WHAT A GAME! The Minnesota Vikings somehow pulled off one of the most miraculous comeback wins of all time over the Buffalo Bills as they scored 20 unanswered points to win 33-30 in overtime.
This had to be one of the most incredible games I’ve ever seen and easily the best game of the season. Two powerhouses meeting in an all-important Week 10 matchup that will determine their, respective standings, in the AFC and NFC playoff picture is already a massive storyline, but when you add the fact that Josh Allen overcame his UCL injury to play makes it an even better.
And, boy, did Josh Allen have himself a game…until the very end (but we’ll get to that later).
If there is any quarterback in the NFL that is the embodiment of Superman, it’s Josh Allen. He was a beast out there as he picked apart the Vikings secondary (for the most part) and ran over their frontline. He finished the game as not only the Bills leading passer, but also their leading rusher.
Going 29/42 for 330 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs, and then rushing 6 times for 84 yards, Allen carried the Bills offense early on in that game as he connected with the former Minnesota Vikings WR Stefon Diggs (12 REC, 128 yards), the ever-impressive Gabe Davis (6 REC, 93 yards, 1 TD), and his reliable TE Dawson Knox (4 REC, 57 yards) over and over again during that first half.
The Bills exploded to a 24-7 lead going into halftime, and then they added another field goal to extend their lead to 27-10 with just over 1 minute to go in the 3rd Quarter. To be honest, I thought that the Vikings were finished as the Bills were ragdolling them on every possession.
Allen was 17/22 for 185 yards, and 1 TD by that point, RB Devin Singletary (13 CAR, 47 yards, 2 TDs) had already rushed two scores into the endzone over the 15th best rushing defense in the league, while the Bills defense was smoking Kirk Cousins on every play. The Bills defense ended the game with 74 tackles, 10 PD, a whopping 10 QB hits, 4 sacks, 10 TFL, and picked off Kirk Cousins twice. They were all over Minnesota.
Von Miller (2 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 sack), Ed Oliver (2 tackles, 1 TFL, 4 QB hits, and 0.5 sacks), and the rest of the Bills defensive frontline were especially impressive as they consumed the Vikings running game, even though Dalvin Cook finished the game with over 100+ rushing yards.
Normally, I wouldn’t say that a defense that allowed a 100+ yard rusher did a great job in stopping the run, but the Bills were breaking through the Vikings offensive line like a hot knife through butter.
I’m sure Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook will be sitting in an extra-long ice bath tonight as they are bound to have a ton of bruises.
But, even though they were so dominate for so long, the Bills defense did allow one massive play that started the Vikings huge comeback: the 81-yard Dalvin Cook rushing TD.
On the very next offensive play after the Bills 3rd Quarter field goal, Dalvin Cook cut outside the tackled box and busted downfield, beating three Bills defenders to the endzone to get the Vikings back into the game. Cook literally looked like a cheetah (sorry, Tyreek Hill, but I’m using your moniker) as he burst out of the backfield and gained at least another 10 mph on his running speed.
I don’t know how he did it, but I do know one thing: Dalvin Cook is back.
Nevertheless, Cook’s incredible run inspired the Vikings to go on a tear in the final quarter as they scored another touchdown through a C.J. Ham 3-yard rush with under 5 minutes to go in the game to make it 27-23. And, after the Vikings defense got a late stop, it left Kirk Cousins and the offense approximately 3 minutes to score the go-ahead touchdown to complete the comeback.
That already sounds dramatic enough, right? Well, hold on as this game went bonkers from here on out.
First, Von Miller broke through the Vikings LT to sack Kirk Cousins on 3rd and 15, forcing the Vikings offense to have to make a 4th and 18 just to keep the drive alive from their own 30-yard line. Then, Justin Jefferson UTTERLY MOSSED Cam Lewis with a ONE-HANDED SNAG to not only pick up the 18-yard first down, but also push the Vikings deep into Bills territory.
Before I get back to the craziness, let me just say that catch was one of the best football plays I’ve ever seen. It was so good that I’d even compare it to that Odell Beckham Jr. catch against the Cowboys all those years ago. It was INCREDIBLE. Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL, no doubt about it now.
By not only catching that pass, but also finishing the game with 10 REC for 198 yards and 1 TD, Jefferson proved that he’s a legit superstar.
It’s too bad he’s hidden in Minnestoa for most people to realize it.
Anyway, back to the game, Jefferson again made another incredible catch over the middle of the field to put the Vikings at the 5-yard line with 1 minute to go. And, after getting tripped by his own lineman on 2nd down, Kirk Cousins found Jefferson once more as the Vikings receiver dove into the endzone to score the game winning touchdown for Minnesota!
Or so he thought.
In fact, Jefferson was tackled down on the half-inch yard line prior to crossing the plane, forcing the Vikings to run one more play to score another touchdown on 4th and goal.
So, they must have done it, right? They did end up winning the game.
That’s true, but not because of Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, or Dalvin Cook as Cousins was STUFFED at the goal line by the Bills defense. Cousins tried to sneak the ball in on a QB sneak, but he was tripped up just before the goal line to the joy of the fans inhabiting Orchard Park. Their Buffalo Bills had survived the Vikings scare and all they had to do was kneel the ball down and kill the remaining 49 seconds off the clock.
How hard could that be?
Well, very hard as Josh Allen did the unthinkable and FUMBLED THE BALL in the endzone, which DE Eric Kendricks picked up to give the Vikings the 30-27 lead! Crazy stuff!
Whew, I’m already exhausted and there’s still more. Putting the fumble to the back of his mind, Josh Allen hit up Gabe Davis and Dawson Knox multiple times to drive the ball 60ish yards in under 40 seconds to set up Tyler Bass to hit a 29-yard game-tying field goal to bring the game into overtime.
Yet, the Bills hopes of salvaging the game were lost as, after a Vikings field goal to put them up 33-30, Allen threw a devastating pick straight to Patrick Peterson (his second of the game) in the redzone to ice the game for the Vikings!
This game was insane. Other than becoming the instant Game of the Year, this game proved that the Vikings (8-1) are legit contenders, while the Bills (6-3) are in serious trouble of finishing second in the AFC East.
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