With 9:30 to play in the 4th quarter, it looked like the Saints couldn't lose.
With 1:06 to play in the 4th quarter, it looked like the Vikings couldn't lose.
So how did we get to overtime and who deserves the credit and the blame?
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With just over a minute left in the first half, the Vikings were punting it away. At this point there had been zero turnovers.
Both teams had scored two touchdowns, and had punted three times already. The score was 14-14 and I thought that the first team to give up points off a turnover would lose.
And on the fourth Vikings punt, Reggie "goat" Bush muffed it and gave the Vikings the ball ten yards away from the endzone. And on the 4-yard line, Favre and AD screw up the exchange and Fujita is right there to pounce on it. Ooooooooh, Fujitas! (handoff turnover = lost 7 points)
Halftime 14-14
Saints get a big kickoff return and run it in to take their first lead. (Vikings D gives up touchdown, but special teams allowed a short field)
On the next drive Peterson fumbles but Minnesota recovers it and AD later scores a touchdown.
Tied at 21.
After a Saints punt, Peterson fumbles again but makes a great play to get it back. On this drive, Favre throws a pick on 2nd and 8 from the Saints 34. (Favre turnover = lost points)
After year another Saints punt, Harvin has it stripped which leads to a Brees-Bush TD catch. (Vikings D gives up touchdown, but offense allowed a short field) (Harvin turnover = lost drive + Saints points)
The Vikings regroup and drive again into the New Orleans red zone. This time Berrian has it stripped. (Berrian turnover = lost 7 points)
Saints punt yet again, the Vikings hold on the ball long enough to score.
Saints punt once more. (Seriously, don't blame the Vikings defense. They shut down the Saints in the second half).
Vikings move the ball down the field with plays of 10, 20, and 14 yards to get into field goal range: on the 33 with 1:06 remaining. As someone rooting for the Saints, my only hope was that they would be stupid enough to just run the clock out and hope for a 50-yard field goal.
After two runs that look like they are running the clock out and gain no yardage, they get a 12 men in the huddle penalty. And then Favre blows the game with a pick. (Bad play calling + penalty + Favre turnover = lost points and chance to win)
In overtime, special teams allowed a 40-yard return. The Vikings D ends up allowing 39 yards on the drive. If their special teams had gotten the kickoff to the 20, the Saints can't kick from there.
Of course that last drive did contain a defensive holding call, a 4th and 1 with a questionable spot, a defensive pass interference call, a clutch catch by Meachem pinning the ball against his thigh, and a clutch field goal from a guy who's 23!
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So for everyone who's hating on AD's "three fumbles". One was a handoff, so I think he splits the blame with Favre (it was officially assigned to Favre) and the other two were recovered and didn't affect the game. The Favre picks, and the Berrian fumble took Vikings points off the board and the Harvin fumble gave the Saints free points.
But after all that, the Vikings D kept them in the game and Minnesota had the ball in field goal range. And that's when Minnesota put on the brakes. If they kept moving it, they wouldn't have gotten Favre into a 3rd and 15 situation where he had to force it. I think ultimately the blame comes down to coaching.
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Plus you have to give credit for Payton for knowing when to punt (last drive in regulation) and when to go for it (overtime). It worked out and now they're headed to Miami.
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