The Detroit Lions now have the most comeback wins in the fourth quarter in NFL history.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Lions’ come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday gave Detroit eight such wins in 2016—eclipsing the record of seven set by the 2009 Indianapolis Colts.
The @Lions have 8 comeback wins after trailing in the 4th quarter, most in a single season in NFL history (via @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/zAPE5ITkNm
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 12, 2016
Matthew Stafford’s 7-yard scramble for a touchdown with just over three minutes left allowed the Lions to escape an upset bid from the Chicago Bears.
Stafford and his late-game heroics have gotten much of the credit, but he insists it’s been a team effort in consistently finding ways to get the job done in the fourth quarter.
“It’s going to show up as a quarterback stat that’s really a team stat,” Stafford said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN. “Guys in the huddle with me on offense that make big plays to help us do it, guys on defense that make huge plays to help us do it. Prater’s done some unbelievable stuff to help us do it. So that may be put on my resume, but it’s a total team thing.”
The Lions are now 9-4, with eight of nine wins coming via comeback. Detroit’s only non-comeback win was last week’s decisive victory over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
With three weeks left in the season, the Lions are just one win and one Green Bay Packers loss away from clinching the NFC North. Detroit is also currently holding the No. 2 seed in the NFC, which would mean a first-round bye and a home playoff game during the divisional round.
Mastering the art of the comeback has allowed the Lions to create one of the most unlikely seasons from a team in 2016.
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