There have been some big and surprising results – not least the stories – that have come out of the 2022 National Football League campaign, but the Minnesota Vikings have recently put the cherry on top of the cake.
In their recent NFL match up with the Indianapolis Colts, the Vikings found themselves trailing 33-0 at the half time mark in the game, and at that point, even the most hardened and ultra optimistic Vikings fans would have totally given up the ghost on any attempt at a comeback. 33-0 down at the second break just left two quarters to try and restore some pride.
Whilst fans may have thought that, clearly those on the Vikings playing roster obviously felt differently as the final two quarters have now entered the storied NFL history books and odds on it happening again can be found here.
On the restart, quarter back Kirk Cousins threw for four touchdowns, and then added a massive 64 yard catch with running back Dalvin Cook powering through to make it 36-34. A two point conversion followed as they re-established an almost complete second half dominance over the Colts and they tied it up at 36 a piece with only 2:15 remaining on the play clock, and a late overtime field goal from Greg Joseph gave them the unlikeliest of wins as they secured their place in this season’s Play Offs.
They will be joined there by the Buffalo Bills following their own victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Super Bowl favourites took a tight 32-29 victory in their own game as time expired and they clinched the AFC East title and guaranteed their own post season spot in the Play Offs.
The comeback from the Vikings though is the biggest fight back in NFL history and as well as booking their post season place, they also became the NFC North champions for the first time in the last five years (2017_.
In many ways their season was encapsulated by the drive, determination, organisation and passion they showed to stage such a remarkable and historic comeback and in what was their first win against the Colts in the last 25 years, it takes their record to 11 wins and only three defeats for the season.
For the history buffs amongst us, the previous comeback record was held by the Buffalo Bills as they came back from 35-3 against the now defunct Houston Oilers way back in the 1993 season.
Having led his team to victory, QB Cousins said that most of the team had the belief at the half time break that they could turn the game around and put it back in their favour, but he did have to smile at cornerback Patrick Peterson’s claim at the time in which he offered to the dressing room ‘All we need is five touchdowns’.
34 year old Cousins, who completed 34 of 54 passes gaining 460 yards, said.
“I thought he was being sarcastic.”
It was a claim echoed by Offensive line coach Chris Kuper
“(Kuper) said it to me before we started the second half. He said, ‘let’s score 35 unanswered.’ I thought, I mean, that’d be great. But that doesn’t just happen.”
Apparently it can, and it does.