Each NFL Team's Most Memorable Comeback Victory
Comebacks often create the most vivid NFL memories.
Coaches regularly implore their teams to get off to good starts so they can dictate the pace and execute their gameplans to perfection.
But life in the NFL doesn't often go according to plan. A coach may prepare the opening 15 plays to perfection, but his players may not be ready. Mistakes happen and the opponent comes through with an exceptional effort.
So a team is forced to dig deep if it is going to find a way to win.
In this piece we look the most memorable comebacks in each team's history. In many cases, it's the biggest point deficit that is also the most memorable. In other cases, it's the circumstances surrounding the game or the opponent that makes the comeback one that will not be forgotten.
We also conclude with two bonus comebacks that deserve recognition.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Phoenix Cardinals 24, San Francisco 49ers 23
Date: Nov. 6, 1988
The comeback: This game took place in the Cardinals' first season in the desert after moving to Arizona from St. Louis.
The Cardinals had an ordinary team and would finish with a 7-9-0 record that season, while Bill Walsh's 49ers would record a 10-6-0 mark that would earn them first place in the NFC West. While the Niners had a few hiccups in the regular season that year, they would catch fire in the postseason and go on to win the Super Bowl.
The Niners were a much better team when they met the Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium, and they knew it. Steve Young and Roger Craig were on their game, and the Niners rolled to a 23-0 lead in the third quarter. There were no indications that the Cardinals would do anything but continue to take a beating.
However, Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax hit Roy Green with a 35-yard TD pass late in the third quarter, and that got them rolling. Al Del Greco would add a field goal and Lomax would throw additional TD passes to Ernie Jones and Green to give the Cardinals a shocking one-point triumph.
That's the kind of game that often gets the winning team going in the right direction and sends the loser into a tailspin. However, that was not the case here, as the Niners would win four of their last six regular-season games, while the Cardinals would lose five of their last six.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Atlanta Falcons 47, Green Bay Packers 41 (OT)
Date: Nov. 27, 1983
The comeback
The Falcons and Packers were two evenly matched teams when they met towards the end of the 1983 season. The Falcons would finish the year with a 7-9 mark, while the Packers were just a bit better at 8-8.
The Packers came out firing and they built a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. However, that early lead was just the opening chapter in a game that would become a high-scoring classic.
Quarterbacks Lynn Dickey of the Packers and Mike Moroski of the Falcons led their teams to 945 yards of total offense in this game and Falcons receiver Billy "White Shoes" Johnson caught five passes for 74 yards in the game.
However, it was defense that saved the day for the Falcons.
Defensive back Kenny Johnson returned a Dickey interception 26 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta a 41-34 lead. After Green Bay running back Gerry Ellis scored on a four-yard run to tie the score, Johnson returned another interception 31 yards for a touchdown in overtime to give the Falcons their winning points.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Baltimore Ravens 44, Seattle Seahawks 41 (OT)
Date: Nov. 23, 2003
The comeback
The Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks were both competitive teams during the 2003 season, as they would each finish with 10-6 records and earn playoff opportunities.
The two teams played a thrilling game when the Seahawks went to Baltimore, and Seattle appeared ready to come away with a one-sided road win.
Early in the fourth quarter, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck hit wide receiver Bobby Engram with a five-yard TD pass to give the Seahawks a 41-24 lead.
They held that advantage until the 6:41 mark of the period when safety Ed Reed returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. That special teams score lit up the Ravens sidelines, and the team charged back to tie the game on a touchdown pass from Anthony Wright to Marcus Robinson and a Matt Stover 40-yard field goal at the gun.
The Ravens rode that momentum into sudden-death overtime and won the game when Stover connected on a 42-yard field goal.
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38 (OT)
Date: Jan. 3, 1993
The comeback
The Buffalo Bills hosted the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs following the 1992 season, and there were some real fears in Buffalo that the home team would have a problem with starting quarterback Jim Kelly on the sidelines and Frank Reich under center.
Reich was a fine backup quarterback, but he did not have Kelly's star power or command of the offense. The key for Buffalo was getting off to a good start so running backs Thurman Thomas and Kenneth Davis could dominate.
It did not work out that way.
The Oilers were brilliant in building a 28-3 halftime lead, and they appeared to put the finishing touches on the game when safety Bubba McDowell returned a Reich interception 58 yards for a touchdown.
