DETROIT — Kyle Rudolph memorized the prayer growing up Catholic in Cincinnati, so it was fitting that the Vikings tight end mesmerized Ford Field Sunday with a Hail Mary touchdown reception for the ages.
Rudolph’s 44-yard climb-the-ladder catch of Kirk Cousins’ desperate heave as time expired in the first half propelled the Vikings to a 27-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. The win saved them from playoff purgatory and the embarrassment of losing to a mail-it-in team that was licking stamps and envelops all afternoon.
Seven Lions defenders were in the end zone to prevent such a catastrophe, but none bothered to leap for the ball as the 6-foot-6 Rudolph posted up in front of cornerback DeShawn Shead and snatched it out of the air without anyone in a Detroit uniform ever getting off the ground.
It was as if Rudolph were back at Elder High School, where the three-time all-conference center set a school record with 568 career rebounds.
“I joked earlier I had a lot of rebounds in high school basketball, and at that point it just turns into another rebound,” he said. “Let’s see if I can get that added to my career total.”
Rudolph had just caught a pass from Cousins and almost drained the clock while rumbling toward the sideline for a 17-yard gain that forced Minnesota to burn its final timeout of the half and lobby the officials to put two seconds back on the clock.
The Vikings simulate the “Hail Mary” during Saturday mock games and walk-throughs. But only the mechanics. Never is a ball actually thrown in the drill.
It was third-and-2 from the Detroit 44-yard line when Cousins lined up under center. Wide receivers Aldrick Robinson, Adam Thielen and Rudolph stacked up on the right side of the formation. Stefon Diggs was the lone wideout on the left.
Cousins dropped back, drifted to his right, sidestepped pressure from defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson and fired a rainmaker toward the right side of the end zone.
Thielen had staked out his place in the back of the end zone with Diggs near the goal line. In between Rudolph reached his preordained spot in the middle, turned and only saw the descending ball when it was 10 feet from him.
“I honestly think I had caught it before anyone realized I was going to catch the ball, it was thrown so perfectly,” Rudolph said. “If I had been there earlier, or the throw been later, guys have time to grab; you’re never going to get a defensive pass interference in those situations.
“I put my foot in the ground and turned, and the ball was right there, allowing me to go up and get it. I had the easy part. He just threw the perfect ball.”
“Hail Mary” was the turn of phrase Roger Staubach uttered in 1975 after he connected with wide receiver Drew Pearson on the final play of Dallas’ NFC divisional playoff win over the Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium. Five years later in the same stadium, Ahmad Rashad hauled in a desperation pass from Tommy Kramer as time expired to vanquish the Cleveland Browns and win the old NFC Central Division.
It also was not Cousins’ first rodeo.
In 2011, when he was playing for Michigan State about 80 miles northwest of Ford Field, Cousins unloaded from midfield and connected with Keith Nichols at the goal line with no time remaining for the game-winning strike in a 37-31 victory over Wisconsin.
“Major shout out to all the Spartan fans out there,” Cousins said. “They don’t come around that often, but special when you hit them.”
Sunday’s heroics allowed the Vikings to take their first lead after falling behind 9-0. Diggs caught an eight-yard touchdown pass on the prior drive. Minnesota’s defense held the Lions to a three-and-out to set up the Hail Mary.
“They were calling it a ‘Hail Rudy’ after it happened,” Cousins said of his teammates.
Cousins was aiming for a six-yard window in the end zone for the ball to fall into.
“Put enough air on it so they can get underneath, and then Kyle Rudolph showed why he’s an eight-year NFL tight end who’s had a great career,” he said. “That’s an impressive play. Very natural hands.”
The play was emotionally devastating for the Lions (5-10), whose playoff hopes have long since been dashed. They never scored another point and yielded 13 more in the second half.
“It sucked,” said cornerback Nevin Lawson. “That’s a play we never want to give up. But kudos to them, they executed and we didn’t.”
It was the biggest play of a monster performance by Rudolph, who finished with a career-high 122 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine receptions. It was the most yards by a Vikings tight end since Visanthe Shiancoe had 136 yards against Atlanta on Dec. 21, 2008.
“Today was just my time,” said Rudolph. “When the ball came my way, I just tried to catch it. I can’t tell you why or give you a reason it happened today other than it’s almost Christmas. Christmas is usually good to me.”