Brett Favre threw for a career high 446 yards as the Vikings rallied from 14 points behind to beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 in overtime on Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Minnesota tied the game with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime where kicker Ryan Longwell booted a 35-yard game winner to raise the Vikings record to three wins and five losses.
Favre, who also had two touchdowns and two interceptions, said he had faith in the offense.
Photo: AFP
“I felt confident we could win this game. I felt like we could have mixed the run with the pass, but I never would have guessed we would have passed for 400-plus yards,” said Favre, who connected on 36 of 47 passes.
“As many mistakes as we made, we were able to make just as many big plays,” Favre added.
The Cardinals (3-5) led 24-10 with just under five minutes to play thanks to a 96-yard kick return by LaRod Stephens-Howling. Michael Adams also had a 30-yard fumble return on another kickoff.
Favre engineered scoring drives of 40 and 77 yards and Adrian Peterson had a 30-yard run in overtime during the game winning drive.
Packers 45, Cowboys 7
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Aaron Rodgers threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, and Brandon Jackson scored twice as the Green Bay Packers thrashed the Dallas Cowboys 45-7.
It was a new nadir in a lost season for the Cowboys (1-7), who came into this season with Super Bowl aspirations. It’s sure to kick off a new round of speculation about the future of coach Wade Phillips, despite recent statements from team owner Jerry Jones that a mid-season firing was unlikely.
James Jones caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Packers (6-3), who have won three straight.
Green Bay’s Clay Matthews added a final dose of embarrassment in the fourth quarter, picking off a pass from Jon Kitna and running it back 62 yards for a touchdown.
Browns 34, Patriots 14
In Cleveland, Ohio, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy scrambled for a touchdown, while Peyton Hillis ran for a career-high 184 yards and two scores as Cleveland pounded New England.
Two weeks after stunning New Orleans, the Browns (3-5) pulled off another shocker. Well rested after their bye week, they ended New England’s five-game winning streak and did it decisively, outplaying one of the NFL’s top teams for all 60 minutes.
Eagles 26, Colts 24
In Philadelphia, Michael Vick threw for 218 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 74 yards and a score, as Philadelphia beat Peyton Manning and Indianapolis Colts.
The Eagles (5-3) are 12-0 after a bye week since Andy Reid became coach in 1999.
Raiders 23, Chiefs 20 OT
In Oakland, California, Jason Campbell threw a 47-yard pass to rookie Jacoby Ford in overtime to set up a 33-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski that gave Oakland its biggest win in eight years.
Campbell and Ford hooked up on a 29-yard pass in the closing seconds of regulation to set up Janikowski’s tying 41-yard field goal. The Raiders (5-4) then won it in overtime for their most significant victory since winning the 2002 AFC championship.
Jets 23, Lions 20 OT
In Detroit, Michigan, Mark Sanchez threw a 52-yard pass to Santonio Holmes to set up Nick Folk’s game-winning 30-yard field goal 2 minutes, 18 seconds into overtime.
Sanchez scored on a -quarterback sneak with 2 minutes, 46 seconds left in regulation and led a nine-play drive that set up Folk’s 36-yard kick to send the game into overtime.
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to give Detroit a 10-point lead before re-injuring his right shoulder and leaving the game with 5 minutes, 19 seconds left.
In Sunday’s other action, it was:
‧ Saints 34, Panthers 3
‧ Giants 41, Seahawks 7
‧ Bears 22, Bills 19
‧ Falcons 27, Buccaneers 21
‧ Chargers 29, Texans 23
‧ Ravens 26, Dolphins 10
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