No team in NFL history had ever comeback from a 32-point deficit in the playoffs or regular season.
The Bills would become the first. Davis would score on a one-yard run, and then Reich got hot. He threw a touchdown pass to Don Beebe and three to future Hall of Famer Andre Reed.
The last score gave the Bills a 38-35 lead. The desperate Oilers stopped the bleeding when Al Del Greco connected on a 26-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
However, that was just a momentary reprieve. Buffalo PK Steve Christie would connect on 32-yard field goal in the extra session, and the Bills advanced.
They would go on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins in the AFC playoffs before they were pounded by the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Carolina Panthers 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 23
Date: Sept. 7, 2003
The comeback
The 2003 season would become a memorable one for the Carolina Panthers. They would win the NFC West title with an 11-5 record and go on to the Super Bowl, where they would lose to the New England Patriots.
The opening game of the season saw the Panthers host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two teams had been expansion brethren in 1995, and the Jags got off to a sharp start as they jumped on the homestanding Panthers and took a 17-0 lead.
Carolina finally got its wakeup call with 6:42 to go in the third period as quarterback Jake Delhomme hit wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad with a 13-yard TD pass. Delhomme added TD passes to Steve Smith and Ricky Proehl (with 16 seconds remaining) in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers also got a John Kasay field goal and a safety. If those numbers don't seem to add up, it's because Carolina attempted two two-point conversions and failed on both of them.
While those conversions fell short, the Panthers did not as they started a memorable season in remarkable fashion.
Chicago Bears
6 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Chicago Bears 24, Arizona Cardinals 23
Date: Oct. 16, 2006
The comeback
The Bears were 5-0 when they went to Arizona for a Monday night date with the Cardinals. The Bears excellent start inspired the Cardinals to come out firing, and they took it to the Bears in the early going.
Head coach Dennis Green appeared to have the perfect game plan as the Cardinals ran out to a 20-0 lead at halftime. The Cardinals led 23-3 with seconds remaining in the third quarter when the opportunistic Bears defense struck for a touchdown. Free safety Mike Brown was in the right place at the right time and he returned a fumble three yards for a score.
Suddenly, there was life on the Chicago sidelines. However, the offense continued to stumble under quarterback Rex Grossman. The Bears simply could not move the ball and had to keep punting back to Arizona.
That's where the defense and special teams got involved. Cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown with five minutes to go, and sensational return specialist Devin Hester gave the Bears the game with an 83-yard punt return shortly thereafter.
The Bears came all the way back even though they couldn't do a thing on offense. Green had a famous meltdown after the game, and that was the beginning of the end of his coaching career.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Cincinnati Bengals 27, Seattle Seahawks 21
Date: Sept. 6, 1981
The comeback
The Bengals would go on to a superb season in 1981 that would see them end up in Super Bowl XVI.
However, they opened the season at home against the Seattle Seahawks, and it looked like they would get run out of Riverfront Stadium by the visitors. Seattle jumped on the Bengals with three first-quarter touchdowns.
Head coach Forrest Gregg was not a happy man, and his players knew they had to do something quickly or Gregg would tear into them when they got to the locker room at halftime.
Suddenly, the Bengals woke up behind the Ohio State connection of Pete Johnson and Archie Griffin. Johnson, the huge fullback, would score touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters, while Griffin would pound the ball into the end zone in the third period.
Placekicker Jim Breech added two field goals, and the Bengals were able to turn that early deficit into a 27-21 victory.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Cleveland Browns 23, New York Jets 20 (2 OT)
Date: Jan. 3, 1987
The comeback
This is Cleveland's most significant comeback, because it came late in a divisional playoff game.
The Browns had enjoyed a 12-4 season, and that was good to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Meanwhile, the Jets had endured a six-game losing streak to close the season but still managed to earn a playoff spot. The Jets defeated Kansas City in the Wild Card game the week before and that earned them a trip to Cleveland.
The Jets dictated the pace for the majority of the game, and they took a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter when running back Freeman McNeil broke off a 25-yard TD run.
The Browns appeared to be ready to expire with five minutes remaining, but quarterback Bernie Kosar wouldn't let them. He threw the ball all over Municipal Stadium for 489 passing yards that day. The Browns came back on a touchdown by Kevin Mack and a short Mark Moseley Field goal, which sent the game into overtime.
Moseley won the game with a field goal in the second OT period, and the Browns would go on to host the Denver Broncos in an even more famous game that also ended in overtime.
