HEART OF STEELE

When people complain about the Vikings, I have to chuckle. I spent 20 years in Detroit, where the hometown football team has a real talent for pulling defeat from the jaws of victory.

This year, though, it feels like the only complaint from Minnesota football fans is about the strain on their hearts. The Vikes have pulled off some amazing wins this season, but none more cardiac-arresting than Saturday’s record-setting 39-36 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t watching. My television tastes this time of year run more toward Hallmark channel rom-coms and “The Santa Clause” juggernaut. A quick check of the score at half-time–33-0–told me there was nothing to see.

A few hours later, while scrolling through social media, I noticed this post: “marked safe from a possible cardiac event watching the Minnesota Vikings game today.”

News reports call it the biggest comeback in NFL history, and it shook more than fans. After hearing about the record, quarterback Kirk Cousins told reporters, “I need a second.”

Multiple news reports shared what seems to be the turning point in this lopsided game: a locker-room comment at half-time made by cornerback Patrick Peterson.

He shared a simple truth, that the Vikings only needed five touchdowns to win. But the statement also carried with it a belief in his team’s ability to meet the challenge.

We’ve all been through tough times–and many much worse than a seemingly impossible deficit in a game where everybody gets paid no matter what the outcome.

Still, the lesson is the same: Every goal we work toward–no matter how big the climb–happens one step at a time. And the best way to pull off a truly heart-stopping win is to first believe that we can.