102-770: 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
204-583: A draw play for Alvin Kamara on third-and-one on the Saints' final drive. He explained that the failure to convert – and thereby extend the drive – provided the Vikings with the opportunity to get one final possession after Wil Lutz's field goal. Had they gotten the first down, the Saints could have run down the clock to the point where they could have won the game with a walk off field goal. In an interview published days before
306-673: A 14-yard receiving touchdown from Drew Brees in the fourth quarter to put the Saints up 21–20. However, the Saints would lose to the Vikings by a score of 29–24 on the last play of the game. After a spectacular rookie season, Kamara was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl and All-Rookie Team. He was ranked #20 by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 . With teammate Mark Ingram II suspended for
408-438: A 15-yard excessive celebration penalty was to be assessed to Diggs for throwing his helmet, the penalty could only be enforced on a kickoff. Keenum led the stadium in a rendition of the Vikings' "Skol" clap and chant and knelt to end the game on the two-point conversion try. The kneel down also meant that the Vikings did not cover the 5.5-point betting point spread. The next week, the Vikings traveled to Philadelphia to take on
510-432: A 17–0 lead. New Orleans had not failed to score in the first half of a game in over three years. After halftime, the Saints' play improved. Minnesota's 11-play drive to start the third quarter stalled 10 yards into New Orleans territory at the 40-yard line, and a touchback by Vikings punter Ryan Quigley gave the Saints the ball starting at their own 20-yard line. A 12-play New Orleans drive culminated with 1:18 remaining in
612-566: A 33-yard touchdown in a breakout victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . During a Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams , Kamara provided 101 receiving yards and 87 rushing yards including a 74-yard rushing touchdown. He became the first player since Herschel Walker in 1986 to compile 500 rushing and receiving yards in his first 11 career games, and was the first non-quarterback to average over 7.0 yards per carry through 12 weeks since
714-670: A 44–19 win over the Dallas Cowboys, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. On October 22, 2024, he signed a two-year, $ 24.5 million contract extension. As of the 2023 NFL season : Kamara owns the Big Squeezy, a Louisiana-based juice and smoothie chain with locations in Baton Rouge , Hammond , Mandeville , and New Orleans. In February 2021, the chain sponsored NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas and his No. 6 JD Motorsports car in
816-459: A 45–38 2-OT loss against #8 Texas A&M at Kyle Field . He rushed for 127 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and had eight receptions for 161 yards and a receiving touchdown. In the loss, Kamara set a school record with 312 all-purpose yards, breaking a mark set by Chuck Webb in 1989. In the next game against #1 Alabama , he was limited to eight carries for 21 yards but had the Vols' lone touchdown in
918-472: A 5–0 record before collapsing to finish 8–8. The Saints, for their part, produced their third consecutive 7–9 showing in 2016 , leading to rumors that they might fire or trade coach Sean Payton during the offseason. Despite the speculation to the contrary, Payton retained his position as the Saints' head coach for 2017, although five assistant coaches lost their jobs. Minnesota entered the 2017 campaign with Bradford as its starting quarterback, as Bridgewater
1020-615: A 9–4 record and qualified for the Outback Bowl against #12 Northwestern . In the 45–6 victory over the Wildcats, he had 53 rushing yards and a touchdown. In the entire 2015 season, he accounted for 698 yards (53.7 yards/game) with seven rushing touchdowns. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, which was third in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was second on team in receptions with 34 for 291 yards and three receiving touchdowns. As
1122-611: A Volunteer, he started in only eight of 24 games due to sharing the backfield with Jalen Hurd, but he amassed almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage and averaged a touchdown per game. Kamara achieved the highest Wonderlic test score of running backs participating in the NFL Combine that year. He participated at Tennessee's Pro Day , but chose to only run positional routes, the short shuttle , and three-cone drill with 19 other teammates in front of representatives and scouts from every team. He attended five private workouts and visits held by
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#17330854489081224-641: A Week 9 bye. In Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans , Kamara rushed 11 times for 80 yards and two rushing touchdowns and caught six passes for 30 receiving yards during the 38–28 win. In the following week's game against the Panthers, Kamara rushed for two touchdowns during the 42–10 win in Week 17. Overall, Kamara finished with 797 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 81 receptions for 533 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. He made his third Pro Bowl in as many professional seasons. In
1326-426: A bunch ("Buffalo") to the right of center. "Seven" routes are corner routes in which the pass-catchers run towards the sideline. The intent behind the play was to have a receiver catch the ball and then run out of bounds to stop the clock in time for Forbath to kick a field goal. Meanwhile, the Saints set up in an outside zone defense, which is designed to protect the sidelines and keep the offensive players from catching
