Vikings - Saints Notes: Second Half

> Roby starts the third quarter with a monster return, and a flag is picked up, starting the Saints at the Vikings 37. Terrible tackling and a good effort, and it's followed by a stick throw from Brees to TE Martin, who fights for the ball and a 17 yard gain. RB Thomas moves the pile for six as the Saints go hurry up. RB Thomas cracks the ten yard line on a middle left run, and the Vikings don't look like they left the locker room yet. On first and goal with their first lead of the day starting them in the face, RB Thomas finds a big hole and reaches for the end zone, and just that fast, the Saints are up seven, with a raucous house, and a defense that hasn't given up points in some time. The Favre Retirement Watch Is On! Saints 21, Vikings 14.

> Morstead's kick is nearly out of the end zone as Fox shows a replay of RB Thomas being a full yard short of the end zone. Given the Saints' problems in short yardage today, that could be telling; who would have guessed that Childress would miss a challenge? Favre to Rice gets Purple moving with a quick first, and Rice has been relatively quiet today. Peterson can't make three men miss, and gains only a yard as CB Tracy Porter hangs on for dear life. Favre finds Shiancoe for a huge gain, and he was embarrassingly open for a gain of 26. Peterson fumbles again (I guess that Saint Brett was able to avoid that stat from earlier), but FB Naufahu Tahi (his friends call him Naufahu) is able to fall on it for a loss of 10. That's just a huge play, as it looked like the Saints were thinking of seven points, rather than just falling on it.

> Shiancoe gets wide open again for a gain of 21, and the Vikings get all of the yards back; it's the first quarter all over again on defense. From the Saint 30, Favre to Harvin from the gun for a screen of five. Taylor gets three as Peterson receives Penalty Time on the sidelines. On third and two from the Saints 22, Favre finds Shiancoe again, and the TE fights off Porter for a one-handed grab and a first down at the 2. The Vikings go power and give to Peterson, and for a fumble-prone back, he's sure good at the goal line. Vikings 21, Saints 21, and... I hope you bet the over! Since we're two touchdowns away from it, and it doesn't seem like either defense can do a thing in the red zone, unless it's recovering fumbles. At least the game's got drama.

> Roby with more good work on a short kick as Fox decides that, for the second time in three weeks, they need to mix vomited peanut butter into my chocolate by showing a Republican ex-president in an owner's box. Isn't it enough for you scumbags that I'm pumping up your ad revenue and paying your cable rights fees? (Clearly, no.)

> Brees barely avoids a Jared Allen sack and a grounding penalty on the Vikings' first good pressure of the day. A draw to Bush gains six as Buck talks about placekickers for some reason. A third down throw to Bush slips out of his hands, and the home team is, as the Fox crew points out, losing the game on third down conversions. A false start on the punt gets everyone excited with hope that the Vikings special teams blew a possession, and Morstead booms a 63-yard punt to the Viking end zone that PR Darius Reynaud chooses to return for some reason. He's taken down at the 10, not that I really suspect that ten yards in this game is going to make that much of a difference.

> Peterson for seven on first lowers the crowd noise a bit, then he gets it again for another solid gain up the middle... and another fumble. This one, Peterson recovers and gains more yards, along with a seat on the bench. Good grief, that man's a worry. It goes for 15 yards, then Favre misses on a deep ball to Harvin on first. Taylor takes a draw for five. Third and five is a big deal, and Favre from the gun misses Taylor, but gets a bailout roughing call as Favre milks it. Seriously, make the game two-hand touch. Enough already.

> Somehow Our Hero manages to complete a bubble screen to Berrian for a yard loss, then recovers fully through the dint of his godly will to move the sticks to Berrian again. A give to Taylor gets two, and Favre finally succumbs to the pressure with a pick by Vilma where the QB got high-lowed. Miraculously, it's not called for a flag (the Vikings had much more of a case here than in the earlier play), and the Saints take over at their own 31 as Favre is helped off the field. Well, that series was significant! (And, I might add, karmic to the point of giving the Favre Hating Parts of America a monstrous stiffie.)

