Buccaneers Set NFL Record with 38-Point Halftime Deficit at Home

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a forgettable Sunday afternoon, as their 38-point halftime deficit against the Baltimore Ravens was the largest for any home team in NFL history, per ESPN Stats & Info.

In a game the Bucs would eventually lose 48-17, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco set a new league record by throwing five touchdown passes within the first 16 minutes, three seconds of the game. Previously, no quarterback had reached five touchdowns within the first 20 minutes of an NFL contest.

Following Flacco's five touchdown passes on Baltimore's first five drives, the Ravens settled for a field goal on their sixth drive, then held the Bucs scoreless for the rest of the half.

Tampa Bay nearly avoided the unfortunate piece of history, as kicker Patrick Murray clanked a 45-yarder off the right upright with 29 seconds remaining in the half.

Had Murray made the kick, the Bucs likely would have gone into halftime down 38-3, with the 35-point margin tied with eight other performances for second worst in league history.

As is, Tampa Bay holds the record, while the 1962 Chargers stand alone in second place, having trailed the Buffalo Bills by 37 points in a home game that season.

Going back to 1940 and also counting home games, Baltimore's 38-point lead tied for the sixth largest at halftime in league history, per Pro-Football-Reference.com's play index. The record belongs to the 2009 New England Patriots, who held a 45-0 halftime lead over the Tennessee Titans in a game that memorably ended with a final score of 59-0.

Of the 15 previous teams to trail by 38 points or more at halftime of a regular-season contest, only the 1967 Cleveland Browns finished with a winning record.

On the other side of the equation, only the 1977 Seattle Seahawks finished a season with a losing record after holding a lead of 38 points or better at halftime.

There haven't been any close calls, as each of the 16 games featuring a 38-point halftime lead ended with a margin of 17 or more points.