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This past weekend, the Detroit Lions had a 17-point lead over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Detroit couldn't hang on though, as the Niners came back to win the game.
Detroit tied the 2012 Falcons for the largest blown lead in NFC Championship Game history. Despite that, the Lions' collapse wasn't quite big enough to rank as one of the biggest blown leads in NFL playoff history, as it was just one point off of making the top 10 list.
Let's look at the biggest blown leads in NFL playoff history. There have been 11 playoff games with comebacks larger than the 49ers had against the Lions this year. Let's start with the four games tied for eighth place on the all-time list.
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8. 18 Points - Titans Over Chiefs in 2018
The Chiefs led 21-3 in the second quarter of this Wild Card game thanks to an Alex Smith touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with just three seconds to go in the first half. Kansas City wouldn't score again though, as the Titans defense tightened up and the offense found a way to come back. That comeback included a third-quarter touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to...Marcus Mariota. It was a weird game.
8. 18 Points - Colts Over Patriots in 2007
The Patriots led 21-3 in the second quarter and 21-6 at the half against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, but Tom Brady only managed to lead one touchdown drive in the second half for New England, with the team settling for field goals too often. With just a minute to play in the game, the Colts jumped out in front with a three-yard Joseph Addai touchdown run to send the team to the Super Bowl.
8. 18 Points - Dolphins Over Browns in 1986
The Browns led 21-3 in the third quarter, but Miami scored the final 21 points of the game to get the 24-21 come-from-behind victory. Ron Davenport scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for Miami while Dan Marino threw for 238 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland's Earnest Byner had 161 rushing yards and two scores, but it wasn't enough to get the Browns the victory.
8. 18 Points - Cowboys Over 49ers in 1972
The 49ers led 21-3 in the second quarter against the Cowboys, but the Cowboys came back to win 30-28, including scoring the final 17 points of the contest. Craig Morton and Roger Staubach combined to attempt 41 passes for the Cowboys, with Staubach coming in the second half despite being injured since Week 5 with a separated shoulder. He was healthy enough to net the victory for Dallas, which just furthered his legendary status in Big D.
7. 20 Points - Lions Overs 49ers in 1957
The 49ers led 27-7 in the third quarter of this one but lost 31-27. In a way, this was the exact opposite of this year's Lions/49ers playoff game. Detroit scored the final 24 points of the game, with Tom Tracy and Gene Gedman combining for three second-half touchdown runs. Detroit went on to win the NFL Championship, the team's most recent title. As for the 49ers, Y.A. Tittle's 248 yards and three touchdowns just weren't enough, though it didn't help that he was picked off three times. San Francisco didn't make it back to the playoffs again until the 1970 season.
5. 24 Points - 49ers Over Giants in 2003
The Giants led 38-14 in the third quarter, but the Niners scored the final 25 points in this Wild Card victory. Jeff Garcia threw two touchdowns in the second half and ran for another. He finished the game with 331 passing yards and three scores, plus added 60 yards on the ground. While this early 2000s 49ers team never won a title, it was a talented team that deserves to be remembered for winning 22 games in two seasons.
5. 24 Points - Chiefs Over Texans in 2020
The Texans led 24-0 in the second quarter, shaking the crowd at Arrowhead in this Divisional Round contest. Patrick Mahomes couldn't be denied though, and by the end of the first half, the Chiefs had stormed back to take a 28-24 lead. Travis Kelce scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and the Chiefs put up 41 consecutive points before the Texans finally got seven more points on the board late in the third quarter. Just for good measure, KC scored 10 more in the fourth quarter.
4. 25 Points - Patriots Over Falcons in 2017
The Falcons led 28-3 in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI. They didn't score again. New England scored the final 31 points of the game, which included three touchdowns from running back James White, who finished the game with 29 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards. This was the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and a moment that still lives in infamy for Falcons fans. No one's ever going to forget "28-3."
3. 27 Points - Jaguars over Chargers in 2023
The Chargers led 27-0 in the second quarter of the Wild Card contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Trevor Lawrence engineered a huge comeback to get the Jags the win. It began with just 24 seconds left in the first half when he hit Evan Engram for a nine-yard touchdown to get the Jaguars on the board. It continued throughout the second half, with Lawrence throwing four touchdowns. Riley Patterson's field goal as time expired gave the Jaguars their only lead of the game.
2. 28 Points - Colts Over Chiefs in 2014
The Chiefs led 38-10 in the third quarter, but Indianapolis won this Wild Card matchup by a score of 45-44. It was just a wild second half, capped by a 64-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck to T.Y. Hilton with just over four minutes remaining to give the Colts their only lead of the day. Luck was picked off three times by the KC defense, but he persevered, ending the day with 443 passing yards and four touchdowns. It was a great moment for Luck's short-lived NFL career.
1. 32 Points - Bills Over Oilers in 1993
The Oilers led 35-3 in the third quarter of this Wild Card matchup, but things just absolutely fell apart in the second half as the Bills roared back to a 41-38 victory. The Bills scored 35 unanswered points to take the lead, though the Oilers hit a field goal to force overtime, giving them one more chance. Frank Reich threw four touchdowns, with three of those going to Andre Reed, who caught eight passes for 136 yards in the comeback victory.
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