> As Favre lies on a table in pain and gets worked on -- looks like an ankle issue -- RB Thomas goes for four, and then three more. Favre is getting rewrapped and not wheeled off as we're treated to crowd shots of Deanna Favre, who clearly is getting too old for this. A false start on the Saints makes it third and eight, then Brees from the gun misses a wide-open Meachem to the point where CB Cedric Wilson had a better shot at it. Favre looks like he'll return as Morstead gets it to the 17 for a fair catch. That's the end of the third quarter, and if Favre can lead the Vikings to a win after injury, on the road? Well, there's Favre Haggery, there's Relentless Knob Slobbing, and there's what the country will endure for two weeks as the media plays a game of Can You Top Slob This. Not that I've got a rooting interest here.

> Favre returns as Buck slurps. A give to Harvin gets 10, but the key is how brave the handoff by Favre was. A direct snap to Harvin is a fumbling disaster, as even Saint Brett can't corral the greased pigskin, with DL Remi Avodele eventually controlling it.That's the fifth fumble of the day for Purple, and the second one that was lost. In a more or less even game, the Vikings just haven't held on to the ball enough, despite having the better defense, ten more first downs, and as I write this, over 100 more yards of offense.

> RB Thomas takes it to the three, then gets stopped by S Tyrell Johnson to set up a huge third down. Brees buys time on third, finds Bush at the pylon, but the refs call him out half a yard from the end zone. The reply supports an overturn, and the Saints get it for the go-ahead touchdown. Great play by Brees, who kept the play alive and didn't panic, and by Bush, who rolled to the pylon despite a great close out by Johnson. Saints 28, Vikings 21, with under 13 minutes left in regulation.

> Morstead's kick is eight yards deep and touched back. From the 20 on first, Favre fakes to Taylor, then takes him on a screen for three. Peterson returns for second, then burns the sideline for 27 yards. What a collection of plus and minus this guy is. From midfield, Rice bails out his QB on what should have been a pick by CB Jabari Greer, and that was awful. Both sides pule for a flag on a screen to Taylor where the RB gets hit; the Saints want grounding, the Vikings want DPI, and both will get nothing and like it. On third and 10, Favre finds Berrian for 30 yards in double coverage against his body, and, um, wow; the throw allows Favre to pass Joe Montana for the most all-time post-season passing yards. I think Joe just threw up. First down at the 20 is a give to Peterson for three to the left, and then Favre's completion to Berrian would move the sticks... had the WR held on to it. Wow. The sixth fumble of the day for Purple, and the third one that was lost, is recovered by the Saints at their five yard line with 9:30 left.

> RB Thomas for three as the Saints need to take advantage. Brees to Henderson for five yards, but he can't reach the sticks. Third and two from a hurry up sees Brees fumble it, but he recovers and moves it forward, but just not enough. Wow. One of these teams really has to go to the Super Bowl? The Saints challenge the spot with 8:10 left as Fox goes to commerce. If someone gave me the Colts as a 6.5 point favorite right now over either of these teams, I'd take them in a heartbeat. The challenge is denied, and the Saints can no longer challenge in this game. Morstead's punt is short but all net. What a weird game.

> Peterson makes four on a cutback as Saints Fan gets as loud as they can. 7:30 and counting left in regulation. Greer jumps an out to Rice, forcing third and six. From the gun, Favre finds Shiancoe as Buck gets hard, and that's a big play and a first down. From the Saints 38, Favre avoids the sack for a dump off incomplete. On second, Peterson takes a delay for an 18 yard burst, with Tahi walling off the linebacker; Peterson breaks 100 yards on the ground. Inside the red zone, Favre throws a jump ball to Berrian that's called DPI on Porter, and the fact that the CB didn't see the ball ensured that Berrian would get the flag. Peterson can't get back to the line on first and goal. Another give to Peterson, and he breaks the plane for his third touchdown of the game. The Vikings OL is making its will known, and with less than five minutes left in regulation -- and yes, I keep saying that for a foreboding reason. It's 28-all, and that ensures that the over is a winner, since most people were getting this game at 56.5, and it won't end in a tie.

