2000–01 NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 2000 season began on December 30, 2000. The postseason tournament concluded with the Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, 34–7, on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
This would be the final season where the playoffs began in December. The following year, the league pushed the start of the season forward one week, which effectively pushed the start of the playoffs one week later.

Participants

Bracket

Schedule

This would be the last time that all playoff games during the first three rounds would normally be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST. The following season, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers.
In the United States, ABC broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games. Fox then televised the rest of the NFC games. CBS broadcast the rest of the AFC playoff games and Super Bowl XXXV.

Wild Card playoffs

Saturday, December 30, 2000

AFC: Miami Dolphins 23, Indianapolis Colts 17 ()

The Dolphins overcame three first half turnovers as running back Lamar Smith set a playoff record with 40 carries for 209 yards, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown run in overtime. He also caught 3 passes for 18 yards.
After the Dolphins threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 6 from the Colts 39-yard line, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's 25-yard completion to tight end Jerome Pathon set up the first score of the game on a 32-yard field goal by kicker Mike Vanderjagt. Miami threatened to score late in the first quarter, but quarterback Jay Fiedler's pass in the end zone was intercepted by Indianapolis safety Chad Cota. On the next play, running back Edgerrin James broke off a 34-yard run, but the drive stalled and the Colts had to punt. After that, Colts defensive end Chad Bratzke gave his team another great scoring opportunity when he intercepted Fiedler's screen pass at the Dolphins 25-yard line. But Indianapolis failed to reach the end zone and had to settle for another field goal from Vanderjagt. On Miami's ensuing drive, they committed their third consecutive turnover when Cota picked off another pass and returned it 23 yards to the Dolphins 18-yard line. This time, the Colts made it into the end zone with Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Pathon with 7:47 left in the second quarter. He followed it up with a successful two-point conversion pass to tight end Ken Dilger. Miami responded with a drive to the Colts 20-yard line, only to have Olindo Mare miss a 38-yard field goal attempt with 31 seconds left in the half. Despite their sluggish start, Indianapolis had complete control of the game by the end of the first half, leading 14–0. Meanwhile, Fiedler completed only five of 14 passes for 42 yards.
But Fiedler improved in the second half, completing 14 of 20 passes for 143 yards and rushing for 43 yards. The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 11 plays. Smith carried the ball 7 times for 42 yards on the drive and finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the lead in half. In the fourth quarter, an 11-yard run by Fiedler and a 19-yard run by Smith set up a 38-yard field goal from Mare, making the score 14–10. But Manning led the Colts back, completing a 13-yard pass to Marcus Pollard, a 38-yard pass to Marvin Harrison, and an 18-yard pass to Pathon. Then a 16-yard run by James moved the ball into Dolphins territory, and Vanderjagt finished the drive with a 50-yard field goal to give the Colts a 17–10 lead. Miami responded with a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive. With 34 seconds left in regulation, Fiedler's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Weaver sent the game into overtime.
The Dolphins won the toss in overtime, but after a holding penalty they were forced to punt, and the Colts advanced into Miami territory. Faced with third down and 12 from the Dolphins 42-yard line, Manning completed an 11-yard pass to Marvin Harrison. The Dolphins were offside on the play, but the Colts elected to decline the penalty and attempt a 49-yard field goal to win the game. However, Vanderjagt's kick was wide right. The Dolphins then marched 61 yards in 11 plays, ending with Smith's game-winning touchdown.
Manning threw for 197 yards and a touchdown. James rushed for 107 yards and caught three passes for 33.
To date, this is the Dolphins' most recent playoff victory and they now have the longest playoff win drought in the league.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Colts and Dolphins. Miami won the only previous meeting while the Colts were in Baltimore.

Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff games

NFC: New Orleans Saints 31, St. Louis Rams 28

The Saints, who were 3-13 the previous year, won their first playoff game in their 34-year history with quarterback Aaron Brooks' 266 passing yards and four touchdowns, holding off the defending champion Rams, who scored three touchdowns in the final quarter. Rams quarterback Kurt Warner committed four turnovers, while running back Marshall Faulk, who shredded the Saints with 220 rushing yards during their encounter in the regular season, was held to a season-low 24 yards on the ground.
St. Louis scored on their opening drive, marching 68 yards in 11 plays to take a 7–0 lead with Warner's 17-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce. But New Orleans then scored 31 unanswered points, beginning with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Brooks' 12-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wilson on their opening drive. They appeared to suffer a setback when Brooks' 50-yard completion to Willie Jackson on their next drive was nullified by Devin Bush's interception a few plays later. But after several punts, Sammy Knight's 52-yard interception return to the Rams 20-yard line set up kicker Doug Brien's 33-yard field goal to give the Saints a 10–7 lead at halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Chris Oldham's interception gave New Orleans the ball at the Rams 45-yard line, setting up Brooks' 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackson that increased their lead to 17–7. Early in the fourth quarter, the Saints drove 74 yards in five plays and scored with Brooks' 49-yard touchdown pass to Jackson. Then on the Rams ensuing drive, defensive end Willie Whitehead forced a fumble while sacking Warner that defensive tackle La'Roi Glover recovered on the Rams 16-yard line, and Brooks threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jackson on the next play, giving the Saints a 31–7 lead with 11:57 remaining.
But St. Louis stormed back, as Warner completed two passes to Faulk for 55 yards before throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl, cutting the deficit to 31–13 after the two-point conversion failed. With 6:28 left in the game, St. Louis had the ball inside the New Orleans 10-yard line but Knight recorded his second interception to halt the drive. However, the Saints were forced to punt and the Rams marched 62 yards on just three plays to score on Faulk's 25-yard touchdown reception to make it 31–20 with 3:52 left. Rams cornerback Dré Bly recovered the ensuing onside kick. Two plays later on third down and 6, Warner completed a 38-yard pass to Az-Zahir Hakim at the Saints 5-yard line before he took the ball into the end zone himself with a 5-yard touchdown run. Faulk's reception on the two-point conversion made it 31–28 with 2:36 left. St. Louis failed to recover their second onside kick attempt but forced New Orleans to punt. However, the punt was muffed by Hakim, and the Saints' Brian Milne recovered the ball to seal the victory.
Jackson caught six passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns, tying a playoff record set by Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIX. Warner finished the game with 365 passing yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Bruce caught seven passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, while Faulk added seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
The Monday Night Football crew returned to the Superdome a year later to cover a regular season game between these teams, which the Rams won 34–21. It was their last game as division rivals, as the Saints moved to the NFC South in 2002.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Rams and Saints.

Sunday, December 31, 2000

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 21, Denver Broncos 3

The Ravens defense held the Broncos' offense to only 177 total yards, 42 rushing yards, nine first downs, and three points. Baltimore also recorded five sacks and held running back and Rookie of the Year Mike Anderson, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards during the season, to 40 yards on 15 carries.
Baltimore got an early scoring chance when Ray Lewis intercepted a pass from Denver quarterback Gus Frerotte on the Broncos 39-yard line. But the team could only get to the 34 and ended up punting. After several punts, Baltimore drove 75 yards in 10 plays, including a 20-yard run by Jamal Lewis, to go up 7–0 on Lewis' 1-yard touchdown run on the last play of the first quarter.
Denver responded as Frerotte completed four passes for 59 yards on a 68-yard drive that ended with a 31-yard field goal from Jason Elam with 4:31 remaining in the first half to cut the lead to 7–3. But on the Ravens' next drive, Trent Dilfer threw a pass that was bobbled by Lewis, deflected by cornerback Terrell Buckley, and ended up in the arms of tight end Shannon Sharpe, who took it 58 yards for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, Ravens receiver Jermaine Lewis returned a punt 17 yards to the Broncos 28-yard line, setting up the final score of the game, a 27-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis. He finished the game with 110 rushing yards, one reception for 15 yards, and two touchdowns.
This was the first time the Broncos were prevented from scoring a touchdown in 28 postseason games over a span of three decades.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Ravens.