Well, my doubly cursed NFL fandom continues. As many of you know, besides being a never-say-die Vikings fan, I have been a faithful member of the Bills Mafia going back to even before they played in four-straight Super Bowls \u2014 losing all four of them.<\/p>\n
As it has been well-established, Minnesota Vikings fans are recognized as one of the \u201cmost miserable\u201d bunch of fans in the entire NFL. We\u2019ve been so close so many times only to have our hopes dashed somehow. There\u2019s Gary Anderson\u2019s one and only fieldgoal miss of the entire season in the 1998 NFC Championship Game \u2014 allowing the Atlanta Falcons to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime. Then, there\u2019s \u201cBountygate\u201d against New Orleans (which also can be attributed to Brett Favre\u2019s boneheaded interception).<\/p>\n
And those are just the two most infamous examples. We could also add getting blown out by Philadelphia in the NFC Championship following the \u201cMinneapolis Miracle.\u201d Or how about the year we were knocked out of the playoffs on the last play of the Arizona Cardinals game \u2014 a touchdown catch that would have been incomplete based on today\u2019s rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For all of those \u201cagony of defeat\u201d moments for the Vikings, ironically Buffalo Bills fans can recite eerily similar examples. Theirs also includes an infamous missed fieldgoal attempt (\u201cwide right\u201d in Super Bowl XXV).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking of tough losses that would not have happened under today\u2019s rules, there\u2019s the catalyst for the change in playoff overtime rules, when Buffalo lost to Kansas City in the 2021 AFC Divisional playoff game in overtime when the Chiefs took the opening drive in overtime for a touchdown, ending the game with the Bills\u2019 offense not touching the ball in overtime.<\/p>\n
Of course, the playoff game that still haunts members of the Bills Mafia to this day is the illegal forward pass that is dubbed \u201cThe Music City Miracle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, however, Buffalo fans have a playoff defeat that might very well overshadow that terrible call in favor of the Tennessee Titans. This time, though, it isn\u2019t one bad call from the officials, but at least two, if not three. Yes, by the letter of the rules, the two pass interference calls could be considered legitimate when looked at in a vacuum. But, considering those two were the only PIs called the whole game, it makes throwing the flag in overtime seem rather dubious.<\/p>\n
Those two calls would never have happened, though, if it wasn\u2019t for the pass catch by Brandon Cooks that wound up being called an interception.<\/p>\n
Next season, the Vikings will host the Bills in a regular season game, and if all goes according to plan, I will be at that game, primarily rooting for the Vikings while also hoping it will be a \u201cSuper Bowl preview.\u201d At least that way, the curse will be guaranteed to be broken for one of my teams.<\/p>\n