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Colts embarrassed again, blow biggest lead in NFL history to Vikings
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan (2) looks to pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Colts embarrassed again, blow biggest lead in NFL history to Vikings

The 2022 season just keeps getting worse for the Indianapolis Colts, and on Saturday things may have hit rock bottom when they blew a 33-point lead in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

That comeback for Minnesota is the largest comeback in NFL history, beating out the Buffalo Bills playoff comeback against the Houston Oilers in 1993 by a single point. 

That win clinches the NFC North crown for the Vikings and keeps them alive in the race for the No. 1 spot and a bye week in the NFC. 

It also made up for an absolutely abysmal first half performance that saw everything go wrong.

Minnesota fell into the 33-point halftime hole after having a punt block returned for a touchdown, turned the ball over on downs on its own side of the field two different times (including once on a fake punt), and also allowed a pick-six by the Colts' defense.

The Vikings also had two potential defensive touchdowns taken away by blown calls.

In the end, none of that mattered as they chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half and won on a last second field goal by Greg Joseph at the end of overtime. 

As for the Colts, well, this is just the latest embarrassment in a season that has become a mockery of NFL football. 

Let's start with this stat: Since 1930 teams that led by 30 points in a game had a staggering record of 1,548-1-1. That only loss prior to Saturday was the aforementioned Bills-Oilers playoff game. 

That is as close to a guaranteed win as you can get in the NFL, and the Colts still let it slip away. 

Even worse, the Colts almost escaped the meltdown with a tie when it appeared that the Vikings were going to run out of time in overtime only to get penalized for laying on top of the football and not allowing it to be set in time. 

That not only stopped the clock, it was a five-yard penalty that made the game-winning field goal a little shorter. 

All of this is a terrible look for Saturday, and honestly, the entire Colts organization.

The Colts hired Saturday mid-season to replace Frank Reich (who was, oddly enough, the quarterback for the Bills in the NFL's previous largest comeback) despite having no coaching experience of any kind at any level. 

After beating the Las Vegas Raiders in his first game, everything has increasingly become worse each week.

There was the timeout mismanagement at the end of the Monday night game against Pittsburgh, which was followed by the second-half collapse in Dallas where the Colts allowed 36 points in the fourth quarter, which was followed by Saturday's meltdown in Minneapolis.  

Over the past two games they have been outscored 72-9 in the second half. 

They are 4-9-1 after entering the season with playoff expectations. 

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