vince
05-30-2008, 11:34 PM
Here's a well-written article that brings back a great memory. I can still see Bradford catching the game winner and running through the back of the endzone...
Sorry Raz... Well OK, not really... :twisted:
http://mvn.com/nfl-packers/2008/05/26/greatest-packers-games-installment-2-packers-v-vikings-sept-26-1999/
Greatest Packers Games: Installment 2, Packers v. Vikings Sept. 26, 1999
By Andy Erdman | May 26th, 2008
The one and only season that Ray Rhodes was calling the shots for the Green Bay Packers resulted in a glum 8-8 mark. But if there was a bright spot in that disappointing 1999 season – and a game I’ll never forget – it came in week 3 when Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings made their annual trip to Lambeau Field.
I watched this classic Packers-Vikings barnburner with my dad and brother as a college sophomore while visiting the familiar confines of my parents’ house in central Wisconsin. It would turn out to be the 15th of Brett Favre’s 40 career comebacks – a number second only to John Elway – and it would come in the form of a touchdown strike on 4th down with no timeouts left and only seconds remaining.
The Packers and Vikings each entered the game with 1-1 records, and both squads were still trying to shake off their 1998 hangovers.
Green Bay’s ‘98 season shockingly and abruptly ended at the hands of the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs when Terrell Owens pulled down a 25-yard touchdown pass from Steve Young with only three seconds left (that game also marked Mike Holmgren’s last game as a Packer). The Vikings hangover was even worse, as their 15-1 season was coughed up with the Super Bowl in sight by what many Vikings fans wrathfully blame on Gary Anderson’s infamous first field goal miss of the season – and some questionable play calling in the second half as well.
Minnesota had contained the Packers’ explosive offense most of the game, allowing only a 28-yard Ryan Longwell field goal in the first half. But thanks to Antuan Edwards’ 28-yard interception return to pay dirt, the halftime score was 10 apiece.
The score inched to 13-13 after three quarters, with Anderson and Longwell each booting easy field goals on drives that came up short.
Green Bay took their second lead of the game, 16-13, with only 4:25 left compliments of Longwell’s third field goal. However, the contest was far from over for the 59,868 fans packed in Lambeau – and the millions more watching this late afternoon nationally televised NFC Central showdown.
Denny Green and his Purple People Eaters had the Green and Gold backed into a corner after Moss pulled down Cunningham’s only touchdown pass with less than two minutes left to play, putting the Vikings up 20-16 and in a great position to pull out the win.
It wasn’t until 1:51 left in the fourth quarter that Favre took over on his own 23-yard line with two timeouts. 77 yards and the Vikings’ scrappy defense stood between Green Bay and its destiny. A field goal would do no good now.
After three catches in the Packers’ two-minute offense by running back Dorsey Levens – who was the Packers’ leading receiver that day – and one each by wide outs Corey Bradford and Bill Schroeder, the Packers found themselves on the Vikings’ 23-yard line.
The only problem was that Green Bay had no timeouts and it was 4th down and 1 with the clock quickly winding down because Levens had failed to get out of bounds after his reception on 3rd down and 4 came up one yard short.
So Favre hustled his offense to the line, and instead of going for the first down as many Vikings defenders had guessed he would, Favre was thinking only one thing: touchdown.
Only he hadn’t even called a play. And he didn’t even say “Hut.”
”I didn’t call an audible,” Favre said of the winning play, according to the New York Times. ”I just told the guys to line up the best I could, as tired as I was. I knew if the ball was snapped they’d do something. It’s not that complicated.”
Talk about old school. And it worked.
Favre’s receivers all did go-routes, which threw off a Vikings defense prepared to stop a short yardage play. After avoiding an initial rush, Favre quickly pump-faked to Schroeder streaking towards the right side of the end zone – a maneuver that tricked the Vikings safety – before turning left and launching a perfect spiral to Bradford who hauled it in just past the goal line for the game-winning score with only 12 seconds remaining.
Vikings cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock immediately took the blame for allowing Bradford to make the scoring grab, admitting that he had played too tightly because he thought Favre had called a short dump off.
Favre went 6 for 7 for 77 yards on the final drive, ending the 23-20 win with 304 yards, 1 touchdown and no picks. Even better, because the Packers had a week four bye, he gave fans like me an extra seven days to relish the legendary victory.
Two three-game losing streaks for the Packers – one in November and one in December – spelled doom for the season (and for Rhodes). In the end, the Packers would go on to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1992, and the Vikings’ season would end in the second round of the playoffs to Kurt Warner and his eventual Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams.
But that win against the Vikings was not only the highlight of a 1999 season that saw three Favre late fourth quarter comebacks in the first four games, but it was also one of the most memorable and satisfying Packers’ victories I can remember.
