Vikings’ good fortune goes in other direction
PITTSBURGH - The Vikings were anything but perfect.
Minnesota couldn’t gain a half-yard when it might have turned the game, then watched the Steelers’ big-play defense end its unbeaten run with two long touchdown returns in the final 6 1/2 minutes.
LaMarr Woodley’s 77-yard runback of a Brett Favre fumble and Keyaron Fox’s 82-yard interception return allowed the Steelers to turn back the Vikings’ repeated comeback attempts, and Pittsburgh rode three major defensive stands to an important 27-17 victory yesterday.
The anticipated showdown between Favre and NFL passing leader Ben Roethlisberger became a defensive duel. And the Super Bowl champion Steelers (5-2) are tough to beat in any game that’s decided by defense.
The Vikings (6-1) conceded as much in the third quarter when, after failing to score from a half-yard out on three plays in which Adrian Peterson got the ball only once, they settled for a field goal that kept Pittsburgh in the lead at 13-10.
To the Steelers, the goal-line stand was as decisive as the two defensive touchdowns that followed.
“That’s the biggest point of the game,’’ safety Ryan Clark said. “You have the best running back in the world and you don’t give it to him. They’re saying they can’t beat us running, and that’s a major statement when you have the guy they have back there.’’
Woodley’s return, with the linebacker huffing and puffing for the final 30 yards after Brett Keisel stripped Favre of the ball, was “one of those slow-motion moments that are a joy in this business’’ according to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. It put Pittsburgh up, 20-10, with 6:23 remaining, after the Vikings drove to the Steelers’ 8 and were in position to take their first lead since Peterson’s 2-yard TD run made it 7-3 in the second quarter.
Percy Harvin answered with an 88-yard kickoff return for touchdown, but Favre couldn’t pull this one out after twice previously rallying the Vikings in the closing minutes.
Minnesota drove to the Steelers’ 18 with just over a minute remaining, but Fox got his hands on Favre’s short pass intended for Chester Taylor and returned it almost the length of the field.
