Brett Favre’s fourth quarter playmaking helped the Vikings defeat a desperate Ravens team at the Metrodome yesterday. The Ravens, 3-3 and losers of three straight games, were trying to end their streak with a comeback in the last minute of the game but the Vikings were lucky enough to see Baltimore place kicker Steve Hauschka send a 44 yard field goal attempt wide left and walk away with a 33-31 win.
The undefeated 6-0 Vikings led 20-10 at the end of the third quarter. They increased the margin to 27-10 before the Ravens started producing touchdowns with an offense that frequently had Minnesota’s defense guessing about what was next. That’s what happened when Ravens’ running back Ray Rice, a stout rusher with extraordinary balance, ran 27 yards to score on a misdirection play to send Baltimore ahead 31-30 with less than four minutes to play.
Before that play the sellout Metrodome crowd and the Vikings defense had been eager to stuff either a run or pass. “They (the Ravens) took advantage of the enthusiasm of the defense,” former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners.
Favre and the Vikings offense went down the field after the Ravens scored. The longest play was a 58 yard pass from Favre to third year wide receiver Sidney Rice. Three plays later Ryan Longwell kicked a 31 yard field goal with two minutes remaining to put the Vikings ahead to stay at 33-31.
Conversation about the 6-foot-4 Rice was often about potential, not production during his first two seasons. But he’s impressed this year, including yesterday when he caught six Favre passes for 176 yards, his best day in the NFL and first over 100 yards.
Dalton was asked if playing with Favre has boosted Rice’s confidence. “Oh, yeah!” Dalton said. “He’s given everybody a boost in confidence.”
Dalton also said Favre’s on target long pass to Rice “was a throw not many quarterbacks can make.” Seems like we said the same three weeks ago when Favre’s last second touchdown to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone rescued the Vikings for a 27-24 win.