One minute, 18 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter. A 17-0 halftime lead as good as gone. My heart raced as the Saints marched down the field.

I had seen this game before. In my lifetime alone as a Vikings fan, memories of the 2009 NFC Championship and the more recent 2015 Wildcard round loss felt as if they were about to be joined by yet another crushing playoff defeat.

As the Vikings took the ball for what seemed like their last chance, breathing became harder. With 1:29 left in the fourth quarter, and the game at stake, we needed a 53-yard field goal to take the lead. It wasn’t a 27-yard chip shot from the left hash, but my stomach sank just the same. My nerves dwindled away as the kick sailed straight through the middle, and the Vikings retook the lead. All we had to do was play defense and stop the Saints from scoring. We didn’t.

A converted fourth down and a field goal later, only 25 seconds were left before the inevitable. Faced at the brink of yet another crushing defeat to end a promising season, I turned to my dad next to me and realized this could be the last game we would watch together for awhile, the last game before I go off to college.

All hope rested on the shoulders of our backup quarterback, a journeyman passer whose path was just as improbable as Sunday’s game itself. Within two plays, a false start penalty moved us back and our final timeout burned. Two straight incompletions, and only 10 seconds were left on the clock. The only chance left was getting out of bounds to set up a field goal.

So much was riding on that one moment. Still, I found myself believing, having the same faith I have held, perhaps blindly optimistically, for my entire tenure as a fan.

But then a 61-yard, gamewinning, walk-off touchdown reception by Stefon Diggs sent the Vikings to the NFC Championship, a play that was quickly dubbed the “Minneapolis Miracle.” The play Minnesota sports fans had been waiting decades for. A play to call our own. A historic moment that will forever be remembered by fans of football everywhere. A reward for every faithful Vikings fan who had endured as much heartache and loss as any professional sports franchise.