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Green Bay vs. Minnesota
12/01/97 - Packers Win 27-11
Five years of frustration came to a welcome end for the Packers Monday
night in the Minneapolis Metrodome, the Green and Gold hoisting the Vikings
on their own, longtime petard -- the turnover -- to turn the trick.
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| Levens on the run! |
Out front by a somewhat tenuous, 10-3 margin at the intermission, the
Packers converted an opportune Doug Evans interception and a Gabe Wilkins fumble recovery into 10 second half points to mount a 20-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, en route to their first victory in the
Metrodome since 1991.
At that juncture, the Vikings were able to mount a score of their own, by
way of Leroy Hoard's 4-yard run, with former Eagles field general Randall
Cunningham coming off the bench to relieve starter Brad Johnson and conduct
a 5-play, 47-yard scoring drive, then firing a pass to Cris Carter in the
end zone for a 2-point conversion.
The Packers, then leading 20-11, spared themselves any potential
embarrassment by swallowing up the Vikings' ensuing onside kick -- fallen
upon by Evans -- and moving 40 yards in 6 plays to a final, decisive
touchdown, scored on a 5-yard run off left end by the surging Dorsey Levens.
The first breakthrough in a bristling defensive struggle had come midway
through the first quarter when quarterback Brett Favre found split end
Antonio Freeman with a 31-yard strike down the left sideline to the Minnesota 29-yard line, a maneuver which was to remain the longest offensive play of the evening by either team.
Six plays later, including 7- and 10-yard runs by Levens, the Packers
settled for a 30-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell in breaking what had been a scoreless drought.
The Vikings countered with a 12-play drive of their own, capped by Eddie
Murray's 42-yard field goal which produced a 3-3 tie.
Two possessions later, the Packers responded with the first touchdown of
the game, Favre directing an impressive, 11-play, 86-yard drive, climaxed
by Favre's 18-yard bullet to flanker Robert Brooks in the heart of the end
zone.
(181K) |
Packers Radio Network with the call!
Brooks makes an amazing catch for the TD |
Evans' third quarter interception, which saw him waylay a ball intended for
Vikings wideout Cris Carter, put the Packers in possession at the Minnesota
37-yard line on the second play of the third quarter.
Running back Dorsey Levens, in the midst of another highly productive
outing, essentially did the rest. Thrown for a 1-yard loss on first down,
he began to take charge two plays later, bolting up the middle for 10
yards. He next shot up the middle again, this time for 9 yards, and then
pulled in a pass and careened for a total of 16 yards to the Minnesota
3-yard line.
Levens finished the project on the next play, surging up the middle and
into the end zone for the score.
Wilkins' recovery of a Brad Johnson fumble at the Minnesota 10-yard line
early in the fourth quarter led to the Packers' second and final field
goal, a 19-yarder by Longwell just shy of the 7-minute mark in the period.
The tireless Levens again was a workhorse, rolling up 133 yards of total
offense, including 108 rushing -- the sixth 100-yard rushing game of the
season, a total which leaves him only one shy of the club's single season
record of 7, set by Jim Taylor in 1962.
(180K) |
Packers Radio Network with the call!
Levens rumbles in for the score | |
(117K) |
Packers Radio Network with the call!
Levens seals the Packers victory |
In the last four games, the 25-year-old Georgia Tech alumnus has amassed
630 yards of total offense -- 482 rushing and 148 receiving -- and scored 7
touchdowns.
Favre, with Levens in a highly productive mode, was able to adopt a
somewhat more conservative role, finishing the contest with 15 pass
completions in 29 attempts, good for 196 yards and one touchdown -- with no
interceptions.
The venerable Reggie White, meanwhile, had one of his larger outings to pace the defense, posting 2.5 sacks of Minnesota starting quarterback Brad Johnson for 13.5 yards in losses as Green Bay's defenders registered six sacks in all for 35 yards in losses.
Statistically, LeRoy Butler emerged as the leader of the defense with 9 tackles, 5 of them solos, linebackers Brian Williams and Seth Joyner each emerging with 7 stops and free safety Eugene Robinson and linebacker Bernardo Harris with 6 apiece.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- GBP: 30 yard Longwell FG (5:10)
- 2nd Quarter
- MIN: 42 yard Murray FG (14:51)
- GBP: 18 yard TD pass; Favre to Brooks (Longwell kick) (2:07)
- 3rd Quarter
- GBP: 3 yard Levens TD run (Longwell kick) (11:24)
- 4th Quarter
- GBP: 19 yard Longwell FG (8:02)
- MIN: 4 yard Hoard run; (Carter 2 pt Conversion) (3:30)
- GBP: 5 yard Levens run (Longwell kick) (1:43)
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