 U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of the game. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 14, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Vikings by 5.5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Gene Steratore | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 66,612 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | KFXN-FM | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Paul Allen and Pete Bercich | ||||||||||||||||||
The Minneapolis Miracle (also known as the Minnesota Miracle) was the National Football Conference (NFC) divisional playoff game played between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 14, 2018, and specifically its final play. The game was played as part of the National Football League (NFL)'s 2017–18 playoffs. This was the fourth playoff game between these two franchises in their histories.
The Saints came back from a 17–0 first-half deficit and established a 24–23 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the game. On the last play of the game, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs; Saints safety Marcus Williams missed a tackle, allowing Diggs to run to the end zone to complete the 61-yard touchdown pass. This game was the first in NFL playoffs history to end in a touchdown as time expired.
In the aftermath, Keenum and Diggs were lauded for their efforts on the game-winning score, while Williams received criticism for his missed tackle. The Vikings' radio call by Paul Allen – who described the play as a "Minneapolis Miracle" – was circulated widely on the internet and in mainstream media and it became the popular appellation for both the play and the game itself. The play won multiple end-of-year awards and prompted a change to the NFL's rules.