1428-707: A career-best 124 yards receiving on 15 receptions in Week 3 against the Falcons. The following week against the New York Giants , Kamara had career-bests in carries (19), rushing yards (134) and rushing touchdowns (3) along with 47 receiving yards to take the NFL lead in total and rushing touchdowns, yards from scrimmage, and all-purpose yards. With his Week 4 performance, Kamara became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in his first 20 games. Ingram returned from suspension for Week 5 against
1530-424: A field goal attempt, Diggs, upon seeing that there were no Saints defenders between him and the end zone, immediately turned upfield and sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown as time expired. Accordingly, the game was the first in NFL playoff history to end in regulation with a touchdown as time expired. In Minnesota, the game was broadcast on KFAN , with Paul Allen and Pete Bercich serving as announcers. As
1632-631: A junior in high school. As a senior he committed to play college football at the University of Alabama under head coach Nick Saban . Kamara's short time at University of Alabama was "a rough experience". He had knee surgery during the preseason, then redshirted as a true freshman when he was unable to break into a recruitment class that featured three other future NFL running backs in Derrick Henry , T. J. Yeldon , and Kenyan Drake . Due to "behavioral issues", Saban banned Kamara from practicing with
1734-527: A one-yard score by running back Latavius Murray. Meanwhile, the New Orleans offense struggled; Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw two interceptions and New Orleans did not complete a single third-down conversion during the first half. Of the Saints' six first-half drives (excluding the end-of-half kneel), two ended with turnovers, three ended with punts, and one ended with a missed 58-yard field goal attempt by kicker Wil Lutz . The Vikings entered halftime with
1836-495: A punt returner, he had eight returns for 100 yards (12.5 average) with a touchdown. In 2016, Kamara was a key contributor for the Volunteers in his redshirt junior season. The running back personnel was the same as the last season for Kamara. In the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol , he had six touches for 34 yards and one touchdown in the 45–24 victory over Virginia Tech . He started his first career game at running back for
1938-407: A school record for most rushing yards in a debut game. He became the second Volunteer in history with a rushing touchdown and punt return for touchdown in the same game with a two-yard rushing touchdown and a 50-yard punt return touchdown against Western Carolina . On November 14, against North Texas , he had 15 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the home victory. Tennessee finished with
2040-573: A senior in 2012 he rushed for 2,264 yards with 26 touchdowns, and caught 22 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns in leading his high school to its first state championship. Kamara was named Georgia’s Mr. Football by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , selected Class 6A Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-State honors from the Georgia Sports Writers Association. In addition, he was chosen to participate in
2142-498: A third-and-10 with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. According to the ESPN win probability model, at this point in time the Vikings had just a four percent chance of winning the game. With 10 seconds left at their own 39-yard line, the Vikings ran a play titled "Buffalo Right, Seven Heaven." Each word in the play call designated a particular element of the formation or route design. "Buffalo Right" communicated that three receivers were in
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#17330854489082244-410: A three-and-out on the first possession of the game, Minnesota went 55 yards in eight plays and capped off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Jerick McKinnon with 9:45 left in the first quarter. Roughly five minutes later in the quarter, a field goal by former Saints kicker Kai Forbath gave the hosts a 10–0 lead. Minnesota added to its lead on the first play of the second quarter on
2346-566: A touchdown against the New York Jets . On December 19, 2017, Kamara was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie alongside Mark Ingram II, becoming the first-ever pair of running backs from the same team to earn the honors. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. After 32 rushing with 58 receiving yards in a Week 16 win over the Falcons in the season finale, Kamara had a 106-yard kick return for
2448-435: A touchdown, 44 rushing yards and another touchdown, and 84 receiving yards. In 2017, his 728 yards rushing and 826 yards receiving was the first 700/700 season by a Saint, third by an NFL rookie, and the 11th 700/800 season by any NFL player. His 728 rushing yards finished third among rookies behind rushing leader Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette . His 81 receptions on the season were first among all rookies and second in
2550-568: Is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each have 16 teams organized into four divisions . Both conferences were created as part of the 1970 NFL merger with the rival American Football League (AFL). All ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams formed
