7:54 PM ET
Associated Press
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Count retired the Vikings each you want. Patrick Peterson, Justin Jefferson and institution support uncovering ways to rally for victories successful the astir singular and improbable of ways.
Sunday's 33-30 overtime triumph implicit the antecedently AFC-leading Buffalo Bills mightiness person been the astir stunning truthful far.
Peterson intercepted Josh Allen with 1:12 near successful overtime to yet extremity a sloppy, yet thrilling back-and-forth crippled betwixt 2 of the NFL's champion teams, successful which Minnesota rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit.
"Look astatine america now. Look astatine america now. That's each I could say,'' Peterson said, referring to critics who pointed retired the NFC North-leading Vikings' casual schedule.
"We're not trying to beryllium them wrong. We conscionable privation to proceed to beryllium ourselves close each and each clip we measurement connected the field,'' added Peterson, who had 2 interceptions.
"I judge the largest borderline was 13, 14, 17? So if we're not a bully shot team, however could you travel backmost from that deficit? Look astatine america now.''
The Vikings took vantage of 3 turnovers by Allen successful the 4th fourth and overtime, pulling up precocious successful regularisation erstwhile helium mishandled a drawback and fumbled successful the extremity zone.
Greg Joseph enactment the Vikings up to enactment by hitting a 33-yard tract extremity with 3:42 near successful overtime. The crippled didn't extremity until Allen, facing 2nd and 10 astatine Minnesota's 20, forced a walk implicit the mediate intended for Gabe Davis, lone to person Peterson intercept it a fewer yards into the extremity zone. Peterson ran retired and slid to the turf.
The Vikings besides got a heroic show by Jefferson -- who had 10 catches for 193 yards and an incredible, game-saving one-handed drawback -- and overcame an officiating gaffe.
NFL elder vice president of officiating Walt Anderson said the Bills' hurry-up discourtesy gave replay officials nary clip to reappraisal Davis' 20-yard drawback connected Buffalo's last thrust of regulation, which ended with Tyler Bass tying the crippled with a 29-yard tract extremity with 2 seconds left. Replays revealed Davis didn't support power and the shot touched the crushed connected the sideline connected what was ruled a drawback astatine the Vikings 40 with 17 seconds remaining, Anderson said.
With its lone nonaccomplishment to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota matched its champion grounds done 9 games since 2009 and extended its triumph streak to 7 games -- the Vikings' champion since an eight-game tally 2017.
Minnesota rallied to triumph erstwhile trailing with 2½ minutes oregon little remaining successful regularisation for the 5th clip this season.
The Bills (6-3) person mislaid 2 consecutive and nary longer pb the conference, oregon adjacent their division. They present way Miami by a half-game successful the AFC East.
And Allen's turnover problems are abruptly the biggest question surrounding the Bills' talented QB. He was questionable to play connected Sunday due to the fact that of an injured throwing elbow. Allen said the wounded had thing to bash with the turnovers.
"Losing sucks. It sucks this mode adjacent more. Horrendous 2nd half,'' Allen said. "It comes down to my shoulders and my shoulders only. Making the close decisions, making the close throws. This one's going to suck, watching it.''
Allen's archetypal interception connected fourth-and-goal from Minnesota's 2 led straight to C.J. Ham scoring connected a 3-yard tally to chopped Buffalo's pb to 27-23 with 4:34 remaining. Buffalo's defence past appeared to person the crippled won by stopping Vikings backmost Kirk Cousins for nary summation connected fourth-and-goal from the half-yard enactment with 49 seconds remaining.
On the precise adjacent play, Allen muffed the drawback from halfway Mitch Morse, and Minnesota linebacker Erik Hendricks dived into the extremity portion to retrieve it for a touchdown.
His 3rd and last turnover came with Buffalo facing second-and-10 from Minnesota's 20 -- successful presumption for a tying tract goal. Allen forced a walk implicit the mediate intended for Davis.
"I'm going to retrieve this 1 forever,'' Vikings first-year manager Kevin O'Connell said. ``We conscionable had to proceed to commercialized those blows, assemblage blows, haymakers, and conscionable effort to beryllium acceptable for the adjacent snap, arsenic agelong arsenic they fto america proceed to play today.''
Cousins threw for 357 yards, and Jefferson had a monster game.
He had a 22-yard touchdown drawback connected the Vikings' archetypal possession. But the astir astonishing of his galore highlights was a 32-yard drawback connected fourth-and-18 connected Minnesota's last thrust of regulation. Jefferson reached backmost to get 1 manus connected the shot and rip it retired of the grasp of Bills defender Cam Lewis.
"It felt similar it was unreal. Like a movie,'' Jefferson said. "The large games, the large moments, erstwhile radical are looking for you to marque a play, that's what I similar the most.''
Selected with the 2020 first-round prime the Vikings acquired successful a commercialized that sent receiver Stefon Diggs to the Bills, Jefferson became the NFL's archetypal subordinate to apical 100 yards receiving 20 times successful his archetypal 3 seasons, breaking a necktie with Odell Beckham Jr. and erstwhile Minnesota large Randy Moss.
Dalvin Cook sparked the Vikings' comeback by scoring connected an 81-yard tally to chopped Buffalo's pb to 27-17 with 1:34 near successful the 3rd quarter. Cook finished with 119 yards rushing connected 14 carries.
Devin Singletary rushed for 2 first-quarter TDs arsenic the Bills appeared to instrumentality power by gathering a 24-10 halftime lead.
Failing to support the shot has been a season-long contented for Allen. He has turnovers successful 8 of 9 outings, with 10 interceptions -- 2 much than helium had each past season. He's besides mislaid 3 fumbles, matching his full past year.
Allen finished 29 of 43 for 330 yards passing and an 11-yard touchdown walk to Davis.
English (US)