Where does Houston's meltdown rank among the worst playoff performances?
The Houston Texans were abysmal during a listless 30-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
Misery loves company, and it's an opportune time to revisit some of the worst playoff performances in recent memory.
Miami Dolphins, 1999
Dan Marino couldn't have submitted a worse performance against a 5-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars organization. In a divisional-round blowout, the Jaguars routed the Dolphins 62-7, as Marino went 11-of-25 for 95 yards, with a touchdown, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles.
Marino, along with head coach Jimmy Johnson, would go into retirement following the embarrassing performance, where the club turned the ball over seven times. It's worth mentioning the Jaguars went 14-2 in the regular season, but no one could've anticipated such a lopsided loss.
Minnesota Vikings, 2001
Boasting an offense that paired two of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history in Randy Moss and Cris Carter, the Vikings were supposed to put up a fight against the New York Giants in the 2000 NFC Championship Game. Instead, the Giants won by the largest margin of victory in NFC Championship Game history, advancing to the Super Bowl with a 41-0 triumph.
Daunte Culpepper was rendered useless, going 13-of-28 for 78 yards and three interceptions, while Carter and Moss recorded a combined five receptions for 42 yards. Kerry Collins countered with a five-touchdown performance.
Dallas Cowboys, 2009
On paper, the Cowboys and Vikings appeared to be evenly matched during their divisional-round clash. Appearances can be deceiving, however, and 41-year-old Brett Favre conducted a masterful four-touchdown performance in a 34-3 rout.
This wasn't necessarily Tony Romo's worst performance of his career, but the Cowboys quarterback threw an interception and lost two fumbles as the Dallas offense stalled all game. Romo was sacked six times and the Cowboys failed to generate even a modicum of offense.
Minnesota advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where it would lose in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.
Denver Broncos, 2013
Super Bowl XLVIII was billed as a clash between a record-setting Broncos offense and the Seattle Seahawks' top-ranked defense. Instead, viewers were treated to one of the biggest blowouts in Super Bowl history.
On the first play from scrimmage, Broncos center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over Peyton Manning's head, leading to a safety. The Seahawks jumped to a 29-0 halftime lead, and crushed any faint hope of a Denver comeback when Percy Harvin returned the second-half kickoff for an 87-yard touchdown. The Broncos ran into a juggernaut, but submitted a surprisingly awful performance, losing 43-8.
Houston Texans, 2015
Saturday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs was an unmitigated disaster. Brian Hoyer went 15-of-33 for 136 yards with four interceptions and a lost fumble in a 30-0 defeat at home. His ineptitude led fans to clamor for backup Brandon Weeden.
The score may have even been flattering for the Texans who, outside of DeAndre Hopkins, failed to show up for the game. Adding insult to injury, J.J. Watt left with a groin issue in the third quarter and did not return.