> Can the Saints get a go-ahead score in a game where they only have 12 first downs, and no touchdowns in the second half that didn't come from a short field? Roby is stopped at the 18, so their work is cut out for them. The Vikings have a 14 minute edge in time of possession, and a 200 yard edge in offense, and yet the game is tied. Roby limps off, and it looks like his day is done. Fox misses that the Saint offense hasn't done anything this half, and on first, Brees is sacked and fumbles, with DE Ray Edwards doing the damage, but the ball is recovered for a loss of eight. First sack of the day, amazingly. Brees has to arc a screen agonizingly slow, and RB Thomas is stopped for no gain. On third and 18 with the tide going all purple, Brees from the gun has time and Henderson, but he needed 18, and only got 16. With the clock going under three minutes, Saints coach Sean Payton punts it away, and good special teams coverage stops the Vikings at their own 22. It's all on Favre now. Prepare For The Slobbering.

> On first, Peterson for no gain. Both teams have timeouts but aren't using them, and the two minute warning happens. In the NFL Films recreation of this game, this is where you get the Sergio Leone music. Second and 10 has Peterson on a delay, and Vilma hangs on for the stop on a 2-yard gain. The second Saints timeout sets up their do-or-die defensive down with 1:52 left; make a stop, and you can win in regulation. Fail, and you will probably lose. Just the season on the line.

> Favre from the gun finds Berrian off a blitz, and the WR fights off Porter for the first down that might end the Saints' season. The Vikings take the first down at their own 33, and call their first timeout with 99 seconds left and all kinds of options. From the gun on first, it's Favre to Rice in stride to advance past midfield, and that was, sigh, perfect. A burst by Taylor puts the ball in field goal position for PK Ryan Longwell, and with 66 seconds left, the Saints call their last timeout to try to rally the defense.

> Saints Fan screaming in desperation now. Taylor for no gain, and the field goal is still 51 yards as the clock runs. Second and 10 sees Peterson back in, and Favre gives to him for no gain. With 19 seconds left, the Vikings take their second timeout, and Childress seems way too enamored with a long field goal attempt to win the game. Third and 10 is a huge call; a sack is a disaster, a run might not make the try that easier... and the Vikings make a potentially mind-blowing mistake with a 12 men in the huddle penalty. Wow.

> Third and 15 and a 56 yard field goal gives Saints Fan hope, and they yell for all they are worth. Unbelievably, Favre rolls right, throws across his body, and makes what might be the very worst pick of his career, and Lord, There Are A Lot To Choose From. Rather than simply take the five to ten yards that he could have had with a scramble, setting Longwell up with a chance to win, he made the defining terrible gunslinger move of his career, and cost his team a chance to win. For no good reason at all. The disaster is only somewhat mitigated by the fact that it wasn't a TAInt.

> You know, I watch an awful lot of football. Too much, really: tonight it is costing me the daily bedtime ritual with the kids, and that is not something I ever like to give up. But then you see something like that, which makes you laugh out loud and scream and imagine the breathtaking horror of Viking Fan, especially the ones who never bought into Saint Brett. Makes it all worth it, really.

> From the Saint 47 with seven seconds left, Brees has a pass deflected at the line. The Saint OL can't defend ling enough for Brees to get off a Hail Mary, and that is regulation. Wow, wow, wow.

