Josh Allen threw an overtime interception as the Justin Jefferson-inspired Minnesota Vikings fought back to prevail 33-30 in the game of the NFL season so far.
Minnesota looked set to fall short in the biggest test of their credentials as contenders to date when Greg Joseph missed an extra point after a C.J. Ham touchdown to leave the Vikings trailing 27-23 in the fourth quarter.
Yet an already engrossing contest to that point served as merely a prelude to an inexplicable finale that ensured this game will go down as an all-time classic.
The Vikings' hopes looked to be over when they faced fourth and 18 on their own 27-yard line with two minutes remaining, only for Jefferson to produce an astonishing show of athleticism to leap and bend backwards to snatch a desperation throw away from the clutches of Bills defender Cam Lewis and keep the drive alive.
Six plays later, after two more completions to Jefferson, the Vikings had fourth down at the Bills' one-yard line. Dalvin Cook's drop of a Kirk Cousins pass looked to have sealed the game for Buffalo, but the Bills were flagged for offside. The Vikings did not take their second chance, though, with Cousins stopped short on a quarterback sneak.
Incredibly, however, the Bills likewise could not execute a quarterback sneak from their own goal-line, Allen fumbling the snap into the hands of Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks for a go-ahead touchdown.
Allen still had 36 seconds to force overtime and, with the help of a hugely controversial diving catch from Gabe Davis, he did just that, setting up Tyler Bass for a game-tying 29-yard field goal.
The Vikings won the coin toss and, though they again failed to find the endzone after a stunning 24-yard throw from Cousins to Jefferson put Minnesota on the Buffalo two-yard line, the boot of Joseph gave them the lead.
Minnesota's profligacy meant Allen had the chance to win the game with a touchdown, but having driven the Bills to the Vikings' 20-yard line, Allen threw his fourth red-zone interception in two games to Patrick Peterson as Kevin O'Connell's visitors held on to triumph and move to 8-1. A second straight loss drops the Bills to 6-3.
Chiefs in cruise control
While the Bills, their primary AFC rivals, lost the game of the year, the Kansas City Chiefs enjoyed a much calmer afternoon, easing past the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-17 thanks to a four-touchdown day for Patrick Mahomes.
They now have the lead of the AFC at 7-2, with the Miami Dolphins their closest challengers at 7-3 as a 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns moved Mike McDaniel's team to the top of the AFC East ahead of the Bills, who are now third in their division. The Tennessee Titans are 6-3 after a 17-10 defeat of the Denver Broncos.
Fields heroics not enough for Bears
Justin Fields is emerging as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL over recent weeks, and he delivered another scintillating showing for the Chicago Bears versus the Detroit Lions.
Fields threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 147 yards and another two scores, including an incredible 67-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. However, a missed extra point gave the Lions a chance to win with a touchdown, and Jamaal Williams clinched it for Detroit with a one-yard run that sealed a 31-30 triumph.
The Bears made unwanted history in defeat, becoming the first NFL team ever to score at least 29 points in three consecutive games and lose all three.