Colts-Vikings: The largest comeback in NFL history by the numbers

Coming into Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings knew they just needed a home win over the reeling Indianapolis Colts to clinch the NFC North Division crown. That coronation appeared to be on hold, at least for a half, as the Colts jumped out to a 33-point lead.

What followed was unimaginable: the greatest, or at least the largest, comeback in NFL history. The Vikings closed out the contest with 32 unanswered points en route to a 39-36 victory in overtime. The Week 15 triumph ensures Minnesota will host a postseason game for the first time since its 2017 divisional round win over the New Orleans Saints — aka the “Minneapolis Miracle.”

How fitting.

Here are some numbers from the Vikings’ historic win Saturday:

33: The Colts went up 33-0 before suffering the biggest blown lead in NFL history. The previous record was 32 points by the Oilers against the Bills in the 1992 playoffs. (Also of note, the Bills’ quarterback in that game was Frank Reich, whom the Colts fired in October).

2: Matt Ryan has now been on the losing end of the biggest comeback in NFL history (33-0) and Super Bowl history (28-3).

39: The Vikings’ 39 points after halftime are the fifth-most most since 1991. It is the most in the second half since 2015 when the Jaguars scored 42 … against the Colts.

3: After scoring 33 points in the first half, the Colts scored just three points over the game’s final 40 minutes.

417: Kirk Cousins threw for 417 yards in the second half. He’s the first player since at least 1991 to throw for 400 or more yards after halftime.

2017: The Vikings’ comeback clinches the NFC North, their first since 2017 and the first non-Packers champion from the North since the Bears in 2018.

10: The Vikings are now 10-0 in one-score games this season. That’s three more wins than the next-closes team (Giants).

1: The Vikings’ 10 wins by one score or less are tied for the most in a single season in NFL history with the 2019 Seahawks and the 1978 Oilers.

99.6: According to win probability models, the Colts possessed a 99.6% chance of winning the game at their highest point.

9: Justin Jefferson registered his ninth game with 100-plus receiving yards, the most in the NFL this season. All other Vikings have combined for six such games in 2020.

22: The Vikings won the fourth quarter by a 22-0 margin. That is the 12th game since 2010 where a team has been outscored by 22 points or more in the fourth quarter.

0: Entering today, teams that trailed by 30-plus points at the half were 0-132 in the Super Bowl era (including the playoffs).

63: The Colts have now been outscored 72-9 in the second half of their last two games.

157: Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn had 157 receiving yards, topping the 141 yards he had in his previous eight games combined. It was also his first career game with 100 or more receiving yards.

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