A win in that AFC Championship Game would have sent Cleveland to the Super Bowl, but Denver's John Elway would not let that happen.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
Date: Dec. 23, 1972
The comeback
Though the Dallas Cowboys may have been the most hated of NFL franchises over the years, they also are America's team, and they have a number of remarkable comebacks to mark their historic legacy.
Jimmy Johnson's Cowboys of the first half of the 1990s dominated most opponents during their championship run and were not called upon to come back from large deficits.
However the Cowboys of the 1970s under Tom Landry and Roger Staubach were resourceful and came from behind many times. While the most famous of those victories was the 1975 triumph over the powerful Minnesota Vikings, in which Staubach threw a remarkable 50-yard TD bomb to Drew Pearson with 24 seconds remaining, the 1972 playoff triumph over San Francisco may been more formidable.
The Cowboys found themselves trailing San Francisco 21-3 in the second quarter, but they drew within 21-13 on a Craig Morton TD pass and a field goal by Toni Fritsch.
However, when 49er running back Larry Schreiber scored his third TD of the game in the fourth quarter, the deficit grew to 28-13.
That's when Staubach took over. He directed the Cowboys to 17 fourth-quarter points as he threw TD passes to Billy Parks and Ron Sellers. The Cowboys broke the hearts of the 49ers fans as they ran out of Candlestick with a remarkable 30-28 triumph.
Denver Broncos
10 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Denver Broncos 35, San Diego Chargers 24
Date: Oct. 15, 2012
The comeback
The Broncos were an unknown commodity at the start of the 2012 season. John Elway had gambled by signing Peyton Manning after he had missed the entire 2011 season recovering from neck surgery, and nobody knew how Manning would respond.
Those doubts remained intact early in the season, as the Broncos were just 2-3 after five games. They faced a pivotal AFC West game at San Diego in Week Six, and the game got off to a brutal start.
The Broncos were down 24-0 at the half, and it looked like the game would turn into an embarrassing rout.
However, Manning and the Broncos would not let that happen. The veteran quarterback threw a 29-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas early in the third quarter, and the Denver defense provided a spark when defensive back Tony Carter returned a fumble 65-yards for a touchdown.
When Manning threw a seven-yard TD pass to Eric Decker early in the fourth, the Broncos were within three points and the Chargers could do nothing to stop the momentum. Manning completed the comeback with a 21-yard TD pass to Brandon Stokley, which gave the visitors a 28-24 lead.
Chris Harris added the final Broncos touchdown when he returned a Philip Rivers interception 46 yards for a score and that gave Denver a remarkable 35-24 triumph.
Detroit Lions
11 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Detroit Lions 31, San Francisco 49ers 27
Date: Dec. 22, 1957
The comeback
There was a time when the Detroit Lions were one of the NFL's greatest teams. They reeled off three championships during the 1950s, and the last of those came in 1957.
However, the Lions had to go to San Francisco at the end of the regular season because both teams were tied for first place in the West Division with 8-4 records. The winner of the playoff game would go on to play the Cleveland Browns in the title game.
It looked like that team would be the 49ers. They built a 24-7 lead behind the passing of Y.A. Tittle and the running of Hugh McElhenny. When the Niners extended that lead to 27-7 in the third quarter, the Lions appeared hopelessly behind.
However, that's just when Detroit found its offense. The Lions stuck with their running game and Tom "The Bomb" Tracy scored on two third-quarter TD runs, while Gene Gedman added a score in the fourth quarter that gave Detroit a 28-27 lead. The Lions extended the final margin to four points on Jim Martin's late field goal.
The Niners had built their lead by attacking downfield with the passing game. However, they played conservative football in the final 30 minutes, and that allowed the Lions to catch up and win.
Detroit would go on to overwhelm Cleveland 59-14 in the NFL championship game. Lions fans have been waiting for another title ever since.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Green Bay Packers 37, Dallas Cowboys 36
Date: Dec. 15, 2013
The comeback
The Green Bay Packers had a huge problem throughout much of the second half of the 2013 season. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was out of action with a shoulder injury, and the once-dynamic Green Bay offense had turned anemic under backup quarterback Matt Flynn.
That was once again the case when the Packers went to Dallas in mid-December, as the Cowboys opened up a 26-3 halftime lead.
