Colts’ record-setting blown lead brings up incredible coincidence

Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts found a new low on Saturday by suffering the largest blown lead in NFL history, throwing away a 33-0 advantage to lose 39-36 in overtime to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Colts collapsed in the second half of Saturday’s game as they got outscored 36-3 before giving up an overtime field goal to lose. The 33-point difference made for the largest comeback in NFL history, with the previous mark helping form a ridiculous coincidence.

The previous record for a comeback was 32 points, set by the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Oilers in a Jan. 1993 playoff game. The Oilers led that game 35-3 before the Bills furiously came back and won in overtime. The quarterback for the Bills in that game was Frank Reich, who was starting because Jim Kelly suffered a knee injury the previous week. That is the same Frank Reich the Colts fired as head coach two months ago.

Frank Reich had previously led the biggest comeback in NFL history as a Bills QB.

The Colts fired him as coach and then gave up the new biggest comeback in history a few weeks later.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 17, 2022

Depending on how you look at it, the Colts either viciously hate Reich to put him out of a job then steal his record, or this is a bit of poetic justice, especially considering who the Colts replaced Reich with. Reich is popular around the league and some would definitely argue that he got a raw deal, so don’t expect the Colts to garner a lot of sympathy for what happened to them Saturday.