Read on to relive The Fifth Down's commentary and live analysis of Saturday night's N.F.C. wild-card game between the Minnesota Vikings (10-6) and the Green Bay Packers (11-5). The best part? You can enjoy the game snuggled up next to your favorite source of warmth while 73,000 fans at Lambeau Field were left to wonder what their toes used to feel like.
11:05 P.M. |That's a Wrap in Green Bay: Packers 24, Vikings 10
After a punt and a midrange completion on first down, the Vikings spike the ball at the Green Bay 38 with one second left, valiantly striving for one last positive play (or a back-door cover).
But Webb decides that instead of throwing into the end zone, he'll find his tight end 10 yards from the sideline at the 20. How he was expected to get in from there is anyone's guess.
A fitting end to a forgettable night.
Packers 24, Vikings 10. Green Bay heads to San Francisco next weekend for an old-school (and by that I mean 1990s) second-round game with the 49ers. Let's hope the Niners put up a better fight.
10:49 P.M. |The Vikings Steal One; 24-10 Now
Michael Jenkins lines up in the slot and cuts past linebacker A.J. Hawk, where Webb finds him with what seems to be his first on-target ball of the night. Jenkins is open because Hawk has released him into the loving coverage of the safety. Unfortunately the safety was not in on this plan, and is nowhere to be found.
Jenkins jogs up the right sideline for a 50-yard touchdown. Packers 24, Vikings 10 with 3:38 left.
"It's not over yet," someone in the office yells.
Yes, it is.
10:47 P.M. |Six Days Ago Was the Good Old Days
It's hard to believe these teams combined on a 37-34 thriller that was decided on the final play in their regular-season finale. The fact that that game was played indoors does not explain everything about what we're seeing tonight.
10:33 P.M. |Rodgers Quietly Outstanding
As Rodgers trots out with just over 10 minutes left, it's worth mentioning that's he has been excellent: 19 of 28 for 260 yards and a touchdown. He has completed passes to nine receivers, but only one of those catches covered more than 30 yards.
To quote every soccer crowd in Britain: he scores when he wants.
10:22 P.M. |So the Vikings Force a Punt …
… and fumble the ball right back. This is getting hard to watch.
I thought the Jets had missed the playoffs.
10:17 P.M. |And Webb Throws It ….
… and the Packers intercept it at the 8.
Webb finally hit someone in stride. Sam Shields.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) 6 Jan 13
The ball was so overthrown that the receiver couldn't have knocked it down if he was running with a broomstick in his hand.
10:15 P.M. |Is This a Winning Strategy?
The Vikings keep pounding Peterson, which would be a good strategy if they were the ones ahead by 24-3, or if this were a five-day cricket test match. Unfortunately, time is not on their side.
In their defense, it must be noted, the alternative is having Joe Webb throw the ball, so, you know.
10:05 P.M. |Fun Fact on Webb
Did you know Joe Webb was selected with the 199th pick in the draft, just like Tom Brady?
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 6 Jan 13
Well, not just like Tom Brady.
9:54 P.M. |Packers 24, Vikings 3 (and Kicking Themselves)
The Vikings will be kicking themselves over that 9-yard touchdown pass to John Kuhn, his second score of the game.
After Green Bay drove the length of the field, the Vikings stiffened to force a field goal. But Minnesota was flagged for having 12 men on the field as the Packers lined up for kick, giving Green Bay a first down at the 9. Rodgers found Kuhn just over the line and he ping-ponged in off the last defender.
Packers 24, Vikings 3, 9:25 left in the third quarter.
Joe Webb, by the way, hasn't done anything to persuade anyone he can lead a comeback. He was 3 for 12 for 22 yards in the first half.
9:33 P.M. |ESPN crew at Favre's house, seeing if he'll unretire
Just kidding about Favre, but you know watching this must be killing him.
A bounce pass to end the first half. Ok, then.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) 6 Jan 13
With Ponder inactive, the Vikings backup quarterback is the rookie McLeod Bethel-Thompson. The key line on his Vikings biography says it all:
Experience: 0
9:22 P.M. |Packers Punish Vikings Before Halftime
The Vikings punt from deep in their end just after the two-minute warning, giving Rodgers the ball at his 38 with 1:48 left in the half.
That, as all fans know, is more of a challenge than a situation, and Rodgers responds as an M.V.P. would: 22 yards to Jordy Nelson, 14 yards to Jennings, 23 yards to Nelson, handoff to John Kuhn at the 3 — TOUCHDOWN!!
Sixty-six seconds it took him. Dominant. Devastating. Packers lead, 17-3.
Every time the Packers run or the Vikings pass, I keep thinking 'huh?'
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 6 Jan 13
9:11 p.m. |Packers 10, Vikings 3
The Packers settle for a short field goal after a long gain to Greg Jennings, who took a short pass and raced down the sideline. He was pushed out of bounds at the Minnesota 2, and the Vikings held from there.
8:41 P.M. |Packers 7, Vikings 3
Rodgers is killing the Vikings with passes to DuJuan Harris and Ryan Grant out of the backfield. On the last play, Harris appeared to be stopped at the 3 on a burst up the middle, but he never went down and instead lunged forward and reached over the goal line with the ball.
The officials had to review it, as they had originally called him down inside the 1, but the video evidence was pretty clear. TOUCHDOWN!! For the record, it's a 9-yard run for Harris.
With 28 seconds to go in the first — wow! fast quarter — the Packers are in front, 7-3.
Why does it feel like we're watching Green Bay-Navy in some obscure hybrid bowl game?
8:24 P.M. |Quick Series for Packers
In contrast to the Vikings, Green Bay opens pass, run, pass — and punt.
