Nov 1, 2009 9:15 pm US/Central
Harvin Sets Table For Favre As Vikings Top Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) ―
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Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with teammate Percy Harvin #12 after a 51 yard touchdown pass during the third quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wis.
Scott Boehm/Getty Images
The youngest player on the field paved the way for the oldest player to have a triumphant homecoming Sunday.
Big kickoff returns by 21-year-old rookie Percy Harvin set up 40-year-old quarterback Brett Favre and the Minnesota offense with tremendous field position in the Vikings' 38-26 win over the Green Bay Packers.
"I just wanted to be a guy to help this team be on the short side of the field," Harvin said. "We're so explosive on offense, especially being on the other side of the 50 is a major help to this offense."
The Vikings' average starting position was almost at the midfield stripe, at their 46-yard line, thanks to a productive game out of their special teams.
Harvin, who was questionable coming into the game because of illness, averaged 35 yards on five returns.
His 77-yard runback to the Green Bay 14 in the first quarter led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Adrian Peterson to put Minnesota ahead to stay at 7-3.
"Percy did a great job of putting them in field position to make plays," said cornerback Tramon Williams, who doubles as a coverage guy for the Packers. "It made it easy on (Favre), basically."
Of the five touchdown drives directed by Favre in his first game against his former longtime team at Lambeau Field, the longest was 63 yards, which Harvin quickly completed with a 51-yard catch in the third quarter.
Harvin's 48-yard kickoff return to the Packers' 38 later in the same quarter set up another touchdown for the Vikings, a 2-yard pass from Favre to Jeff Dugan.
"He was finding the holes," Packers kicker Mason Crosby said of Harvin. "We had a good game plan, and we weren't able to tackle him."
The Packers' inability to bring Harvin down earlier in the game prompted special-teams coordinator Shawn Slocum to have Crosby hit a couple short kickoffs in the second half.
The first squib kick paid off for Green Bay, as A.J. Hawk forced a fumble on the return by defensive lineman Brian Robison with Nick Collins making the recovery at the Vikings' 41.
The Packers then answered with a touchdown as they tried to rally from a 24-3 deficit.
Vikings punt returner Jaymar Johnson also was a difference maker with a 20-yard runback in the second quarter that set up another touchdown drive.
"Those are huge swings in field position," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "It is leaps and bounds compared to last year."
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