By order of magnitude, the benefits the Vikings received Sunday from referees do not come close to offsetting Drew Pearson’s shove or the mangling of Brett Favre that occurred during the 2009 “Bountygate” NFC title game.
But let us point out that in an otherwise fairly forgettable 23-13 victory over the Titans on Sunday (preferable to a memorable loss every day of the week, just so we’re clear), the Vikings were the recipients of enough good officiating fortune to make Tennessee coach Brian Callahan lose his mind and to cause at least one Titans player to wonder if they are the team that is cursed when it comes to the refs.
The Titans were flagged for being off-sides on a Sam Darnold fourth-down QB sneak; an end-zone pass breakup, again on fourth down, to Jordan Addison; a third-down stop in the second half was negated by a fishy illegal contact penalty; lineman Isaiah Prince was flagged three times for not lining up properly, negating a touchdown and another long gain; Darnold looked like he fumbled in another key spot, but he was ruled down.
I can’t think of a single big call that went against the Vikings, which Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Of course, celebrating such things isn’t baked into the DNA of a Vikings fan. These gifts, which absolutely saved the Vikings from a dicey finish and perhaps even a loss, will quickly be forgotten the next time something goes against Minnesota.
If you want to forget about the three-hour broadcast as well, I don’t blame you. The CBS play-by-play and analyst combo of Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta was one of the shakiest I have heard in a while.
On the first Tennessee drive, they referenced a third-and-12 by calling it third-and-9. On the Titans’ second drive, Dedes pronounced Josh Metellus’ last name Metal-us, though he did correct himself a few seconds later.
Perhaps my favorite gaffe came early in the second half when the Vikings were back to field a punt. “Fair catch signaled here by Addison at the 26,” came the call ... except of course it was Brandon Powell (No. 4, not No. 3) receiving it AND he returned the punt instead of calling for a fair catch.
