The Vikings looked like they were about to suffer one of the most embarrassing losses of the season.
Minnesota went into the locker room for halftime, trailing 33-0 tonte los Indianapolis Colts. It looked like one more reason for people to question the legitimacy of the Vikings despite their 10-3 start to the season.
However, it seems that there was a lot of motivation in the locker room. Minnesota allowed only one field goal to the Colts in the third quarter, and proceeded to overcome the 33-point deficit and forced overtime.
FIRST PLAY. DALVIN COOK. 64 YARDS. TOUCHDOWN.
????: #INDvsMIN on @NFLNetwork
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/NLM9jAlP4R pic.twitter.com/zEBweG6YQm— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2022
Minnesota’s somersault would culminate in overtime, when Greg Joseph made a 40-yard field goal with four seconds left in overtime, which gave him a 39-33 victory over the Vikings.
Where does this “flip” rank among the greatest comebacks in NFL history?
Here’s a look back at the biggest comebacks in NFL history.
Greatest Comebacks in NFL History
The Vikings have officially set the NFL record for the biggest comeback in history, beating a game known as “The Comeback” who saw the Buffalo Bills come back against the Houston Oilers in what was once a deficit of 32 points.
The starting quarterback for the Bills in that game was Frank Reichwho was the Colts’ head coach at the start of the 2022 season. But he was fired and replaced by the interim head coach Jeff Saturday.
Here’s a look at the biggest comebacks of all time:
| Winner | Loser | Date | Points he traced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | Indianapolis Colts | December 17, 2022 | 33 |
| Buffalo Bills | Houston Oilers | January 3, 1993 | 32 |
| Indianapolis Colts | Kansas City Chiefs | January 4, 2014 | 28 |
| san francisco 49ers | New Orleans Saints | December 7, 1980 | 28 |
| Buffalo Bills | Indianapolis Colts | September 21, 1997 | 26 |
| New England Patriots | Atlanta Falcons | February 5, 2017 | 25 |
| Cleveland Browns | Tennessee Titans | October 5, 2014 | 25 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | November 8, 1987 | 25 |
| Houston Oilers | Cincinnati Bengals | September 23, 1979 | 24 |
| Detroit Lions | Baltimore Colts | October 20, 1957 | 24 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Chicago Cardinals | October 25, 1959 | 24 |
| Detroit Lions | Dallas Cowboys | October 2, 2011 | 24 |
| New England Patriots | Denver Broncos | November 24, 2013 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | Denver Broncos | September 26, 1988 | 24 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Houston Texans | January 12, 2020 | 24 |
| Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | December 15, 1974 | 24 |
| Denver Broncos | Boston Patriots | October 23, 1960 | 24 |
| san francisco 49ers | New York Giants | January 5, 2003 | 24 |
| Denver Broncos | San Diego Chargers | October 15, 2012 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | San Diego Chargers | November 22, 1982 | 24 |
| Denver Broncos | Seattle Seahawks | September 23, 1979 | 24 |
| Minnesota Vikings | san francisco 49ers | December 4, 1977 | 24 |
| Washington Redskins | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | October 25, 2015 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | December 6, 1992 | 24 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Redskins | October 27, 1946 | 24 |
This match marks the second time that Matt Ryan appears on this list. He was quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons when they lost a team lead. 28-3 against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. That comeback is tied for the sixth most in history, and remains the biggest in the Super Bowl.
Ryan now has the unfortunate honor of being the quarterback to lose the largest lead in NFL and Super Bowl history.
The Vikings’ comeback also represented the largest halftime deficit overcome in NFL history, as the Colts led the Vikings 33-0 at halftime.
This is a look at the older half time deficits who have been surpassed in NFL history.
| Winner | Loser | Date | Points he traced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | Indianapolis Colts | December 17, 2022 | 33 |
| san francisco 49ers | New Orleans Saints | December 7, 1980 | 28 |
| Buffalo Bills | Houston Oilers | January 3, 1993 | 25 |
| New England Patriots | Denver Broncos | November 24, 2013 | 24 |
| Denver Broncos | San Diego Chargers | October 15, 2012 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | December 6, 1992 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | Denver Broncos | September 26, 1988 | 24 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Redskins | October 27, 1946 | 24 |
| Green Bay Packers | Dallas Cowboys | December 15, 2013 | 23 |
| Green Bay Packers | Los Angeles Rams | September 12, 1982 | 23 |
| New England Patriots | New York Giants | December 21, 1996 | 22 |
| Miami Dolphins | Baltimore Ravens | September 18, 2022 | 21 |
| San Diego Chargers | san francisco 49ers | December 20, 2014 | 21 |
| Detroit Lions | Atlanta Falcons | October 26, 2014 | 21 |
| Indianapolis Colts | Kansas City Chiefs | January 4, 2014 | 21 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | New York Giants | December 19, 2010 | 21 |
| Tennessee Titans | New York Giants | November 26, 2006 | 21 |
| San Diego Chargers | Cincinnati Bengals | November 12, 2006 | 21 |
| St. Louis Rams | Houston Texans | November 27, 2005 | 21 |
| Indianapolis Colts | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | October 6, 2003 | 21 |
| New England Patriots | Indianapolis Colts | September 19, 1999 | 21 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Minnesota Vikings | December 24, 1995 | 21 |
| Indianapolis Colts | Miami Dolphins | October 8, 1995 | 21 |
| Minnesota Vikings | san francisco 49ers | October 24, 1965 | 21 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Green Bay Packers | November 14, 1957 | 21 |
| New York Giants | Chicago Cardinals | October 30, 1949 | 21 |
| Los Angeles Rams | Detroit Lions | October 24, 1948 | 21 |