List of the "greatest" NFL comebacks ever

[aquareddye]

Maxim recently made a list of the 7 "greatest" nfl comebacks ever. I'm a little unsure of these 7 being THE greatest, so I'm wondering what you guys think? Check it out at http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?p=1281727#post1281727 and let us know which games you would swap into the list as better comebacks.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Big comebacks almost always involve incredibly poor play by one team and great play by the other team to cause the big deficit, then the teams switching uniforms at some point. It's exciting as hell, but the underlying factors don't point to a well-played game by either team. This is why a "comeback" like Elway's 98yd drive vs. Cleveland to send the '86 AFCCG to overtime will always impress me more than what the Giants did to Philly last week. In a tightly played game, Elway and the Broncos made play after play on that drive, including a ridiculous 3rd-and-18 conversion in which the shotgun snap bounced off a receiver in motion, Elway was able to pick it up and throw a laser to Mark Jackson for 20yds and Jackson held on as he caught it in the air and got clobbered in the back. Vinatieri's 45yd FG to tie the Snow Bowl also fits in this category.

Still, keeping with the original intent of the topic:

1. Bills 41-38 over Houston in '92 playoffs.
.
(head-and-shoulders above the crowd)
.
2. Jets 40-37 over Miami in '00.
3. SF 39-38 over NYG in '02 playoffs.
4. Colts 38-35 over Tampa in '03.
5. Pats 33-30 over Chicago in '02.
6. Giants 30-24 over Philly last week.
7. Pats 26-20 over Minnesota in '94.
8. Pats 31-28 over Indy in '99.

No bias there on #5, 7 and 8, huh?

Regards,
Chris

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Interesting tidbit is about Frank reich, the bills QB in that comeback. I believe he also is the qb in one of the greatest college comebacks as well. Maryland came back to overcome a 30+ point deficit against Miami and win in the 2nd half. The other point about that win was that it was the same year Flutie to Phelan happened.

 

[Kdo5]

The Bills coming back from a 32 point deficit was incredible.

 

[Seymour93]

1. Bills 41-38 over Houston in '92 playoffs.
.
(head-and-shoulders above the crowd)
.
2. Jets 40-37 over Miami in '00.
3. SF 39-38 over NYG in '02 playoffs.
4. Colts 38-35 over Tampa in '03.
5. Pats 33-30 over Chicago in '02.
6. Giants 30-24 over Philly last week.
7. Pats 26-20 over Minnesota in '94.
8. Pats 31-28 over Indy in '99.

No bias there on #5, 7 and 8, huh?

Regards,
Chris

I would put your #5 as my #2. That Bears game is one of my favorites of the dynasty and we didn't even make the playoffs that season. David Patten barely getting his toes in the back of the endzone... seems like yesterday.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I'm probably giving my age away but Chargers-Dolphins 1/2/82 that went into OT after one team (can't remember) went up about 21-0 and it turned into a shootout with Kellen Winslow getting about 200yds and living wit an O2 tank on the sidelines.......It has to be on the list.....

Just my $0.02,

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I would put your #5 as my #2. That Bears game is one of my favorites of the dynasty and we didn't even make the playoffs that season. David Patten barely getting his toes in the back of the endzone... seems like yesterday.

For pure entertainment purposes, that win in Champain beats the games listed above it. How many Pats fans turned off their TVs when Brady apparently threw an INT to end the game? The review came milliseconds before the Bears were going to snap the ball. The defender had the ball in his grasp with one foot down, then as he was about to put the other foot down, he bobbled the ball. He regained control after his 2nd foot came down, but before he took another step with his first foot, Brady swatted the ball out and the ball hit the ground. Since the defender never had control while having both feet on the ground...incomplete! Shortly thereafter, wasn't there some strange offsides/timeout situation that gave the Pats more time to win? And then there was the QB sneak on 4th-and-THREE to set up the game-winner to Patten...who the heck runs a THREE YARD sneak? And the TD to Patten puts Brady's TD to Faulk two weeks ago to shame...a beautiful pass and a better catch. Great, great finish.

I would have listed it higher if it wasn't a bad Bears team and a mediocre Pats team. The games I listed higher were either playoff games or between playoff-caliber teams in which one doesn't expect such games. Yet the Pats/Bears game was so good, I had to put it higher than the '94 Pats/Minnesota matchup which was between two playoff-calber teams.

Regards,
Chris

 

[stinkypete]

I would put your #5 as my #2. That Bears game is one of my favorites of the dynasty and we didn't even make the playoffs that season. David Patten barely getting his toes in the back of the endzone... seems like yesterday.

Thank you for mentioning the '02 Bears game. One of my all time faves.

 

[the taildragger]

"THE greatest comeback"...numero uno...must have a few things going for it:
1: a playoff or elimination game
2: must produce the eventual championship team (this eliminates most Elway/Marino-led comebacks)
3: underdog wins

This is why it has to be the 4th-quarter return from the dead in the white-out conditions of the Snow Bowl...

At the time, it hardly seemed like the cornerstone of a "dynasty." Most of us remember it for either the forward progress rule (which Al Davis decided to label the "tuck rule" -- to this day I haven't met anyone who heard Walt Coleman use the friggin word), or for AV's classic 46 yarder (but often "overlooking" the fact that Janikowski arguably outkicked Adam -- showing considerably more leg strength in those conditions and making easy work of 45 and 38 yarders).

