Vikings fan kicks own field goal from Blair Walsh range

Walsh wasn’t alone in blaming himself. The Viking offense proceeded to march down the field and left Walsh, who had already made three field goals that day, in position to knock down a simple one with 26 seconds left to go.

If the Seattle Seahawks expected another blowout victory over the Minnesota Vikings following a 38-7 win back in December, they sure got a different game this time around. “That’s something that will haunt me throughout the offseason”.

Walsh felt the same way and broke into tears minutes later in the Vikings’ locker room after completing an interview session with reporters. And for much of the game, victory over the two-time defending NFC champion Seahawks appeared within reach.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks now play the Panthers next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in a rematch of their divisional-round game from a year ago in Seattle.

“This football team shouldn’t be going home right now, and that’s hard”, Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway said.

The temperature at kickoff at TFC Bank Stadium was -6 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -25. Interestingly, the Seahawks have now won seven of eight games Lynch has missed, including Sunday’s win at Minnesota.

“It was brutal conditions”, Greenway said.

Momentum seemed to go back and forth throughout the fourth quarter, with Seattle taking a one-point lead on a Steven Hauschka 46-yard field goal with 8:06 to play following an Adrian Peterson fumble.

Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks needed more than three quarters to warm up at Minnesota, their quest to avenge last year’s Super Bowl loss almost frozen before it began.

Wilson retreated to pick up the ball at his own 45, then deftly moved to his right to avoid an oncoming Captain Munnerlyn and floated a pass to a wide-open Tyler Lockett at the Minnesota 28. Michael is coming off a career-high 102 yards rushing in the regular season finale against Arizona. “At least hearing from what guys on other teams have (said)”. It was a good snap, actually…. “It was an ugly game, we didn’t play very well on offense and that’s on me”.

“It’s important to realize at the end of the day that it’s football”, Walsh said.

He didn’t come anywhere close to blocking the kick, but Carroll said Walsh hurried his final attempt, perhaps knowing how close Sherman came the last time. But Aaron Rodgers found a way to escape the pass rush despite his terrible offensive line, finishing the game with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns, with Green Bay outscoring the Redskins 18-0 in the final 24:41, including two rushing touchdowns by James Starks and Eddie Lacy.

By now, Walsh has taken full responsibility for his team’s loss, while many – including former Vikings star Nate Burleson – have offered him words of encouragement by now.

The Vikings defense kept Wilson in the pocket most of the game.

Cundiff pulled the kick way left, and New England took a knee and a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Super Bowl, where Tom Brady and Co. lost to the Giants 21-17.

“This was really a survival game”, said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. A dejected Zimmer covered his face.