Bills Had 12 Men on Defense for Goal-to-Go Play in OT vs. Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings overcame improbable odds to beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday while also overcoming poor officiating at the end of the 33-30 overtime win at Highmark Stadium.

The Bills defense had 12 players on the field during the Vikings' 1st-and-goal play from the 2-yard line in overtime, Kevin Seifert of ESPN confirmed.

Dalvin Cook was stopped for a three-yard loss on the play, and the Vikings settled for a field goal three plays later.

"I do believe there was 12 players on the field. ... I know it's moving pretty fast out there sometimes," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game.

If the officials had caught the infraction, Minnesota would have gotten a 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line and a better chance to end the game with a touchdown.

Instead, the goal-line stand helped Buffalo get another chance to tie or win. The Vikings still held on as Patrick Peterson intercepted Josh Allen on the next drive.

The missed call for too many men on the field wasn't the only officiating error that benefited the Bills late in the game.

After the Vikings took the lead in the final minute with a fumble recovered for a touchdown, Buffalo forced overtime with a five-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. The biggest play on that drive was a 20-yard pass to Gabe Davis on the sideline.

Other angles of the play showed that Davis did not complete the catch, but the officials did not review it before the Bills snapped the ball.

"We were able—several plays after—to look at all the angles," referee Walt Anderson told the pool reporter after the game. "It would have been reversed to an incomplete pass because he did not maintain control of the ball after he hit the ground and the ball touched the ground out of bounds."

In both cases, the officiating mistakes gave the Bills extra chances to win.

Minnesota still prevailed, fighting back from being down 17 points in the second half to beat one of the NFL's best teams on the road. The Vikings improved to 8-1 while showcasing impressive resilience.