Vikings make history in win
MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings completed the biggest comeback in NFL history, erasing a 33-point deficit by beating the Colts 39-36 on Greg Joseph’s 40-yard field goal with three seconds left in overtime Saturday to win the NFC North division in their typical dramatic fashion.
Kirk Cousins passed for 460 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Vikings (11-3), who trailed 36-7 late in the third quarter and became just the third team in league history to win 10 games in a season by eight points or fewer.
“We’re going to grind it out until they tell us there’s no more ball left to play,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.
The Colts (4-9-1) stumbled onto the infamous side of the list, just ahead of the Oilers in the 1992 postseason. They blew a 32-point lead (35-3) and lost to the Bills (41-38) in overtime.
“When you have chances to put people away, we’ve got to do a better job than we’ve done up until this point,” quarterback Matt Ryan said.
According to Sportradar data, the Vikings became only the second team in 1,551 regular-season or playoff games since 1930 that a team trailed by 30 or more points in and won.
“Nothing fazes us. We showed that in Buffalo,” said cornerback Patrick Peterson, who aided a 33-30 overtime victory over the Bills on Nov. 13 after a 17-point deficit. “We showed that again today.”
The Vikings took this rally all the way to their second possession of overtime. Cousins hit K.J. Osborn — who caught the first score and had a career-high 157 yards — for 15 yards. He found Adam Thielen — who had the second of three fourth-quarter touchdown passes — for 21 yards. Then he threw to Justin Jefferson for 13 yards to move into range. Ifeadi Odenigbo was called for delay of game for lying on Jefferson to try to keep the Vikings from setting up for the kick, putting Joseph 5 yards closer for the winner.
“It’s a special group, a lot of fighters,” Thielen said.
Watson throws TD, wins home debut: Deshaun Watson dropped to a knee for the third time to extinguish the final seconds. He turned and walked alone, taking a few steps before tilting his head back screaming into the frosty air.
This win meant a little bit more.
“It was special,” he said. Watson threw a touchdown pass in his home debut for the Browns, leading them to an ugly 13-3 win on Saturday over the Ravens, who need injured star quarterback Lamar Jackson to get back quickly.
In his third game after serving an 11-game NFL suspension for alleged sexual misconduct, Watson wasn’t spectacular. But he did enough to help the Browns (6-8) keep their miniscule playoff hopes alive while knocking the Ravens (9-5) off stride.
The Ravens had won six of seven. But the loss knocked the Ravens out of first in the AFC North, dropping them a half-game back of the Bengals pending their game at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Before he left the field, Watson let all his emotions pour out.
“It was a lot,” Watson said, explaining his feelings at the conclusion.