ESPN’s Ranks Walk-Off Endings, Including 6 Vikings…

ESPN Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin summed up the madness:

With the Vikings ahead 16-9 at the two-minute warning, backup running back Alexander Mattison — who was filling in for an injured Dalvin Cook — fumbled just outside Minnesota’s red zone. The Lions quickly scored and converted their 2-point attempt to take a 17-16 lead.

Once the Vikings got the ball back, Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen deep twice for 21 and 19 yards, respectfully, and set up Greg Joseph for a 54-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Joseph found redemption after missing a would-be game winner in Arizona three weeks earlier.

The Vikings also made the top 10 for their win the very next week, a thrilling 34-28 overtime victory against the Panthers that landed eighth on ESPN’s list.

Cronin took us back to that victory, too.

Minnesota’s prevent defense failed on the final drive of regulation, when the Vikings let Sam Darnold march the Panthers 96 yards downfield in 1:27 to tie the score 28-28 and send it to overtime. The Vikings won the coin toss, and K.J. Osborn was heralded as a hero for his third-down catch followed by a 27-yard touchdown on a deep corner route that allowed Minnesota to capture its second walk-off win in as many weeks.

ESPN listed the Vikings win probability before the final drive at 52.5 percent, and that Minnesota’s win probability before the walk-off play was 72.8 percent.

Minnesota’s overtime loss to Baltimore came in at No. 24 on the list, and the Vikings Week 1 overtime loss to the Bengals was at No. 30. Both of those games ended on short field goals.

So, too, did Minnesota’s Week 11 victory over Green Bay, which was ranked 29th overall.

Cronin wrote about the 34-31 win:

Joseph’s 29-yard game-winning field goal was set up by Minnesota’s offense acing the 2-minute drill. Kirk Cousins placed a perfect tight window throw in Adam Thielen’s hands down the visitor’s sideline for a 26-yard reception that moved the Vikings deep into Green Bay territory. Dalvin Cook said he wanted to score “so bad” but understood the situation perfectly (i.e., not giving the ball back to Aaron Rodgers with over a minute to play) and purposefully fell down at the Packers’ 7-yard line. Cousins knelt down to burn the clock until there were two seconds left for Joseph to seal the game and get carried off the field by his teammates.

ESPN had the Vikings win probability before the final drive at 57.9 percent, and that Minnesota’s win probability before the walk-off play was 96.1 percent.

ESPN’s full ranking of the record-number of walk-off winners can be found here.