2652-461: The 2018 NFL season , Marcus Williams explained that he had made peace with his error and its consequences: "I don't think about what everyone else is saying. I just do me and play." The Vikings and Saints faced off once again at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 8 of the 2018 season, in what was billed as a "rematch" of the Minneapolis Miracle game. The Saints won the game, 30–20. In the 2019 season,
2754-718: The AFC champion in the Super Bowl . Both the AFC and NFC were created after the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970. When the AFL began play in 1960 with eight teams, the NFL consisted of 13 clubs. By 1969, the AFL had expanded to ten teams and the NFL to 16 clubs. In order to balance the merged league, all ten of the former AFL teams along with the NFL's Cleveland Browns , Pittsburgh Steelers , and Baltimore Colts formed
2856-581: The Best Moment ESPY Award at the 2018 ESPY Awards . Keenum left the Vikings after the 2017–18 season and signed a two-year, $ 36 million contract with the Denver Broncos . The other two quarterbacks on the roster, Bradford and Bridgewater, also joined new teams in free agency. Bradford joined the Arizona Cardinals , while Bridgewater signed with the New York Jets before being traded to
2958-472: The Carolina Panthers , Chicago Bears , Minnesota Vikings , New Orleans Saints , and Philadelphia Eagles . NFL draft experts and analysts projected him as a second round pick, ranked as either the fourth-best running back (by NFLDraftScout.com, ESPN , and NFL analyst Mike Mayock ) in the draft, fifth-best ( Bucky Brooks ), or seventh-best (by Sports Illustrated ). The Saints selected Kamara in
3060-542: The Carolina Panthers , the Saints won, 31–26. The two teams had already met once before during the 2017 season. In Week 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings beat the Saints, 29–19. The spread for the playoff match-up opened with the Vikings favored by 3.5 points. By game time, the betting line had risen to 5.5 points. at U.S. Bank Stadium , Minneapolis, Minnesota First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers Top rushers Top receivers After holding New Orleans to
3162-541: The Cincinnati Bengals , he had 102 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 51–14 victory. In Week 15, a narrow 12–9 victory over the Panthers, Kamara had the Saints' lone touchdown on a 16-yard rush. During Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , Kamara scored two rushing touchdowns in the 31–28 victory. He tied the franchise record for most touchdowns in a single season. Kamara sat out Week 17 with
Minneapolis Miracle - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-777: The Houston Texans on Monday Night Football , Kamara had 169 scrimmage yards in the Saints' 30–28 victory. Two weeks later against the Seattle Seahawks , Kamara had 161 scrimmage yards, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown in the 33–27 win. During Week 5 against the Buccaneers, Kamara had 16 carries for 62 rushing yards and caught six passes for 42 receiving yards in the 31–24 win. During Weeks 6 and 7, Kamara began battling injuries to his ankle and knee, causing him to miss two games in Weeks 7 and 8, but he returned in Week 10 following
3366-591: The NFC South and qualifying for the playoffs as the #4 seed. New Orleans' rookie running back Alvin Kamara won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after earning 6.1 yards-per-carry and scoring 14 total touchdowns during the regular season. Veteran running back Mark Ingram also scored double-digit touchdowns (12), while second-year wide receiver Michael Thomas caught 104 passes for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. In their Wild Card Weekend match-up against
3468-517: The NFC Wild Card Round against the Vikings, Kamara had seven carries for 21 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown and caught eight passes for 34 receiving yards during the 26–20 overtime loss. He was ranked 42nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 . The day before the Saints’ 2020 season opener Kamara signed a five-year contract extension worth $ 75 million. In Week 1 against
3570-540: The New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers after transferring from Hutchinson Community College and was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft . He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2017, was named a Pro Bowler in his first five NFL seasons, and is a two-time second-team All-Pro . In 2020, Kamara became
3672-668: The Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game . The Eagles beat the Vikings 38–7 , thus denying the Vikings the opportunity to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium. In the days leading up to the NFC Championship, Vikings fans were seen performing the "Skol!" chant around various Philadelphia landmarks, such as the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art , where they also adorned
3774-536: The Pro Bowl in Las Vegas , Kamara was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. The incident took place at a local nightclub the night prior. Video surveillance shows Kamara punching a man approximately eight times. In the aftermath, Kamara was ordered to pay $ 105,196.17 in restitution to cover the medical expenses of his victim. Kamara
3876-603: The Saints to back up Brees. To replace the departed trio, Minnesota signed Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed three-year, $ 84 million contract. Meanwhile, Diggs received a five-year extension from the Vikings for $ 81 million, but would be traded to the Buffalo Bills in March 2020. During the 2018 offseason, Payton explained that he was using the play to motivate his players and himself. Payton also expressed regret about calling
