NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: The 4 Best Playoff Games of the Postseason so Far

So far, this has been one of the most entertaining postseasons in recent memory.  Games have been a good mix of excitement, close games and dominating performances. On top of all that, there is no longer any one team remaining that looks like a clear favorite, meaning the excitement is likely to continue.

Click through the slideshow to see a ranking of the four best games of the postseason so far.

No. 4: Detroit 28, New Orleans 45

The Saints and Lions met in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and it was a great display of offensive firepower. Calvin Johnson was absolutely unstoppable, with 12 catches for 211 yards and two TDs. However, Drew Brees was better. Brees put together an absolute masterpiece in the second half, leading five touchdown drives to turn a competitive game into a beatdown.

This game had plenty of excitement and stunning displays of offensive prowess. The Saints offense unparalleled when it gets humming like it did in the second half, and Calvin Johnson is...Calvin Johnson, an incomparable talent.

No. 3: New York 37, Green Bay 20

Coming in at No. 3 is the biggest upset of the postseason. The Giants came into the game at Lambeau riding high and confident. The Packers came into it as the best team in the league over the regular season, but one that hadn't played their starting quarterback in 21 days.

From the get go, the Giants looked like anything but the underdog. Thanks to their swarming defensive line and three lost Green Bay fumbles, the Giants were able to dispatch the Packers quite handily. Eli Manning, for his part, was excellent, orchestrating a crucial 17-point fourth quarter to seal the deal.

No. 2: Denver 29, Pittsburgh 23

The much-anticipated debut of Tim Tebow in the playoffs did not disappoint, as the game ended in extra-dramatic overtime fashion.

While the bulk of the focus going into the game was on Tebow, the other side of the story was the other quarterback and how ineffective his ankle injury had rendered him late in the season. Roethlisberger was far from himself, and it was enough of a factor to keep Denver in the game.

Tebow was his typically inaccurate self, but the passes he did completely could have hardly been any bigger. Tebow put up a preposterous 31.6 yards per completion, surpassing Roethlisberger's yardage total in less that half the number of completions. 

No. 1: San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32

This game had absolutely everything you could want in a football playoff game. Big hits, long passes, lead changes, and a 34-point fourth quarter. The Saints turned the ball over five times and still managed to put up 32 points against a great San Francisco defense. On the other side of the ball, Alex Smith came of age on one of the biggest possible stages in the game. 

While Brees put up video-game numbers, it was Alex Smith that kept a clean sheet, with no turnovers and an incredibly clutch last-minute drive to win the game. Games as good as this one are few and far between.