Greatest NFL Comebacks: Colts Shoot Up The List

If anyone could’ve somehow told me that the first game of wild card weekend was going to play out like that I would’ve said not a chance. Both the Colts and the Chiefs played in one of the most memorable games in NFL history on Saturday not to mention it was a playoff game.

When Kansas City took to the field they knew they had one thing in their arsenal that nobody else in the league had in Jamal Charles. Nearly obtaining 2,000 combined yards in both rushing and receiving and 19 total touchdowns. At the 11:30 mark of the 1st quarter the playmaker they look forward to giving the ball was lost to injury. Said to be a head everyone shortly heard the news that he wouldn’t return.

Given that terrible circumstance many would’ve thought that Kansas City was surely done for. That wasn’t the case as they began to run up the score on the Colts in a hurry. Alex Smith really not known for his down field throws connected on two plays and in which one went for a score. The first being to Dwayne Bowe for 63 yards and the scoring play to Donnie Avery for 79 yards. Really having their way with Indianapolis the half ended with them leading 31-10.

Not the end of the world and still having hope many thought it could’ve turned around in the 2nd half. That being said the opening drive had Kansas City creating a turnover and eventually scoring again. To most that had to be the dagger that did the Colts in but they were just getting started.

Andrew Luck fired up and ready to do anything possible couldn’t have drawn it up any better himself. Leading his squad to a five touchdown 2nd half and ultimately pulling off the victory. His determination along with his teammates showed the world why you always play until the end and you never know what can happen when a team is fully on board. The turning point to this game was when Donald Brown fumbled the ball inside the five yard line. Brown who had never lost a fumble in his career coming into the game would keep that stat as Luck picked up the fumble and preceded into the end zone. The awareness and luck I guess you can say was on the side of the Colts as that inflated the Chiefs.

At that point the Colts were only down 3 points and you could just tell all the momentum in the world was with them. The next drive would see Alex Smith and the Chiefs only putting up a field goal to go up six nevertheless leaving enough time for Andrew Luck and the Colts to operate. When they got the ball everyone knew where the ball was going and Kansas City still couldn’t stop it.

TY Hilton was Luck’s favorite receiver all game and who better to cap off an impressive comeback than airing out a 64 pass to take the lead for the first time. Smith still having time on the clock to make a comeback of his own but in the end was unable to do so. The game ended with the Colts in victory formation capping off a 28 point comeback advancing them to the next round. The game was great (if you’re a Colts fan) but did you know it ranked second on the all-time list of NFL comebacks?

After it was all said and done the Buffalo Bills kept the top spot with their unbelievable comeback spanning 32 points in the 1993 wild card game against the Houston Oilers. This game seen a backup quarterback in Frank Reich take control and bring back a Bills team that for sure had fans telling themselves there’s no way we could overcome this. An ironic thing was that most people in Buffalo couldn’t even see the game because the game was blacked out due to NFL rules.

Other comebacks that are in the top five have Joe Montana bringing the 49ers back also from a 28 point deficit against the Saints in 1980. From there a familiar team in the Bills came back to stun the Colts in 1997 down 26-0 in the second quarter. Lastly a comeback with replacement players had the Cardinals notching the victory down 25 at one point to Tampa Bay back in 1987.

So if this is what we have to look forward to in the NFL for years to come I have no complaints. Teams believing in their schemes and within each another gives us fans outcomes that we can talk about for years to come.