> The Saints win the toss and elect to receive, and RB Thomas busts it to the Saints 39 to give the home crowd hope; only a stumble saves that from being a lot more. CB Cedric Griffin limps off, and maybe that gives Brees the opening he hasn't had. A give to RB Thomas for three as Fox zooms in on Saints PK Garrett Hartley, who lacks experience. A give to Bush gets a yard and Saint Fan boos, and sets up third and six from their own 43. Huge play... and Brees has time and Colston, which doesn't connect but does net a defensive holding flag from CB Asher Allen, who replaces Griffin. Telling. The ball is advanced to the Saints 48.

> Brees barely avoids the sack from Edwards on first for an incomplete. Brees hits Colston on the hands at the Vikings 30, but he can't bring it in, and neither can S Johnson on the live ball in the air. Wow. Third and 10 from the gun sees the Saints give Brees time against a blitz, and the QB hits Henderson at the sticks. The measurement is half a yard short, and the Saints go for it on fourth and inches. Something of an important play here, and the refs get into the act with a booth review that does nothing. Thanks, refs!

> The fourth play of the game with short distance to go for the first down for the Saints. They give to RB Thomas, who soars for the first down on a solid effort, and wow, he nearly fumbled that to boot. The booth review forces more commerce and Saint Fan anguish, because this game clearly needs more of both. Once more, the ref tells the booth ref to go pound sand, and the Saints keep the ball and get the first.

> From the Vikings 42, Brees backpedals and heaves it toward TE Thomas, who gets tangled up with Leber for the DPI call that puts the Saints in field goal range as a million sports writers and bloggers prepare their Why Sudden Death Overtime Is So Unfair column. Leber uses the power of hate to force a four yard loss on a give to Bush, making the field goal attempt over 50 yards again. Brees snaps the second down with a second left and hits Mecham over the middle for 12 yards, and neither end of that looked good; Brees had a wobbly throw, and Mecham nearly dropped it. The Vikings call time out for a de facto challenge, not that I think they've got enough of a case. Plus, there's always the chance of making the game last five hours.

> Third booth review of the overtime; third time it's done nothing but delay the game. Yay, Pointless Booth Review! Third and three is incomplete with no DPI on TE Thomas, thought it might have been warranted. Hartley on to try from 40 yards... and the Vikings ice the kicker. Of course. You know, some of us have lives to get back to, you know. At least in theory.

> Hartley has your lack of experience right here. He hits the field goal, dead solid perfect, and for the first time ever, the Saints are going to the Super Bowl. Pretty amazing game. Give me the Colts with anything less than 13.5, please.

And finally... Good night, Sweet Brett, and may angels... um, show you the footage of the last play of your career, where you cost your team everything on the worst pick of your life. Now go retire, knowing that Packer Fan, Jet Fan, and most of America will sleep soundly tonight.

In the immortal words of Nelson Muntz, Ha Ha!

Addendum...

Man alive, look at the stats from this game.

First downs: 31 to 15 for Minnesota.

Passing yards: 310 to 189 for Minnesota.

Rushing yards: 165 to 68 for Minnesota.

Penalties: 9 for 88 for New Orleans, 5 for 32 for Minnesota.

Total yards: 475 to 257 for Minnesota.

Time of possession: 36:49 to 27:56 for Minnesota.

The Saints' leading receiver? Pierre Freaking Thomas, with 38 yards, all of it on a screen.

And... turnovers. 5 to 1. With the Saints on the 1.

Media apologists will -- and as I'm watching on ESPN right now, are -- cover for Favre. They've done it for decades now; they can't help themselves. Peterson needs to hold on to the ball. Harvin needs to hold on to the ball. Berrian needs to hold on to the ball. The list of Viking Goats is long.

But let's face it, Viking Fan... you sold your souls to root for the man you hated more than any other player of the last two decades. And then you saw him end your season with a godawful pick, the same way he ended the Packers against the Giants in the playoffs a few years ago, and the Jets in the regular season after that.

And the rest of the country is laughing loud, laughing long, and laughing best. And will keep doing so for, um, the rest of their lives.

Favre, now on the podium: "I probably should have ran it." No, you think?