Alex Smith and the 10 Most Shocking Step-Up Performances of All Time

Alex Smith, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, shocked the NFL world after his lights-out performance against the New Orleans Saints in the 2012 Divisional Round. But where does it rank among the most surprising step-up performances in NFL history?

What was so astonishing about Smith's performance was that no one really expected it. Many had written him off as a bust and gave him little credit for the 49ers' 13-3 record in the 2011 regular season.

But what did Smith do?

He went out and out-gunned Drew Brees, the quarterback who just set the all-time record for passing yards in a single season (5,476). Most impressively, he led two game-winning drives of 80-yards or more in the final three minutes of the game.

Needless to say, it was an impressive outing for Smith. It was one that 49ers fans will not soon forget.

Along with Smith's performance, here's a list of the greatest step-up performances in NFL history. The rankings will be based on playoff performances, since, well, that's when the games matter the most.

10. Jim Plunkett: The Forgotten One

Jim Plunkett had already made a name for himself in Bay Area sports, but that was during his college days at Stanford University. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 and led Stanford to its first Rose Bowl victory since 1941.

But that was college, and Plunkett was never really able to live up to the hype in the NFL.

Then came the 1980 season. Plunkett was the backup quarterback on the Oakland Raiders at the start of the season, but then took over the starting job after Dan Pastorini broke his leg in the fifth game of the season.

Plunkett led the Raiders all the way to a AFC Conference Championship game, and arguably had the most clutch game of his NFL career. He only threw 18 passes, but completed 14 of them for 265 yards and two touchdowns.

Plunkett then cemented his legacy in Bay Area sports, after he threw three touchdowns in the Super Bowl the very next game to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

9. Beast Mode Takes Over

Marshawn Lynch instantly became a fan favorite in Seattle after his Run that Shook Seattle. And no joke, Lynch actually caused an earthquake.

The fans in what was formerly known as Qwest Field erupted after Lynch's 67-yard touchdown run to ice the game against the heavily favored New Orleans Saints, in 2010. It got so loud that a seismic monitoring station located very close to the stadium registered a minor earthquake.

Lynch finished the day with 131 yards on the ground, and one of the best plays in NFL playoff history.

8. Anthony Carter Runs Past 49ers

Anthony Carter's performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1987 NFC Divisional Playoff was one of the best outings ever by a wide receiver in a playoff game. 

The 49ers, the team of the 80s, were heavily favored to beat the Minnesota Vikings.

But Carter caught 10 passes for 227 yards, which set a then-playoff record for most receiving yards in a game. He helped lead the Vikings to a victory over the 49ers and an appearance in the NFC Conference Championship game.

7. Lamar Smith Runs Over Colts

In their first playoff game without Dan Marino at quarterback, the Miami Dolphins tried a new tactic: running the ball.

Lamar Smith was the beneficiary of this offensive game plan, and ran with it—literally. The Indianapolis Colts didn't have an answer for Smith, and he rushed for 207 yards on 40 carries and found the end zone twice.

He topped off his performance with a 17-yard touchdown run in overtime to beat the Colts 23-17.

6. Vernon Perry's Impressive Defensive Performance

I had to put at least one defensive performance on this list, and there was no better option than Vernon Perry's game in the 1979 AFC Divisional playoff game.  

It was only Perry's rookie year, and he was the starting safety on the Houston Oilers. Due to injuries, his team was already without running back Earl Campbell, starting quarterback Dan Pastorini and wide receiver Ken Burrough, so the Oilers didn't stand much of a chance against the heavily favored San Diego Chargers.

But Perry had something to say about that.

He picked off Dan Fouts an NFL-record four times, and also blocked a field goal that he returned 57 yards to set up a field goal. 

The Oilers ended up shocking the Chargers 17-14, and needless to say, it was all thanks to Perry's magnificent performance.

I mean, it's hard to fathom that he did all that in a playoff game as a rookie.

5. Don Strock Steps in

When trailing 24-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula decided to roll the dice.

He elected to replace his struggling quarterback David Woodley for the likes of Don Strock, who came into the game cold off of the bench.

The gamble paid off in the end, and Strock absolutely tore it up for the rest of the game. He completed 29 of 43 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns, in just three quarters of play.

He almost led the Dolphins to victory, but the Chargers came back to beat them 41-38 in overtime.

4. Kurt Warner Introduces Himself

Kurt Warner won his first playoff game in his first attempt, but it certainly wasn't the last time we heard of him.

Warner was virtually unknown at the start of the 1999 season, but he continued to amaze everyone as the season progressed.

In the 1999 NFC divisional title game, Warner led “The Greatest Show on Turf” to a 49-37 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

He threw 33 passes and completed 27 of them, for 391 yards and five touchdowns. It was good enough for a 142.99 passer rating.

It was certainly one of the more impressive performances by a quarterback in a playoff game.

3. Ed Podolak Put the Team on His Back

Ed Podolak arguably had the greatest all-around performance in playoff history.

The Kansas City Chiefs running back compiled 350 all-purpose yards, which is an NFL playoff record.

He ran the ball for 85 yards, caught eight passes for 110 yards and gathered 154 yards on kickoff returns. If you did the math and are wondering where that last yard came from, he returned a punt for one yard.

One of his kickoff returns went for 78 yards and set up the potential game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. However, kicker Jan Stenerud blew it, and the longest game in NFL history ended in a loss for the Chiefs.

2. Alex Smith Shocks the Saints

Alex Smith's performance against the New Orleans Saints wasn't statistically the best game in playoff history. However, it's the culmination of everything that surrounded Smith in his NFL career that made his performance one for the record books.

Everyone, probably including Smith himself, thought his tenure in San Francisco was over after his abysmal 2010 season. 

However, head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted him back, and Smith eventually revitalized his career. Harbaugh developed offensive game plans every week that only called for Smith to manage games, and not necessarily win them.

But one recurring theme in 2011 for Smith was his ability to make plays when the team needed him to, and he never failed to do so throughout the year.

It was more of the same—and much more—after his performance against the Saints in the NFL Divisional Game. Smith threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, plus a 28-yard scamper for a touchdown.

He also he led two game-winning drives of 80-yards or more in the final three minutes of the game—something that has never been done before in playoff history.

1. Frank Reich Leads the Comeback

Frank Reich had the most surprising step-up performance in NFL playoff history.

He was filling in for injured quarterback Jim Kelly, and he found his team down 35-3 at halftime against the Houston Oilers in the AFC Wild Card Game.

But then Reich made history.

He finished 21-of-34 for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the second half.

The game went into overtime, and the Buffalo Bills ended up winning the game in shocking fashion, 41-38. It completed a 32-point comeback, which was the biggest in NFL history.