NFL Old School Game of the Week: Freeman's Miracle Monday Night Catch

Antonio Freeman makes his incredible game-winning touchdown catch against the Minnesota Vikings on a Monday Night in 2000.

Antonio Freeman probably will not go to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame, but he is a legend amongst Green Bay Packer fans for two reasons.

One, he was Brett Favre’s favorite target as he caught 57 touchdowns, the most by any receiver of Favre’s 508 career touchdown passes, as he helped the Packers to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 1996 and 1997, which included a win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI where Freeman caught an 81-yard touchdown in the Packers’ 35-21 win.

And the second for his game-winning touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings on a rainy Monday NIght in the year 2000 that was so incredible that announcer Al Michaels yelled “He did what?!”.

The Packers entered the game with the Vikings with a 3-5 record and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight year, after a run of six consecutive postseason appearances under Mike Holmgren who left the team after the 1998 season to become head coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

Green Bay was under its third head coach in three seasons as Mike Sherman, who had been the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator in 1999, took over from Ray Rhodes, who has fired after going 8-8.

If Green Bay were going to turn their season around, they needed a win against the Vikings.

The Vikings came into Lambeau Field leading the NFC Central Division with a 7-1 record under head coach Dennis Green, who was in his ninth season at the helm in Minnesota.

The fact the Vikings were 7-1 was remarkable considering they had a first-year starting quarterback in Daunte Culpepper, who was the 11th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and did not take a single snap during the 1999 season.

But surrounded by an offensive core that featured wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter, to go along with running back Robert Smith, Culpepper prospered and helped Minnesota win its first seven games of the season before dropping to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-13 the week before their Monday Night trip to Green Bay.

After forcing the Packers to go three-and-out on their opening possession, the Vikings got the ball at their own 36 and drove to the Green Bay’ four-yard-line in eight plays setting up an apparent touchdown run by Culpepper on 3rd-and-goal, only to have the touchdown nullified by a penalty on tackle Todd Steussie, who was called for illegal use of hands to the face of Packers defensive end Vonnie Holliday.

Minnesota had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Gary Anderson that gave them a 3-0 lead with 8:25 left in the first quarter.

The Packers would get the ball back at their own 13 and begin a drive that did not end until the second quarter.

On the drive, Favre would find Bill Schroeder for a 20-yard gain on a 3rd-and-5 at the 18-yard-line, then threw a key block on Dwayne Rudd that sprung Schroeder loose for a 12-yard run on a reverse, and then found Freeman for 15 yards to give Green Bay a 1st-and-goal at the Vikings’ five-yard-line.

However, the Packers could not punch into the end zone and had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell on the second play of the second quarter that tied the game 3-3.

Daunte Culpepper threw two touchdown passes, but was also intercepted three times.

The Vikings started their next drive at their own 16-yard-line, when they caught a break on back-to-back plays.

On 2nd-and-13, Culpepper was sacked by Russell Maryland, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Packers in the end zone for an apparent touchdown.

But the referees ruled that Culpepper’s knee was down when he lost the football, giving the Vikings a 3rd-and-19 from the seven-yard-line.

Once again, it seemed that the Packers defense had made a play when Antuan Edwards broke up a pass intended for Carter, only to have fellow defensive back Mike McKenzie be called for a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he pointed at Carter while the Viking receiver laid on his back, resulting in a Minnesota 1st down at the 22.

The penalty envirogated the Vikings offense, especially Smith who picked up 20 yards on 2nd-and-6 from the 26, then followed it up with a 10-yard run that was negated because of a holding penalty.

That is when Moss struck as he caught a 42-yard pass on 1st-and-20 that eventually led to Culpepper’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Carter, that put the Vikings back in front 10-3 with 10:03 left in the half.

The Packers would get begin their ensuing possession at their own 13 when Freeman made his presence felt on two plays.

First, he caught a 33-yard pass on the second play of the drive that put the Packers in Minnesota territory, then drew a pass interference penalty on Cris Dishman when he bumped the Green Bay receiver at the Vikings’ six-yard-line.

Then on 2nd-and-goal from the five-yard-line, Favre rolled to his right and was on his way to being sacked by linebacker Ed McDaniel, only to have the future Hall-of-Famer flip the ball underhanded to Ahman Green, who made the catch for the touchdown that tied the game at 10 with 6:51 to go before halftime.

The Vikings would start their next drive at their own 18, but the drive lasted only two plays because Culpepper threw an interception on a pass intended for Moss.

Packers free safety Darren Sharper made the interception giving Green Bay the ball at the Minnesota 44-yard-line and an opportunity.

But a holding penalty on center Frank Winters negating a 14-yard catch by Freeman on 3rd down, killing the drive and forcing the Packers to punt.

Minnesota got the ball back at its own 23 and drove to the Packers’ 41 when Culpepper decided to go for Moss again on a deep ball, only to have Sharper make his second interception of the game.

Once again, the Packers could not convert the turnover into points and punted the ball back to the Vikings, who took over at their own 13-yard-line with 1:11 remaining in the half.

