Monday Night Football preview - Minnesota at Green Bay

By Jeremy Harness

November 20, 2005
 
 



GREEN BAY--Last Sunday after the tough loss against the Minnesota Vikings in East Rutherford, New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin held off his post game press conference to only be overhead by the waiting media in the next room yelling and chewing out his player for a rough loss to the Minnesota Vikings in a three point loss.

The Vikings gave true meaning to the phrase "on any given Sunday" with four interceptions off Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning. Coughlin had even more reason to scream as the Vikings touchdowns came on three returns, an interception, a punt, and a kick off. The Vikings in the game become the first team to score on all three types of plays in NFL history.

The Vikings came into last week's game 0-4 on the road and had been outscored by 100 points in those four games on the road. Darren Sharper who made three interceptions for Minnesota said, "on the return for the touchdown we had a coverage in which we usually have a little coverage down in the red zone, with me and the corner back Brian Williams, had twisted up our coverage a little bit and allowed me to be aggressive on that play I saw a three step job by Eli and just basically took off to the right and I was just happy to hang onto it."

The Vikings improve to 4-5 in the NFC North.

Meanwhile the Green Bay Packers who upset their opponent last week as well the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome are now last and fourth in the North with a 2-7-0 record. They upset Atlanta 33-25. The game was an upset for the Falcons who came into the contest at 6-1 (now 6-2) and needing a win to keep in step with first place Carolina who are now 7-2.

The Packers opened up early in the first quarter when Sam Gado ran a nine yard carry for the first score to make it 7-0 at 10:09. Then at 7:50, Gado caught a one-yard pass from quarterback Brett Favre to make it 14-0.

The Packers added to the score when Ryan Longwell kicked a 46-yard pass for three points in the second quarter. At the Half the Packers had a 17-14 lead.

In the second half, the Packers in the third quarter got two field goals from Ryan Longwell the first a 23 yard pass and the second a 53 yard pass to make it 23-14 after three quarters.\

The Packers made it 26-17 on a field goal by Longwell a 51 yard pass with 6:07 left. The Packers Gado carried for two yards for the finishing touches as the Packers took a 33-25 victory to the bank.

J-Dogg's predictions: So the Vikings play the Packers this Monday Night at Lambeau Field without their starter Dante Culpepper. Culpepper will have surgery on his right knee and is expected to return next season.

The Vikings are going with second stringer Brad Johnson but it was Sharper in last Sunday's game who made the difference with his interceptions that literally carried the Vikings to victory.

The Packers are going with Favre who looked like the old Favre of past seasons in the win over the Falcons. The game is in Green Bay I'm going with the Packers. If Culpepper was there and healthy look for the Vikings but with Johnson I go with Favre and the Pack by six points.

Jeremy Harness covers Monday Night Football each week and co-hosts Sportstalk on 1110 KLIB Sacramento and 1430 KVVN San Jose.

 

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