The famous “Playoffs?!” rant was said by NFL head coach Jim Mora Sr., then coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Who said “Playoffs?!”

  • The viral quote “Playoffs? Don’t talk about—playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?!” comes from Jim Mora Sr.
  • He delivered the line during a postgame press conference on November 25, 2001, after the Colts fell to 4–6 following a turnover-heavy loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The moment and context

  • A reporter asked Mora about the Colts’ chances of making the playoffs, which triggered his incredulous, high-pitched response.
  • Mora was frustrated by his team’s five turnovers in that game and insisted the media should not “blame that game on the defense,” before launching into the now-iconic “playoffs” riff.

Why it became iconic

  • The clip quickly joined other legendary sports soundbites like Allen Iverson’s “We’re talking about practice” and is still replayed regularly in NFL coverage and memes.
  • Today, many fans recognize the “Playoffs?!” soundbite even if they do not immediately remember Mora’s name or the original 2001 Colts–49ers context.

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