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Green Bay vs. Minnesota
10/22/96 - Vikings Win 30-21
Box Score
The latest in the Packers' series of misadventures in the thunderous Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was reminiscent of similarly traumatic experiences there in the four immediately previous seasons. With one notable exception. This time they were able to overcome early adversity - more specifically, turnovers which loomed large in the Vikings' surge to a 17-7 third quarter advantage - and regain the lead with a pair of major maneuvers, one of them a scoring takeaway of their own.
Don Beebe returns a kickoff |
The first, an 80-yard pass-run touchdown by wide receiver Don Beebe, following a short throw from quarterback Brett Favre, gave the Packers a huge lift. Following a Chris Jacke conversion, the Packers were only a field goal behind, 17-14.
Enter, providentially, linebacker George Koonce. With the Vikings on the march and threatening to score with a third-and-2 situation at the Green Bay 30-yard line, Koonce picked off a Warren Moon pass at the 25 and, veering to his left, raced down the sideline 75 yards to the first touchdown of his 5-year career.
The Packers, with Jacke's third conversion of the afternoon, were in front for the second time in the game, having originally taken a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter on a 13-yard TD strike from Favre to Robert Brooks.
It thus began to appear that the Metrodome whammy might be nearing the end. But it was not to be-even though the Packers created another glittering opportunity for themselves early in the fourth quarter when LeRoy Butler sacked Moon off a safety blitz and Reggie White recovered the fumble. White immediately essayed a lateral, tipped in turn by Minnesota's Amp Lee, then recovered by Butler at the Green Bay 37-yard line.
George Koonce returns an interception 75 yards for a touchdown |
The Packers were held on downs, however, and forced to punt. Seven plays later, the Vikings moved ahead to stay, Robert Smith capping the drive with a 37-yard run, breaking into the open over right guard and going the distance.
Following the kickoff, another misfortune eventuated. Favre fumbled when sacked by John Randle at the Green Bay 31-yard line, where the Vikings' Derrick Alexander recovered. It led to a 44-yard Scott Sisson field goal, putting Minnesota up, 27-21.
The Packers had one more legitimate opportunity after the ensuing kickoff, with 2:31 remaining in the game, but it ended with a fourth-down Favre pass falling incomplete and the Vikings taking possession at the Green Bay 16-yard line. Four plays later, Sisson kicked a 33-yard field goal to conclude the afternoon's scoring.
Beebe, seeing his first extensive action of the season, contributed 188 all-purpose yards to the losing effort, making 3 pass receptions for 96 yards and 4 kickoff returns for 92 yards, a 23.0-yard average.
Butler paced the Packers' defensive effort posting 10 tackles, including 9 solos.
Perhaps the most significant statistics of the afternoon, however, were the time of possession figures, in which the Packers customarily prevail. On this occasion, the Vikings owned a huge advantage, 37 minutes, 59 seconds to the Packers' 22 minutes, 1 second, based in large part on the fact the Packers had the football for only 15 plays in the second half (not including punts). |
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