks 28-22 (OT)
2015Ariz.-G.B.Cardinals 38-8Cardinals 26-20 (OT)
2015Sea.-Min.Seahawks 38-7Seahawks 10-9
2016K.C.-Pitt.Steelers 43-14???
2016N.E.-Hou.Patriots 27-0???

—Ian Allan