The Green Bay Packers fell to the Minnesota Vikings 20-17 on November 21st, 2005, in a game that felt like a microcosm of their frustrating season, ultimately decided by a last-second, 27-yard field goal.
Early Season Woes and The Battle of Injured QBs
Man, 2005 was just rough for the Packers from the jump. They were a far cry from the team that ripped through the NFC North at 10-6 the previous year, with two receivers hitting over 1,200 yards, Javon Walker and Donald Driver, and Ahman Green blazing for 1,100 yards rushing. Coming into this 90th meeting against the Vikings, the Packers were sitting at a dismal 2-7. They’d already turned the ball over a staggering 20 times! And talk about injury luck: they lost wide receiver Javon Walker to a torn ACL in Week 1, then running backs Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport both went to IR with leg injuries. Brutal.
The Vikings weren’t exactly in perfect shape either. They’d recently lost their starting quarterback, Daunte Culpepper, to a catastrophic knee injury. But veteran Brad Johnson stepped in and had them on a little hot streak, winning two straight games. They were 4-5 coming into this matchup, and even though losing Culpepper wasn’t ideal, they were finding ways to scrape out wins. This game was a chance for the Packers to try and right the ship, especially after losing to Minnesota by just three points in Week 7.
From Hope to Heartbreak: A Game of Swings and the Final Blow
The game kicked off with some real clunkiness. The Vikings missed a 49-yard field goal attempt on their opening drive, and what did Brett Favre and the Packers offense do? A quick 3 and out. The Vikings answered with the same. Not exactly an offensive explosion early on, right?
But then the Packers found a spark. A few big plays, including a 30-yard pass to running back Samkon Gado, set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donald Driver. Things looked like they might be turning around! Safety Nick Collins even snagged an interception on the Vikings’ next drive. But, typical 2005 Packers, both offenses then decided to combine for six straight punts. Seriously. Six straight!
Favre, the gunslinger he was, apparently decided enough was enough, someone needed to score! So he hurled a pass that turned into a 51-yard pick-six for cornerback Dovonte Edwards. Just like that. You can’t make this stuff up. But credit where it’s due, with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter, Favre fired off a 53-yard pass to Donald Driver, and the Packers somehow found themselves up 14-7 at halftime. What a wild swing of emotions in just a few minutes.
The second half, though, mirrored the frustration. After more unsavory play from both sides, the Vikings finally tied it up 14-14 in the third quarter after running back Ciatrick Fason pushed in a 1-yard touchdown, capping off a nearly nine-minute drive. That was it for touchdowns. The rest of the game was a painful trade of punts and field goals, until Vikings kicker Paul Edinger stepped up with three seconds left on the clock and nailed a 27-yard field goal. Game over. Packers lose, 20-17.
Favre finished the day 20 of 33 for 227 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tony Fisher led the team on the ground with a whopping 14 yards on four carries. Donald Driver was a bright spot, pulling in five catches on nine targets for 84 yards and both of the team’s touchdowns. That 20-17 loss, decided by a late dagger, really cemented a tough season for the Packers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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