6-0 Vikings escape Ravens’ upset nest
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 10/21/2009
For the first time since 2003 when Mike Tice was head coach, the Vikings are 6-0 after surviving the upset-minded Matt Birk-Ray Lewis-led Baltimore Ravens 33-31. Whew!
Ryan Longwell’s 31-yard field goal gave the Vikings a 33-31 lead in a dramatic, tense fourth quarter that saw the Vikings surrender a once-comfortable 27-10 lead. Baltimore’s field goal kicker Steve Hauschka missed a 44-yard game-winning field goal as time expired, and 63,689 Vikings fans exhaled after sweating out the Ravens’ upset attempt.
The great one, Brett Favre, in his record 275th consecutive start, again saved the day for the Vikings. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, he drove the Vikings into position to regain the lead.
Not only did he throw three touchdown passes, but he hit wide receiver Sydney Rice with a 58-yard pass to set up Longwell’s field goal that helped the Vikings regain the lead after being ahead 27-10. Rice was sensational with a career-best six receptions for 176 yards.
“We dodged a bullet,” Favre said. “We played pretty darned good. All I know is, we’re 6-0, and I’m pretty proud of that.” Favre passed for 278 yards and three touchdowns, while Rice, the Vikings’ third-year receiver from South Carolina, is having a breakout season. He’s the team’s leading receiver with 23 catches for 409 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’m just trying to do whatever I can to get this team to the next level,” Rice said. “We hear the last couple of years a lot of people talking about our passing game, about how we need better receivers and things like that. That’s one thing we’ve been working on as groups.
“We’ve been working every day, staying after practice,” Rice continued. “That’s one thing I learned from your son [Larry Fitzgerald, Jr.] — he told me you have to stay after practice and get that extra work. That’s how you become a better receiver, so we been working on that almost every day. After every practice we try to come out here and catch extra balls, run hills, things like that. [We] try to get on the same page and become better receivers.”
Adrian Peterson ran for 143 yards; however, the Ravens refused to quit. Former Vikings star center Matt Birk, a six-time Pro-Bowler who played 11 years with the Vikings, helped open some big holes and provide protection for quarterback Joe Flacco, who threw for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Birk had a disagreement with Head Coach Brad Childress last year that opened the door to his decision to sign as a free agent with the Ravens.
Childress joins Bud Grant, Dennis Green and Tice as Vikings head coaches who have started seasons 6-0. Childress has won seven straight regular season games and 15 of their last 18 regular season games. The Vikings have never won the Super Bowl before after starting 6-0, but that could change. After all, now they do have Favre.
The Vikings are one of four teams that still are unbeaten; the others are New Orleans (5-0), Indianapolis (5-0), and Denver (6-0). The Vikings and Broncos are the NFL’s only 6-0 teams, however, this week they travel to Pittsburgh to play the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Childress has some unique methods that he has shared with his players and coaches, like a video he showed his team of an army of African ants teaming up to cross floods, streams and rivers in Africa.
“It’s about the fire ants,” Childress said, “how they all work collaboratively whether it’s building a bridge to get across the water, or bonded together floating across the water, or attacking a big old hard-shell crab in the joints and eating it from the inside out.
“They work together as a team,” Childress said. “There’s a lot of workers, [and] nobody cares who gets the credit. It’s about getting across the water finding something to eat, getting the job done.” The Vikings are getting the message from the head ant.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