But when the two teams returned from their locker rooms to begin the second half, the Packers were revitalized. Flynn threw a pair of TD passes to Jordy Nelson and Andrew Quarless in the third quarter and two more to James Starks and James Jones in the fourth quarter.
Eddie Lacy clinched the remarkable come-from-behind effort when he powered into the end zone from one yard out with 1:31 remaining.
The victory played a key role in the Packers finding a way to win the NFC North title, and it also helped doom the Cowboys to another non-playoff season.
Houston Texans
13 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Houston Texans, 30, Washington Redskins 27 (OT)
Date: Sept. 19, 2010
The comeback: The Texans seemed to be in a funk in Week Two of the 2010 season. Although they had played a sharp game in winning their opener against the Colts, they couldn't do anything right for nearly three full quarters against the Redskins.
Washington had a 27-10 lead, but when Kevin Walter scored on a six-yard pass from Matt Schaub on the period's final play, there was new life on the Houston sidelines.
The Texans pressed throughout the fourth period. Neil Rackers connected on a 43-yard field goal, and then Andre Johnson tied the game when he took a pass from Schaub and went 43 yards for the score.
The Redskins lost their edge at that point, and the Texans came all the way back to win when Rackers connected on a 35-yard field goal late in the extra session.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Indianapolis Colts 45, Kansas City Chiefs 44
Date: Jan. 4, 2014
The comeback
The Colts were in the process of laying an egg in last season's Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs as they fell behind, 38-10, early in the third period when K.C.'s Alex Smith threw a 10-yard TD pass to backup running back Knile Davis.
The Colts' offense was ineffective and the defense was nonexistent. There were no signs that Indy would turn it around.
But that's just what the Colts did.
Donald Brown got it started for the Colts when he scored on a 10-yard run, and then he got the Colts within striking distance when he caught a three-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck before the end of the third period.
The momentum slowed briefly when Ryan Succop connected on a field goal for the Chiefs, but Coby Fleener caught a TD pass from Luck and then the quarterback picked up a fumble on mishandled exchange with his running back and rumbled five yards into the end zone to bring the Chiefs with three points at 41-38.
Succop extended the Chiefs' lead to six points when he connected on a 43-yard field goal with 5:36 to go, but Luck brought the Colts all the way back and helped them advance to the divisional playoffs when he connected with T.Y. Hilton on a 64-yard TD pass.
While the Colts would lose the following week at New England, Luck and his teammates pulled off one of the great comebacks in NFL history.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Jacksonville Jaguars 28, Baltimore Ravens 25 (OT)
Date: Nov. 24, 1996
The comeback
The 1996 season was special for Jacksonville, a second-year expansion team. Very little was expected from Tom Coughlin's squad, but the Jaguars earned a playoff spot with a 9-7 record and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game, where they were stopped by the New England Patriots.
The Jaguars were struggling badly when they met the Ravens in Baltimore as the season neared it's turn for home. The Jaguars fell behind by a 25-10 score after three quarters. The margin would have been a lot greater had the Ravens finished a few of their drives. Instead, Baltimore had to settle for four Matt Stover field goals.
Then the Jaguars mounted a charge in the final period. Mark Brunell threw an 11-yard TD pass to tight end Pete Mitchell, and later he found Willie Jackson with a seven-yard scoring pass that brought the Jaguars within two points.
Brunell tied the game when he scored on a two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. Linebacker Kevin Hardy forced an Earnest Byner fumble in the extra period, and placekicker Mike Hollis made the Ravens pay when he connected on a 34-yard game-winning field goal.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs 40, Green Bay Packers 34 (OT)
Date: Oct. 12, 2003
The comeback
The Chiefs had a special team in 2003, and that was fairly obvious when they rolled into Green Bay in mid-October. They had won their first five games of the season and were a very confident bunch.
But playing the Packers and Brett Favre at Lambeau Field was never an easy assignment, and Green Bay played a sharp game and took a 31-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs had a powerful offense behind the accurate passing of Trent Green and the effective running of Priest Holmes. They kept punching away at the Packers despite the deficit and came all the way back. Holmes scored on a short run, Jerome Woods brought an interception back 79 yards for a score and Morten Andersen kicked two field goals, including the one that tied the game with one second left on the clock.
In overtime, Green hit wide receiver Eddie Kennison with a 51-yard TD pass, giving the Chiefs the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history.