3978-484: The Seattle Seahawks . As of 2021, the only pre-merger team that does not play in its 1969 market is the St. Louis Cardinals , who moved in 1988 to Phoenix suburb of Tempe (they moved to Glendale in 2006). The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, but moved back to Los Angeles in 2016. None of the expansion teams added after 1970 have relocated. With the exception of the aforementioned relocations since that time,
4080-710: The Super Start Batteries 188 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course . On June 20, 2021, NASCAR named Kamara as the Growth and Engagement Advisor. He became interested in the sport the previous year when NASCAR and its drivers participated in racial justice activism such as the sanctioning body's ban of the Confederate battle flag from race tracks and Bubba Wallace 's Black Lives Matter -themed car. On February 6, 2022, following
4182-536: The Washington Redskins and Kamara totaled 39 scrimmage yards in the 43–19 victory. In Week 8, against the Vikings, he had 76 scrimmage yards to go along with a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the 30–20 victory. In a Week 9 45–35 victory over the Rams, Kamara scored three total touchdowns in the first half (two rushing and one receiving). He finished the game with 116 scrimmage yards. In Week 10, against
Minneapolis Miracle - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-534: The divisional setup established in 2002 has remained static ever since. The original NFC logo, in use from 1970 to 2009, depicted a blue 'N' with three stars across it. The new logo was similar to that of the AFC (which itself was similar to the AFL logo) in that unlike the NFL logo it consisted of a single letter instead of a full abbreviation. The three stars represented the three divisions that were used from 1970 to 2001 (Eastern, Central and Western). The 2010 NFL season brought an updated NFC logo. Largely similar to
4386-434: The "Miracle" as atoning for Bountygate. Prior to the 2016 season , Minnesota's starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a non-contact injury that produced a dislocated knee , torn ACL and "other structural damage." The severity of the injury nearly cost Bridgewater his leg and compelled the Vikings to trade two draft picks to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford as a replacement. The Vikings began 2016 with
4488-508: The 2013 Under Armour All-America Game . Coming out of high school, Kamara was considered to be one of the top running back prospects in the nation. He was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the 247Composite, the No. 5 player in Georgia, and the No. 42 player nationally in 2012. Rivals.com rated Kamara as the No. 6 player in Georgia. Kamara received a scholarship offer from Syracuse University as
4590-588: The 2020 regular season with 187 carries for 932 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns to go along with 83 receptions for 756 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. His 16 rushing touchdowns tied him with Dalvin Cook for second-most in the NFL, trailing only Derrick Henry's 17 touchdowns. His 21 total touchdowns led the NFL. Kamara became the first player in NFL history to record at least 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons. He earned votes for Associated Press Offensive Player of
4692-475: The 27–13 victory. On Christmas Day, 2020, Kamara rushed for 155 yards in a 52–33 victory over the Vikings and tied the NFL record of six rushing touchdowns in a single game. For his Week 16 performance, Kamara was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Kamara was forced to miss Week 17 against the Panthers due to being placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list on January 1, 2021. Overall, he finished
4794-504: The 30–20 loss. He was ranked 14th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 . In Week 7, Kamara had 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, along with 51 rushing yards, in a 13–10 win over the Seahawks, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In the game, Kamara also reached 3,000 receiving yards in his career, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach 3,000 yards in both receiving and rushing. The previous record
4896-514: The 45–34 defeat. In the final game of his collegiate career, he had seven carries for 31 yards and seven receptions for 46 yards in the victory over #24 Nebraska in the Music City Bowl . He finished third in the SEC in touchdowns for the 2016 season. Following the conclusion of the 2016 season , Kamara decided to forgo his redshirt senior season and enter the 2017 NFL draft . In his two seasons as
4998-443: The 49–10 defeat. He missed some playing time due to being injured. He returned on November 12 in a 49–36 victory over Kentucky . Against the Wildcats, he had 10 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns. In the 63–37 victory over Missouri , he had 55 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns. In the regular season finale against Vanderbilt , he had three total touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving) and 141 scrimmage yards in
5100-482: 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
5202-590: The AFC while the remaining thirteen NFL clubs formed the NFC. A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger, thus making a total of 16 clubs in each conference. The defending champions of the NFC are the San Francisco 49ers , who defeated the Detroit Lions in the 2023 season 's NFC Championship Game for their eighth conference championship in the team's history. Since 2002, like
