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In what may have been the most exciting regular season game of the year in 2011, the Denver Broncos were faced off on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in what would be one of the wildest second halves of the decade. This game easily made the Top 24 in our greatest Broncos games of the 2010s.
The Vikings were up 15-7 at halftime, when Demaryius Thomas exploded onto the NFL scene. He ended the game with 3 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He scored the first coming out of halftime on a 21-yard reception to cut the lead down to 15-14.
NFL Gamepass: Broncos at Vikings, 12/4/2011
Later in the third quarter, Percy Harvin shoved Chris Harris Jr. into the turf ten yards down field which helped him get wide open for a pass from Christian Ponder for a 52-yard touchdown to put the lead back up to 8-points. The no call hurt, but the pain wouldn’t last long as Denver struck back on its very next offensive snap.
That’s when one of the best plays of Tim Tebow’s career would happen. He took the shotgun snap and initially had plenty of time, but after being flushed out by Jared Allen he stiff armed a linebacker making a throw just as he stepped out of bounds.
That throw hit Thomas right in the numbers who turned it up field for a huge catch and run for the touchdown to cut the lead back to one.
Harvin would strike again, burning Champ Bailey for another long touchdown. However, the Broncos would answer blow to blow and eventually surpassed the Vikings in a 35-32 shootout that lifted Denver to the AFC West lead.
Of all the great plays, this one stands out as my favorite of the game.