- It's January 24, 2010.
Bret Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are facing off
against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints,
in the NFC Championship Game.
It's tied 28, 28, and Favre is marching his team downfield
in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
At 40 years old, this maybe Favre's last chance
to make it back to the Superbowl.
But where did these points come from?
Why is it third and 15?
And how weird is it to see a Packers legend
playing for the Vikings?
Let's rewind.
With the game on the line, this seasoned vet
has no lack of experience.
Including playoffs, this is Brett Favre's 309th
consecutive start, and 24th postseason game.
But the fact that he's here at all,
is surprising to many people.
Following the end to a 2005 season
that saw the Packers finish four and 12,
Favre was non-committal on coming back to a team
that was in a rebuilding phase.
But he did.
And their eight and eight season ended with a win
over the NFC North Champion, and archrival Chicago Bears.
He was given a standing ovation in Soldier Field,
and gave a tearful post game interview,
leading many to believe this time, he was going to retire.
But again, Favre was not ready to hang up his cleats.
He came back in 2007, and took the 13 and three Packers
all the way to the NFC Championship game.
But Favre's overtime interception
gave way to a 23, 20 loss to the Giants.
It would be his final pass as a Packer.
Favre formally announced his retirement on March 4, 2008.
- And as they say, all good things must come
come to an end.
- [Narrator] But then, after what some reported
as convincing by Agent Bus Cook, Favre changed his mind.
On July 14th, he gave an interview, where he stated
that he was never fully committed to retirement.
- Do I wanna play?
Yes.
100%?
No.
- The problem was however,
that head coach Mike McCarthy, and the Packers,
had already committed to their quarterback of the future,
Aaron Rodgers.
Who they picked in the first round of the 2005 draft.
The Packers even went as far as to offer Favre $20 million
over 10 years, to stay retired.
But money wasn't going to keep Favre off the field.
And since the Packers told him he wouldn't start
if he came back, Favre began discussing trade options.
Connections with the Vikings started when reports surfaced
that Favre had been in contact
with Minnesota Head Coach, Brad Childress.
The Packers filed tampering charges against the Vikings,
but they were ultimately found not guilty.
The Packers had no interest in sending their Hall of Fame
Quarterback to a division rival.
So once reinstated, Favre was given permission to speak
only with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New York Jets.
On August 7, 2008, Favre was traded to the Jets,
for a conditional fourth round pick.
After starting eight and three, Favre and the Jets
lost four of their last five, and missed the playoffs.
It was later revealed that Favre had been playing
with a torn biceps tendon in those finally games.
So, after 18 seasons, Favre informed the Jets
that he was retiring.
He was released from his contract in April of 2009,
and officially cut in May.
In August, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
Just like millennials, it appeared as if retirement
just wasn't an option for Favre.
IN a testament to his durability, the 2009 season
saw Favre set the record for most consecutive starts
by a player in NFL history.
He also was selected to his 11th Pro Bowl,
while leading the Vikings to a 12 and four record.
Edging out his former Packers,
for the NFC North title, by one game.
The Vikings opened the playoffs with a decisive
34, three win, over the Cowboys, in the divisional round.
Which brings us here, to the NFC Championship game
between the Vikings and the Saints.
Brett Favre's favorite team while growing up in Mississippi.
With the score tied late in the fourth,
it's a wonder that Favre is still in the game.
He has been punished by the Saint's D since the first snap.
The first play of the opening drive,
set the tone for the game.
As Saints linebacker Scott Fujita sent Favre
crashing to the terf, after an incompletion.
A play drawn up by this man,
Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams.
Who the Saints hired this past off season.
It's almost as if Gregg Williams was giving incentives
to hurt the aging quarterback.
Not on the field in this critical moment,
is running back Adrian Peterson.
Who is both partly to thank, and partly to blame
for this Vikings situation.
Peterson entered the postseason with seven fumbles.
The most by a non-quarterback.
