by It’s the worst track in NFL history. In 102 years of NFL football, no team had ever come from behind trailing by 33 points — until Saturday. The Minnesota Vikings trailed the Indianapolis Colts at halftime 33-0 and managed to earn a 39-36 victory in overtime.
COLTS BLOW BIGGEST LEAD IN NFL HISTORY AFTER LEADING BY 33 POINTS
Yes, that caption you are reading is 100% real. The Colts, in fact, led at halftime 33-0. Everything was going their way. Indy had played its best half of the season by far. Every unit was a vital contributor and helped the Colts achieve such a lead. Cornerback Dallis Flowers started the game with a 49-yard punt return, which would turn into an opening field goal for Indy. The next three possessions resulted in scores for Indy. The first was a blocked punt, the second was a fumble and eventual score by running back Deon Jackson, and the third was a field goal after Minnesota returned it on downs.
The mistakes of the Vikings kept happening. Trailing 20-0, Minnesota attempted a fake punt which failed and led to another field goal. A few possessions later, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a pick six to safety Julian Blackmon. Before you can blink, the Colts finally went up 33-0.
The Colts were poised for their biggest upset victory this season. But the Vikings had other ideas. After the Colts moved up to a 36-0 lead early in the third quarter, Minnesota slowly began to cut Indianapolis’ lead and hit three straight touchdowns to get back into the game. The Colts failed to score a single point in the fourth quarter and were outscored 39-3 in the second half. As quickly as they went 33-0, Indy found themselves tied at 36 with 2:15 left in regulation.
The Vikings would eventually find (somehow) a way to win in overtime 39-36, officially erasing a 33-point deficit and crushing any tiny glimpse of playoff hope the Colts might have had. . Just two weeks after Indianapolis slumped in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys and were outscored 33-0 in the fourth quarter on prime time, they slumped again against the Minnesota Vikings and find themselves not only eliminated from the playoffs for a second straight season, but on the wrong side of NFL history.
THREE PHASES START STRONG TO HELP COLTS JUMP TO 33-0
As terrible as Saturday’s game slump was for the Indianapolis Colts, let’s briefly focus on how they managed to take a 33-0 lead. Each unit played a huge role in Indy’s hot start. The special teams unit started strong with a 49-yard kickoff return to give the Colts great field position. Bubba Ventrone’s unit blocked and returned a punt for a JoJo Domann touchdown on Vikings possession, giving the Colts a 10-0 lead.
On the very next drive, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recovered a fumble that was forced by linebacker Zaire Franklin. Indy’s fumble recovery eventually led to another touchdown by running back Deon Jackson and a 17-0 lead early in the first half. Ventrone’s special teams unit came back with another key save on a false punt attempt, leading to three more points and a 20-0 for Indy. Later in the second quarter, safety Julian Blackmon intercepted quarterback Kirk Cousins for a touchdown and gave the Colts a 30-0 lead.
It’s a shame Saturday’s game wasn’t marked by the Colts having full control early on and putting in their best all-three performance all season long. Instead, this game will be remembered as an embarrassing loss and historic meltdown for the franchise as a whole. This is the story of Indianapolis’ 2022 season. A season that will be remembered for all the slumps and inability to finish games that ultimately cost them a chance to make the playoffs for a second straight year.
At this point, those next three games don’t make much sense to the fans, not after Saturday’s terrible end for another game. The 4-9-1 Indianapolis Colts will be sitting at home watching the playoffs from their couches, which is where they deserve to be after such a disappointing season.
