Checkdowns: Biggest failed comebacks

by Chase Stuart on December 18, 2012

Brady joins Marino on the failed comebacks list.

[UPDATE: There was an error earlier in this post. I believe it is fixed now.]

On Sunday Night, the Patriots trailed 31-3 halfway through the third quarter. But that’s when Tom Brady got hot, and New England tied the game with 6:43 left in the 4th quarter. At that moment, many fans probably had visions of the Oilers-Bills playoff game, where Buffalo came back from a 32-point deficit to win.

And while there are a lot of famous comebacks, the failed comeback is much less memorable. But in fact, this was the 4th time a team trailed by 28 points in the game only to tie or take the lead in the 4th quarter… but ultimately lose.

The table below shows all games prior to 2012 where a team trailed by at least 21 points, was trailing entering the 4th quarter, came back to tie or take the lead in the 4th quarter, but then still lost. The table is listed from the perspective of the eventual winner and shows the final points for and points allowed in the game, along with the biggest lead and the largest fourth-quarter deficit the winning team faced despite the large early lead.

Year	Date	Boxscore	Tm	Opp	PF	PA	BgLd	Def
1994	09/25/1994	Boxscore	MIN	MIA	38	35	28	0
1944	09/24/1944	Boxscore	GNB	CHI	42	28	28	0
2007	10/21/2007	Boxscore	TEN	HOU	38	36	25	-1
2004	12/12/2004	Boxscore	SFO	ARI	31	28	25	0
1980	12/07/1980	Boxscore	CIN	BAL	34	33	25	-2
1987	10/25/1987	Boxscore	GNB	DET	34	33	24	-2
1981	01/02/1982	Boxscore	SDG	MIA	41	38	24	-7
1996	09/22/1996	Boxscore	NWE	JAX	28	25	22	0
2010	12/13/2010	Boxscore	BAL	HOU	34	28	21	0
2009	10/11/2009	Boxscore	ARI	HOU	28	21	21	0
2009	01/10/2010	Boxscore	ARI	GNB	51	45	21	0
2009	01/10/2010	Boxscore	ARI	GNB	51	45	21	0
2008	09/14/2008	Boxscore	GNB	DET	48	25	21	-1
2006	12/17/2006	Boxscore	CHI	TAM	34	31	21	0
2004	10/10/2004	Boxscore	MIN	HOU	34	28	21	0
2003	11/30/2003	Boxscore	NWE	IND	38	34	21	0
1999	12/12/1999	Boxscore	KAN	MIN	31	28	21	0
1998	12/06/1998	Boxscore	SFO	CAR	31	28	21	0
1995	11/19/1995	Boxscore	DEN	SDG	30	27	21	0
1993	09/12/1993	Boxscore	NOR	ATL	34	31	21	0
1993	01/03/1994	Boxscore	PHI	SFO	37	34	21	0
1991	11/17/1991	Boxscore	NYJ	NWE	28	21	21	0
1990	10/07/1990	Boxscore	CIN	RAM	34	31	21	0
1990	10/07/1990	Boxscore	CIN	RAM	34	31	21	0
1989	09/10/1989	Boxscore	NWE	NYJ	27	24	21	-3
1986	11/20/1986	Boxscore	RAI	SDG	37	31	21	0
1983	01/08/1984	Boxscore	WAS	SFO	24	21	21	0
1980	11/23/1980	Boxscore	NYJ	HOU	31	28	21	0
1980	11/23/1980	Boxscore	NYJ	HOU	31	28	21	0
1979	09/09/1979	Boxscore	WAS	DET	27	24	21	0
1975	11/30/1975	Boxscore	WAS	MIN	31	30	21	-6
1960	11/06/1960	Boxscore	BAL	GNB	38	24	21	0
1949	10/23/1949	Boxscore	NYG	CHI	35	28	21	0
1945	11/04/1945	Boxscore	WAS	CRD	24	21	21	0

Note that this excludes games this game between Green Bay and Pittsburgh from 1951, where the Packers held a 28-point lead and won, but actually trailed entering the 4th quarter.

Tagged as: 49ers, Comebacks, Patriots, Tom Brady

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