Inspired Kramer Throws 6 Touchdowns in 42-7 Win : Quarterback Dedicates Game to Ailing Mother

Tommy Kramer, dedicating the game to his ailing mother, came through by throwing six touchdown passes in less than three quarters to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 42-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers Sunday.

Kramer’s 71-year-old mother, Marie, is scheduled for an operation to remove a malignant tumor on her upper right lung.

Kramer said he told her during the week he was dedicating the game to her. “She said, ‘Keep fighting and I’ll keep fighting, too,’ ” Kramer said.

Kramer completed 16 of 25 passes for 241 yards, connecting on touchdown throws of 23, 13, 36, 2, 17 and 7 yards.

The six touchdown passes, one short of the NFL record, is one better that Kramer’s previous career best. He passed for five touchdowns on Nov. 28, 1982, against Chicago.

Kramer also surpassed 20,000 career passing yards and has 20,004 since becoming the Vikings’ starter in 1979.

Fran Tarkenton holds the Viking record of 33,098 career passing yards and Joe Kapp holds the club record for number of touchdown passes in a game. Kapp is one of five NFL quarterbacks with seven touchdown passes in a game.

“This is the most confident our offense has played in a while,” Kramer said. “This could be the best football team we’ve had in sometime, but we have to go out and prove it each week.”

Minnesota (3-1) faces Chicago (4-0) next Sunday.

“We’re going to have our hands full next week and, hopefully, they’ll have their hands full, too,” Kramer said. “We’re a little upset about what happened here last year and we want to set things straight.”

Chicago rallied to beat the Vikings, 33-24, at the Metrodome last year.

Meanwhile, the Packers (0-4) are headed nowhere unless they change their ways, Coach Forrest Gregg said.

“It was just a terrible, terrible performance by our team,” he said. “The defense wasn’t good, the offense couldn’t get untracked, we couldn’t run and we couldn’t pass. I don’t know how a team could play so poorly.

“I thought the first week of the season was the worst we could have played as a team but in my mind this was the absolute worst. I’ll live with this loss the rest of my life, being the worst one I’ve ever been associated with.”

Former Ram Vince Ferragamo had a decent showing in his relief role, completing 12 of 23 passes for 163 yards. He replaced Randy Wright, who fainted in the first quarter from the flu.

The Viking defense, which has given up just 37 points this season, has not allowed a second-half touchdown.

Kramer, who has thrown 109 straight passes without an interception, threw 4 touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Vikings opened a 28-0 lead, the most points ever by the club in the opening quarter. Minnesota outgained Green Bay 193 yards to 1 in the first quarter.

Hassan Jones finished with 6 receptions for 106 yards, including 2 touchdown catches. Tight end Steve Jordan had 6 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns.