The Kansas City Chiefs were looking to make history on Sunday as they entered Super Bowl LIX and their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. They were aiming to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl matchups. While teams way back when and pre-merger had won three straight titles, that had not happened in the Super Bowl era.
As it turns out, they would also need to complete some history in the game itself thanks to the worst possible start.
In a first half that was akin to their 2020 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles had Kansas City's number at every single turn. They consistently put Patrick Mahomes under duress and forced some huge mistakes throughout the opening two quarters. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts had everything working for him. The result was the Chiefs finding themselves in a 24-0 hole in New Orleans.
You can never count any team out when it comes to a comeback but this would be a big one for Kansas City if they could pull it off. But what is the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history? You've probably heard of the famed 28-3 game before if you're not brand-new to the NFL...
Biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history
Super Bowl | Winning Team | Losing Team | Largest Deficit | Final Score | Comeback Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LI | New England Patriots | Atlanta Falcons | 28-3 In 3rd Quarter | 34-28 | 25 Points |
LIV | Kansas City Chiefs | San Francisco 49ers | 20-10 In 4th Quarter | 31-20 | 10 Points |
XLIX | New England Patriots | Seattle Seahawks | 24-14 In 4th Quarter | 28-24 | 10 Points |
XLIV | New Orleans Saints | Indianapolis Colts | 10-0 At Halftime | 31-17 | 10 Points |
XXII | Washington Redskins | Denver Broncos | 10-0 In 2nd Quarter | 42-10 | 10 Points |
No comeback has come nearly as close to the epic 28-3 rally by the Patriots, which may remain untouched in Super Bowl history for a long time. The next four comebacks on the list were all by teams down 10, although they achieved their comebacks at various stages of the game.
It is interesting to note that the previous Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers also falls on this list. The 49ers led by 10 entering the fourth quarter before Kansas City scored the final 21 points of the game to secure their first Lombardi Trophy in three years.
The Patriots also had a 10-point Super Bowl comeback on their resume when they rallied from 1 24-14 deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX. That game is notable as it was the one where Pete Carroll opted not to run with Marshawn Lynch at the one-yard line for the potential go-ahead score, instead allowing Russell Wilson to throw a pass that was picked off by Malcolm Butler.
Another memorable 10-point comeback came in Super Bowl XLIV, when the New Orleans Saints entered the locker room down 10-0 to the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Sean Payton called for a surprise onside kick (now known colloquially as the "Ambush Kick") to start the second half and the momentum swung completely in favor of the Saints, who outscored Indianapolis 31-7 after the break to win their first title.