EAGAN, Minn. -- A ball tips off a Minnesota Vikings cornerback's hands and into those of an opposing receiver for a touchdown. A few minutes later, the reverse happens: The Vikings' final pass is intercepted in the end zone after it tipped off their tight end's hands.
A ball slides over the pylon for a touchback, rather than to the side of it for a harmless fumble out of bounds. The quarterback can't hear a crucial playcall over the din of the home crowd, leading to 23 lost seconds in an endgame scramble.
NFL plays can be scuttled by seconds and inches, and games lost by a handful of those plays.