Sorry Raz... Well OK, not really... :twisted:
http://mvn.com/nfl-packers/2008/05/26/greatest-packers-games-installment-2-packers-v-vikings-sept-26-1999/
Greatest Packers Games: Installment 2, Packers v. Vikings Sept. 26, 1999
By Andy Erdman | May 26th, 2008
The one and only season that Ray Rhodes was calling the shots for the Green Bay Packers resulted in a glum 8-8 mark. But if there was a bright spot in that disappointing 1999 season – and a game I’ll never forget – it came in week 3 when Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings made their annual trip to Lambeau Field.
I watched this classic Packers-Vikings barnburner with my dad and brother as a college sophomore while visiting the familiar confines of my parents’ house in central Wisconsin. It would turn out to be the 15th of Brett Favre’s 40 career comebacks – a number second only to John Elway – and it would come in the form of a touchdown strike on 4th down with no timeouts left and only seconds remaining.
The Packers and Vikings each entered the game with 1-1 records, and both squads were still trying to shake off their 1998 hangovers.
Green Bay’s ‘98 season shockingly and abruptly ended at the hands of the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs when Terrell Owens pulled down a 25-yard touchdown pass from Steve Young with only three seconds left (that game also marked Mike Holmgren’s last game as a Packer). The Vikings hangover was even worse, as their 15-1 season was coughed up with the Super Bowl in sight by what many Vikings fans wrathfully blame on Gary Anderson’s infamous first field goal miss of the season – and some questionable play calling in the second half as well.
Minnesota had contained the Packers’ explosive offense most of the game, allowing only a 28-yard Ryan Longwell field goal in the first half. But thanks to Antuan Edwards’ 28-yard interception return to pay dirt, the halftime score was 10 apiece.
The score inched to 13-13 after three quarters, with Anderson and Longwell each booting easy field goals on drives that came up short.
Green Bay took their second lead of the game, 16-13, with only 4:25 left compliments of Longwell’s third field goal. However, the contest was far from over for the 59,868 fans packed in Lambeau – and the millions more watching this late afternoon nationally televised NFC Central showdown.
Denny Green and his Purple People Eaters had the Green and Gold backed into a corner after Moss pulled down Cunningham’s only touchdown pass with less than two minutes left to play, putting the Vikings up 20-16 and in a great position to pull out the win.
It wasn’t until 1:51 left in the fourth quarter that Favre took over on his own 23-yard line with two timeouts. 77 yards and the Vikings’ scrappy defense stood between Green Bay and its destiny. A field goal would do no good now.
After three catches in the Packers’ two-minute offense by running back Dorsey Levens – who was the Packers’ leading receiver that day – and one each by wide outs Corey Bradford and Bill Schroeder, the Packers found themselves on the Vikings’ 23-yard line.
The only problem was that Green Bay had no timeouts and it was 4th down and 1 with the clock quickly winding down because Levens had failed to get out of bounds after his reception on 3rd down and 4 came up one yard short.
So Favre hustled his offense to the line, and instead of going for the first down as many Vikings defenders had guessed he would, Favre was thinking only one thing: touchdown.
Only he hadn’t even called a play. And he didn’t even say “Hut.”
”I didn’t call an audible,” Favre said of the winning play, according to the New York Times. ”I just told the guys to line up the best I could, as tired as I was. I knew if the ball was snapped they’d do something. It’s not that complicated.”
Talk about old school. And it worked.
Favre’s receivers all did go-routes, which threw off a Vikings defense prepared to stop a short yardage play. After avoiding an initial rush, Favre quickly pump-faked to Schroeder streaking towards the right side of the end zone – a maneuver that tricked the Vikings safety – before turning left and launching a perfect spiral to Bradford who hauled it in just past the goal line for the game-winning score with only 12 seconds remaining.
Vikings cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock immediately took the blame for allowing Bradford to make the scoring grab, admitting that he had played too tightly because he thought Favre had called a short dump off.
Favre went 6 for 7 for 77 yards on the final drive, ending the 23-20 win with 304 yards, 1 touchdown and no picks. Even better, because the Packers had a week four bye, he gave fans like me an extra seven days to relish the legendary victory.
Two three-game losing streaks for the Packers – one in November and one in December – spelled doom for the season (and for Rhodes). In the end, the Packers would go on to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1992, and the Vikings’ season would end in the second round of the playoffs to Kurt Warner and his eventual Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams.
But that win against the Vikings was not only the highlight of a 1999 season that saw three Favre late fourth quarter comebacks in the first four games, but it was also one of the most memorable and satisfying Packers’ victories I can remember.