On 3rd-and-8 from the 15, Culpepper lofted another deep pass for Moss, who this time made the catch, as he outleaped Sharper and Edwards for a 33-yard gain to give the Vikings a 1st down at their own 48.

Two plays later, Smith gained 22 yards on a swing pass to put the Vikings at the Packers’ 30 with 18 seconds left.

But after three straight incompletions, Anderson come on to kick a 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Vikings a 13-10 lead at the half.

Brett Favre had a relatively quiet game as he completed 17 of 36 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings got the ball to start the 2nd half but gave it back Green Bay on Culpeppers’ third interception of the game, this one by McKenzie who made up for his earlier penalty, and returned it 26 yards to the Minnesota’ 34-yard-line.

This time, the Packers would get points off a Viking turnover as Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal that tied the game again, this time at 13.

The Vikings started their next possession at their own 27 and drove into Green Bay territory until Culpepper was sacked by Maryland and Santana Dotson, setting up a 3rd-and-17 at the Packers’ 45.

That is when Smith took a 2-yard swing pass and turned into a 45-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings a 20-13 lead with exactly four minutes to play in third quarter.

But 28 seconds later, the Packers tied the game for the fourth time in the game on a two-yard touchdown run by Green, that was set up by a 90-yard kickoff return by Allen Rossum.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Packers were given an opportunity to take the lead when Vikings returner David Palmer muffed a punt, that was recovered by Green Bay’s Rod Davis, giving the Packers the ball at the Minnesota 35.

However, the Vikings defense rose up and made a stop as defensive end Talance Sawyer sacked Favre for a 12-yard-loss, knocking the Packers out of field goal range and forcing them to punt.

After forcing the Vikings to go three-and-out on their next possession, the Packers would get another chance to take the lead when Schroder drew a 31-yard pass interference penalty on Robert Tate, that gave Green Bay a 1st down at the Minnesota 33.

But on 3rd-and-7 from the 30, Schroeder dropped a sure touchdown when he beat Dishman on a post pattern and was wide open in the end zone.

Instead of trying a 48-yard field goal into the wind, Sherman decided to punt the ball back to the Vikings, who took over at their 20 after a touchback.

Minnesota drove to the Green Bay 43 until the drive stalled forcing another punt from the Vikings and giving the ball back to the Packers who took over at their own nine-yard-line.

The game seemed destined for overtime until a 25-yard punt by Josh Bidwell gave the Vikings the ball at the Packers’ 48-yard-line with 52 seconds left in regulation and two timeouts left.

Culpepper found Moss for eight yards on 1st down, then threw an incomplete pass on 2nd down, which led to a 3rd-and-2, when Culpepper scrambled for the 1st down on a six-yard-run, then calling timeout with 16 seconds to play.

Then, Culpepper connected with Moss again, this time for 19 yards, that put the Vikings at the Green Bay 15 with eight seconds left and a chance for Anderson to come on win the game.

Sherman called timeout in hopes of icing Anderson, but instead got an increase in the rain, which might have led to holder Mitch Berger mishandling the snap and causing him to roll his right and fire a pass toward tight end Andrew Jordan, that was picked off by cornerback Tyrone Williams as time expired, sending the game into overtime.

The Packers won the toss and elected to receive, starting the drive at their own 18-yard-line.

Green gained 10 yards on the first play, but after a 1-yard run by Green and an incomplete pass, the Packers were faced with a 3rd-and-9.

That is when Favre found Schroeder for a 22-yard completion that gave the Packers a 1st down at the Minnesota 49-yard-line.

Favre handed it off to Green on the next two plays, who netted six yards, setting up 3rd-and-4 from the Minnesota 43-yard-line.

That is when Favre decided to go deep and go for Freeman who was locked in man-to-man coverage with Dishman.

But as Freeman began to fall down around the 20-yard-line, Dishman had a excellent chance for an interception, but the ball slipped through his hands for an apparent incompletion.

As Dishman threw his hands up in disgust at missing the interception, all of sudden Freeman got up and ran with the ball into the end zone for an apparent touchdown which signaled by the officials.

But surely Freeman did not make the catch. Right?

The play was reviewed and when referee Dick Hantak and the TV viewers got a look at the play, they could not believe what they saw.

As the ball slipped through the hands of Dishman, the ball bounced off Freeman’s left shoulder and into his right hand, where he tipped it back into his chest without the ball hitting the ground.

Not being down by contact, Freeman got up, eluded the tackle of Robert Griffith, and ran the final 15 yards untouched for the amazing touchdown(that was upheld by Hantak) to give the Packers a shocking 26-20 victory(double-click to play).

The win against the Vikings was the highlight of the Packers’ season as they failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year with a 9-7 record.

However, the Packers would make the postseason the next four years.

As for the Vikings, they won the NFC Central with a 11-5 record and made it to the NFC Championship Game, where they were humiliated by the New York Giants 41-0.

As for Freeman, he would leave Green Bay after the 2001 season to play one year in Philadelphia before returning to the Packers for the 2003 season, which was his ninth and last, though he never officially retired until June 16, 2007.

He finished his career with 477 receptions for 7,251 yards and 61 touchdowns.