He had it all in the palm of his hands..... After being battered like a rag doll all evening from the Saints pass rush and having the members of his team put the ball on the ground on what seemed like almost every other play, Brett Favre somehow miraculously overcame the adversity and had his team driving for the winning score in regulation with time running out to put his team in Super Bowl XLIV against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

With 2:37 the Vikings took the ball at their own 21-yard line and Favre's dream went like this:

1. Minnesota Vikings at 02:37
2. 1-10-MIN 21(2:37) 28-A.Peterson right end to MIN 21 for no gain (93-B.McCray).
3. Two-Minute Warning
4. 2-10-MIN 21(2:00) 28-A.Peterson right guard to MIN 23 for 2 yards (51-J.Vilma).
5. Timeout #2 by NO at 01:52.
6. 3-8-MIN 23(1:52) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass short left to 87-B.Berrian to MIN 33 for 10 yards (42-D.Sharper). Pass 5, YAC 5
7. Timeout #1 by MIN at 01:39.
8. 1-10-MIN 33(1:39) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep right to 18-S.Rice to NO 47 for 20 yards (20-R.Gay). Pass 16, YAC 4
9. 1-10-NO 47(1:14) 29-C.Taylor left guard to NO 33 for 14 yards (91-W.Smith, 42-D.Sharper).
10. Timeout #3 by NO at 01:06.
11. 1-10-NO 33(1:06) 29-C.Taylor right guard to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele).
12. 2-10-NO 33(:25) 28-A.Peterson right end to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele, 98-S.Ellis).
13. Timeout #2 by MIN at 00:19.
14. 3-10-NO 33(:19) PENALTY on MIN, Offensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at NO 33 - No Play.
15. 3-15-NO 38(:19) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle intended for 18-S.Rice INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Porter at NO 22. 22-T.Porter to NO 48 for 26 yards (65-J.Sullivan).

Now let's be fair, whoever was responsible for having 12 men in the huddle is primarily responsible for the situation that led to the interception. That's a coaching blunder and one that should never happen, especially after a time-out!

BUT

Favre's throw on the run, across his body, late across the middle is what you get when you agree to have Brett Favre as your QB. With Brett Favre you will get throws like the 20-yard strike he threw to Sidney Rice @ 1:39 that no one other then perhaps Peyton Manning could make. (If Favre didn't throw the pick and they successfully kicked the field goal, that throw would have been considered one of the great clutch throws of all time.) Conversely, it was typical of Favre to follow that throw up with just an awful rookie-like aggressive decision making play like he did tonight.

Minnesota Vikings fans now truly know the highs and lows, ups and downs and emotional swings that Jets fans last year and Packers fans for many years before that have experienced.

Brett Favre holds many cherished NFL records that only the likes of Peyton Manning will have a chance to break if he stays healthy, but there is one NFL record that Favre holds that Peyton never will, and that's being the NFL's All-Time Interception Leader.

MEMO TO BRETT FAVRE:

Brett, you had a wonderful career; you indeed will be a first Ballot Hall of Fame player, but now is the time to hang up the cleats. You ended your time with the Packers by ripping their hearts out and throwing a pick in OT in the playoffs against the Giants. You did the same thing last year on a screen pass with the Jets killing their chances for a playoff run (btw - you should have never been on the field if you weren't healthy, you put your consecutive games streak above the team's interests) and now you've done the same to the Vikings and their fans.

This year you had perhaps the best all around season of your illustrious career , but once again when it mattered most, the gunslinger in you shot your team dead. That's enough Brett, that's enough. Please go away now and we'll see you at your Hall of Fame induction. - Keith A. Baker

Keith is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his clients.

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