Advertisement

Dane Mizutani: Vikings refuse to let horrendous officiating overshadow greatest comeback of all time

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·4 min read
9

When the Vikings weren’t trying to give away Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium, the officials were actively trying to take it from them.

Never mind that the Vikings played the worst 30 minutes imaginable. Never mind that coach Kevin O’Connell seemed to panic for the first time in his very short tenure with Minnesota. Never mind that the game itself looked like a total system failure for prolonged stretches.

As the Vikings mounted an impossible comeback against the Colts, the ineptitude of referee Tra Blake and his officiating crew threatened to derail it. They were brutal throughout the game, and that’s being kind.

In the end, though, the Vikings wouldn’t let horrendous officiating overshadow the greatest NFL comeback of all time. They somehow managed to erase a 33-0 halftime deficit and emerge victorious in overtime when Greg Joseph nailed a 40-yard field goal to lift the Vikings a 39-36 win. They won the NFC North in the process.

There were countless superlatives to go around in the immediate aftermath of the Minneapolis Miracle 2.0.

You had quarterback Kirk Cousins finish the day 34 of 54 passing for 460 yards and four touchdowns. You had running back Dalvin Cook post 17 carries for 95 yards rushing, plus four catches for 95 yards while most notably getting loose for the final touchdown of the game. You had star receiver Justin Jefferson make 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown and get overshadowed by fellow receiver K.J. Osborn, who had 10 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.

The most impressive performance? The way the defense was able to overcome the officials.

While there were some questionable calls throughout the game, there were a couple of plays that told the story. Both involved cornerback Chandon Sullivan.

In the first half, Sullivan forced a fumble, recovered the ball and returned it for a touchdown. The only issue? The officials ruled that Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had stopped his forward progress. The touchdown got wiped off the board and there was nothing the Vikings could do about it.

“That’s a tough situation because he was still fighting for yardage,” Sullivan said. “I thought it was a clean play. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

In the second half, Sullivan picked up a loose ball on the turf, raced the other way and trotted into the end zone for a touchdown. The issue? The officials ruled that Colts running back Deon Jackson was down by contact even though he clearly was not.

“I have no explanation for that,” Sullivan said. “That’s ridiculous. He was standing up with the ball on the ground. I don’t know what to say.”

After the play, veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson pleaded with the officials as the home crowd boisterously voiced its collective displeasure. Meanwhile, near the Vikings sideline, Sullivan threw his helmet in frustration, and promptly got assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I lost my temper there,” he said. “I feel like anybody would.”

Asked about both plays after the game, referee Tra Blake stood by the first call, then admitted his crew was incorrect on the second.

“If we would’ve lost and had those calls, that would’ve been tough to digest,” Sullivan said. “We won, so it doesn’t matter.”

No, it doesn’t, and the NFL should be grateful for that.

“It pissed us off just enough,” linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “Luckily, we got back to ourselves and we got back to work.”

Credit the Vikings for keeping their composure. A lesser team might not have been able to do that. When it seemed like everything was going against them — most of it because of their own doing before halftime — they found a way to overcome like they have countless times this season.

“It’s hard when something like that happens to say, ‘Forget it. We’re going forward. We’re going to make the plays that need to be made,’ ” linebacker Jordan Hicks said. We were able to do that.”

The result was a game everyone will remember for the rest of their lives.

Related Articles