5 Biggest Comebacks in Super Bowl History
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Throughout its history, the Super Bowl hasn't seen a bunch of huge comebacks. In 53 games, only one team has ever come back from larger than a 10-point deficit.
However, of the four 10-point or greater comebacks, three of them have come in the last 12 years. That's not to say that comebacks are impossible. When the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers square off in Super Bowl LIV, they will do so knowing that the majority of Super Bowl champions have trailed at some point during the game. Here's a look at the five biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history.
5. Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19 (9-Point Comeback)
In the first of the Buffalo Bills' four straight Super Bowl losses, the Bills found themselves up 12-3 in the first half after sacking Giants backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone. However, the Giants clawed back to make it 12-10 before half time and eventually took a 20-19 lead. Quarterback Jim Kelly led the Bills down the field to set up a 47-yard field goal with seven seconds left for kicker Scott Norwood, which famously missed "wide right" and essentially ended the game.
4. Super Bowl XXII: Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10 (10-Point Comeback)
Despite being one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever, this game still featured a comeback. John Elway and the Broncos took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but promptly allowed 42 unanswered points for the rest of the game, 35 before halftime. The Redskins picked off Elway twice and dominated defensively for the final three quarters. Doug Williams became the first quarterback to throw four touchdowns in a quarter during the Super Bowl and won Super Bowl MVP for his 340 yard, 4 touchdown performance.
3. Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17 (10-Point Comeback)
Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts started well, opening up a 10-0 first quarter lead. However, the Colts were unable to capitalize, allowing Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints to make it 10-6 by halftime. After a surprise onside kick to start the second half, the Saints took a 13-10 lead. The Colts retook the lead on a Joseph Addai touchdown run, but the Saints finished the game by scoring 18 unanswered to complete the comeback, including a 74-yard pick six by Tracy Porter. Drew Brees was named Super Bowl MVP and became a franchise legend for leading the Saints to their only championship.
2. Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24 (10-Point Comeback)
With all the drama that happened at the end of the game, it's easy to forget that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were down 24-14 with 12:10 left in the game. Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, seeking back-to-back championships, had seemingly done enough. Then, Tom Brady marched the Patriots down the field twice in 10 minutes to take a 28-24 lead. The Seahawks stormed back down the field, aided by an incredible catch from Jermaine Kearse. However, when the Seahawks got to the two-yard line, they infamously threw the ball instead of handing it off to Marshawn Lynch. The Patriots' Malcolm Butler grabbed the game-winning interception and completed the comeback.
1. Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (25-Point Comeback)
28-3. That scoreline only reminds fans of one thing: the Atlanta Falcons' monumental 25-point collapse during Super Bowl LI. After Matt Ryan threw a touchdown pass to Tevin Coleman to make it 28-3 with 8:31 left in the third quarter, the Falcons seemed certain to emerge victorious. They would not score for the rest of the game. Tom Brady and the Patriots managed to score 25 unanswered points to take the game to overtime. The comeback was improbable: the Patriots forced the first Matt Ryan turnover in two months and scored a pair of two-point conversions in the fourth quarter alone. After winning the overtime coin toss, Brady marched down the field to set up a 1-yard touchdown run from James White to complete the comeback.
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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.