The Minnesota Vikings’ first outdoor home playoff game since 1976 ended in heartbreak Sunday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium.
Kicker Blair Walsh scored all of the Vikings’ points but missed a 27-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining as Minnesota fell to the Seattle Seahawks 10-9 in the third-coldest game in NFL history.
The Vikings, whose 11 regular-season wins were their most since 2009, held the Seahawks scoreless for the first three quarters and took a 9-0 lead into the fourth.
The two-time defending NFC champions rallied in the final 15 minutes, however, with Russell Wilson hitting Doug Baldwin for a 3-yard touchdown pass and Steven Hauschka booting what proved to be the game-winning field goal with 8:09 remaining.
Wilson set up the game’s only touchdown by gathering a botched snap and finding Tyler Lockett for a 35-yard completion, and Hauschka’s field goal followed a fumble by Vikings running back — and NFL rushing leader — Adrian Peterson.
Seattle, which is seeking a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, now will visit the 15-1 Carolina Panthers next Sunday. The teams previously met in Week 6, with the Panthers scoring 21 of the final 24 points en route to a 27-23 win.
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports Images
