Fourth quarter comebacks and game-winning drives

• team must end up with a win or tie
• team must, at some point, have an offensive scoring drive while trailing in 4th quarter or OT
• the drive must conclude in the 4th quarter or OT. It can begin in the 3rd quarter so long as scrimmage plays that are part of the drive are run in the 4th quarter. This means you can't kick a FG on 1st play of 4th quarter to tie or take lead and have it count as 4QC.
• the scoring play to put the tying/winning points on the board must be the result of an offensive drive

• team must win game
• team must, at some point, have possession of the ball tied or down by one score (1-8 points) in 4th quarter or OT
• the offensive scoring drive must conclude in the 4th quarter or OT. It can begin in the 3rd quarter so long as scrimmage plays that are part of the drive are run in the 4th quarter. This means you can't kick a FG on 1st play of 4th quarter to take lead and have it count as GWD.
• the scoring play to put the winning points on the board must be the result of an offensive drive

Some games can be both 4QCs and GWDs. Others can be 4QCs, but not GWDs. And yet others can be GWDs, but not 4QCs.

• With a tie or one score deficit, the defense returned a fumble or interception for a TD to provide the winning points. The offense did not contribute to any 4th quarter scoring from a deficit or tie. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD
• With a tie or one score deficit, the special teams returns a kickoff/punt/blocked punt/blocked FG for a TD to provide the winning points. The offense did not contribute to any 4th quarter scoring from a deficit or tie. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD
• With the game tied, the offense scores the go ahead points, but the game is ultimately decided by a tie. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD for team that took lead. 4QC for team that fell behind and tied it.
• The offense contributed some 4th quarter points to the win, but still needed score(s) from the DEF/ST to take the lead. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD
• Go-ahead points produced by a safety without the offense making a 4th quarter/OT contribution to the score. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD
• Game-winning FG without the offense taking the field (usually in OT). Also, the offense did not contribute to any 4th quarter scoring. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD
• Without ever trailing in the 4th, the offense broke a tie with an offensive score, but the winning points finally came from a DEF/ST score. Verdict: No 4QC or GWD

This framework was developed by Scott Kacsmar. You can read his original posts on this topic at these archive links: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3