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#17330854489085304-427: The AFC, the NFC has 16 teams that organized into four divisions each with four teams: East , North , South , and West . The fourteen opponents each team faces over the 17-game regular season schedule are set using a predetermined formula: Each NFC team plays the other teams in their respective division twice (home and away) during the regular season, in addition to eleven other games assigned to their schedule by
5406-409: The AFC, while the remaining 13 NFL teams formed the NFC. While the newly formed AFC had already agreed upon and set up their divisional alignment plan along almost purely geographic lines, team owners could not agree to a plan on how to align the clubs in the NFC. The alignment proposals were narrowed down to five finalists (each one sealed in an envelope), and then the plan that was eventually selected
5508-542: The Buccaneers, Kamara had a rushing and a receiving touchdown during the 34–23 win. In a Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football , he had 174 scrimmage yards (79 rushing, 95 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns including the first ever touchdown scored in Allegiant Stadium and the first ever NFL touchdown scored in Las Vegas in the 34–24 loss. During Sunday Night Football against
5610-518: The Eagles, Kamara had 16 carries for 71 rushing yards and four receptions for 35 receiving yards in the 20–14 victory. In the NFC Championship , he had eight carries for 15 rushing yards in addition to 11 receptions for 96 receiving yards in the 26–23 controversial overtime loss to the Rams. He was ranked 14th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 . During the season-opener against
5712-430: The NFC and AFC, respectively, for one season before they switched conferences. The Seahawks returned to the NFC as a result of the 2002 realignment . The Carolina Panthers joined the NFC in 1995 . Parity is generally greater among NFC teams than AFC teams. The only NFC team that has never made a Super Bowl appearance is the Detroit Lions . Since the 2002 division realignment, the NFC has sent 12 different teams to
5814-496: The NFC team was the visiting team were broadcast on either CBS or Fox. Since 2014, the cross-flex policy allows select NFC games (that involve them playing an AFC team at home or intraconference games) to be moved from Fox to CBS. Since 1990, select NFC playoff games have been seen on ABC or ESPN. Alvin Kamara Alvin Mentian Kamara (born July 25, 1995) is an American professional football running back for
5916-638: The NFL: three games are assigned on the basis of a particular team's final divisional standing from the previous season, and the remaining eight games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions. This assignment shifts each year and will follow a standard cycle. Using the 2023 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the NFC East plays against every team in the NFC West and AFC East. In this way, non-divisional competition will be mostly among common opponents –
6018-560: The Packers in Week 3, Kamara finished with 58 rushing yards, 139 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns as the Saints lost by a score of 30–37. In Week 7 against the Panthers, Kamara finished with 148 scrimmage yards during the 27–24 win. In Week 8, against the Bears, he had 163 scrimmage yards in the 26–23 overtime victory. In Week 10, against the San Francisco 49ers , he had 98 scrimmage yards, two rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown in
6120-412: The Panthers. In Week 4, he had 96 yards from scrimmage, including 10 receptions for 71 yards and a 12-yard touchdown catch. This was followed by 10 carries for 75 yards in Week 5, and 107 yards from scrimmage in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers . After the bye week, Kamara had a touchdown against the Bears, and then 68 rushing yards including a 3-yard touchdown, along with 84 receiving yards including
6222-409: The Raiders, he had 158 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns in the 24–0 victory. In three of the last four games of the season, Kamara totaled over 100 scrimmage yards. Overall, Kamara finished the 2022 season with 223 carries for 897 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 57 receptions for 490 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in 15 games. On August 4, 2023, Kamara
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#17330854489086324-399: The Saints blocked a punt attempt from the Vikings that allowed them to take control in Vikings territory. From there, with 3:01 left in the game, the Saints took their first lead of the game, 21–20, on a 14-yard pass from Brees to running back Alvin Kamara on a wheel route . Forbath nailed a 53-yard field goal with 1:29 left in the game to give Minnesota a 23–21 lead. Brees responded by leading
6426-439: The Saints down the field in just 64 seconds, allowing Lutz to make a 43-yard field goal and take a 24–23 lead with 25 seconds remaining. Following the field goal, Saints head coach Sean Payton mocked the Minnesota home crowd by imitating the Vikings fans' " Skol " clap. After a touchback and a false start by the Vikings, Keenum threw a completed pass to Diggs to their own 39-yard line, then threw two straight incompletions to set up
6528-403: The Saints having already clinched the first seed for the National Football Conference (NFC) playoffs. Overall, he finished his second professional season with 883 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns to go along with 81 receptions for 709 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl for his accomplishments in the 2018 season. In the Divisional Round against
