Ranking the Ten Craziest Things That Happened in the Vikings' Win Over the Bills

That was one of the most insane NFL games in recent memory.

The Vikings' 33-30 overtime win over the Bills on Sunday is going to be nearly impossible to top as the best game of the 2022 NFL season. 

It had everything: two legitimate Super Bowl contenders going at it, a raucous environment featuring wind and snow, a historic comeback, spectacular plays, dramatic twists and turns, emotions of every kind.

There wasn't just one crazy moment that left you in disbelief — there were a plethora of them. Here are the ten craziest things that happened in one of the most entertaining games you'll ever see, ranked from ten to one.

10. Diggs makes incredible one-handed catch

• Situation: Bills ball, 3rd and 15 at the BUF 21
• Time: Third quarter, 0:28
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 17

The Bills had just watched their 17-point lead drop to ten on Dalvin Cook's 81-yard touchdown run. Three plays later, after a holding call, they were facing third and long and the prospect of punting the ball right back to the Vikings. That's when Stefon Diggs created a moment of magic, leaping up to snare a Josh Allen pass with one hand for a 25-yard gain.

At the time, it was the most impressive catch of the game. It was topped later on, but that shouldn't take away from the absurdity of the play. Diggs balled out in his first game against his former team, catching 12 passes for 128 yards. That catch was easily the prettiest of the dozen.

The Bills actually converted another third down of at least 15 yards three plays later, but the drive ended on the first of two Patrick Peterson interceptions.

9. Cook runs for 81-yard score

• Situation: Vikings ball, 1st and 10 at the MIN 19
• Time: Third quarter, 1:46
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 10

Dalvin Cook's first six carries of the game gained a total of 13 yards, including a six-yard loss earlier in the third quarter. The Vikings hadn't run the ball very effectively — or very much — against a Bills team that had been gashed on the ground by the Jets and Packers in their two previous games. After recovering a fumble in the second quarter, they turned the ball over on downs by passing it twice in a row while needing just a single yard.

But they didn't abandon the running game, and it finally popped late in the third. One play after the Bills had stretched their lead to 17 points, Cook took a handoff to the left side and broke free. Benefiting from quality blocks by Christian Darrisaw and Justin Jefferson, Cook made a man miss and turned on the burners for the longest run of his career (and the longest run by any player in the league this season)

"I think that kind of sparked everything that transpired after that," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said.

8. K.J. Osborn converts on a gutsy fourth down play call

• Situation: Vikings ball, 4th and 1 at the MIN 43
• Time: Fourth quarter, 9:02
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 17

The Vikings' 13-play, 66-yard scoring drive following Peterson's first INT will get lost in the shuffle a bit because of everything that went down in this game, but it was huge. Facing a fourth and 1 in his team's own territory, O'Connell dialed up an end-around to Osborn.

Minnesota only needed a yard, but Osborn had at least six yards to gain since he took the handoff behind the line of scrimmage and had to adjust his path slightly to get to the edge. He fought through two defenders to convert on a very close play, keeping the drive alive.

It was a great call by O'Connell and a great individual effort by Osborn. Four plays later, the Vikings needed to pick up another fourth down; Kirk Cousins hit T.J. Hockenson to move the chains again. A 15-yard Cousins scramble then set up a C.J. Ham rushing touchdown to make it 27-23 (Greg Joseph missed the extra point, which was dramatic in its own right).

7. Vikings stuffed on fourth and goal...twice

• Situation: Vikings ball, 4th and goal at the BUF 1
• Time: Fourth quarter, 0:57
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 23

Set up by three Jefferson catches on the drive — including the Jefferson catch — the Vikings were a yard away from getting into the end zone and taking the lead.

Somewhat shockingly, they chose to pass instead of sneaking it on fourth down. Cousins looked left, didn't have anyone open, pivoted right, found Cook open in the flat, and...Cook dropped it. But hold on — there was a flag on the field. Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips had jumped offside just before the snap.

So the Vikings got another chance. This time, they elected to sneak it. That's always a high-percentage move in short-yardage situations, especially because you can have a player push the quarterback from behind. It didn't work. Cousins wasn't able to push forward enough before his shoulder hit the ground.

The Bills took over, and it seemed like the game was a wrap.

6. Duke Shelley, of all people, comes up huge

• Situation: Bills ball, 1st and 10 at the MIN 20
• Time: Overtime, 1:25
• Score: Vikings 33, Bills 30

After the Vikings were held to a field goal on the opening possession of OT, the Bills had a chance to drive down and win it with a touchdown. Allen scrambled twice for 38 yards to start Buffalo's series, then hit Diggs twice to get to the red zone. That's when he took a shot to tight end Dawson Knox for a potential game-winner.

In coverage on Knox was cornerback Duke Shelley. If you saw No. 20 on the field and had no idea who he was, that's understandable. A 2019 Bears sixth-round pick, Shelley was waived by Chicago in final roster cuts this year. The Vikings signed him to their practice squad a week later. The day before this game, with Cameron Dantzler going on injured reserve, the Vikings signed Shelley to their active roster.

Still, he wasn't supposed to get defensive snaps. Akayleb Evans started the game at that spot, but he suffered a concussion and was ruled out at halftime. Andrew Booth Jr. stepped in, but he struggled in his first taste of regular season action at corner. So the Vikings went with Shelley, who started six games during his Bears tenure.

Thrust into a tough situation, Shelley came up with a massive pass breakup to keep the game alive. 

The very next play turned out to be the final play of the game.

5. Allen throws another pick to end it

• Situation: Bills ball, 2nd and 10 at the MIN 20
• Time: Overtime, 1:19
• Score: Vikings 33, Bills 30

Speaking of that next play, how about some chronological order for once? Allen took another shot to the end zone on second down, this one intended for Gabe Davis, who already had one touchdown in the game. It was a poor throw that Peterson read perfectly to seal the deal.

