- The Minnesota Vikings pulled off a 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints with a touchdown catch and run from Stefon Diggs as time expired.
- The play was made possible when Saints safety Marcus Williams tried to deliver a big hit on Diggs and missed him entirely, leaving Diggs with an open field.
- Afterward, Williams reportedly cried over his blunder.
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The Vikings' miracle touchdown was made possible when a Saints defender played the pass in the worst way possible
Marcus Williams badly misplayed Stefon Diggs' catch and gave Diggs an open field to score the game-winning catch for the Vikings.
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The Minnesota Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship on Sunday with a miracle pass, catch, and touchdown from Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs to secure a 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints.
And while Keenum and Diggs' heroics are rightly being celebrated, the Saints may wish they could have that play back because of a big defensive mistake by safety Marcus Williams.
As Diggs went up to catch Keenum's deep ball along the sideline, Williams appeared to go for a big hit to keep Diggs from catching the ball or to force him to stay in-bounds.
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Instead, Williams missed Diggs entirely, and Diggs pulled the ball down with nobody behind him. From there, it was off to the races.
Here was the play:
During the replay, Troy Aikman said of Williams: "I'm not sure really what he's thinking, Joe. He comes in, he's got [Diggs] dialed in, and all he's gotta do is make a play. And even if he catches it, you tackle him in-bounds, the game is over."
Aikman even remarked that Diggs likely thought he was going to get hit on the play.
From the sounds of it, Williams, who had a strong rookie season, took it hard afterward.
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#saints Rookie safety Marcu... @ Alex Flanagan
Several in the NFL world offered support for Williams, including for Saints safety Steve Gleason.
Marcus Williams had a spect... @ Steve Gleason
Words of encouragement for ... @ Justin Forsett
Keep your head up young fel... @ Antoine Bethea
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It will likely be a tough play for Williams to live down. But it also shows the thin line between a win and a loss — if Williams had made the tackle, the Saints would likely be in the NFC Championship.
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