Miami Dolphins
17 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Miami Dolphins 34, New England Patriots 27
Date: Dec. 15, 1974
The comeback
While the Dan Marino "fake spike" victory at the Meadowlands over the Jets (2004) may be the more famous comeback, the 1974 victory over New England was truly miraculous, as the Dolphins mounted a comeback from a 24-0 deficit to beat a team they regularly tormented at home in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
The Dolphins won 17 straight games played in Miami against the Patriots between 1967 and 1985*, but the 1974 game appeared to be a lost cause.
The Patriots scored three first-quarter touchdowns, and when John Smith added a second-quarter field goal, the margin was 24 points.
Apparently, the Dolphins did not receive their wake-up call until that quarter. They scored 17 points before halftime and then tied it in the third quarter when veteran quarterback Earl Morrall connected with Melvin Baker on a 46-yard TD pass.
The frustrated Patriots came back to take a 27-24 lead on Smith's 34-yard field goal, but the onrushing Dolphins would not be stopped. Don Nottingham, nicknamed the "Human Bowling Ball" for his rotund physique, pounded the ball into the end zone for the winning points and Garo Yepremian added a 40-yard field goal to close out the Patriots.
*Patriots defeated Dolphins 28-23 in 1969, but that "home" game was played in Tampa.
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Minnesota Vikings 28, San Francisco 49ers 27
Date: Dec. 4, 1977
The comeback
The Vikings were coming off two hard-fought divisional road games against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, and probably thought they could just show up at Metropolitan Stadium and take down the lowly 49ers.
However, San Francisco was not about to play the role of gracious guests. The 49ers came out firing and dominated the game for three quarters. They built a 24-0 lead before Bob Lee threw a 15-yard TD pass to Brent McClanahan to get the Vikings on the scoreboard.
The Minnesota defense stopped the Niners at that point, and Tommy Kramer came off the Minnesota bench and took over in the final quarter. He threw TD passes to Ahmad Rashad, Bob Tucker and Sammy White, and the Vikings sent their fans home from the venerable, open-air Metropolitan Stadium with a jump in their step and a memorable one-point win.
New England Patriots
19 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: New England Patriots 38, Seattle Seahawks 23
Date: Sept. 16, 1984
The comeback
The 1984 season was a precursor to the excellence the team would find in 1985, a year in which the Patriots would go on to earn their first Super Bowl appearance.
The 1984 Patriots were a good team, but they had a few flaws. They would finish with a winning record at 9-7, but their inconsistent play was regularly on display.
This was never more so the case as when Dave Krieg and the Seahawks came to Foxboro in mid-September. Undaunted by the long road trip, the Seahawks jumped on the Patriots as Kreig threw a long touchdown pass to Daryl "Deep Heat" Turner, got a punt return for a score from Paul Johns and then added another touchdown on safety Kenny Easley's 25-yard interception return of a Tony Eason pass.
Giving up those touchdowns and a Norm Johnson field goal could have buried the Patriots, but they responded in a powerful manner. Eason, who was not a great scrambler, scored on a 25-yard run before halftime to give New England a little life.
After the break, Eason fired touchdown passes to Derrick Ramsey and Irving Fryar, while Mosi Tatupu ran for two scores. Barefoot placekicer Tony Franklin also added a field goal as New England came all the way back to rout the stunned Seahawks.
The Pats also came back from a 24-0 deficit in 2013 against the Denver Broncos to register a 34-31 victory in overtime.
New Orleans Saints
20 of 34Opponent and Final Score: New Orleans Saints 46, Miami Dolphins 34
Date: Oct. 25, 2009
The comeback
The 2009 season was a clearly magical one in Saints history. The greatest moment would come at the end of the year when they would defeat the Indianapolis Colts and win their only Super Bowl.
There were many great moments along the way, and this victory over the Dolphins in Miami was one of them. The Saints were 5-0 when they went to South Florida, but the Dolphins were unimpressed. Miami took a 24-3 lead midway through the second quarter appeared to have full control of the game.
The Dolphins still weren't worried after Drew Brees scored on a one-yard run in the final seconds of the first half. However, when Darren Sharper intercepted a Chad Henne pass and took it 42 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, the Dolphins knew the Saints were not going anywhere.
The Saints kept pounding away and took a 37-34 when Brees scored on his second rushing touchdown of the game. They added a field goal by John Carney and another defensive score to turn the lights out on the Dolphins and come away with their sixth consecutive win to start the season.
