The Buffalo Bills pull off the craziest two minutes in NFL history ... again
The Vikings' Brian O'Neill and Josh Metellus celebrate their bizarre 33-30 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills
WHEN Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen went toe-to-toe in January’s playoff thriller, it was inconceivable that any game in the near future (or any future) would match its insanity. Well, hold our beer, said the Vikings and Bills on Sunday.
The Bills suffered a similar fate as they did in that play-off game, a devastating loss in overtime, this time 33-30. And Josh Allen was just as distraught as he had been in January. But not because NFL rules prevented him from getting the ball in overtime. This time Allen was a central culprit in the loss.
Allen’s mistakes were a recurring theme but only a slice of the riveting football we experienced in the final minutes of regulation on Sunday. To summarise the brain-frying action in the dying stages (not an easy task):
-- The Vikings are down 27-23 (thanks to a missed extra point on CJ Ham’s touchdown) and need to score a touchdown to win.
-- Over a 12-play, 75-yard drive, Justin Jefferson proves he is not human. The receiver catches everything in his line of sight, no matter the number of defenders. This includes an unbelievable 32-yard one-handed catch on fourth and 18.
-- All the effort is for naught as the Vikings are stuffed at the goalline on a sequence that includes a trip by Kirk Cousins and a catch by Jefferson, who is ruled down at the one-yard line after being initially ruled a touchdown. An offsides gets the Vikings closer but they are unable to push Cousins over the goalline on fourth down. The Bills are headed for victory again. (Anxiety-inducing enough for non-Bills and Vikings fans. I can’t imagine how the actual fans felt.)
-- Then, with 41 seconds left and the Bills leading 27-23, comes the bad snap to end all bad snaps by the Bills at their own one-yard line. The Vikings smother the loose ball in the Bills endzone to take a 30-27 lead (Are you kidding me?)
-- Thirty-six seconds is more than enough time for Allen to drive the Bills into field-goal range (thanks, in part, to a catch that probably shouldn’t have stood). Tyler Bass’ 29-yard field goal is good. We head to overtime! (No way this game was ending in regulation.)
-- Minnesota win the toss and pull off some big gains. Are we going to be deprived of Allen yet again? No way. The Vikings can only muster a field goal. What say you, Bills?
-- Allen leads a nice drive, picking up huge chunks of yardage with his feet and toughness. But then he throws the ball right into the hands of Patrick Peterson. Game over.
It was a crushing blow for Buffalo given that they had a 27-10 lead in the third quarter. Allen took the blame for the bad snap when the game seemed wrapped up, which is a nice demonstration of leadership, but his decision-making when it counted is now a legitimate cause for concern. Over the past two games, Allen has thrown four interceptions, three in the red zone, and just one touchdown. The Bills are 0-2 in that span. At one point this season, the Bills looked like the best team in football. Now they are 6-3 and tied with the New York Jets for second place in the AFC East. (The Jets own the tiebreaker thanks a better divisional record).
The only solace for Buffalo was that this wasn’t a playoff game and Allen was playing with a bum elbow, his status uncertain almost up until kick-off. The quarterback still showcased his arm strength and athleticism on Sunday: after all, Allen at 75% is still better than most quarterbacks as long as he can eliminate the mental mistakes that plagued him earlier in his career.
The wheels have not fallen off in Buffalo – Allen’s elbow will continue to heal and, at some point, stud corner Tre’Davious White will make his 2022 debut – but you must wonder if this team is doomed when it comes to these enthralling finishes.
As for Minnesota: Hello world, meet the 8-1 Vikings. Many NFL fans weren’t paying much attention to them because the Vikings don’t have the flashiest of quarterbacks. But damn, can Cousins engineer a comeback. Sunday marked the fifth time this season he has orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback, tying an NFL record. To do it in Buffalo, down 27-10, with Von Miller coming alive in the second half, is remarkable. The argument that the Vikings’ record was due to facing weak teams and a slew of backup quarterbacks can now be dismissed. Minnesota’s only loss this season is to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and, as showcased in Buffalo, there’s a lot to like.
Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, Miami Dolphins. Heading into the offseason, the Tua doubters were lined up for miles. He supposedly didn’t look the part or have the arm strength. The Dolphins should look at Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson, they said. Well, the apology line better be just as long because Tagovailoa put in yet another sensational performance, leading the now 7-3 Dolphins to a 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. Tagovailoa was almost flawless, passing for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Having weapons like Tyreek Hill helps, but Tagovailoa deserves a boatload of credit for Miami’s surge. His 118.4 passer rating this season is the highest in NFL history by a third-year quarterback.
Buffalo Bills 30 Minnesota Vikings 33 (OT), Tennessee Titans 17 Denver Broncos 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 20 New Orleans Saints 10, NY Giants 24 Houston Texans 16, Miami Dolphins 39 Cleveland Browns 17, Kansas City Chiefs 27 Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Chicago Bears 30 Detroit Lions 31, Las Vegas Raiders 20 Indianapolis Colts 25, Green Bay Packers 31 Dallas Cowboys 28 (OT), Los Angeles Rams 17 Arizona Cardinals 27, San Francisco 49ers 22 Los Angeles Chargers 16.
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