Vikings postpone Packers’ party
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 11/20/2002

This week you will hear no talk about benching quarterback Duante Culpepper for backup Todd Bouman, or how bad the Vikings defense is, or bad draft picks over the years. For one week at least, the Vikings did what they usually do when the Green Bay Packers come to the MetroDome — they win! Minnesota ended the NFL’s longest winning streak at seven games, and kept the Packers from celebrating like Iowa did on Saturday.
The Vikings played great defense, forcing turnovers and making three-time league MVP Brett Favre look normal. “I would never say he’s [Favre’s] a normal quarterback,” said Vikings linebacker Greg Bierkert. “This guy’s going to be a first-choice Hall of Famer. He’s a great quarterback; just for us to go out there and play the way we did against him is a real credit to our guys.”
Biekert was the Vikings’ defensive star with two interceptions in their 31-21 upset of the Favre-led Packers. The Vikings put sustained pressure on Favre, intercepting him three times, and six times stopping the Packers three and out. Green Bay is now 2-9 with Favre at the MetroDome over the last 11 years.
Green Bay had a chance to clinch the NFC North and become the fastest team to earn a playoff spot since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule. However, the Vikings would not go along with the script; they decided to play sound, fundamental football.
Culpepper, still stinging from being benched in last week’s Giants loss, played with a chip on his shoulder. “It was definite motivation for me to go through something like that. That’s never happened to me. It was different, but I looked at it like I had to put my head back to the grindstone and keep grinding,” Culpepper said.
Culpepper led the Vikings to victory: he threw two touchdown passes, ran for another, and completed 13 of 26 passes for 217 yards. He ran for 48 yards.
“I had to do what I had to do. I had to go and play my game. I knew I had faith and confidence in the guys around me on offense that they were going to do their job. I just had to do my job and do my part, and that’s make plays.
“I focused on that all week, to come out and start fast. I knew they were going to give us some one-on-one opportunities outside because they were playing with so much confidence, and I knew we had the ability to out-play them and play with a higher level of intensity.”
Culpepper and Randy Moss have been trying to convince Head Coach Mike Tice that the Vikings need to go with more no-huddle on offense. Finally the coaches listened, and the decision worked. “It gets the defenses tired,” Culpepper said. “When you can tire a defensive line out and they can’t get that good pass rush on you like they want, good things happen. They can’t substitute the way they want to substitute defenses. I know they hate it. We are not going to base our offense around it, but when we’re out of rhythm a little bit, we’re probably going to do it some.”
Running back Michael Bennett is emerging as a star; for the fourth consecutive week he ran for 100 yards and provided the game-breaking run just when the Vikings needed it. The Vikings were clinging to a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter when Bennett broke a 62-yard run off right tackle behind pulling Pro Bowl center Matt Birk. Bennett’s run gave the Vikings a first and goal, and Moe Williams scored on a 3-yard run to seal the win.
William’s touchdown run set a new Vikings record for consecutive games (7) with a rushing touchdown. Bennett said, “It’s a big confidence booster. It shows the offensive line is jelling and I’m maturing, and it seems like everything is going right. It’s big to win and to break a long run. It’s become a habit and something that I expect out of myself now each and every week.”
“The game’s on the line, we’re in our four-minute offense, and it’s all about keeping the ball in bounds,” Bennett said. “I thought about going out, but I knew the situation. I was able to cut back and get it down to the one yard line. Moe Williams went in to score and that was it for us.”
Next up for the Vikings — the defending Super Bowl Champions, the 5-5 New England Patriots and Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady in their beautiful new stadium.

Fitz Notes & Quotes

The McKinnie Ratio: The Vikings are 1-1 in games that big-talented Bryant McKinnie has played in, and unbeaten when he starts, and for the second week in a row the Vikings ran for over 200 yards rushing. It’s no fluke! Would the Vikings be 3-7 had McKinnie not missed the first eight games? On his first start and the McKinnie Ratio, McKinnie said, “I hope so. In games that I start the most that I ever lost was three in a season. I think that’s a pretty good ratio. I hope this is the beginning of the McKinnie Ratio.”

Moss sets NFL record: Randy Moss set a new NFL record for most yards receiving in his first five seasons, surpassing Jerry Rice. Since 1998 Moss has 6,160 yards, and with six games left it reminds you of how talented he is. Moss told me after Sunday’s game that he is not going to talk to the media for a while. “I’m going back to the way I used to be,” Moss said.
Moss had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. When former Head Coach Dennis Green drafted Culpepper and Moss, his vision was that the duo would connect for touchdowns and wins for many years. Culpepper has thrown 25 touchdown passes to Moss since 1999, tying Fran Tarkenton to John Gilliam for second place in Vikings history. Number one Vikings touchdown duo all-time? Warren Moon to Cris Carter with 26.
Speaking of Carter, I talked to Cris on Saturday and he is doing fine. Carter was hospitalized a week ago after gaining nearly 20 pounds in a short time. Carter said his weight ballooned to 238; he played last year with the Vikings at 213. “I came down with some strain of a virus that made my body retain water. I expect to be back playing this season in maybe three weeks.” Carter is a member of the first-place Miami Dolphins.