Tag: Eric Kendricks

The winning streak for the Vikings is seven and counting, but this was no run of the mill victory. Instead, the Vikings walked into the home of the bullies, took abuse for three quarters and then relied on skill, speed, grit and toughness to pull out an amazing 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills.

It is already being referred to as the Game of the Year, and when it comes to drama, shock value and flat-out skill, it may very well turn out to be the best game played in the 2022 regular season.

The Bills and their fans were enjoying this matchup quite a bit as the fourth quarter approached. Late in the third, Buffalo had a 27-10 lead after a Tyler Bass field goal. It looked like the game would be a rout in the home team’s favor.

But on the play after the kickoff, Dalvin Cook ran 81 yards for a touchdown, outracing the Bills to the end zone on the longest run of his career. A 10-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter was a lot better than 17.

C.J. Ham powered into the endzone from 3 yards out with 4:34 remaining to give the Vikings real hope. They should have been within three points, but Greg Joseph doinked the extra point attempt off the right upright, leaving the deficit at 27-23.

Once the Vikings defense forced a three-and-out, the game began in earnest. Minnesota began a drive on their own 24, and the Vikings faced a 4^th-and-18 from their own 27 at the 2-minute warning. That’s when Justin Jefferson (10-193-1) made the catch of a lifetime, rising up while being blanketed, and coming through with a one-handed catch of a Kirk Cousins pass while falling to the ground, and never letting the ball touch terra firma. The play gained 32 yards for the Vikings.

As the drive continued, the Vikings, another Cousins-to-Jefferson pass gave the Vikings a 1^st-and-goal at the 3. The Bills refused to let the Vikings into the endzone, and when Cousins was stopped on a 4^th-down play about six inches from the goal line with 41 seconds remaining, it appeared the Bills would hold on.

The Vikings had no timeouts, but the Bills would not be taking a knee since Josh Allen would be receiving the snap in his own end zone. Instead of taking the snap and wedging out a yard or two, Allen dropped the snap and linebacker Eric Kendricks recovered it in the endzone for the go-ahead score.

While this miraculous occurrence looked like the game-winning touchdown, it was not. The Bills drove for a game-tying field goal on the last play of regulation. Buffalo benefitted from an official’s mistake on the drive, as the Bills were credited with a key Gabe Davis reception when the ball hit the ground. Replay was not engaged, but the NFL admitted it should have been.

Kevin O’Connell’s captains made a call of tails on the coin toss, and it gave the Vikings the ball at the start of overtime. (Note to self – always call tails.) Once again, the Vikings drove the field and it appeared they would win with a touchdown when they had a 1^st-and-goal from the 2-yard line. However, Buffalo’s defense rose once more, and O’Connell had to settle for Joseph’s field goal.

On the ensuing possession, he Bills appeared to be on their way to either matching the field goal or winning the game with a touchdown, but Allen threw the ball into traffic and Patrick Peterson made his second interception of the game to give the Vikings another W.

It was jubilation for a team that is now 8-1 but was still getting downgraded prior to the win in Western New York. Veteran observers questioned why the Vikings couldn’t win any game besides their season opener by more than one score, and they also questioned whom they had beaten.

After a 17-point comeback against one of the best teams in the league on the road, the Vikings answered at least one of those questions.

Nobody was happier than Peterson, who is enjoying a rebirth in Minnesota, and was happy to respond to critics. “We’re not trying to prove them wrong. We just want to continue to prove ourselves right each and every time we step on the field,” said Peterson. “If we’re not a good football team, how could you come back from that deficit? Look at us now.”

The Vikings are a good team, and right now, they look like a great one. But there’s a new test every week in the NFL, and by the time the Vikings kickoff in Week 11 against the Cowboys, the glory of their triumph over the Bills will be a memory. They will have to prove it again at U.S. Bank Stadium, and in the weeks that follow.

The goal is to be the best team in early February. It’s just blind optimism to say that’s exactly what will happen, but more than halfway through the season, it appears that the Vikings have more than a puncher’s chance of reaching that goal.