Cleveland Browns Set NFL Record for Largest Road Comeback

The Cleveland Browns recorded the largest regular-season road comeback in NFL history Sunday, beating the Tennessee Titans 29-28 after trailing 28-3 in the second quarter, per Scott Petrak of The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

Cleveland's comeback from a 25-point deficit was made possible by an awful first half that saw the Browns allow touchdowns on four straight drives. After punting on their first possession, the Titans ripped off touchdown drives of 58, 80, 80 and 75 yards, with the last comprised entirely of a 75-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Justin Hunter.

Trailing 28-3 after Hunter's big play late in the second quarter, Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer engineered a 90-yard scoring drive right before halftime, culminating with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jim Dray to cut the deficit to 28-10.

Following a third-quarter field goal from Browns kicker Billy Cundiff, Cleveland blocked a punt out of the end zone early in the final quarter, cutting the lead to 28-15. The Browns then embarked on a 67-yard touchdown drive after the safety punt, pulling within six points.

Next came a three-and-out by each team, followed by a big fourth-down stop by the Cleveland defense to get the ball back at Tennessee's 42-yard line with just over three minutes remaining.

Hoyer led the team on a four-play touchdown drive, with the winning score coming on a 17-yard strike to Travis Benjamin, who had already reached the end zone earlier in the game.

The Titans, so unstoppable in the first half, were unable to get anything going in the final one minute, nine seconds of the game. After scoring touchdowns on four straight drives, Tennessee produced no points on the final six possessions of the game.

According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's website, there have been two comebacks from a deficit of greater than 25 points in NFL regular-season history, but in both cases it was the home team that won. The San Francisco 49ers came back from a 28-point deficit to defeat the New Orleans Saints in 1980, and the Buffalo Bills stormed back from 26 points down to beat the Indianapolis Colts in 1997.

There have been multiple road comebacks from 24 points down, with the most recent coming courtesy of the Denver Broncos over the San Diego Chargers in 2012.

The greatest comeback in league history—regular season or postseason—belongs to the 1992 Buffalo Bills, who stormed back from 32 points down in a home playoff game against the Houston Oilers that ranks among the most memorable football contests ever played. Fittingly enough, that game is known to this day simply as "The Comeback".