Fancier, sure, but also less effective.
8:21 P.M. |A Clash of Styles, or Eras?
This game feels like a battle between a team from the '70s and from 2012. Or like every Jets-Pats game.
— Chase Stuart (@fbgchase) 6 Jan 13
8:15 P.M. |Ohhhhh, Now We Get It
After the Vikings run seven straight running plays to open the game, the Packers wise up: Charles Woodson bursts into the backfield and hauls down Peterson for a 2-yard loss.
Frazzled, the Vikings promptly call timeout.
"Coach, I think they're on to us," Webb whispers to Leslie Frazier.
"Well, we can't throw," Frazier counters, "so just keep giving it to 28."
"But it's third and 7, Coach."
"O.K., but just once," Frazier agrees.
Webb takes the snap, drops a step, hops forward — and then fires a grounder 3 yards behind his receiver.
Figuring they'll take what they can, the Vikings send Blair Walsh out for a 33-yard field goal. He knuckles it through, and the Vikings lead, 3-0.
8:11 P.M. |Vikings Ball to Start
If it's possible to breath fire in frozen air, then the crowd at Lambeau is doing it.
Their first two plays are two Peterson runs and a 17-yard scramble on a busted play by Webb. Certainly not what they drew up, but the Vikings are quickly in the Packers' half.
8:03 P.M. |Squeaking In Statistical Nuggets Before Kickoff
Including 409 yards in 2 games this year, @VikingsFootball RB Adrian Peterson is averaging 120.2 rush yds in 12 career games vs the Packers
— STATS_NFL (@STATS_NFL) 5 Jan 13
It's been about 200 years since someone looked as dominant on frozen ground as Peterson has this winter, but we all know how that ended up. If the Packers get a couple of early scores, it's going to fall on Webb — not Peterson — to get them out. If Webb can't throw, that won't make it any easier on Peterson to run.
Stats also helpfully notes that Aaron Rodgers led the league in passer rating for the second year in a row (108) and set career highs for attempts (552) and completions (371).
8:00 P.M. |Our Other Man in Green Bay
First time at Lambeau: Awesome. Sound system playing Arcade Fire 20 minutes before kickoff: Awesomer.
— Ben Shpigel (@benshpigel) 6 Jan 13
7:58 P.M. |Two last tweets on Webb before kickoff
Two last pregame tweets on Webb from Dan Wiederer, who covers the Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Joe Webb was on the field for all of 3 plays in reg. season. One kneel down and two handoffs to Matt Asiata. Tonight he starts.
— Dan Wiederer (@StribDW) 6 Jan 13
Joe Webb's last start: Week 13 of 2011 vs. Denver. As a WR. Last start as QB: 2010 finale in Detroit.
— Dan Wiederer (@StribDW) 6 Jan 13
7:49 P.M. |Texans 19, Bengals 13
The Texans beat the Bengals in Saturday's first game, the second playoff victory in team history. Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Houston will go to New England next week, so feel free to not expect their third playoff win real soon.
7:35 P.M. |Oh yeah, Joe Webb could jump over a car if he had to.
If Adrian Peterson has trouble running around the Packers defense tonight, Webb does give them a backup plan. He might be able to jump over them.
The video, from 2010, was from Webb's predraft workouts and circulated widely on the Internet. Since he wasn't invited to the scouting combine either as a receiver or as a quarterback — the positions he played in college and has subsequently played in the N.F.L. — one can imagine the clip helped him attract the Vikings' attention.
7:30 P.M. |Vikings CB Josh Robinson is cold already
Care to guess which orange-producing state Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson hails from?
Click here for a hint.
7:24 P.M. |Ponder update from Green Bay
Pat Borzi, who is covering tonight's game for The Times, checks in from Green Bay:
All week, the Minnesota Vikings insisted the injured right elbow Christian Ponder suffered last Sunday against Green Bay was minor and would not keep him from starting Saturday night's game. But 90 minutes before kickoff, the story changed.
The Vikings listed Ponder among the inactives and named Joe Webb, who did not throw a pass all season, as
the starter.Safety Morgan Burnett hit Ponder's elbow on a second quarter blitz last Sunday at the Metrodome. Ponder finished the game, completing 16 of 28 passes for 234 yards while posting his highest quarterback rating of the season (120.2). That, and Adrian Peterson's 199 yards rushing, helped the Vikings make the playoffs with a 37-34 victory.
But Ponder was limited in practice all week, and the Vikings listed him as questionable throughout. Coach Leslie Frazier said Thursday,"He's doing a lot more stuff mentally than physically right now, but he should be
fine."On Saturday, Ponder briefly played catch with Webb on the field about three hours before kickoff.
Webb, a versatile third-year pro from Alabama-Birmingham who has also played wide receiver, made three quarterback starts his first two seasons while appearing in 12 other games.He set a Vikings record for quarterbacks by rushing for 109 yards at Detroit on Dec. 11, 2011, with 65 coming on a touchdown run.
Frazier never gave in to fans' clamoring for him to bench Ponder for Webb whenever Ponder struggled. On Dec. 2, after Ponder threw two interceptions in a 23-14 loss to the Packers here, Frazier found Ponder afterward and told him to bank on being the starter the following week, a move Ponder appreciated.
Now, Vikings fans finally get their wish.
7:14 P.M. |News already! Ponder is out!
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (elbow) is inactive for tonight's game. His status had been in question since he was hit hard by Packers safety Morgan Burnett during the Vikings' win last week.
Joe Webb, who took most of the practice snaps this week, will get the start. The A.P. reported that Ponder took only about a dozen soft throws in warmups, so maybe his playing had been a pipe dream (or a bit of sandbagging) all along.
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