Sports fans witnessed history Wednesday evening when the Knicks roared back from a 29-point deficit to defeat the Spurs. It marked the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. On that note, it’s time to take another trip down memory lane and remember the Rams’ largest comeback ever.
Before we begin, it’s important to note the team’s biggest deficit overcome while in St. Louis: 21 points, which came in November 2005 against the Texans. In that one, a rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick outdueled Houston’s David
and threw three touchdown passes in a 33-27 overtime win.
As for the largest comeback in the Sean McVay era, that happened in September 2024 against the 49ers, according to Pro Football Reference. L.A. was staring an 0-3 record in the face, but overcame a 14-point deficit and outscored the Niners by 13-3 to secure the 27-24 win.
Now, let’s take a trip to 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected president, “Seinfeld” ruled TV and Brett Favre was in his first year with the Packers.
Dec. 6, 1992
On this day in 1992, the Rams entered their game against the Buccaneers 4-8, with all hope lost on the year. Los Angeles was coming off back-to-back losses to the NFC-leading 49ers and the Vikings.
After falling behind 20-0 and then trailing 27-3 at the break, it was setting up for a third straight defeat for the team.
L.A.’s fortunes drastically changed in the second half, outscoring the Bucs 28-0 after halftime. Quarterback Jim Everett threw all three of his touchdown passes in the half. Everett went 25-of-38 passing for 342 yards and a 120.7 passer rating. He tossed the game-winning touchdown to Pat Carter to put the Rams up four with over five and a half minutes remaining.
Defensive backs Darryl Henley and Todd Lyght each recorded an interception off QB Vinny Testaverde, with Henley’s pick coming with two minutes left to play.
The comeback ultimately didn’t mean anything for the Rams, as they lost two of their last three games en route to a 6-10 record and a last place finish in the NFC West. That was certainly the highlight amid a dark stretch for the franchise.
The 1992 campaign marked the third of five consecutive losing seasons. In fact, the Rams posted nine straight losing seasons between their 1988 postseason appearance and the kickoff of the Greatest Show on Turf era in 1999. Of those nine seasons, eight featured double-digit losses.
Yet on that fateful December day, they experienced a rare taste of victory.
Bucs almost got revenge … nearly 30 years later
Both teams have played in some wild games over the years. Three of the Rams’ five Super Bowl trips have involved getting past the Bucs — 1979 and 1999 NFC Championships, and the Divisional Round of the 2021 season.
In a crazy twist of fate, Tampa Bay was close to getting their long-awaited revenge against the Rams, in a 24-point comeback of their own about three decades later.
Los Angeles went up 27-3 halfway through the third quarter before Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Bucs began chipping away at the lead. Leonard Fournette tied the game at 27 with 41 seconds in regulation.
TB12 and company had miraculously gotten all the way back in the game, with all the momentum on their side as time winded down. However, Matthew Stafford ensured Rams fans that they would not be on the wrong side of history that day.
Well, I think we all remember what happened next:
The epic Knicks comeback and both Rams-Buccaneers games highlight the thrills of watching sports, no matter the league. Those comebacks — and one near-collapse — remind us that anything can happen in professional sports, and it’s best to stick it out to the end because you never truly know when you’ll witness history.
