As the NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend, we rank the biggest collapses in post-season NFL Playoff history…
5. NFC Wild Card Round, Jan. 5 2003 – Giants 38, 49ers 39
Embed from Getty ImagesNew York quarterback Kerry Collins enjoyed a stellar game, his 342-yard passing display taking the Giants to a 24-point lead, up 38-14 with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter; their spot in the divisional round appeared almost certain.
The visitors failed to score another point, collapsing to a one-point loss as Giants kicker Matt Bryant missed a crucial 42-yard field goal with just 3:01 left, allowing veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia to lead his 49ers team down the field for the go-ahead touchdown, the last of 25 unanswered points, to cap a remarkable comeback.
4. AFC Wild Card Round, Jan. 4 2014 – Chiefs 44, Colts 45
Embed from Getty ImagesIt took until 11:42 minutes remaining in the third quarter for the Colts to score their second touchdown of the game, with the Chiefs having raced into a 38-10 lead early in the third quarter thanks to a clinic from quarterback Alex Smith.
Kansas City managed just two field goals and no touchdowns for the rest of the game however, as Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck matched Smith’s touchdown count of four with a thrilling second-half performance; T.Y. Hilton caught Luck’s 64-yard pass to tie the game before kicker Adam Vinatieri’s extra point completed the turnaround from 28-points down, the second biggest collapse in playoff history.
3. AFC Wild Card Round, 15 Jan. 2023 – Chargers 30, Jaguars 31
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen the LA Chargers raced into a 27-0 lead during the first half, you would have been forgiven for assuming the game was over; one fan was so confident the game was done he wagered $1.4m in-play on the Chargers to win, risking that for just an $11,299 potential payout.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had been in disarray, throwing four early interceptions, but a touchdown seconds before the half gave them hope – what followed was the third-largest postseason collapse in history, with LA adding just three points in the second half as Jacksonville stormed back to win the game by a point thanks to a last-second field goal.
2. AFC Wild Card Round, Jan. 3 1993 – Oilers 38, Bills 41 (OT)
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Houston Oilers dominated the first half, scoring four touchdowns and taking a 28-3 lead into the break; things got even worse for the Bills when backup quarterback Frank Reich, filling in for the injured Jim Kelly, threw the ball straight to Oilers safety Bubba McDowell, who took it 58 yards to the house to give the visitors a 32 point lead.
All hope appeared lost for Buffalo before Reich produced a sensational 28-minute spell in which he threw four touchdown passes to turn the game on its head and give the New York team the lead.
A late Houston field goal sent the game to overtime, but Reich produced one final scoring drive, with Steve Christie’s 32-yard field goal sealing a sensational comeback that lives long in the memory.
1. Super Bowl LI, Feb. 5 2017 – Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT)
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the biggest chokes in sporting history, on the biggest stage in the NFL – the Atlanta Falcons had one hand on the Lombardi Trophy when they took a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, with just 17 minutes left of regulation.
Tom Brady however had other ideas, with the New England quarterback launching a sensational comeback which saw the Patriots tie the game at 28-28 before they sealed the turnaround in overtime, the first ever Super Bowl to be decided beyond regulation.
It was the Patriots’ fifth title, by far their most dramatic, and the largest comeback in Super Bowl history – a truly historic night in Houston.
Image Credit: Voice of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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