Play to the End - A Life Lesson from the Vikings/Saints Playoff Game

Last night, the New Orleans Saints had their playoff game wrapped up…until they didn’t.

With 10 seconds to go, all they had to do was stop the Vikings on one more play and their 17-point comeback would be in hand, and they would march onto the NFC Championship Game. There was only one problem: they didn’t execute until the end.

Instead, what happened will forever be called, “the Minnesota Miracle”. Vikings quarterback, Case Keenum, targeted receiver, Stefon Diggs. As he rose high to make the catch, Saints rookie safety, Marcus Williams, lowered his head and made a rookie mistake. All Williams had to do was wrap Diggs up, keep him in bounds, and let the clock expire before Minnesota could attempt a field goal. Instead, Williams went for the hit, missed Diggs, and the Vikings scored.

The hard lesson learned for Williams, the Saints, and the world is this: play to the end. If you are a parent, spouse, business owner, entrepreneur, or athlete, you must play to the end. Nothing is over until its over, and if you celebrate before the clock expires, you may very well lose when victory is in sight.

So today, enjoy the small victories, but persevere until you fully accomplish your goals. Otherwise, you may let victory slip through your grasp.