6630-458: The Super Bowl -- all except the Lions, Vikings, Cowboys, and Commanders -- whereas the AFC has only sent 8: the Baltimore Ravens (1 time), the Cincinnati Bengals (1 time), the Las Vegas Raiders (1 time), the Kansas City Chiefs (2 times), the Denver Broncos (2 times), the Indianapolis Colts (2 times), the Pittsburgh Steelers (3 times) and the New England Patriots (8 times). The only NFC team to make back to back Super Bowls since 2002 are
6732-453: The Vikings on Monday Night Football , Kamara debuted with seven rushes for 18 yards, four receptions for 20 yards, and one kickoff return for 26 yards. In Week 2 against the New England Patriots , his role in the passing game expanded with three receptions for 51 yards in the 36–20 loss; he also returned three kickoffs, but would return only one more until Week 16 of the season. Kamara scored his first professional touchdown in Week 3 against
6834-501: The Vikings were the #2 seed in the NFC, they did not have to play during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend . The Vikings' #2 seeding meant that U.S. Bank Stadium became the first Super Bowl host stadium (selected on May 20, 2014) to also host a Divisional Playoff Game in the same season; all previous times that the Super Bowl host stadium also hosted another postseason game that season were Wild Card Playoffs. Despite an 0–2 start to 2017, New Orleans finished with an 11–5 record, thereby winning
6936-463: The Vikings' history of postseason heartbreak. Keenum and Diggs earned widespread praise for their late-game heroics. Joe Buck later told Rich Eisen in an interview: "As far as football, it's probably number one for exciting moments that I've been a part of." Meanwhile, Williams – who earlier intercepted Keenum to help get New Orleans back into the game – was widely criticized for diving at Diggs instead of waiting to tackle him in bounds. Some compared
7038-417: The Vikings' receiver and collided with cornerback Ken Crawley , knocking Crawley over and preventing him from having a chance to tackle Diggs. Upon returning to the ground, Diggs stumbled slightly but managed to regain his balance and stay in bounds with no Saints players nearby to tackle him. Although the original intent – and Diggs' first instinct – was for him to catch the ball and run out of bounds to set up
7140-739: The Vikings, Kamara recorded two two-point conversions, which tied Marshall Faulk for the most career two-point conversions with seven. In Week 13 against the Lions, he had two rushing touchdowns in the loss. He passed Mark Ingram II for the most rushing touchdowns and Colston for the most scrimmage yards in franchise history. Kamara appeared in 13 games and started 12. He had six games on the season going over 100 scrimmage yards. He finished with 180 carries for 694 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go with 75 receptions for 466 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In Week 2, Kamara totaled 180 scrimmage yards, including 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns and 65 receiving yards and one touchdown in
7242-400: The Vols in a 28–19 victory over Ohio on September 17. He had 79 all-purpose yards in a 38–28 win against #19 Florida , including six yards on two carries, 12 yards on one reception and career highs of 61 punt-return yards and six punt returns. He had 138 all-purpose yards, including a receiving touchdown, in a 34–31 win against #25 Georgia . He had a career-best game the following week in
7344-456: The Year Award . In March 2018, the NFL instituted a new rule that eliminated the requirement to attempt an extra point or two-point conversion following a game-ending touchdown that gives a team the victory; however, the try must still be attempted if it could affect the game's outcome. For example, if the winning team is ahead by a point or two points before the try, the try must be attempted, as
7446-648: The Year, but finished sixth. He made his fourth Pro Bowl for his achievements in the 2020 season. Kamara was activated from the COVID-19 list on January 9, 2021. In the Wild Card Round against the Bears, Kamara rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 17 yards during the 21–9 win. In the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kamara recorded 105 yards from scrimmage during
7548-433: The ball and getting out of bounds. Keenum took a shotgun snap with running back Jerick McKinnon to his left. Kyle Rudolph , the tight end, ran an out route underneath near the right sideline, while wide receiver Adam Thielen ran a comeback route near the left sideline. Wide receivers Jarius Wright and Stefon Diggs ran corner routes , or "seven" routes, to the right sideline. The offensive line and McKinnon, who
7650-460: The exception being the three games assigned based on the team's prior-season divisional standing. At the end of each season, the four division winners and three wild cards (non-division winners with best regular season record) in the NFC qualify for the playoffs . The NFC playoffs culminate in the NFC Championship Game with the winner receiving the George S. Halas Trophy. The NFC champion then plays
7752-557: The fewest receiving yards with at least 13 receptions. On October 8, Kamara scored a two-yard rushing touchdown against the Patriots. In doing so, he scored his 73rd career touchdown, passing Marques Colston to become the Saints' all-time touchdown leader. In Week 8 against the Colts, he had a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the win. He became the first player in franchise history to record 10,000 all-purpose yards. In Week 10 against
