A sloppy triumph for Favre, Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre pulled out a far-from-perfect victory in perhaps his last game at Lambeau Field, rallying the Green Bay Packers to a late field goal and a 9-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings last night.
Packers kicker Dave Rayner, who had missed two field goals earlier in the game, hit a 44-yarder with 1:34 remaining. It was the 36th winning comeback of Favre's career, and it came after Favre nearly threw the game away.
"It was probably the most nervous I had ever been in my entire life, but it worked out," Rayner said.
The Packers (7-8) kept their faint playoff hopes alive. The Vikings (6-9) managed only three first downs, the lowest total in a game in team history.
Cornerback Fred Smoot returned Favre's pass 47 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter, seemingly bailing out the Vikings' struggling offense and giving Minnesota a 7-6 lead.
After throwing the interception to Smoot, Favre threw another interception to former teammate Darren Sharper on the Packers' next offensive play.
Favre then rallied the Packers for a potential go-ahead drive early in the fourth, but tight end Bubba Franks fumbled near the goal line -- the third time in the game the Packers drove deep into Vikings territory but came away empty-handed.
Favre drove the Packers right back into Vikings territory in the final three minutes with a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Ruvell Martin that gave the Packers the ball at the Vikings' 28. The drive stalled on Packers penalties on back-to-back plays before Rayner delivered the winning kick.
Favre, who has not yet announced whether he will play next season, did not speak with reporters following the game.
He held the ball aloft after the final gun, and hugged a couple of former teammates now with the Vikings, Sharper and kicker Ryan Longwell. He also saluted his family in a Lambeau skybox, along with the fans surrounding the tunnel to the locker room.
"I'm hoping he comes back and I get more opportunities [for interceptions]," said Sharper. "Talking to him after the game, he looked like he didn't know either."
Favre finished the game 26 of 50 for 285 yards with two interceptions. But he didn't throw a touchdown for the second straight game, meaning he didn't gain any ground on Dan Marino's career touchdown pass record. Favre still needs eight more TD passes to break Dan Marino's career record of 420.
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, a second-round draft pick out of Alabama State, was 10 of 20 for 50 yards and one interception.
