The Vikings lost their best chance to get back in their playoff game against the 49ers when they muffed a punt

49ers' running back Raheem Mostert fell on it at the 10-yard line.
San Francisco went on to hit a field goal and extend the lead to 17 points en route to advancing to the NFC championship game .
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The Minnesota Vikings may not have needed a miracle with the clock winding down in the third quarter, but they certainly needed to get their offense going.

Instead, they teed up the San Francisco 49ers for an easy score that all but put the nail in the coffin on their postseason hopes.

With just over a minute remaining in the third quarter of their Divisional Round matchup against Jimmy Garoppolo and his top-seeded 49ers, the Vikings lined up to field a punt on a San Francisco fourth-and-1. But when Minnesota cornerback and return specialist centered himself under the angeled punt on the Vikings' own 20-yard line, the ball bounced off of his chest before falling to the turf on his right.

As Sherels attempted to locate the muffed punt, 49ers' running back Raheem Mostert bee-lined for the loose ball and fell on it at the 10-yard line.

Check out a video of the play below:

Sherels' blunder came at a pivotal moment in his team's bid to advance in the playoffs. Not only did Minnesota forfeit the opportunity to cut San Francisco's lead to just a single score, but the fumble put Garoppolo, George Kittle, and the rest of the 49ers' offense in prime scoring position. They'd go on to hit a field goal and extend their lead to 17 points en route to advancing to the NFC championship game.

The fumble marked the second time on the afternoon that Sherels bobbled a punt return, but he managed to recover the ball on the first misjudged kick. The 10-year NFL veteran rejoined the Vikings mere days before their matchup with the New Orleans Saints last week. He started the season down in the Big Easy before joining Minnesota for Weeks 4-6 and subsequently signing with the Miami Dolphins for five games.

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