An ex-Colts coach recalls a 33-point collapse in Minnesota

admin | December 7, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Minnesota defeating the Colts after trailing 33-0 at halftime is the biggest comeback in NFL history, and Jeff Saturday stood on the Indianapolis bench in disbelief that fateful day in Minneapolis.

Saturday, who took over as interim head coach after Frank Reich was sacked last season and led the Colts to one win in eight games, remembers the Dec. 17, 2022 debacle at Minnesota.

“Were you guys just eating orange slices in the locker room in Minnesota when you were up 33-0?” “Just like, ‘We did it,'” Ty Schmit, a member of The Pat McAfee Show, inquired.

“I’m going to be very honest with you. “When we walked in, I said, ‘Boys, we’re in trouble.'” Saturday declared. “Listen, I don’t think we scored an attacking point. I’m not kidding. We got the ball inside the 15-yard line twice and had to settle for field goals. We had a block, I believe for a score, and everything went our way, but I was still terrified. ‘Man, we can’t get a first down,’ I thought.

He’s not wrong with the exception that the Colts had 11 first downs in the first half. Here’s how the first half played out, series by series.

Colts get to the MN 1-yard line and kick a field goal, 3-0
Colts block Vikings punt and return it for a TD, 10-0
Vikings fumble 2 plays later and Colts turn it into a TD, 17-0
Vikings turnover on downs at their own 31-yard line
Colts kick a field goal, 20-0
Vikings fake punt fails at their own 31-yard line
Colts kick a field goal, 23-0
Vikings go three-and-out and punt
Colts punt
Vikings throw pick-six for a Colts TD, 30-0
Vikings go five plays and punt
Colts kick a field goal, 33-0

“When we started the second half, I was like, ‘We gotta push the gas right here.'” “So we called a shot play, and it’s freaking wide open, bro, and [Matt Ryan] doesn’t throw it,” Saturday went on.

What’s surprising about Minnesota’s comeback is that the first-half gaffes continued in the third quarter, as the Vikings went three-and-out on their first drive and didn’t score until 8:22 remained in the game.

“And listen, if you can’t laugh about it, I’m not going to cry about it.” So when they spotted [Justin Jefferson] outside and you saw them throwing the thing back behind and this dude is just jiggy-jacking and takes it to the house, I was like, ‘[Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley], what coverage are we in?’ And he said, ‘We’ve phoned ’em all.’ We’re not stopping anyone right now. These jerks are going to the house on us.”