With the help of Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs, the Vikings pulled off a historic last-second win on Jan. 14 that helped them move closer to a spot in the Super Bowl. While the Vikings lost to the Eagles on Jan. 21, losing their chance at becoming the first team in all of NFL history to play in their home stadium while hosting the championship game, the “Minneapolis Miracle” will not be forgotten.
Jan. 14, 2018 is a day Vikings fans will never forget. What started out as a first half shutout, turned into an agonizing, nail biting second half that left the whole nation speechless. The last ten seconds changed the outcome completely.
The Minnesota Vikings had shutout the New Orleans Saints in the first half of the NFC divisional game with a solid 17 to 0 lead. Later, as the game progressed, the Saints began to show that they had some strength left and finally made it on the board with a 14 yard touchdown made by Michael Thomas to bring the score to 17 to 7.
“Everyone was just going wild and being friendly. Random people were were just saying ‘Skol Vikes!’ to each other,” junior Abby Haglin said.
As the clock ticked down, the Saints continued to gain on the Vikings until they were ahead 21 to 20 in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. Miraculously, Minnesota kicked a field goal to advance their lead to 23. But the Saints came back with the same move to advance their lead once again to 24. The end was not looking to be in Minnesota’s favor.
“It was crazy, the entire place erupted and everyone was hugging and high fiving each other,” sophomore Michael Hughes said.
Games before this have been just as historical, such as the 1972 AFC divisional round between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders. With 22 seconds left, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw made a desperate pass that was then deflected by a Raiders player; miraculously, Steelers player Franco Harris caught the deflected pass and ran in for an end-of-the game winning touchdown.
Nevertheless, the last ten seconds of the Vikings game were just as historical. With seven seconds left, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw a hail mary pass to Stefon Diggs who then ran into the endzone to make a 61 yard, end of the game “walk off touchdown”–bringing the Vikings to victory. History was made and the game was claimed to be a “Minneapolis Miracle.”
“Tears of joy ran from the face of a 70 year old Vikings fan who sat next to me. Even some Vikings players were crying,” sophomore Max Pankonin said, “It was truly the craziest thing I’ve ever seen and the loudest building I’ve ever been in.”