With about 2 1/2 minutes left, Green Bay was two yards away from wrapping up its first playoff spot in more than a decade.
Four downs and a minute later, the Packers were seven yards from the end zone and at least a week away from celebrating. The Minnesota Vikings' defense saved the day and set up a wild finish in the NFC Central.Jim McMahon threw three touchdown passes - matching his season total entering the game - and the defense held on as the Vikings defeated the Packers 21-17 Sunday.
"It was a win we had to have and it's a sweet one," Vikings linebacker Jack Del Rio said. "It was one step in the right direction and we've got to take two more."
The Vikings' victory, together with Detroit's loss to San Francisco and Chicago's loss to Denver, clouded the division picture with two weeks remaining.
Green Bay (8-6) and Detroit are tied for first; Minnesota (7-7) and Chicago are only a game back. The Vikings, trying to repeat as division champions, control all tiebreakers.
"This keeps our hopes alive," said McMahon, whose team hosts Kansas City next week before closing at Washington. "But if we lose, we're done."
The Packers (8-6) had won six straight games at County Stadium, including five under second-year coach Mike Holmgren.
But Holmgren left the game with an 0-4 mark against Vikings coach Dennis Green. And his Packers suddenly have a rocky road to their first playoff berth since 1982 (and first in a non-strike season since 1972). Green Bay hosts the Los Angeles Raiders next week and finishes at Detroit.
"We're still in control of our own destiny. We still have a chance to meet our goals," he said. "Everybody has to bring it to the tape."
The tape - and spit and sweat and blood - was flying in the closing minutes Sunday as the Vikings made their game-saving stand.
On first-and-goal at the 2, Darrell Thompson went up the middle, saw no hole, bounced outside and was thrown for a 5-yard loss by Bobby Abrams, a recently signed free-agent linebacker.
On second-and-goal from the 7, Sterling Sharpe caught Brett Favre's short pass but was stopped for no gain by linebacker Carlos Jenkins. On third down, Del Rio batted down Favre's pass toward Ed West at the goal line.
On fourth down, Favre fired into the end zone toward Sharpe - who had already caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown and was looking for his 100th reception of the season.
But safety Vencie Glenn, who had spent most of Sunday on the sideline after hurting his shoulder on the game's first play, got a hand on the ball and the Vikings took over on downs with 1:14 left.
Minnesota's defense was in position to save the day because the offense carried the day. Led by McMahon, Cris Carter and unheralded Scottie Graham, the Vikings had their first three-touchdown game of the season.
McMahon completed 22 of 31 passes for 207 yards.