Packers Chill Bitter Vikings

For all but the final few minutes of a game played in single-digit temperatures, the Minnesota Vikings looked as if they were the ones accustomed to freezing conditions and not the Green Bay Packers.

But Tony Fisher’s 14-yard touchdown run with 1:06 left gave Green Bay its first lead of the game and a 26-22 victory over the Vikings on Sunday night.

Darren Sharper picked off Daunte Culpepper’s desperation pass as time expired and returned the ball 66 yards before finally being stopped at the Minnesota 16-yard line.

The bad blood between the rivals boiled over at that point as Viking tight end Jim Kleinsasser gave a two-handed shove to Packer safety Marques Anderson near the Minnesota bench. As players from both teams converged to break up the fracas or join in, Viking defensive tackle Chris Hovan jawed with Packer quarterback Brett Favre. Hovan said he followed Favre toward the Packers’ tunnel to shake his hand but instead got an earful of taunts from Favre, who was surrounded by coaches that looked like bodyguards.

“This thing just got bigger,” Hovan fumed of his budding feud with Favre.

Favre shrugged it off: “I think he wanted to see our locker room. He may have wanted a piece of me. But he’s too big for me.”

Favre said he didn’t say anything disparaging to Hovan.

Hovan disagreed: “Yes, he did disrespect me. I can’t wait for next year.”

The victory enabled the Packers (10-3) to keep pace with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Vikings (3-10) reached double-digit losses for the second season in a row.

Favre improved to 34-0 in home games when the temperature at kickoff was 34 or lower.