For Matt Ryan, being a part of a 28-3 collapse by the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI will always be a stain on his résumé.
And Saturday, the veteran quarterback was on the wrong side of yet another epic comeback, which in all likelihood will stick with Ryan for the rest of his career and beyond as well.
Ryan helped the Indianapolis Colts to a 33-0 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium only for it all to come crashing down after that. The Vikings mounted a furious rally, scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying score on a dazzling, 64-yard touchdown reception from Dalvin Cook followed by a two-point conversion — Ryan has seen that before — to force overtime.
In the extra frame, Greg Joseph successfully kicked a 40-yard field goal with three seconds left to make history. It was the largest comeback ever in the NFL as Ryan has now been on the losing end of that and the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Ryan is the only quarterback to suffer two losses after leading by at least 25 points.
The win from the Vikings was certainly improbable to say the least as ESPN analysis gave the Colts a 99.6% chance to win in the third quarter.
Ryan obviously can’t be blamed solely for the absolute implosion by the Colts. He finished the game completing 19-of-33 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown.
And now like the loss in the Super Bowl to the Patriots, Ryan will surely have nightmares about this monumental defeat.