New York Giants
21 of 34Opponent and Final Score: New York Giants 35, Washington Redskins 33
Date: Nov. 15, 1970
The comeback
The Giants had struggled badly throughout the latter portion of the 1960s. After reaching the league championship game in 1963, they did not have winning season through the end of the decade.
The 1970 was supposed to be more ordinary football from New York, but second-year head coach Alex Webster was able to get this version of the team to dig a little deeper. The Giants would play solid football and finish with a 9-5 record. If they had won their season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, they would have made the playoffs for the first time in seven years. However, they dropped that game by a lopsided 31-3 score.
The Giants pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history earlier in that season. They trailed the Washington Redskins 33-14 at the end of three quarters at Yankee Stadium, and they were going down to a painful defeat to a division rival.
However, Fran Tarkenton and his offense found life in the final 15 minutes. The Giants got two touchdowns from running back Ron Johnson and another score on a 57-yard pass from Tarkenton to running back Tucker Fredrickson. They came all the way back and earned a stellar victory over the Redskins.
New York Jets
22 of 34Opponent and Final Score: New York Jets 40, Miami Dolphins 37 (OT)
Date: Oct. 23, 2000
The comeback
This game was the greatest comeback in Jets history and ever on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins came into Giants Stadium and did nearly everything right for three quarters. Lamar Smith ran for two touchdowns and the Dolphins kept pushing and built a 30-7 lead heading into the fourth.
With Jets fans ready to head for the exits, quarterback Vinny Testaverde led New York to 30 fourth-quarter points and eventually tied the game. He threw four TD passes and John Hall kicked a field goal that sent the game into overtime.
The tying points came on a Testaverde TD pass to the bruising Jumbo Elliott on a tackle-eligible play that sent the now-delirious crowd into a frenzy. Elliott juggled the ball while falling to the turf in the end zone, but he clearly secured the pass before hitting the ground.
Hall finished off the Dolphins when he connected on a 40-yard field goal midway through the overtime period.
Oakland Raiders
23 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Los Angeles Raiders 30, Denver Broncos 27 (OT)
Date: Sept. 26, 1988
The comeback
The Raiders played some of their best football while stationed in Los Angeles from 1982 through 1994. When they went to Denver in late September in 1988, head coach Mike Shanahan's team did not appear ready for a game with the Broncos in the Mile High city.
Tony Dorsett scored a pair of touchdowns, and the Broncos built a 24-0 halftime lead. But when the Raiders came out to start the second half, they were a renewed team. Steve Smith caught two long TD passes (40 and 42 yards) from quarterback Jay Schroeder to bring the Raiders within 10 points by the end of the third quarter, and when Chris Bahr kicked a field goal and Marcus Allen scored in the fourth, Oakland tied the game.
The contest eventually went into overtime, and Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal in the extra session to make complete the comeback effort and send Dan Reeves and the Broncos to a head-shaking defeat.
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Philadelphia Eagles 32, Cleveland Browns 30
Date: Nov. 10, 1991
The comeback
Jim McMahon and the Philadelphia Eagles were a marauding group in 1991, and they expected to come away with an easy win over the Browns when they traveled to Cleveland shortly after the midway point of the season.
The Birds got their win, but it was not easy. The Browns jumped all over them and built a 23-0 lead early in the second quarter. McMahon and his teammates mounted a comeback. The quarterback threw second-quarter TD passes to tight end Keith Jackson and explosive wideout Fred Jackson, which got the Eagles back into the game.
Roger Ruzek kicked three field goals in the second half, and McMahon threw the game-winning TD pass to Cavin Williams in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles rode the momentum from that comeback to win their next four games. Philadelphia finished with a 10-6 record but could not earn a spot in that year's playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 42, Baltimore Ravens 34
Date: Oct. 5, 1997
The comeback
The Steelers did not have a lot of major comebacks during the Terry Bradshaw-Joe Greene era of the 1970s. That's because the Steelers had a dominant defensive team and rarely fell behind by more than two touchdowns in games that they ended up winning.
The Steelers had a brilliant comeback against the Ravens during the 1997 season. They went to Baltimore in early October, and the Ravens got two TD passes from Vinny Testaverde and a scoring run from Bam Morris as they took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Ravens were firmly in control of the game with a 24-7 lead at halftime, but quarterback Kordell Stewart had one of his best games as a Steeler. He threw three second-half TD passes and also scored on a 74-yard run that shocked the Ravens and stunned their fans.