7854-552: The final play was happening, Allen said, "Are you kidding me?! It's a Minneapolis Miracle! Stefon Diggs! And the Minnesota Vikings have walked off on the New Orleans Saints! It's a 61-yard Minneapolis Miracle!" The call went viral and the term "Minneapolis Miracle" later came to be widely used to refer to the game itself, including by the NFL 's official Twitter account minutes after the game ended. Some outlets also used
7956-482: The first four games of the regular season, Kamara started the 2018 season as the Saints' main running back. In the season opener, a 48–40 loss to the Buccaneers, Kamara had eight carries for 29 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with nine receptions for 112 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. After 99 total yards against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, Kamara had 66 yards rushing to go with
8058-494: The first player in franchise history to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of their first five seasons. He was ranked 51st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022 . In Week 5, against the 2022 Seattle Seahawks , Kamara had 103 rushing yards and 91 receiving yards in the 39–32 victory. In Weeks 6–7, Kamara recorded over 100 scrimmage yards in both games against the Bengals and Arizona Cardinals . In Week 8, against
8160-400: The league among running backs behind Le'Veon Bell , and his 826 receiving yards finished first among running backs. Kamara and Ingram became the first running back duo in NFL history to each have over 1,500 scrimmage yards in the same season. Among non-quarterbacks with 100+ carries, his 6.07 yards per rush was the most ever by an NFL rookie. It also was the most ever by any Saints player, and
8262-484: The locker room. Following a scoring review, both teams returned for the mandated conversion attempt. Only eight players – punter Thomas Morstead , wide receiver Austin Carr , defensive lineman Cameron Jordan , linebackers Manti Te'o and Gerald Hodges , and offensive linemen John Fullington , Josh LeRibeus , and Larry Warford – took the field for the Saints on the final play; only three of them were defensive players. While
8364-423: The losing team could potentially garner a turnover during the try and return it for a two-point conversion, thereby tying the score or even winning. The requirement had been in place because an extra-point play can affect a team's points for and against, which at the time were, and still are, used in tiebreakers for playoff seeding. Point differential had been as high as the third tiebreaker in the 1960s and 1970s, and
8466-496: The merger. In Week 13, Kamara rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns and caught 5 passes for 66 yards, becoming the fourth 600/600 rookie in NFL history, and tying Todd Gurley for the league lead in total touchdowns with 11. On the first drive of the Week 13 match-up with the Atlanta Falcons , Kamara suffered a concussion and missed the rest of the game. He returned the next week with 44 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards and
8568-528: The mistake to Bill Buckner 's infamous fielding error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series . Saints punter Thomas Morstead was praised for his sportsmanship as he was the first player to return to the field for the extra point attempt. In recognition, Minnesota fans donated more than $ 221,000 to Morstead's charity. The starting lineups for the game were: The officials for the game were: National Football Conference The National Football Conference ( NFC )
8670-473: The name "Minnesota Miracle". SB Nation writer Harry Lyles Jr. later characterized Allen's call as the "perfect" radio call for the play. ESPN Brazilian Portuguese -language broadcaster Rômulo Mendonça also used the phrase Milagre em Minneapolis ("The Miracle in Minneapolis") during his live commentary. Assuming the game was over, broadcast and stadium crew packed the field, and most Saints players left for
8772-405: The old logo, the new logo has a fourth star, representing the four divisions that have composed the NFC since 2002, with the AFC logo being simultaneously updated in a similar manner. CBS aired the NFC's Sunday afternoon and playoffs games from 1970 through the 1993 season. From 1994 to 2013, Fox was the primary rightsholder to the NFC's games. In those years, all interconference games in which
8874-496: 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 . The previous playoff meeting between the two teams was the 2009 NFC Championship game , which was notable for the excessive roughness of the Saints, later termed " Bountygate ," as well as the Vikings driving close to a game-winning field goal before quarterback Brett Favre threw an interception. Some Minneapolis sportswriters have described
8976-532: The second player in NFL history to score six rushing touchdowns in a single game, tying Ernie Nevers , who did so in 1929 . In 2024, he became the Saints' all-time rushing leader. Kamara was born to a Liberian mother. He attended Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia . He played high school football for the Blue Devils football team. As a junior in 2011 he rushed for 1,300 yards with 17 touchdowns . As
9078-575: The statue of Rocky with Vikings colors. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII in the Vikings' stadium, beating the New England Patriots , 41–33. On January 15, the Vikings filed for trademarks on the phrases "Minneapolis Miracle" and "Minnesota Miracle" for use on over 100 items, from football helmets to bathing suits. At the 7th Annual NFL Honors , the Minneapolis Miracle won the NFL Play of