"It's always easier for the quarterback to throw the ball coming back into his vision," Peterson said. "So, I knew that. I just undercut the dig (route) and sealed the game."

Allen had never thrown two red zone interceptions in the same game — until Sunday.

4. Bills get away with 12 men on the field

• Situation: Vikings ball, 1st and goal at the BUF 2
• Time: Overtime, 5:17
• Score: Vikings 30, Bills 30

The Vikings had a chance to end the game in overtime without Allen ever getting a chance to touch the ball. Jefferson's tenth catch of the game — another ridiculous grab that he made look easy — set Minnesota up at Buffalo's 2.

Cook took a handoff on the next play and lost three yards. After a sack on second down and an incompletion on third down, the Vikings settled for a field goal. But the first down loss of yardage shouldn't have counted. As it turns out, the Bills had 12 men on the field for that play. Somehow, the refs didn't notice.

That's a missed call that could've loomed large if the Vikings had lost.

3. Gabe Davis makes a big catch...that was actually a blatant incompletion

• Situation: Bills ball, 2nd and 2 at the BUF 40
• Time: Fourth quarter, 0:24
• Score: Vikings 30, Bills 27

Following the Vikings' go-ahead touchdown, the Bills had 36 seconds to get into field goal range to tie the game. Allen hit Knox for two quick completions to start the drive, and the Vikings were charged with an injury timeout after the second one when Za'Darius Smith was slow to get up.

Then Allen zipped a 20-yard pass to Davis at the left sideline for a clutch reception to get Buffalo near field goal range. The Vikings' sideline didn't think the ball was caught, but it was ruled a catch and the Bills hurried to the line to run their next play, gaining 15 more yards.

The issue is that the Vikings were right. It wasn't a catch. On replay, it's blatantly obvious that Davis didn't secure the ball while going to the ground. For whatever reason, no official review was initiated. Because it was after the two-minute warning, the Vikings couldn't challenge.

"It was right in front of me," O'Connell said. "Didn't think that was a catch. In that mode, that needs be something that either is (reviewed) from up top or possibly New York. We didn't get any clarification. I did ask."

In the postgame pool report, NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson said it should've been reviewed and would've been overturned.

"If the replay official can’t confirm it was a catch on that long of a completed pass, we should stop play to ensure it is a catch," Anderson said. "I’ll have to find out from the replay official exactly what he didn’t feel like he saw to stop the game."

“We were able – several plays after – to look at all the angles. It would have been reversed to an incomplete pass because he did not maintain control of the ball after he hit the ground and the ball touched the ground out of bounds.”

If that gets reviewed and the correct call is made, maybe the game never even goes to overtime. Allen would've still had some time to work with, but not a ton.

The officiating crew made several questionable decisions in this game, but that one was by far the most egregious.

2. The Bills muff the snap

• Situation: Bills ball, 1st and 10 at the BUF 1
• Time: Fourth quarter, 0:49
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 23

99 times out of 100, turning the ball over on downs with less than a minute left and only one timeout to your name means the game is over. However, when the turnover happens at your opponent's 1 yard-line, they can't just take a knee. There's no room for that.

Still, all the Bills had to do was sneak it twice to end the game. But on the first play, Allen didn't field the snap cleanly from center Mitch Morse and Eric Kendricks was able to recover the fumble for a touchdown that gave the Vikings an improbable late lead.

O'Connell said the Vikings practice that situation. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, facing his former team for the first time, deserves a lot of credit for helping make the play happen.

That play was "the first go-ahead, non-offensive TD scored by a trailing team in the last minute of the 4th quarter since 1986," per Elias Sports.

Insane.

1. Jefferson makes perhaps the greatest catch of all time

• Situation: Vikings, 4th and 18 at the MIN 27
• Time: Fourth quarter, 2:00
• Score: Bills 27, Vikings 23

There's no other choice for the top spot on this ranking.

In a game full of amazing plays and crazy moments, this tops them all. The Vikings needed a prayer to stay alive after Cousins was sacked twice. Jefferson answered the call.

On fourth and long, with the game on the line, Cousins chucked it up in the general direction of the Vikings' best player. The 23-year-old superstar, who is arguably the NFL's best receiver, made the signature play of his career so far with a catch that is simply hard to wrap your head around. It was an unbelievable, "he caught that?!" moment on a day where Jefferson dominated to the tune of a career-high 193 receiving yards.

Considering the situation and the degree of difficulty, there's an argument to be made that Jefferson's catch tops Odell Beckham Jr.'s famous one-handed grab from 2014, among other contenders, as the greatest catch ever. It didn't have the stakes of a Super Bowl moment like David Tyree's helmet catch, but...all I'm saying is there's an argument that can be made.

The crazy part is that Jefferson got a bit of an assist from Bills defensive back Cam Lewis, who went for the interception instead of trying to knock the ball down. Because Lewis had his hands on the ball, Jefferson was able to rip it away and bring it in from a truly absurd body position without it hitting the ground.

"One of the more remarkable catches I've ever seen," O'Connell said.

"I guess all those strengthening the hand workouts kind of worked out," Jefferson said, smiling.

Bonus: Three crazy stats

• The Bills had won 52 straight home games with a lead of at least 14 points at halftime. The last time they lost in that situation was in 1968. The Vikings ended that streak.
• This was just the third game in Vikings history in which both teams had at least 480 yards of offense, joining OT games in 1986 (against Washington) and 2013 (against Chicago).
• The Vikings are the second team ever to win seven straight games by one score, joining the 2020 Chiefs. No team has ever done it eight games in a row.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.