Running back Jerome Bettis punished Baltimore with 137 rushing yards in the game.
St. Louis Rams
26 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: Los Angeles Rams 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
Date: Dec. 6, 1992
The comeback
The Los Angeles Rams endured a painful 6-10 season in 1992, and they were struggling badly with a 4-8 record when the ordinary Tampa Bay Bucs came to Anaheim Stadium.
As badly as the Rams had played, they had to be in a state of shock as Vinny Testaverde and the Bucs jumped out to a 27-3 lead.
While it looked like the Rams would be blown out of their home stadium, they refused to accept that fate. The defense turned up the heat on Testaverde and Co. and did not give up a point in the second half.
Meanwhile the offense came to life. Quarterback Jim Everett lit the fuse when he connected with Willie "Flipper" Anderson on a 40-yard TD pass early in the third quarter. Everett followed that up with another TD pass to Jeff Chadwick, and David Lang got the Rams within three points when he pounded the ball into the end zone from a yard out.
Finally, the Rams came all the way back and won the game when Everett connected with tight end Pat Carter on an eight-yard scoring pass for the winning points.
San Diego Chargers
27 of 34
Opponent and Final Score: San Diego Chargers 49, Cincinnati Bengals 41
Date: Nov. 12, 2006
The comeback
The Chargers were enjoying a dominant season in 2006, and they would record a 14-2 record that would allow them to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
While they would lose their first-round playoff game at home to the New England Patriots, they had a number of brilliant moments during the regular season. One of them came when the Cincinnati Bengals came calling in mid-November.
The Bengals had it all working in the first half as Carson Palmer threw two TD passes, and the Bengals added two more scores on the ground. They took a 28-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The presumably embarrassed Chargers squad came out for the second half with a determination that was missing in the first half. All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson got things rolling with a four-yard TD run, and he would score two more touchdowns in the final quarter.
Quarterback Philip Rivers also threw two TD passes, as the Chargers were able to catch and put away the Bengals with a huge second half.
San Francisco 49ers
28 of 34Opponent and Final Score: San Francisco 38, New Orleans Saints 35 (OT)
Date: Dec. 7, 1980
The comeback
The 49ers were not yet a good team in the second year of Bill Walsh's tenure in San Francisco. However, they were far better than they had been in 1979 (2-14), and these Niners were starting to show some progress with Joe Montana behind center.
The Niners were having an awful game of it, however, when the 0-13 New Orleans Saints came to Candlestick Park. Quarterback Archie Manning and his Saints built a 35-7 lead.
However, these Saints were not a good team with the lead. Montana got the Niners going with a one-yard plunge and a 71-yard TD pass to Dwight Clark in the third quarter.
Montana would throw another TD pass to Freddie Solomon in the fourth, and running back Lenvil Elliott would tie the game on an eight-yard TD run shortly thereafter.
Ray Wersching gave the Niners a dramatic come-from-behind win when he connected on a 36-yard field goal in overtime.
Seattle Seahawks
29 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Seattle Seahawks 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24 (OT)
Date: Nov. 3, 2013
The comeback
The Seattle Seahawks proved to be the best team in football by a wide margin last year, and the ultimate proof came when they dominated the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.
During the regular season, they were 7-1 at home, and they didn't lose at CenturyLink Field to the Arizona Cardinals until they had clinched their division championship.
However, the Seahawks looked quite human and beatable when the Bucs came to the Northwest for their Week 9 matchup. The lowly Bucs jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, and the Seahawks didn't get on the board until Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse with a 16-yard TD pass late in the first half.
The Seahawks made amends for their poor first half in the final 30 minutes of play. Wilson scored on a 10-yard rush in the third quarter, and he hit Doug Baldwin with the tying-TD pass in the fourth quarter.
Steven Hauschka hit the game-winning 27-yard field goal in overtime to bring the Seahawks all the way back and save them from the embarrassment of losing to Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Opponent and Final Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Kansas City Chiefs 27 (OT)
Date: Nov. 2, 2008
The comeback
The Bucs have never been known for their overwhelming offenses, so their comeback victories have been few and far between.
However, they registered an eye-opening comeback during a respectable 2008 season that saw them go 9-7. Veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia was under center for the majority of the season.
