NFL Recap (New Orleans-Minnesota)
Posted: Sun November 8, 1998 at 6:22 p.m. EST
MINNESOTA 31, NEW ORLEANS 24
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After learning how to win without Brad Johnson, the Minnesota Vikings may
need to learn how to do it without Randall Cunningham as well.
Johnson, who came off the bench in relief of an injured Cunningham,
threw for 316 yards despite breaking his right thumb early in the second
half and led the Vikings to a 31-24 win over the New Orleans Saints. He had
a key 19-yard, left-handed completion to running back Leroy Hoard in Minnesota's
game-winning drive.
After safety Sammy
Knight raced 91 yards with an interception to lift the Saints (4-5)
into a 24-24 tie with 10:10 to play, Johnson led Minnesota on an 11-play,
81-yard drive over the next 6:27. He hit Jake Reed for 15 yards on
a 3rd-and-6, but the key play was a 19-yard left-handed chest pass to Hoard
to the New Orleans 6. Johnson was 3-of-4 for 68 yards on the final drive,
capped by Hoard's one-yard plunge with 3:43 to play.
I had practiced left-handed passes all spring, it was a crucial,
crucial situation," said Johnson. "I was being hit, switched the ball to
my left hand and threw it to Leroy Hoard, who made a great catch."
Johnson was expected to return to the starting lineup next week in
favor of Cunningham, who left with a twisted right knee after the second
offensive play. Cunningham played in Minnesota's second series, but
Johnson came on for the third series and played the rest of the game. It
was Johnson's first action since Week Two, when he broke his right leg.
"I knew it was messed up right away, it was crooked," said Johnson
about his broken thumb. "I hit my thumb on a helmet, it's fractured and
I'm not sure about the status. I was ready to play, it felt great to be in
there and I didn't feel rusty. I had a hard time gripping the ball after
getting hurt, but if I couldn't throw it, I would've pulled myself out."
Minnesota (8-1), which bounced back from its 27-24 loss at Tampa Bay
last week, then relied on its defense to preserve the victory. The Saints
(4-5) reached the Minnesota 48 after Billy Joe Tolliver
completed a nine-yard pass to Andre Hastings, but
defensive end John
Randle drew a 10-yard penalty.
Ed McDaniel
stormed through the middle for an 11-yard sack on the next play. Randle and
Derrick Alexander
combined to get Tolliver for a 13-yard loss before linebackers Kailee Wong and Dwayne Rudd dumped
Tolliver for a seven-yard loss, giving the Vikings the ball back at the New
Orleans 12.
"Not a whole lot to say, we kind of hung in there for a while," said
Saints coach Mike Ditka. "We didn't make enough plays, especially on third
down. We knew their tight end would be effective and they used him well."
Cris Carter, who
caught a 14-yard TD pass from Johnson in the first quarter, set a team
record with his 77th touchdown. He finished with six receptions for 71
yards and surpassed 10,000 yards for his career. Carter has 698
receptions, two shy of becoming the 10th receiver with 700.
After the defenses dominated the first five series of the game, the
Vikings went 94 yards in nine plays, capped by Johnson's 14-yard pass to
Carter, who dragged his feet inbounds in the back right corner of the end
zone.
Minnesota went on an epic drive in the second quarter, consuming over
11 minutes on an 18-play, 80-yard march. The Vikings reached the New
Orleans 6, but three straight procedure penalties moved the ball back 15
yards. Gary Anderson
salvaged the drive with a 28-yard field goal.
Harold Morrow
forced and recovered a fumble by Aaron Craver at the New
Orleans 4, where Hoard bounced off right tackle for a touchdown on the next
play to make it 17-0 with 1:25 to go.
But Craver atoned for his mistake on a controversial 100-yard kickoff
return for a TD. Pete
Bercich appeared to have gotten a piece of Craver as he fell at his own
20, but the referees never whistled the play dead and Craver got up and
raced down the right sideline.
"I fell down, jumped back up and started running, and I was hoping
they didn't catch me," said Craver. "I didn't look at the replay, I was
busy getting oxygen. God was with me today, it made up for all the times I
didn't get good calls."
Minnesota threatened again before the half, but Knight intercepted a
pass in the end zone. It marked the first time the Vikings failed to
convert in 27 chances inside the red zone.
The Saints pulled within 17-10 on a 20-yard field goal by Doug Brien with 7:56 left
in the third quarter. After a 33-yard kickoff return by David Palmer to the
Minnesota 39, Robert
Smith ripped through a hole in the middle and raced 61 yards for a
touchdown. Smith finished with 137 yards on 20 carries, but 101 yards came
on two runs.
"I wanted to laugh while Carter was blocking, it was like the Little
Rascals," said Smith. "Cris gets all the credit, he kept pushing him and
pushing him all the way down the field and to add insult to injury, Cris
threw him down in the end zone. The 91-yard interception really hurt us,
but we went right back down the field and scored."
New Orleans stormed down the field on its ensuing possession, going 80
yards in six plays. Tolliver found Craver in the right flat for a
nine-yard TD pass as the Saints closed within 24-17 with 3:08 left in the
third quarter.
Minnesota responded by reaching the New Orleans 5, but Johnson threw a
slant-in pass behind Carter, who deflected it in the air. Knight tipped it
twice before catching it and raced 91 yards untouched to tie the game with
10:10 to play.
"The second one was an option route to Carter, and we were fortunate
to get pressure on the quarterback," said Knight. "I cut across the field
because I saw Carter coming on my heels."
Tolliver completed 11-of-16 passes for 168 yards, with all but four
coming in the second half.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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