# The Comeback (American football)
**The Comeback** is the name given to the AFC Wild Card playoff game of January 3, 1993, in which the [Buffalo Bills](https://www.edgepedia.org/buffalo-bills) overcame a 32-point deficit to beat the [Houston Oilers](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-oilers) 41-38 in overtime at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. It was the largest comeback by point deficit in [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league) history for nearly 30 years and remains the largest in NFL postseason history.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback) • [2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/January-3/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game | 1992 AFC Wild Card playoff, January 3, 1993, Rich Stadium, attendance 75,141[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) |
| Deficit overcome | 35-3 early in the third quarter, a 32-point margin[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback) |
| Final score | Buffalo 41, Houston 38 (overtime); winning kick a 32-yard field goal by Steve Christie 3:06 into overtime[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) |
| Buffalo quarterback | Frank Reich, starting for the injured Jim Kelly; 21 of 34 for 289 yards and four second-half touchdown passes[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) |
| Houston quarterback | Warren Moon, 36 of 50 for 371 yards and four first-half touchdown passes[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) |
| Aftermath | Buffalo advanced and reached the Super Bowl, losing to Dallas in the third of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/January-3/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history) |
## How Houston built the lead
Houston entered the game on an 11-game winning streak and had beaten Buffalo 27-3 in the final week of the regular season, a loss that cost Buffalo the [AFC East](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-east) division title and set up the rematch.[4](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/lp8cuwj8rj6ismvyfgyk.pdf) • [5](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right) The Bills were also short-handed: [Jim Kelly](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-kelly)'s knee injury from that regular-season finale gave [Frank Reich](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-reich) his first start in a year, linebacker Cornelius Bennett was out, and running back Thurman Thomas left the game in the third quarter with a hip injury.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [5](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right)
Moon, in his first start since breaking his arm in mid-November, completed 19 of 22 passes for 218 yards in the first half, throwing touchdown passes to Haywood Jeffires (of 3 and 27 yards), Webster Slaughter (7 yards), and Curtis Duncan (26 yards). Buffalo's only first-half points came on a 36-yard Christie field goal, and Houston led 28-3 at halftime.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback) Moments into the second half, Reich's first pass was tipped and intercepted by Houston strong safety Bubba McDowell, who returned it 58 yards for a touchdown to make the score 35-3.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback) • [4](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/lp8cuwj8rj6ismvyfgyk.pdf)
Many fans left the stadium at that point, and the game was blacked out on local television in Buffalo because it had not sold out.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/January-3/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history) • [5](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right)
## The rally
Buffalo scored four touchdowns in under seven minutes of the third quarter, 28 points in the period, a league record for a postseason third quarter.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [6](https://library.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/publications/football/yearbooks/FBUFBMG-1993-buffalo-bills-media-guide.pdf) Kenneth Davis scored on a 1-yard run to cut the deficit to 35-10. Christie then recovered his own onside kick (short kickoff deliberately kicked so kicking team can recover it), a play the Bills called "Suicide Onside," and four plays later Reich hit [Don Beebe](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-beebe) on a 38-yard touchdown pass, making it 35-17 with two touchdowns in 56 seconds.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [5](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right)
After a Houston punt, Reich found [Andre Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/andre-reed) for a 26-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 35-24. On the next Oilers possession, safety Henry Jones intercepted a Moon pass, and Buffalo faced fourth and five at the Houston 18. Coach [Marv Levy](https://www.edgepedia.org/marv-levy) declined a field goal attempt, reasoning that a kick would still leave Buffalo down by eight going into the wind; Reich converted with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Reed, making it 35-31 at the end of the third quarter.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) Reed finished with eight catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns, as many scoring catches as he had all season.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html)
In the fourth quarter, Reich's 17-yard touchdown pass to Reed put Buffalo ahead 38-35 with 3:08 to play. Houston tied the game on Al Del Greco's 26-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in regulation.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) Houston won the overtime toss, but cornerback Nate Odomes intercepted a Moon pass, and Christie kicked the 32-yard game-winner 3:06 into overtime for a 41-38 victory.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback)
## Reich's earlier comeback
The game had a college parallel. Playing for the University of Maryland in 1984, Reich entered a game against Miami with Maryland trailing 31-0 at halftime and led the Terrapins to a 42-40 victory, the largest comeback in Division I NCAA football history. Backup quarterback Gale Gilbert reminded Reich of it at halftime in Buffalo, telling him, "You did it in college. No reason you can't do it here."[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html) • [5](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right)
## Record status and legacy
In a 1999 ESPN poll, nearly 75 percent of voters selected it as the greatest comeback in NFL history.[7](https://assets.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/981230/01019467.html)
Buffalo advanced through the playoffs to the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl), where it lost to the [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-cowboys), the third of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances for the Bills, all of them losses.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/January-3/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history)
## References
1. [NFL Greatest Comeback, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-greatest-comeback)
2. [Buffalo Bills pull off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, HISTORY.com](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/January-3/buffalo-bills-pull-off-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history)
3. [NFL PLAYOFFS: Reich Makes Might for Buffalo, Los Angeles Times, January 4, 1993](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-04-sp-972-story.html)
4. [AFC Wild Card Playoff Game 1992 summary, Tennessee Titans playoff media guide](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/lp8cuwj8rj6ismvyfgyk.pdf)
5. [1992 - Third Time's a Charm, Right?, Buffalo Rumblings](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/1992-third-times-a-charm-right)
6. [Buffalo Bills Media Guide (1993)](https://library.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/publications/football/yearbooks/FBUFBMG-1993-buffalo-bills-media-guide.pdf)
7. [Buffalo's wild comeback in '92 the obvious choice, ESPN](https://assets.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/981230/01019467.html)
8. [Don't Call It a Comeback, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/dont-call-it-a-comeback/umc.cmc.6sldm9hmiytfxv9hyd7sr7ytw)
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