It’s a Minny miracle
Last-ditch heave and defensive breakdown send Minnesota to NFC title game.
Unlikely touchdown pass in final seconds stuns Saints and lifts Vikings into NFC championship game.
MINNESOTA 29 NEW ORLEANS 24
MINNEAPOLIS — There wasn’t much left for Case Keenum to do but to fling the ball deep and hope for a miracle. Miracle answered. Keenum completed a last-ditch heave near the sideline Sunday on the game’s final play, and Stefon Diggs slithered away for a 61yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 29-24 victory over New Orleans and send the Vikings to the NFC championship game, with one more win needed to become the first Super Bowl host team to play in the game.
Drew Brees had driven the Saints in position for Wil Lutz’s go-ahead 43-yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining, punctuating a steely rally from a 17-point deficit that stood until 1:16 was left in the third quarter.
The Vikings were out of timeouts and nearly out of options when Keenum dropped back with 10 seconds to go from his 39 and threw high into a crowd. Diggs jumped in front of Marcus Williams, who rolled awkwardly under Diggs in a poor attempt at a tackle.
Diggs held his ground, kept his feet in bounds and raced untouched into the end zone as the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium erupted.
“I’m just thankful,” Diggs said. “They count us out all the time. Nobody thinking we can do it. This game was over. I don’t stop playing till the clock hit zero. That’s it.”
This wasn’t quite Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception for Pittsburgh in the 1972 playoffs, but these Vikings are on some kind of special path. They finished 13-3 during the regular season, giving the career backup Keenum the keys to the offense after Sam Bradford went down with a knee injury after the opener.
The Vikings will play at Philadelphia next weekend, after Jacksonville takes on New England for the AFC title. The Super Bowl is in Minnesota two weeks later.
“Heck of a game, wasn’t it?” coach Mike Zimmer said. “And the good guys won.”
Brees connected with Michael Thomas for two of his three touchdown passes in a span of 3:09 of the second half. The first score came after a 12-play, 80-yard drive. The second was set up at the Minnesota 40 by an interception by Williams after an off-balance throw by Keenum.
When George Johnson blocked Ryan Quigley’s punt, the Saints took over at the Vikings 40. Four plays later, rookie Alvin Kamara, whose breakout was a major factor in the team’s NFC South title and breakthrough from three straight 7-9 finishes, caught a 14-yard pass from Brees for a 21-20 lead with 3:01 left.
Kai Forbath’s 53-yard field goal, his third against his former team, gave the Vikings their lead back with 1:29 left. That was more than enough time for Brees, the sure-fire Hall of Famer.
But after Brees got Lutz in position, there were just enough seconds remaining for Keenum, the undrafted and undersized all-time leading passer in NCAA history at Houston, whose first career playoff start ended in spectacular fashion. He finished with 318 yards, going 25 for 40, with Diggs getting 137 yards on six catches.
“This will take a while to get over,” said coach Sean Payton, who fell to 1-5 on the road in playoff games.
Now the Vikings have spun an unprecedented scenario. Next weekend, instead of the usual win-or-gohome stakes, they’re in a win-and-go-home situation with the Super Bowl set for Feb. 4 under the reverberating, translucent roof of U.S. Bank Stadium.