The Minnesota Vikings authored the biggest comeback in NFL history to clinch the NFC North division title with a 39-36 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.
The Vikings erased a 33-0 halftime deficit and grabbed the win on Greg Joseph's 40-yard field goal with two seconds left in the extra session.
The previous largest comeback in NFL history was the Buffalo Bills' rally from a 32-point deficit to beat the Houston Oilers in a Wild Card round playoff game in January, 1993.
"We just pulled off the biggest comeback in NFL history – OK, I need a second," Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins said in an onfield interview with NFL Network in Minneapolis.
Cousins connected on three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. That included a 64-yard TD on a screen pass to Dalvin Cook which was followed by a two-point conversion pass to TJ Hockenson that tied the score at 36-36 with 2:15 left in regulation.
The Vikings also got second-half touchdowns from KJ Osborn, CJ Ham, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen while their often maligned defense held the Colts to three points.
Each team punted on their opening possession of overtime, the Vikings finally striking for the win on their second OT opportunity.
Minnesota had won the coin toss and had the first possession of overtime, but their drive stalled. Their defense then forced a punt and the Vikings had the ball at their own 10 yard line with 1:41 to play.
Cousins directed a six-play, 60-yard drive capped by Joseph's game-winner. He threw for a career-high 460 yards, including 417 in the second half and overtime. His four touchdowns helped overcome two interceptions.
The Colts had returned a blocked punt in the first quarter for a touchdown to seize an early 10-lead.
A Vikings fumble then gave Indianapolis the ball for a drive that resulted in another Colts TD.
Minnesota trailed 23-0 when cornerback Chandon Sullivan appeared to return a fumble for a touchdown, but the play had been whistled dead before the fumble.
The Colts then took a 30-0 lead when Julian Blackmon returned a Cousins interception 17 yards for a touchdown.
Indianapolis kicker Chase McLaughlin capped the first-half scoring with the third of his four field goals.
"It was an ugly first half," Cousins said.
He said there "was belief" in the Vikings locker room at halftime, when cornerback Patrick Peterson said "all we need is five touchdowns."
"I thought he was being sarcastic," Cousins admitted.
The Vikings have captured their first division title since 2017.
"It's really the goal every year when the season starts, it's to win your division, get a home playoff game and get in the dance," Cousins said. "That's the first goal, we've been able to secure that. But we've got to play better."
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
On racial profiling at airports
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
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Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Elvis
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