The Vikings looked set to suffer one of their most embarrassing losses of the season.
Minnesota went into the locker room for halftime trailing 33-0against the Indianapolis Colts. It seemed like one more reason for people to question the Vikings’ legitimacy despite their 10-3 start to the season.
However, it seems there was a lot of motivation in the locker room. Minnesota allowed just one field goal to the Colts in the third quarter, and proceeded to overcome a 33-point deficit and force overtime.
FIRST GAME. DALVIN COOK. 64 YARDS. They are on their way.
📺: #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 he made a 40-yard field goal with four seconds left in overtime, which gave him a 39-33 win over the Vikings.
Where does this “flip” rank among the greatest comebacks in NFL history?
Here’s a look back at the greatest comebacks in NFL history.
The greatest comebacks in NFL history
Vikings officially set NFL record for longest comeback in history, beating a game known as “Return” who saw it buffalo bills come back against Houston Oilers to what it once was deficit of 32 points.
The starting quarterback for the Bills in that game was Frank Reichwho was the head coach of the Colts at the start of the 2022 season. But he was fired and replaced by the interim coach Jeff Saturday.
Here’s a look at the greatest comebacks of all time:
| Winner | Loser | Date | Spots he spotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | colts of indianapolis | December 17, 2022 | 33 |
| buffalo bills | Houston Oilers | January 3, 1993 | 32 |
| colts of indianapolis | Kansas City Chiefs | January 4, 2014 | 28 |
| San Francisco 49ers | New Orleans Saints | December 7, 1980 | 28 |
| buffalo bills | colts of indianapolis | September 21, 1997 | 26 |
| New England Patriots | atlanta hawks | 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 in this list. He was the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons when they lost one 28-3 against New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. That comeback is tied for the sixth-longest in history and still stands the biggest in the Super Bowl.
Ryan now has the unfortunate honor of being the quarterback who has lost the longest lead in NFL and Super Bowl history.
The return of the Vikings 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 ones half time deficits that have been surpassed in NFL history.
| Winner | Loser | Date | Spots he spotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | colts of indianapolis | 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 | Twenty-one |
| San Diego Chargers | San Francisco 49ers | December 20, 2014 | Twenty-one |
| Detroit Lions | atlanta hawks | October 26, 2014 | Twenty-one |
| colts of indianapolis | Kansas City Chiefs | January 4, 2014 | Twenty-one |
| Philadelphia Eagles | New York Giants | December 19, 2010 | Twenty-one |
| Tennessee Titans | New York Giants | November 26, 2006 | Twenty-one |
| San Diego Chargers | Cincinnati Bengals | November 12, 2006 | Twenty-one |
| St. Louis Rams | Houston Texans | November 27, 2005 | Twenty-one |
| colts of indianapolis | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | October 6, 2003 | Twenty-one |
| New England Patriots | colts of indianapolis | September 19, 1999 | Twenty-one |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Minnesota Vikings | December 24, 1995 | Twenty-one |
| colts of indianapolis | Miami Dolphins | October 8, 1995 | Twenty-one |
| Minnesota Vikings | San Francisco 49ers | October 24, 1965 | Twenty-one |
| los angeles rams | Green Bay Packers | November 14, 1957 | Twenty-one |
| New York Giants | Chicago Cardinals | October 30, 1949 | Twenty-one |
| los angeles rams | Detroit Lions | October 24, 1948 | Twenty-one |
