Jeremiahboyce.com was listening to the KFAN Minnesota Vikings radio network on Sunday evening when the New Orleans Saints apparently had won the game on a 43 yard field goal with 25 seconds left in the in the fourth quarter by kicker Wil Lutz giving the Saints a 24-23 lead. After an illegal procedure penalty, the Vikings were hoping to get into field goal range for a chance to win the game. After three plays the Vikings had only advanced the ball 19 yards, and we’re facing a 3rd down and 10 with only 10 seconds to go from their own 39 yard line.
The Vikings hoped to just get the ball down field enough to give kicker Kai Forbath a chance for their own game winning field goal, by quarterback Case Keenum throwing a sideline pass to one of their receivers. What happened next was truly unbelievable and will be the jeremiahboyce.com play of the year for 2018 and will live in Vikings history as probably their top play ever.
Keenum completed a pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs near the sideline at the New Orleans 34 yard line, and what happened next is hard to explain. Saints rookie cornerback Marcus Williams basically whiffed on stopping a leaping Diggs catching the ball, and took out one of his teammates after missing Diggs. Diggs regained his balance which allowed him to scamper untouched down the sideline for the game winning 61 yard touchdown pass as time expired, causing Vikings play by play man Paul Allen and analyst Pete Bercich to go absolutely nuts in their description of the play!
The Vikings triumph allows them to go Eagle hunting next Sunday in Philadelphia for the National Football Conference Championship, keeping their hopes alive to play Super Bowl LII on their home field at U.S. Bank Stadium where jeremiahboyce.com attended a pre season game in late August. The Vikings will need to be at the top of their game, and can ill afford to make mistakes like they did this past Sunday in the second half by allowing New Orleans to take the lead after being down 17-0 going into the third quarter.
