Turnovers kill Vikings as Saints advance to Miami
Excuse the borrowed analogy, but there’s no other way to describe what the Vikings did on Sunday night then to say that they shot themselves in the foot. (And repeatedly, might I add.)
The media is going to concentrate on Brett Favre’s interception in New Orleans territory with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings turned the ball over five times in their 31-28 loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. Favre’s interception was a horrid mistake that only most rookies make, but the fact of the matter is that the blame cannot be pinned on just one person. And truth be told, even if Favre threw that pass 12 rows deep into the stands, there’s no guarantee that Ryan Longwell would have made a 50-plus yard attempt on the next play.
The Vikings screwed the pooch tonight – plain and simple. That’s not to take anything away from the Saints because Drew Brees and company deserve the right to play in Miami in two weeks, but Minnesota blew several golden opportunities to put more points on the board. A team can’t turn the ball over five times (it could have been seven had they not recovered two Adrian Peterson fumbles) and expect to win. They just can’t.
But what doomed the Vikings more than anything tonight was when they were flagged for having too many men in the huddle on that third and 10 play from the Saints’ 33-yard line. Had they not gotten that penalty, there’s a good chance that Brad Childress would have called something safer (even if it were a pass play) and therefore Favre probably wouldn’t have gotten picked off while trying to make a play. For all their mistakes on the night, that 5-yard penalty may have been the reason they’re not heading to Miami in two weeks.
Getting back to the Saints, was anyone overly impressed with them tonight? I realize they scored 31 points and Brees threw three touchdowns, but I didn’t think they played a very crisp game. Their defense was shaky, some of the play calls and decisions by Sean Payton were questionable and their offense wasn’t as explosive as the 31 points would indicate. All in all, this wasn’t the best the Saints have played but they still managed to win, which I guess is saying something.
As for Super Bowl XLIV – I love the matchup. Two great quarterbacks and offenses will go toe to toe and either way, deserving men will win. These are two model organizations and unless you’re a Jets or Vikings fan, it’s kind of hard not to like the matchup.
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Favre has made plenty of dumb throws in his career, but I don’t blame him at all for that last interception.
The Vikings needed yards, and Favre knew he had to make a play. Had they been in realistic field goal range this would have been a terrible mistake, but he had to be aggressive.
Also, Buck and Aikman pointed out that Favre probably could have run the ball and picked up yardage, but Favre was on a bum ankle and was probably exhausted. Running was the last thing on his mind (which is why he also makes so many great throws).
Like Anthony said, the Vikings gave this game away, wasting a very good (though not perfect) performance by Favre.
That’s crap, G.
Let’s start with the penalty. I watched veteran QB’s all year have the where-with-all to step out of the huddle when sub-packages are sent in so the DON’T run the risk of getting that penalty. Rookie mistake #1 by a 19 year veteran QB. All Favre had to do was step out of the huddle as the extra player left the field and bingo, no penalty.
Rookie mistake #2, he could have WALKED 5-7 yds closer to that field goal instead of forcing the ball. Had he done that Longwell would have been looking at an indoor 50 yd or less field goal in regulation. But no, Brett opted to force the ball, against his body to a receiver. He had at LEAST three additional balls in this game thrown up for grabs or dropped by the Saints.
Did he play a valiant game, yes. I won’t take that away from him. Is he soley to blame, no. That being said, that final series in regulation, is the sole reason you brought in the HOF QB. He failed big on a big stage in a big way, no apologies from NFL Network, ESPN or elsewhere forthcoming is acceptable.
Wow! Even with all the turnovers from the Vikings, which was expected throughout the year, sure, happened in one night. However, it was not the Saints who beat the Vikings, but the refs. This is a shame! If you were watching the same game I was, I never watched a game where the quarterback got hit so many times after he got rid of the ball, but the refs allowed it to continue. Brett was not sacked all night, but was roughed up many times. The refs gave the Saints a TD, even when knees were down, which would have given the Saints a first down, but how many times throughout the season did the Vikings stop teams at the one yard line. In OT, was it a first down 4th and inches, I don’t think so, they didn’t even bring out the sticks to measure. On the review that I seen at home in my living room in slow motion which probably was what the refs reviewed with probably better quality was clearly a fumble recovered behind the sticks and not a first down. Even if he didn’t fumble it was still close and not measured. WHY? Then the pass interference call??? Then the Meachem catch, again looking at this in my living room in slow motion with the quality that i have, I seen the ball clearly hit the ground. Wonder what the refs were looking at under the hood??? If that catch were not given to the Saints, it would have been 4th and 14. about a 52 yard fieldgoal. If the first down was not awarded the Saints at 4th and inches, turnover to the Vikes from the their own 43 yard line. If the automatic first down was not awarded for pass interference. Embarassing the NFL with refs like that.
Vince – all I hear from you are a bunch of “ifs”. “If” everything that you mentioned was reversed and went your way, the Saints may still have won the game. We’ll never know. Just accept it and move on to next year. The Saints have never been to the Superbowl. We were on top of the league the entire season and after so many years of embarrassment we finally have an amazing group of guys playing ball. We deserve this. Face it. It was destiny.