He also finished the regular seasons
with the most rushing touchdowns.
Both were on display in this game.
Peterson scored three times.
Including a 19 yard touchdown
on the opening drive of the game.
He also fumbled twice.
Although both were recovered by the Vikings.
The most costly of his mistakes,
is actually credited as a fumble by Favre.
At the end of the second quarter, tied at 14,
Reggie Bush muffed a punt that gave the Vikings the ball
on the Saints 10 yard line.
Then on second and goal from the four,
with his focus more on where he's going,
than where the ball is, Peterson bumbled the handoff.
The Saints recovered, and the two teams
headed to the locker room deadlocked at 14.
Overall, the Vikings lost three
of their six fumbles, this game.
This coming after finishing the regular season
third in the NFL at protecting the ball.
Having committed 18 turnovers all season.
And it wasn't just the fumbles that were hurting them,
after a third quarter drive extending penalty
on Saints defensive end, Anthony Hargrove,
a clearly hurt Favre was picked off by Jonathan Vilma.
The high, low hit that Favre took during that throw,
caused him to be helped off the field
and be examined by Vikings medical staff.
It was the 11th hit Favre had taken this game.
But again, despite four turnovers, the Vikings are here,
with a chance for their first
Superbowl appearance since 1977.
And Favre's receiver this game, is not Sidney Rice,
who lead the vikings in receptions
during the regular season.
It's this man, Bernard Berrian,
who's having his biggest game of the year.
Topping 100 yards for the first time.
His worst moment of the game however,
came with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
With the Vikings in the red zone,
and down seven, Favre hit Berrian
for what looked like a possible first down.
Until a fumble was forced
by Saints Quarterback Tracy Porter.
But Berrian and Porter hadn't seen the last of each other.
Back in the red zone,
and Vikings still trailing by a touchdown,
with just under six minutes to go in the fourth,
Favre aired one out to Berrian
in the corner of the end zone.
It was incomplete, but pass interference
was called on Porter,
and the Vikings got the ball on the one yard line.
Two plays later, Peterson punched it in
to tie the game at 28.
After a big defensive stop, the Vikings got the ball back,
and marched to the Saints 33 yard line.
They were within range
for Viking's field goal kicker Ryan Longwell.
After two rushing attempts for not gain,
the Vikings called a timeout on third and 10,
with 19 seconds left.
One of the big things going against the Vikings
heading into this game,
was the deafening crowd noise in New Orleans.
So Favre and most of the Vikings offense, wore ear plugs,
but communication was still difficult.
But one of the reasons this game is even in New Orleans,
has a lot to do with Tracey Porter,
whose force fumble, and pass interference
has had a huge impact on this game.
In week seven versus the Dolphins,
the Saints were clinging to a six point lead.
With the Dolphins near midfield,
and just over two minutes left on the clock,
Porter picked off Chad Henny,
and returned it for a game sealing touchdown.
The following week, the Saints played the Falcons.
With the Saints holding on to a four point lead,
with eight and a half minutes left in the fourth,
Porter picked off Matt Ryan.
The ensuing drive by the Saints, padded their lead.
If both those games had gone the other way,
it's possible that the Vikings are the one seed,
and that this game is in Minnesota.
But it's not, it's in front of a roaring New Orleans crowd.
And coming out of the time out,
information was clearly lost among players.
The Vikings got called for too many men on the field,
and the penalty pushed them out of field goal range.
After four years of seesawing on retirement, Brett Favre
is standing at the precipice of a heroic Superbowl run.
12 years removed from his last Superbowl appearance,
and 33 years removed from Minnesota's last appearance,
Favre is in position to
return the Vikings to the championship.
In a game riddled with turnovers and crushing blows,
it all comes down to this.
Welcome to a moment in history.
(crowd screaming)
- [Announcer] Favre sprints to his right,
throws back across the middle!
And he's intercepted.
Porter.
(TV click)