Strange Play Helps Packers Top Vikings
G R E E N B A Y, Wis., Nov. 6, 2000 -- If center Frank Winters hadn’t justcalled for a dry football, the Lambeau Leap might not have givenway to the Freeman Fluke.
“Who says football is all skill?” Antonio Freeman said with asmile after his freakish 43-yard touchdown catch 3:39 into overtimegave the Green Bay Packers a thrilling 26-20 victory over theMinnesota Vikings on Monday night.
It followed Minnesota’s botched game-winning 33-yard field goalattempt on the last play of the fourth quarter.
Every Catch an Adventure
After sending a drenched football to the sideline, Brett Favrelaunched a deep pass to Freeman, who slipped on the wet grass ascornerback Chris Dishman deflected the ball at the 20-yard line.
The ball bounced off the back of Freeman’s left shoulder as herolled over, and he tipped it into his chest with his right handbefore it hit the ground.
Freeman grabbed the ball, jumped up, juked safety RobertGriffith and rumbled into the end zone.
“I got an early Christmas gift. It fell right into my hands,”Freeman said. “I knew it didn’t hit the ground.”
The swirling winds made every catch an adventure.
“The ball was changing trajectory all night. It affected ourreceivers. It affected their defender on that play,” Freeman said.“Dishman made a good play. It hit his right hand and his shoulderpad as I fell back.
Stunning Win
Both teams were already scattered across the field, some inprayer at midfield, when the officials finally announced the playstood as called.
“The type of season we’re having, we needed a break,” Freemansaid. “We got one tonight.”
In the commotion, Favre didn’t even know who he was talking to.
“During all the mayhem, I asked him, ‘Hey, did you catch it?”Favre recounted. “It was (receiver) Donald Driver who I asked. Hesaid, ‘I don’t know if he caught it.’ When I got to Free, he said,‘I caught it.”
It was the first time the Packers (4-5) had the lead all gameagainst the stunned Vikings, who lost their second straight afterstarting 7-0.
Despite five turnovers to none for Green Bay and 11 penaltiesfor 129 yards, the Vikings were in position to win it on GaryAnderson’s 33-yard field-goal attempt in a driving rain on thefinal play of the fourth quarter.
Holder Mitch Berger couldn’t handle a poor snap by Mitch Palmer,and Tyrone Williams picked off Berger’s desperation pass at the 5as time expired.
Had Berger spiked the snap instead of jumping up and rollingright, the Vikings would have had at least three seconds left foranother attempt.
“If I wasn’t an idiot, I would have spiked the ball to getanother shot at it,” Berger said. “For some reason, it didn’tcross my mind.”
A Chance to Win
The Vikings had moved into position thanks to curiousplay-calling by the Packers, who got conservative when they had theball at their 20 with 1:40 left.
Ahman Green ran two straight draws, gaining three yards, andVikings coach Dennis Green called timeout with 1:07 left. On thirddown, Favre badly misfired a pass deep downfield to Driver.
Topping it off, Josh Bidwell punted only 25 yards, giving theVikings the ball at the Green Bay 48 with 52 seconds and all threetimeouts left.
Randy Moss, who had six catches for 130 yards, caught a 19-yardslant pass that gave the Vikings the ball at the 15 with eightseconds left.
“In a game like that, with those kind of conditions, if you’vegot a chance, you’ve got to win it,” Green said.
Berger said the ball was wet even though it had just beenbrought in.
Minnesota’s Robert Smith rushed for 122 yards on 24 carries andcaught two passes for 67 yards, including a 45-yard TD.
Five Turnovers, Three Points
The Packers scored just three points off five turnovers, buttook advantage of Daunte Culpepper’s third interception to tie itat 13-all on Ryan Longwell’s 31-yard field goal in the second half.
The teams scored touchdowns 28 seconds apart in the thirdquarter.
On third-and-17, Smith, who hadn’t caught a TD pass since Oct.5, 1998, also at Lambeau Field, took a short pass from Culpepperalong the left sideline and blew past arm tackles by Tod McBrideand LeRoy Butler for a 45-yard score and a 20-13 Vikings lead.
Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff a career-high 90 yardsbefore Kenny Wright caught him at the 2. Two plays later, Green ranover Wright for the game-tying touchdown.
Minnesota took a 13-10 halftime lead on Anderson’s 47-yard fieldgoal as time expired.
Green, starting in place of sure-handed halfback Dorsey Levenswho missed his fourth game of the season with a knee injury,cradled a 5-yard under-handed touchdown pass from Favre in thesecond quarter.