Blunder crushes Favre’s hopes of a fairytale ending

Article written by Tom Oldfield

Brett Favre’s desire to make big plays propelled the Minnesota Vikings to a 12-4 regular season record and onwards to the NFC Championship game. But on Sunday it cost the Vikings a place in the Super Bowl.

Sport can be so cruel at times and it dealt out another crushing blow as Favre threw an interception with a cross field toss when securing field goal territory should have been the priority as the game entered its final minute. Had he simply kept running, he would have earned valuable yardage ahead of a potentially match-winning field goal. With the score 28-28, a field goal would have been enough to shake off the Saints.

Instead, he went for the headline-grabbing heave and the New Orleans Saints lived to fight another day. Favre’s punishment was then handed out in overtime when Garrett Hartley’s field goal sent the Saints to the Super Bowl as 31-28 victors.

If it was tough on Favre, who took a pounding from the Saints defense all night but hit on 28 of 46 passes, it was harsher still on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson scored three touchdowns and rushed for 122 yards.

But it was not to be as Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and company had the last laugh in what will go down as one of the great playoff games. And it was hard to begrudge the Saints their moment in the sun after the tragedy New Orleans endured due to Hurricane Katrina. The city has united around the Saints and “Who Dat?” will have been ringing around New Orleans long into the night.

But there is one more hurdle to clear before the mother of all parties can really begin and that comes in two weeks’ time. The Saints and Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts will go head to head on February 7 in Miami and it promises to be another special night.

Tags: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, NFC Championship