Super Bowl’s 7 biggest comebacks ever ahead of Seahawks-Patriots

Sports fans love two things.

Underdogs overcoming seemingly impossible odds to deliver victory, and comeback stories.

Could Super Bowl LX provide both?

On one side of the field you have the Seattle Seahawks, who missed out on the playoffs a year ago under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, but are in the big game in just his second year in charge. His quarterback? None other than Sam Darnold, one of the league’s greatest comeback stories himself, as he has found his new home in Seattle.

Then there are the upstart New England Patriots, who became the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after losing 13 games a season ago. Oddsmakers made the Patriots underdogs the moment the matchup was finalized, and the number has only moved in Seattle’s direction since Sunday night.

The Patriots have also, as we will see in a moment, delivered the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, and two of the seven we will discuss.

Ahead of Super Bowl LX, here are the seven biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl XXII
10-point comeback from Washington 

When the first quarter of Super Bowl XXII came to a close, fans thought a rout was unfolding.

They were right, just not in the way they expected.

John Elway and the Denver Broncos held a 10-0 lead over Washington at the end of the first quarter of Super Bowl XXII, thanks to a 56-yard touchdown pass from Elway to Ricky Nattiel on Denver’s first play from scrimmage. That touchdown was, at that point in NFL history, the fastest tuchdown in a Super Bowl.

But after the first 15 minutes, it was all Washington.

Doug Williams and the Washington offense scored 35 unanswered points in the second quarter, en route to a blowout. Washington won Super Bowl XXII by a final score of 42-10, completing a ten-point comeback after the first 15 minutes.

Super Bowl XLIV
10-point comeback from New Orleans

Super Bowl XLIV followed a similar pattern to Super Bowl XLIV.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts held a 10-point lead when the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIV drew to a close. After holding the Saints to a three-and-out to open the game, Indianapolis put the first points on the scoreboard with a 38-yard field goal from Matt Stover. Then, after the Colts were pinned deep in their own territory on a punt from Thomas Morstead, Indianapolis put together a 96-yard scoring drive that Manning finished with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon.

But then Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints scored 13 unanswered points to take a 13-10 lead early in the third quarter. 

Joseph Addai put Indianapolis back in front on a touchdown run to give the Colts a 17-13 lead. But the Saints then scored another 18 unanswered points en route to their 31-17 victory.

Perhaps the key play from Super Bowl XLIV, or at least the most memorable? The opening kickoff of the second half. Sean Payton and the Saints pulled off a daring surprise onside kick, a play the Saints referred to as “The Ambush.” Morestead kicked the ball to his left, and after the ball ricocheted off the face mask of Hank Baskett, Jonathan Casillas came away with the football:

The Saints marched right down the field to score, and the comeback was on.

Super Bowl XLIX
10-point comeback from New England

Super Bowl LX is a rematch of one of the biggest comebacks in Super Bowl history.

Seahawks fans are hoping for a much different outcome than what they saw that night.

Super Bowl XLIX is most known for Malcolm Butler’s stunning interception of Russell Wilson in the closing seconds of the game, but the Patriots had to overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half for the win. A 3-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin in the closing minutes of the third quarter staked Seattle to a 24-14 lead, but Tom Brady and the Patriots closed the gap in the fourth quarter, taking a 28-24 lead on a touchdown pass to Julian Edelman just before the two-minute warning.

That set the stage for the last-second dramatics from Malcolm Butler.

Super Bowl LIV
10-point comeback from Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs have also delivered three of the comebacks in Super Bowl history.

The first came in Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs matched up with the San Francisco 49ers. Kansas City trailed the 49ers 20-10 late in the third quarter of Super Bowl LIV, after a 1-yard touchdown run from Raheem Mostert.

But the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, en route to a 31-20 victory. 

Super Bowl LVII
10-point comeback from Kansas City

At halftime of Super Bowl LVII, it looked as if the Philadelphia Eagles were on their way to a Lombardi Trophy.

Philadelphia opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Jalen Hurts to take a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. After Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce from 18 yards out to tie the game at 7-7, the teams traded touchdowns for a 14-14 game midway through the second quarter.

But the Eagles scored the next ten points, taking a 24-14 lead into the locker room. Hurts scored from four yards out to give Philadelphia a 21-14 lead, and then a Jake Elliott 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half gave the Eagles the ten-point lead.

However, it would not be enough. While the Chiefs held Hurts and company to just 11 points in the second half, Kansas City scored 24 points over the final two quarters to win Super Bowl LVII. The difference was a 27-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with just seconds remaining in the game.

Super Bowl LVIII
10-point comeback from Kansas City

The very next year, Kansas City again overcame a ten-point deficit to take home the Lombardi Trophy.

Super Bowl LVIII, a rematch between the Chiefs and the 49ers from a few years prior, saw San Francisco take a 10-0 lead late in the second quarter, on this trick play featuring Jauan Jennings and Christian McCaffrey:

A field goal from Butker before halftime cut San Francisco’s lead to 10-3 at halftime, and set the stage for some NFL history. Kansas City scored ten unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 13-10 lead into the final 15 minutes, but Super Bowl LVIII would need a little more time as Butker converted from 29 yards out in the closing seconds to force overtime, the first in Super Bowl history under the revised overtime rules.

Jake Moody converted a 27-yard field goal for San Francisco on the first drive of overtime, but the Chiefs had a chance to respond. Kansas City marched down the field, and Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman Jr. from three yards out to win the game.

It marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the lead changed on the final play of the game.

Super Bowl LI
25-point comeback from New England 

All of the previous comebacks were from ten-point deficits.

Super Bowl LI is in a class of its own.

Chances are you have heard this story before, but for the unfamiliar, New England trailed the Atlanta Falcons by 21-3 at halftime, and 28-3 midway through the third quarter. But Tom Brady and the Patriots roared back, tying the game on a James White touchdown run — and a two-point conversion from Danny Amendola — with under a minute remaining.

Super Bowl LI advanced to overtime with the score locked at 28-28. But the Patriots won the overtime coin toss and went right down the field, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run from White. 

Super Bowl LI was played under the previous version of the NFL’s playoff overtime rules.