I remember it for -- IMO -- one of the 5 most significant TOUCHDOWN drives in the past half century (the others being Montana/Rice/Taylor in SB XXIII, the '58 championship drive, and the clinching drive in the '67 NFC Championship "Ice Bowl").

Still shut out on the scoreboard, down by 10, and desperately needing a score that seemed nearly impossible at the time (the Raiders were CELEBRATING on the sidelines)...#12 donned his postseason cape for the first time and went 8-for-8 before running it into the end zone (and had us all questioning the leash Weis had on Tom while we were digging our own graves). This was before the infamous drive that put Adam into position to even make the kick and then going 9-for-9 on the overtime drive including that GIGANTIC 4th down conversion to a fallen David Patten -- nobody ever seems to remember this conversion...

To this day it's the most unlikely, and greatest, comeback I've ever seen.


But the one in Champaign was also up there for sheer entertainment value. I wonder how many of us would've hung around for the end?...

Patriots at Bears 2002​

"Trailing, 27-6, with 6:42 left in the third quarter..."​

Midway through the 3rd quarter, the Bears had built a 21-point lead fueled by inspired defense (including a great Urlacher interception) and an onslaught of gadget plays. But Brady's arm -- and temperment -- ignited his team...he even drew a 15-yard roughness flag for pushing a Bear off a fumble pile-up -- it was a weak call but the contagious outburst pumped some air back in the balloon.

In the final 20 minutes Brady led a 27-point run (241 passing yards in that span) -- the Patriots' last 5 possessions resulted in 3 TDs and 2 FGs.

The winning drive is part of team lore...

With time winding down and no Patriot timeouts left to stop the clock, the Bears played conservatively figuring they could protect the endzone on the final series, so they ran some time off and punted back to the Patriots -- it seemed sensible at the time.

Needing a touchdown, they had 1:50 and no timeouts. On 3rd and 3 at the Bears' 30, Brady dropped back and hit DE Bryan Robinson right in the numbers with a bullet...game over. But Robinson bobbled the ball, and rather than sulking at his mistake, Brady swiped at the ball and knocked it down. Robinson never had possession and the game was still on. But the incompletion made it 4th and 3. Brady called his own number, bowling over right guard for 3 yards...a gutsy play but the clock kept running.

On first down the Bears sent a heavy blitz and collapsed the pocket -- as he was being sacked by Bears' LB ROOSEVELT COLVIN, Brady shuttled the ball out to Kevin Faulk for 7 yards. Colvin was so stunned that he never got back on-sides and forced the Bears to call a timeout. That saved the Pats a spike and kept hope alive.

With 21 seconds and 3rd and 3 at the Bear's 20...there was no point in playing for the first down, they had one or two shots from there at the TD. The Bears played cover-2 throughout the game, but Brady went to the coaches and suggested a pump/pass over the coverage toward the baseline (confirmed by BB after the game).

After the snap, Colvin again maneuvered around the tackle and bore down on his target. He met Brady at the end of his drop and latched onto his left shoulder. A sack would likely have killed the clock. Without losing sight of the play Brady shook off Colvin like a matador, pumped left to get the safety off the right hash, then locked in and fired it to David Patten on the baseline (the cornerback had stayed in the flat as Brady predicted).

Patten made a basket catch and replay confirmed that he'd kept his toes in bounds. Game over. Deepest escape in franchise history, one of the worst losses in Bears history...and it happened against a pretty stout D.

At the time, the win kept their playoff hopes alive.

 

[primetime]

The 2002 game was amazing but everyone forgets the Minnesota game. That game was over, gone, done... then Bledsoe and McMurtry started hooking up like they were in love and the Patriots win. I was a young child at the time and wanted to go home at halftime, that's how bad they were getting beaten. I think that has to rate up there.

 

[mongoloido]

Big comebacks almost always involve incredibly poor play by one team and great play by the other team to cause the big deficit, then the teams switching uniforms at some point. It's exciting as hell, but the underlying factors don't point to a well-played game by either team. This is why a "comeback" like Elway's 98yd drive vs. Cleveland to send the '86 AFCCG to overtime will always impress me more than what the Giants did to Philly last week. In a tightly played game, Elway and the Broncos made play after play on that drive, including a ridiculous 3rd-and-18 conversion in which the shotgun snap bounced off a receiver in motion, Elway was able to pick it up and throw a laser to Mark Jackson for 20yds and Jackson held on as he caught it in the air and got clobbered in the back. Vinatieri's 45yd FG to tie the Snow Bowl also fits in this category.

Still, keeping with the original intent of the topic:

1. Bills 41-38 over Houston in '92 playoffs.
.
(head-and-shoulders above the crowd)
.
2. Jets 40-37 over Miami in '00.
3. SF 39-38 over NYG in '02 playoffs.
4. Colts 38-35 over Tampa in '03.
5. Pats 33-30 over Chicago in '02.
6. Giants 30-24 over Philly last week.
7. Pats 26-20 over Minnesota in '94.
8. Pats 31-28 over Indy in '99.

No bias there on #5, 7 and 8, huh?

Regards,
Chris

I'm surprised Elway's 98 yard drive to beat the Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship game didn't make the list. Mention of "The Drive" can still make the city of Cleveland shiver in a heat wave, and make the city of Denver laugh and laugh and laugh.