NFL

Stefon Diggs: Bills 'might be blinking a little bit' after thrilling loss to Vikings

By Sports Desk November 14, 2022

Stefon Diggs feels the Buffalo Bills might be "blinking a little bit" after their defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in the game of the year so far.

The Bills led 27-10 in the third quarter and still appeared set to prevail leading 27-23 late in the fourth with the Vikings seemingly on their last chance on fourth-and-18.

However, Justin Jefferson's remarkable one-handed grab, which immediately entered the discussion around the best catches of all-time, set in motion a chaotic and incredible finish.

Despite that catch, Buffalo looked to have clinched the game when they stopped Minnesota on the Bills' one-yard line, but Josh Allen fumbled the snap on the subsequent series, Eric Kendricks recovering to put the Vikings ahead with 41 seconds left.

Allen led the Bills down the field for a game-tying field goal that forced overtime, in which the Vikings took the lead on a field goal after once again failing to convert from inside the Buffalo five-yard line following another Jefferson-inspired drive.

That gave Allen the chance to win it for Buffalo with a touchdown, but he paid the price for a poor decision as the Bills quarterback was intercepted in the endzone by Patrick Peterson and Minnesota clung on for a 33-30 success.

Buffalo's second successive defeat dropped them to 6-3, meaning the Bills are now third in the AFC East behind the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

It is a surprising downturn for a team that has long since been seen as Super Bowl favourites, and one Diggs put down to the Bills not following their mantra. 

"We've got to continue to play sharp," said Diggs. "I mean, I feel like we're coming out in the first half, minds sharp, getting after it, and then we somewhat hit a little lull and then kind of got to get back in the groove.

"It seemed like when we've got to get in the groove, it's always crunch time. And we always manage to kind of figure it out and make a way, but it'll save us if we don't take that lull, don't take that little gasp of air.

"[Defensive end] Von [Miller] always say don't blink and I feel like we might be blinking a little bit, especially when we come out trying to figure it out... This game has its ebbs and flows along with the season. I mean, we can’t ride a rollercoaster, so chin up."

Asked to explain what he meant by blinking, Diggs pointed the finger at himself for a false start in the fourth quarter.

"No, I mean, if you look at the score, the score was still tight," Diggs added. "When I think about a lull I feel like it's more so not being as sharp. For example like me jumping offsides like s*** like that.

"That's more so like a lull, not so much about the other team because like I said every week the other team will give you their best shot and they’re always going to give us that. More so looking inward than anything."

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