If there’s any quarterback in the NFL who knows a thing or two about painful losses, it’s definitely Matt Ryan. After hearing nonstop jokes over the past six years about his team blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI, the Colts quarterback was left on the receiving end of another improbable loss Saturday.
After jumping out to a 33-0 lead, Ryan could only watch as the Vikings staged the greatest comeback in NFL history to stun Indianapolis 39-36 in overtime. The loss means Ryan has now been the losing quarterback in four of the biggest sweeps in NFL history.
“I’ve played in this league long enough to know that a lot of different things can happen,” Ryan said, via ESPN.com. “Anything can happen. You just have to keep your head and keep going and find ways to make plays when they come up. It’s not a lot. It’s a handful of plays in a game. It’s three or four plays from an offensive perspective that we’ve to find ways to execute it, and that’s a win. We just haven’t done them.”
Here’s a rundown of the other three biggest losses of Ryan’s career in addition to Saturday’s loss.
Biggest lead in a Super Bowl
Date: February 5, 2017 (Super Bowl LI)Leader: Falcons lead Patriots 28-3Final: Falcons lose 34-28 in overtime
Everyone knows the story, here: Ryan and the Falcons had a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, only to be outscored 31-0 after that. After jumping out to a 25-point lead, the Falcons’ offense had the ball four times during the Patriots’ comeback, but on all four occasions, they failed to score. They had three punts and a fumble, which made the Patriots’ comeback possible.
The biggest advantage in an NFC title game
Date: January 20, 2013Leader: Falcons lead 49ers 17-0Final: Falcons lose 28-24
Not only was Ryan on the receiving end of the largest lead in Super Bowl history, he was also on the losing end of the largest lead in NFC Championship history. The Falcons were the No. 1 seed in the playoffs during the 2012 season and, midway through the second quarter, they were up 17-0 and looked like they were going to beat the 49ers, but that didn’t happen. . Instead, the Falcons were outscored 14-0 in the second half. The Falcons drove down to San Francisco’s 10-yard line in the final two minutes, but couldn’t punt and the 49ers ended up winning. Although the 49ers won the game, they didn’t win the Super Bowl – the Ravens would beat them 34-31 in Super Bowl LVII.
The biggest lead in an international match
Date: October 26, 2014Leader: Falcons lead Lions 21-0Final: Falcons lose 22-21
Everyone knows about the Super Bowl loss and some fans remember the NFC title game advantage, but that one is sometimes forgotten. In 2014, the Falcons had a Week 8 game in London against the Lions and looked unbeatable in the first half, jumping out to a 21-0 lead, but this is the bigger story we’re talking about , so find out what happened next. The Lions outscored the Falcons 22-0 in the second half, including a 48-yard field goal by Matt Prater as time expired. The Falcons’ offense got four possessions in the second half, but came up empty with three points and an interception by Ryan.