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An N.F.L. Season of Bitter (or Sweet) Comebacks

The desperate last-minute comeback in an N.F.L. game, a harried march downfield with one eye on the countdown of an unrelenting scoreboard clock, has always produced some of the sport’s most memorable moments.

The attraction was built on the understanding that a game-winning late rally faced long odds and was rarely successful, especially against defensive schemes designed for the circumstances.

This season, however, in the final quarter, final minute or final second — or even with no time on the clock — it often appears that no lead is safe from a stirring comeback drive.