Well… that was a surprise! Arguably the best game of the NFL season so far, the Minnesota Vikings managed to beat this year’s favourites for the Superbowl Buffalo Bills in a surprise 33 – 30 win.
Not only did it push Bills off the top spot of the American Football League Conference and down into 3rd, it makes the playoff races in both conferences even more entertaining.
Fourth Quarter Fumble
The Bills were less than a minute away from taking the win in Overtime. ESPN predicted them to have a 99.9% chance of winning the game thanks to Vikings’ failed 4th attempt from the 1-yard line.
A massive fumble from Bills’ Josh Allen, landed in Mitch Morse’s gloves and he promptly made a defensive touchdown.
Everything up to that point would’ve put the game to bed but for that moment and the chances of victory dropped to 5% for both teams, ESPN has stated.
The Jefferson Catch
One of the most impressive feats of the match was the Jefferson catch. It was just split seconds when the Bills crowd were roaring with excitement that their very own Safety, Cam Lewis was within reach, but that noise turned to silence when Justin Jefferson caught the ball and brought it down to earth.
It was lucky for Vikings. They could’ve easily given the ball back to Bills and the spectacle would’ve been lost.
Win-streaks
It was an impressive effort for Vikings, fighting back from a 17-point gap to win in the second half. While the Vikings have won their last 7 games by around 8 points. These are close games and they’ve often been wins late on into the game; the Bills game is an example of this.
Allen’s accident
The fumble was a forced error but it went in the wrong direction. The game was tied up until the fumble but Allen’s throw was going nowhere it needed to and that made it easier for Peterson to exploit.
What does it mean for Bills?
While the team was considered a force to be reckoned with and a potential favourite for the Superbowl, Bills are now 3rd in the American Football League following it’s losses to the New York Jets and now Minnesota Vikings.
The margin for loss is now unacceptable given that Miami Dolphins now lead the AFC East Division and Bills are tied W/D/L with Jets. New England Patriots are rising again and that’s a threat to Bill’s position too.
Tiebreakers with the Chiefs, Ravens and Titans could be the way in which the Bills can get themselves back up and top of the division.
The game was exciting and it was full of opportunities, some of them sorely missed. While Bills are defensively dominant, those fumbles didn’t help them.
Buffalo Bills now play Cleveland Browns while Minnesota Vikings face the might Dallas Cowboys, both on Sunday.
