Seahawks-Packers and 15 Most Improbable Postseason Comebacks in Sports History
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The Seattle Seahawks miraculously advanced to their second-straight Super Bowl and NFC Championship with a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. While the comeback was certainly one for the ages, it was not nearly the greatest come from behind win in sports or even NFL history. Here are the 15 most improbable postseason comebacks in sports history.
15. Colts - Patriots 2007 AFC Championship Game
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15. Colts - Patriots 2007 AFC Championship Game
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The New England Patriots – Indianapolis Colts rivalry was easily the best of this decade. Tom Brady and the Patriots had owned Peyton Manning and the Colts in the playoffs in recent years, but in 2007, Indianapolis flipped the script. The Patriots led 21-3 in the first half before the Colts tied the game in the third quarter. New England regained the lead three more times, but the Colts completed the comeback with a 38-34 win.
14. Clippers - Grizzlies 2012 Game 1 WCQF
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14. Clippers - Grizzlies 2012 Game 1 WCQF
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The Clippers trailed by 27 points at one point and by 21 heading into the fourth quarter. Chris Paul and the Clippers stormed back with the help of ice cold shooting from Memphis that saw the Grizzlies go nearly nine minutes without hitting a field goal. By outscoring the Grizzlies 35-13 in the fourth, the Clippers won 99-98 and eventually the series in seven games.
13. Red Sox - Yankees 2004 ALCS
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13. Red Sox - Yankees 2004 ALCS
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Boston was “cursed” and hadn’t won the World Series in 86 years. Winning a title after a drought that long is already a historic “comeback.” To do it after trailing three games to none against the juggernaut Yankees, that’s just insane. After losing Game 3 at home by the score of 19-8, what the Sox did next was simply unbelievable. Four straight wins against their hated rival followed by a four-game sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series.
12. 49ers - Giants 2003 NFC Wildcard
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12. 49ers - Giants 2003 NFC Wildcard
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As someone who attended this game, I can admit when the Giants took a 38-14 lead late in the third quarter, I seriously considered leaving to not have to watch anymore of the beat down. No one could have foreseen what happened next as Terrell Owens, Jeff Garcia, and the 49ers exploded offensively to take a 39-38 lead late in the fourth. The Giants had the final chance to win the game, but a botched snap on a field goal gave the 49ers the victory.
11. Cardinals - Rangers 2011 World Series Game Six
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11. Cardinals - Rangers 2011 World Series Game Six
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After losing the World Series in five games to the San Francisco Giants in 2010, the Rangers returned to the Fall Classic the following year. With a 3-2 series lead, the American League champions had a two-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. The postseason legend of David Freese then began as he hit a two-run game-tying double and a walk-off homer in the 10th inning.
10. Colts - Chiefs 2014 AFC Wildcard
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10. Colts - Chiefs 2014 AFC Wildcard
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Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck has been known for his late game heroics so far in the brilliant start to his career. The Colts 28-point comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs is perhaps the greatest example. After trailing 38-10 and looking completely outmatched, Luck somehow led his team to a 45-44 victory.
9. Kings - Sharks 2014 Western Conference Quarter Finals
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9. Kings - Sharks 2014 Western Conference Quarter Finals
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The Los Angeles Kings eliminated the Sharks in a classic seven-game series in 2013. The two rivals matched up again in 2014 and after taking a 3-0 series lead, including a couple of blowout wins, it appeared as though the Sharks were about to return to the favor. The Kings proceeded to win the next four games in convincing fashion, including a Game 7 victory in San Jose.
8. Bills - Oilers 1993 AFC Wildcard
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8. Bills - Oilers 1993 AFC Wildcard
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Coming back from a 35-3 deficit is hard enough already, but doing it against Warren Moon in his prime, no chance right? In what remains the biggest comeback in NFL history, the playoff-tested Buffalo Bills and backup quarterback Frank Reich used a monster 28-point third quarter to get right back in the game. Steve Christie made a field goal in overtime to give the Bills the kind of victory that likely will never be witnessed again.
7. Celtics - Nets 2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
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7. Celtics - Nets 2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
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The Nets would win the series and advance to the NBA Finals in six games, but their collapse in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics was one for the ages. After trailing by 21 points after three quarters, Paul Pierce led Boston with 19 fourth quarter points on the way to an improbable 94-90 victory.
6. Marlins - Cubs 2003 National League Championship Series
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6. Marlins - Cubs 2003 National League Championship Series
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Just one year before the Red Sox broke their “curse,” the Cubs had a great chance to end their 95-year World Series drought. Chicago took a 3-1 series lead over the Marlins and led 3-0 at home in the eighth inning of Game 6. As we all know, that’s when Steve Bartman interfered with Moises Alou on a pop fly, which was just the beginning of the collapse. Several walks, hits, and an error later, the Marlins had eight runs and won Game 7 the next day
5. 49ers - Cowboys 1972 NFC Divisional Round
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5. 49ers - Cowboys 1972 NFC Divisional Round
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Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach lived up to his “Captain Comeback” moniker by leading Dallas to the NFC Championship game with an unbelievable comeback over the San Francisco 49ers in 1972. The 49ers took a 21-3 lead in the second quarter, but the Cowboys slowly made it a game and scored 14 points in the final two minutes of regulation to win 30-28.
4. Bruins - Maple Leafs 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7
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4. Bruins - Maple Leafs 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7
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The Boston Bruins trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs by the score of 4-1 in Game 7 of the teams’ Eastern Conference Quarter Finals series. Still behind by two goals with less than 90 seconds remaining, Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron scored goals to send the game to overtime. Bergeron scored his second of the night just over five minutes into the sudden death period to give the Bruins the series victory.
3. Suns - Rockets Game 2 1994 Western Conference Semi-Finals
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3. Suns - Rockets Game 2 1994 Western Conference Semi-Finals
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After the Suns stole Game 1 in Houston, it appeared the Rockets, with an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, were about to even up the series before it headed to Phoenix. The Suns held the Rockets to eight points in the final frame, scoring 26 of their own to force overtime. Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson dominated the extra period to give the Suns a 124-117 victory.
2. Angels - Giants 2002 World Series Game 6
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2. Angels - Giants 2002 World Series Game 6
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Barry Bonds and the Giants were just nine outs away from winning the franchise’s first World Series in San Francisco. With a 3-2 series lead, the Giants took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 6. The locker room was prepared for the celebration that was sure to come, but then the Rally Monkey did his thing. The Angels scored three runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to win 6-5 and then won Game 7 the next day.
1. Seahawks - Packers 2015 NFC Championship Game
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1. Seahawks - Packers 2015 NFC Championship Game
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The most recent entrant on to this list, the NFC Championship between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Back Packers will not be soon forgotten, especially if the Seahawks win their second-straight Super Bowl. Green Bay led Seattle 19-7 with just over two minutes remaining before the defending champions came storming back. Along with some help from the Packers on a botched onside kick, Seattle won the game 28-22 in overtime.
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