CB Patrick Peterson on Vikings' statement win against Bills: "Look at us now"
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Last month, Minnesota Vikings' veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson predicted he'd get two interceptions against his former Arizona Cardinals squad. While that didn't happen, it just had to wait a couple more weeks against the Buffalo Bills.
Peterson, 32, changed the course of Sunday's game with the first pick in the end zone in the fourth quarter. At that point, the Vikings trailed by 10 points.
Then, in overtime, he recorded another end zone pick and sealed the team's improbable 33-30 overtime win.
Peterson said that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is physically gifted and able to extend plays, but will give opposing defenses some opportunities. He's thrown crucial interceptions in the last few weeks.
"The point of emphasis was, stay plastered in your coverage, stay close enough to where, if he gives you a shot, make it count," Peterson said.
Heading into the game, the Bills were heavily favored. The Vikings - even with only one loss - were still trying to show that they could win a statement game against a winning football team.
After coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Bills, the Vikings got that on Sunday.
"If we're not a good football team, how could you come back from that deficit? Look at us now," Peterson said. "We're not trying to prove them or they wrong, we just want to continue to prove ourselves right each and every time we step out onto the field. We feel that we are a really, really good football team that believe in one another."
Peterson says it comes down to being a better situational football team. Last year, the Vikings would lose in close games like Sunday's matchup.
"Coming into this season it was a huge emphasis for us. To make sure that we are a better situational football team than last year," Peterson said. "Now that we got a head man in charge, offensive guy, a guy that really, really dives deep into situational football, and it's proven for us."
It's also been proven that Peterson, in his 12th year in the NFL, still has the ability to make big-time plays, despite criticism that he's lost a step.
"Y'all wanna talk. That chatter chatter. 'Oh, he lost it.' I'm still here," he said in a video while walking off the field. "It feels good to be back on top."
Quarterback Kirk Cousins - who has gone viral for wearing chains on the flight back from road games - passed the honor to Peterson.
Next Up: Cowboys head to Minnesota
The Vikings will try for their eighth-straight win against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The game will air on WCCO-TV at 3:25 p.m.
It appears there are still doubts surrounding the Vikings squad, with the Cowboys reportedly favored to win the matchup, despite losing to the struggling Green Bay Packers and facing Minnesota at home.
