The Minnesota Vikings staged the biggest flip in NFL history yesterday and erased a 33-point deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts 39-36 thanks to a 40-yard Greg Joseph field goal with three seconds left in overtime to secure the lead in the National Conference North Division. in his usual dramatic style.
Kirk Cousins threw for 460 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Vikings (11-3), who were down 36-7 near the end of the third period and became the third team in league history to win 10 games in a campaign by eight points or less.
“We’re going to fight until we’re told there’s no more time to play,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.
The Colts, with an adverse regular-season record of four wins, nine losses and a draw, stumbled to the infamous side of the list and moved behind the Houston Oilers, who in the 1992 postseason let go of a 32-point lead (35-3) and lost 41-38 to Buffalo in overtime.
According to Sportradar data, it is the second loss in 1,551 regular season or playoff games in league history since 1930, in which a team has let go of a 30-point lead and lost.
Nothing disturbs us. We showed it in Buffalo, said cornerback Patrick Peterson, who was key to turning them around to win in overtime against the Bills on November 13 after being down by 17 points.
The Vikings carried the flip to the second possession of overtime, after a punt on their first possession. Cousins connected with K.J. Osborn — who had a touchdown and a career-high of 157 yards — for 15 yards, Adam Thielen for 21 yards and Justin Jefferson for 13 and move into range.
The Colts lost running back Jonathan Taylor, who left the game with a right ankle injury he suffered on the first series of the day after catching a 13-yard pass, his only intervention of the day.
Taylor has struggled with his ankle all season; He missed three games between October and November. He had been slowly improving and was thought ready after the Colts’ break last week.
Soon after, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Ravens 13-3, notching their third win in the last four weeks.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson made his third start for the Browns and completed 18 of 28 pass attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown, another strong performance as he continues to find his footing as a starter. He also rushed four times for 23 yards.
The Browns, who went 6-8 and are third in the American Conference North division, just behind the Ravens (9-5), will play their final home game of the season on Christmas Eve next Saturday against the New Orleans Saints