9180-525: The team and suspended him from their bowl game. In 2014, Kamara transferred from Alabama to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas for his redshirt freshman season. In nine games, Kamara ran for 1,253 yards with 18 touchdowns and led the Blue Dragons with 1,477 yards of total offense and 21 touchdowns. Kamara was named NJCAA All-American . His successful season with Blue Dragons propelled Kamara to one of
9282-409: The third most by any NFL player since 1980, trailing only Jamaal Charles (6.38 in 2010) and Barry Sanders (6.13 in 1997). In 2017, the Saints finished with an 11–5 record and won the NFC South . In the Wild Card Round against the Panthers, Kamara had 23 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and one reception for 10 yards in the 31–26 victory. In the Divisional Round against the Vikings, he had
9384-420: The third quarter, when Brees threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas to reduce the deficit to 17–7. After Saints safety Marcus Williams intercepted a pass by Case Keenum , Brees threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Thomas with 13:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to bring New Orleans within three. The Vikings responded with a 49-yard field goal by Forbath to increase their lead to 20–14. Eventually,
9486-480: The third round with the 67th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the second of six Tennessee Volunteers to be selected that year. He was the fifth running back selected. As of 2021 , he also serves as the Saints' emergency quarterback. Kamara split backfield duties with Mark Ingram II through the 2017 season, with fewer carries but more receptions than his teammate. In the September 11 season opener against
9588-793: The top JUCO prospects in the nation. He earned a 5-star rating from the Rivals.com and Scout.com recruiting networks. He was offered by both Tennessee and the Georgia Bulldogs before ultimately committing to the Volunteers. In 2015, Kamara transferred to the University of Tennessee to play under head coach Butch Jones . As a redshirt sophomore, Kamara played in all 13 games and shared the backfield with Jalen Hurd and John Kelly . He accounted for 144 yards and two touchdowns in his Tennessee debut against Bowling Green at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee , on September 5, 2015; his 144 rushing yards set
9690-466: The two teams met again in the postseason, in a Wild Card game at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Vikings won in overtime, 26–20. NFL.com writer Marc Sessler and The Ringer writer Robert Mays, among others, quickly deemed the game an "instant classic," worthy of entry into NFL lore. Several commentators – including Mays and former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond – described the game as ending
9792-674: Was 70 games, held by Roger Craig , while Kamara achieved the feat in 66 games. In Week 14, after missing the previous four games due to injury, Kamara returned with 27 rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown along with four receptions for 25 yards in a 30–9 win over the Jets. He closed out the regular season with 30 carries for 146 rushing yards in a 30–20 victory over the Falcons. He finished the 2021 season with 240 carries for 898 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with 47 receptions for 439 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. In 2021, he earned his fifth Pro Bowl nomination, becoming
9894-405: Was an extra blocker for this play, blocked the four Saints pass rushers. Keenum set his feet and threw a 27-yard pass to Diggs near the right sideline, who caught the ball at the Saints’ 34-yard line. Because Keenum's pass was slightly high, Diggs had to leap into the air to make the catch. Attempting to make a diving tackle on the airborne Diggs, Saints' free safety Marcus Williams instead missed
9996-428: Was picked out of a glass bowl by then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle 's secretary, Thelma Elkjer, on January 16, 1970. The five alignment plans for the NFC in 1970 were as follows, with Plan 3 eventually selected: Three expansion teams have joined the NFC since the merger, thus making the total 16. When the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the league in 1976 , they were temporarily placed in
10098-559: Was still recovering from his knee injury. Bradford suffered a knee injury of his own in a Week 1 game against the Saints, resulting in Case Keenum taking over at the quarterback position. Keenum subsequently led the Vikings to a 13–3 regular season record and the NFC North title for just the second time since 2009. Three Vikings scored eight touchdowns: running back Latavius Murray , wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and tight end Kyle Rudolph . Since
10200-416: Was suspended for three games due to violating the league's personal conduct policy, which stemmed from his involvement in a physical altercation dating back to February 2022. On September 25, Kamara finished his suspension and was able to prepare for the Saints' upcoming game against division rival Buccaneers. In his first game back, Kamara had 13 receptions for 33 receiving yards. He set an NFL record for
10302-415: 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
10404-550: Was used to break a tie in the 1971 final standings; however, under the current format, points-related tiebreakers are used as the seventh through tenth tiebreakers and are unlikely to be used. Eliminating the anticlimax and confusion seen at the Minneapolis Miracle game was deemed more important. In April 2018, it was announced that Diggs' cleats would be displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The play also won
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