Vikings vs. Bills ending: What happened in the last minute?
The Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills are two of the best teams in the NFL and promised a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday, 13 November. They delivered the best game of the season and one of the most dramatic finishes to a game NFL fans will ever see.
The final minute is where an already amazing game took a step up into legendary status. But even before then, Justin Jefferson gave us an all-time moment with a miraculous one-handed grab to keep the game alive for his team.
If not for that catch, the must-see final minute may have never happened.
The Minnesota offense kept on fighting and got down near the goal line with one minute remaining on the clock. They trailed 27-23 thanks to an earlier missed extra point and needed a touchdown.
This drive culminated with a 4th-and-1 with one yard to go for a score. The game was on the line and Kirk Cousins took a snap and tried to sneak in for the score. In a shocking twist, the Bills defense provided a stone wall and kept him out by mere inches. This gave the ball back to Josh Allen and the Bills offense with under a minute to go.
All he had to do was run up the middle, gain a yard, and let the clock run out. But things were not that simple for Buffalo. Allen ended up dropping the snap, only for the Vikings to recover in the end zone for a miraculous touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings went from a tough defeat to a late lead against a Super Bowl favorite.
However, the game was far from over as the Bills still had 40 seconds to work with, trailing by three. The Vikings defenders played soft protection, allowing Allen and the Bills to get near field goal range with 17 seconds remaining.
A pass interference call put Buffalo in the red zone, but only five seconds remained on the clock, meaning they had to settle for a field goal. The kick was good and the game headed to overtime tied 30-30.
It is important to note that Buffalo also benefitted from a questionable call on a Gabriel Davis reception that looked incomplete. However, no further review was given and Buffalo Bills were able to keep driving to tie the game.
Vikings and Bills fight it out in overtime
So did overtime live up to the hype after such a finish? It sure did! The period began with Minnesota driving all the way down near the end zone, only to fall short again and settle for a field goal.
Allen then marched his Bills offense down the field ready to throw a game-winning touchdown. Instead, he threw an interception and the Vikings won, capping off the game of the year.