The Bucs got off to an awful start in a midseason road matchup at Kansas City. The Chiefs jumped out to a 24-3 lead late in the first half when Connor Barth connected on a 39-yard field goal.
However, the Bucs decided enough was enough, and Clifton Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Bucs also added a field goal before the end of the half to get within 11 points at 24-13.
There were no points in the third quarter, but the Bucs outscored the Chiefs 14-3 in the fourth, with the tying touchdown coming on a Garcia TD pass. Matt Bryant finished the comeback when he connected on a 35-yard field goal in overtime.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Houston Oilers 30, Cincinnati Bengals 27 (OT)
Date: Sept. 23, 1979
The comeback
The Houston Oilers had one thing on their minds during the 1979 season, and that was figuring out a way to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Oilers had been smashed by the Steelers 34-5 in the 1978 AFC Championship game, and they wanted to get another chance at the Steelers.
As a result, the Oilers did not give the Cincinnati Bengals their full concentration when they went to the Queen City in September. The Bengals jumped all over their guests and built a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
However, Dan Pastorini was not about to let the Bengals continue to run roughshod over his team. Pastorini threw TD passes to Rich Caster and Ken Burrough, while Earl Campbell also scored on an eight-yard TD run.
Toni Fritsch connected on a 29-yard field goal to give the Houston Oilers—later to move to Nashville and become the Tennessee Titans—the come-from-behind victory on the road.
Washington Redskins
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Opponent and Final Score: Washington Redskins 38, Carolina Panthers 36
Date: Oct. 3, 1999
The comeback
The Redskins appeared to be up against it when the Panthers came to RFK Stadium in Week Four of the 1999 season. Specifically, their run defense looked awful, as they gave up three first-quarter touchdown runs to Tim Biakabutuka. Two of those scoring jaunts were 45 yards or longer.
The Redskins woke up in the second quarter, when Stephen Davis pounded the ball into the end zone from a yard out. The Redskins scored three more TDs in that quarter and earned a 28-24 lead by halftime.
The two teams went back and forth in the final 30 minutes, and the Redskins won the game on a Brett Conway 31-yard field goal with six seconds to play.
It was a huge day for Redskins quarterback Brad Johnson, who completed 20-of-33 passes for 337 yards with four TDs and no interceptions. Johnson threw two TD passes to Michael Westbrook and two more to Albert Connell.
Peyton's Monday Night Miracle Leads Colts
33 of 34Opponent and Final Score: Indianapolis Colts 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35 (OT)
Date: Oct. 6, 2003
The comeback
Peyton Manning has been involved in some terrific Monday night comebacks, but it may be hard for him to ever top what he did when the Colts went to Tampa Bay early in the 2003 season.
The Bucs were pumped for their appearance on Monday Night Football, and they dominated early as they built a 21-0 halftime lead. They still had a seemingly secure 35-14 lead with 5:09 to go in the fourth period when Ronde Barber returned a Manning interception 29 yards for a touchdown.
The defending Super Bowl champs were nearly celebrating on the sidelines as they were getting the best of the Colts. But Manning was not one to give up. First, he drove the Colts down the field and running back James Mungro found the end zone from three yards out. Then, Manning connected with Marvin Harrison on a 28-yard TD pass with 2:29 to go.
That score made it very uncomfortable in Tampa, but Manning was still not finished. The Colts got the ball back and tied the score when running back Ricky Williams scored on a one-yard run.
The shell-shocked Bucs then fell victim in overtime, and Indy's Mike Vanderjagt kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime.
Niners Shock Giants with Playoff Comeback
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Opponent and Final Score: San Francisco 49ers 39, New York Giants 38
Date: Jan. 5, 2003
The comeback
All appeared lost for the 49ers when Matt Bryant connected on a short field goal that gave the Giants a 38-14 lead win the Wild-Card game with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter.
Even if the 49ers were going to begin a comeback, they simply didn't have enough time to finish the job. However, nobody let quarterback Jeff Garcia and wideout Terrell Owens know. Garcia hit Owens with a TD pass and then Garcia followed with a TD run of his own. He also hit Owens with two-point conversions after both of those TDs to get the Niners within eight points.
After the Niners connected on a short field goal, Garcia found wideout Tai Streets with the game-winning 13-yard TD pass with one minute remaining.
On the ensuing drive the Giants worked the ball into field-goal range, but a botched snap and the subsequent failure to spike the ball kept them from overcoming the 49ers' amazing comeback.
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