Top 10 NFL wild-card games of all time
1. 1992: Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38
Up until the Vikings’ 33-point comeback over the Colts toward the end of the 2022 regular season, this game featured the largest comeback in NFL history, and is appropriately dubbed “The Comeback.” Coming off of back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, the 11-5 Bills were hoping to take down the 10-6 Oilers to begin another championship quest. However, the game started about as poorly as it could for Buffalo. Despite a high-octane offense, the Bills, led by backup quarterback Frank Reich, put up just three points in the first half. Meanwhile, the Oilers dominated time of possession as quarterback Warren Moon completed 19-of-22 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns to give Houston a commanding 28-3 advantage at the half.
The second half didn’t start any better as the Bills lost starting running back Thurman Thomas to injury, while Reich tossed a pick-six that gave the Oilers a 32-point lead. However, that’s when everything changed. The Bills finally got into the end zone early in the third quarter on a Kenneth Davis touchdown run. They then recovered an onside kick, and scored another touchdown on a pass to Don Beebe. After an Oilers punt, Reich threw another touchdown, this time to Andre Reed as the Bills had scored 21 points in 10 minutes to cut the deficit to 11. Following a Moon interception, Reed grabbed his second touchdown of the day, and would eventually catch his third score to give the Bills a 38-35 lead as they scored 35 unanswered points. The Oilers finally did answer with a late field goal to send the game to overtime. While Houston got the ball to start the extra session, Moon tossed a pick, setting up Christie for the game-winning 32-yard field goal. The win eventually allowed the Bills to reach their third straight Super Bowl, while the Oilers coughed up the biggest lead in NFL history at the time.
History was made on this very day in 1993.
It was Jan. 3, 1993 when the @BuffaloBills completed a miraculous comeback to defeat the Houston Oilers. (🎥 @nfl) pic.twitter.com/EinJNu9Grd
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 3, 2020
