Driver, Packers top Vikings

Football Betting Lines

11/12/2006 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Favre threw for 347 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Donald Driver had a career-high 191 receiving yards as Green Bay stunned Minnesota, 23-17, at the Metrodome.

Driver caught six balls and scored a touchdown for the Packers (4-5), who have won three of their past four games. Ahman Green had 55 yards rushing for Green Bay and Dave Rayner booted three field goals.

Brad Johnson completed 18-of-27 passes for 257 yards with a TD and an interception for the struggling Vikings (4-5), who have lost three consecutive games.

Chester Taylor ran for 75 yards and Billy McMullen caught three balls for 64 yards and scored both Minnesota touchdowns in the game.

Down for the first time in the game, Green Bay bounced back to grab the lead before intermission when Favre and Driver continued to torture the Minnesota secondary. The veteran quarterback found Driver on a slant and the receiver split the Vikings' safeties and raced 82 yards to make it a 17-14 game.

The Vikings looked like they were going to go back in front when Bethel Johnson returned the second half kickoff 102 yards for an apparent TD. But, a phantom illegal block call on Artose Pinner erased the big play and enabled the Packers to keep control.

Green Back took advantage and kept torching an overmatched Vikings defense. On a 3rd-and-10 play, Favre found Greg Jennings over the middle and the receiver lateraled to Driver who took the ball all the way down to the Minnesota 15- yard line. An unnecessary roughness penalty by Cedric Griffin on the play advanced the ball to the seven-yard line but the Packers couldn't punch it and went up 20-14 after Rayner banged a 24-yard field goal off the left upright and through.

The vanilla Vikings offense never moved the ball consistently from that point and the Packers sealed things when Rayner booted his third field goal of the game, a 29-yarder, with 2:11 left.

Ryan Longwell's meaningless 34-yard field goal with 58 ticks left accounted for the final margin.

After the teams exchanged punts to start the game, Green Bay started to move the ball by taking advantage of the Vikings' lack of pressure on third downs. Favre picked apart a soft zone and converted three consecutive 3rd-and-long plays to Driver in the middle of the field before stalling at the Minnesota two-yard line. Rayner then came on to connect on a 20-yard chip shot to make it 3-0 with 6:40 left in the opening quarter.

The Packers quickly extended their advantage to 10-0 thanks to their defense. On the first play of the Vikings' ensuing possession, Brady Poppinga burst through the woeful right side of the Minnesota offensive line untouched. The linebacker sacked Johnson and forced a fumble that Corey Williams recovered at the Vikings 22-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Favre hit Noah Herron on a swing pass for a five-yard TD.

Minnesota bounced back in the second quarter thanks to McMullen. The receiver was left alone on a busted coverage and Johnson found him for a 40-yard TD. Then, on the Vikings next possession, Johnson connected with Taylor in the middle of the field and the running back looked like he was heading to the end zone but fumbled at the goal line. McMullen was there to fall on the ball and give the Vikings a 14-10 edge with 7:52 remaining until the half.

Game Notes

Farve is 5-10 in his career at the Metrodome...McMullen's TD reception in the second quarter was the Vikings' first offensive touchdown in 10 quarters...Vikings starting cornerback Fred Smoot was inactive for the game. Smoot is mourning the loss of his half brother, who died in a car accident earlier this week...Green Bay leads the all-time regular season series, which dates back to the 1961 season, 45-44-1.