Justin Jefferson makes one of NFL's greatest catches to help spark Vikings' OT win vs. Bills

Jacob Camenker

•
Justin Jefferson makes one of NFL's greatest catches to help spark Vikings' OT win vs. Bills image

Justin Jefferson single-handedly kept the Vikings alive in their Week 10 game against the Bills.

Literally.

The Vikings were facing a fourth-and-18 at the two-minute warning, trailing 27-23, when Jefferson made his big play. Kirk Cousins heaved a pass toward him, and it looked as if defensive back Cam Lewis would be able to intercept it.

MORE: Justin Jefferson's teammates ruin 'Griddy' TD celebration

Instead, Jefferson went up with one hand, ripped it away from Lewis, brought it into his body and managed to corral it without it hitting the ground.

The catch was undeniably one of the best in the history of the NFL — if not, the best — from a skill-set perspective. And it was even better when considering how much the Vikings needed it.

Minnesota had just one timeout left while attempting to convert that fourth-and-18. Had the Vikings failed to convert, they would have, at best, gotten the ball back with about 30 seconds remaining.

NFL STANDINGS: NFL playoff picture after Week 10 results, scores 

The seemingly impossible conversion bought the Vikings extra time in their drive for a go-ahead touchdown. It also swung the field in their favor, as they gained 31 yards and moved across midfield.

That, coupled with the acrobatic nature of Jefferson's grab, made many NFL fans and media personalities crown it the greatest catch in history.

Of course, it was far from Jefferson's only excellent catch of the day, or even the drive. He made a couple more impressive catches afterward and nearly scored on a tought third-down catch near the goal line.

MORE: Why Rams, Cardinals are starting backup QBs in Week 10

And in overtime, he made another remarkable grab on third-and-long to put the Vikings in a goal-to-go situation.

That came after a long Jefferson reception that allowed the Vikings to move into scoring range.

Overall, Jefferson finished the game with 10 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown as Minnesota won 33-30 in overtime.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.