Packers Look Right at Home Inside ‘Dome

The Green Bay Packers’ playoff hopes remain slim, but they overcame long odds Sunday to remain in contention.

Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes as the Packers beat Minnesota, 33-28, Sunday, ending the Vikings’ home winning streak at 13 and damaging their bid for home-field advantage through the playoffs.

Ahman Green rushed for a career-high 161 yards in 26 carries for the Packers (8-7), who must beat Tampa Bay next Sunday to have a chance at reaching the playoffs. It was Green’s first game at the Metrodome.

“Everybody was telling me how loud it is and how they get tired of hearing that horn go off,” said Green, who has 1,101 yards rushing this season. “I’m the type of guy who likes to see for himself. The crowd was a factor, but we stayed poised.”

Green’s biggest run might have come on the Packers’ final drive.

The Vikings made it 33-28 on Cris Carter’s five-yard touchdown reception of a pass from Daunte Culpepper with 2:38 to play, and needed a stop from their defense to get the ball back.

Instead, Green rushed for 16 yards on first down and the Packers ran the clock out for only their second victory at the Metrodome in nine seasons.

“As disappointed as I’ve been here in the past,” Favre said, “it’s an awesome feeling today.”

Robert Smith, the NFC’s leading rusher, was held to 26 yards in 10 carries. The Packers also forced two turnovers.

“We concentrated on stopping the run,” Packer defensive lineman Russell Maryland said. “We made up our minds that we were going to play in their backfield. Last time, they blew us off the ball.”

The Vikings (11-4), who lost, 40-29, to the Rams the previous week at St. Louis, could have clinched home-field advantage with a victory. Now they need some help to stay home for the NFC playoffs.

“The only thing I’m concerned about is that we haven’t played well in the last two games,” Viking Coach Dennis Green said. “That’s two games in a row that we have been held to less than 100 yards rushing, and we’ve won 11 games by running the football.”

The Vikings pulled to 23-21 in the third quarter on Culpepper’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Johnny McWilliams. The Packers answered with Favre’s third touchdown pass--a three-yardplay to Bill Schroeder--and Darren Sharper ended the Vikings’ next drive with his league-leading ninth interception.

The interception set up Ryan Longwell’s fourth field goal, a 36-yarder that increased the Packers’ lead to 33-21.

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Finding the Comfort Zone

Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre has never been more comfortable at the Metrodome than he was in Sunday’s 33-28 victory over the Vikings:

SUNDAY’S GAME:

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W-L ATT.-CMP YDS. TD INT Win 38-26 290 3 0ET

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AVERAGE STATISTICS AT METRODOME, 1992-99:

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W-L ATT.-CMP YDS. TD INT 1-7 30-18-5 184 0.6 1.5

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--Research by ROY JURGENS