Vikings Find Good News

Nothing was going right for Minnesota until Coach Mike Tice tried a little negative reinforcement in the locker room.

Prodded by Tice’s stern halftime speech, the Vikings came back from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to beat Green Bay, 23-20, on Sunday.

Paul Edinger kicked a franchise-record 56-yard field goal as time ran out, lifting momentum-starved Minnesota over the Packers.

“We just needed a win, no matter how we got it,” said Marcus Robinson, who caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Daunte Culpepper late in the third quarter to spur the comeback. “But we’re still 2-4.”

Such is life in the NFC North, where Minnesota is only one game out of first place despite an awful start to the season -- and even Green Bay (1-5) remains in the race.

The Vikings had lost their last two games by a combined 58-13 and had been dealing with the fallout of allegations of sexual misconduct by several players during a boat party this month. They appeared headed to another defeat after a flawless first half by Green Bay’s Brett Favre.

But Culpepper, who was 23 for 31 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, came to life -- and Edinger came through with his third field goal of the game, the longest of his career.

By his estimation, Tice used a negative tone at the half for the first time in two years. He was pleased by what he saw.

“I thought they practiced with better emotion all week,” Tice said. “I thought they studied better, harder, and I thought they heeded my warning and stayed home and off the streets.”

Ryan Longwell tied it at 20 with 24 seconds remaining on a 39-yard kick after missing two earlier field-goal tries for the Packers.

Favre completed 28 of 36 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns.