by Brett Favre is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. Over his 20-year career, which spanned from 1991 to 2010, Favre started a record 321 consecutive games and established himself as one of the toughest and most durable players in the league. However, with Favre’s gunslinging style of play also came unpredictability and strange or miraculous moments. There are a few games from Favre’s career that stand out as truly bizarre or improbable based on incredible comebacks, crazy circumstances, or just plain strangeness. Here are two of the top contenders for Brett Favre’s strangest game.
The “Miracle in the Metrodome” – 1999
On November 14, 1999, Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings faced off against division rivals the Detroit Lions at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Vikings entered the game with a 6-3 record while the Lions were 4-5. However, this game would quickly turn from an ordinary NFC North matchup into one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history.
In the first half, the Lions jumped out to a quick lead behind two touchdown passes from quarterback Gus Frerotte. The Vikings offense struggled to get anything going against the Detroit defense. At halftime, the Lions led 17-9. Things didn’t improve for Minnesota in the third quarter. Frerotte connected with Germane Crowell for another Lions touchdown, extending the Detroit lead to 24-9 heading into the final frame.
As the fourth quarter began, the Vikings’ chances of a comeback seemed slim. Down by 15 points with only 15 minutes remaining, Favre and company faced a huge uphill battle. But then Minnesota started to slowly chip away. Favre led a scoring drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Cris Carter, cutting the Lions lead to 24-16 after a two-point conversion failed. The Vikings defense then forced a Detroit punt, giving Favre another chance with just under 7 minutes left.
This time, Favre needed only 2 plays to find the end zone. He connected with Randy Moss on a 53-yard bomb to pull Minnesota within 3 points after another failed two-point try. Suddenly, the impossible started to seem possible. With the Metrodome crowd going wild, the Vikings defense forced yet another Lions punt. Minnesota got the ball back with only 1:49 remaining, no timeouts, and 80 yards to go.
Favre dropped back and immediately launched a deep pass intended for Moss. The ball was underthrown but Moss outjumped the Detroit defender, securing an unbelievable 43-yard catch to put the Vikings in Lions territory. A few plays later, on 4th and inches near the goal line, Favre faked a handoff and rolled right. With the crowd on its feet, he lofted a pass into the corner of the end zone where Moss came down with it for the touchdown. After the extra point, Minnesota had completed the stunning comeback to go ahead 27-24 with only 8 seconds left.
But the Lions weren’t done yet. On the ensuing kickoff, Ron Warner returned it to midfield, setting up one last Detroit play. Frerotte heaved a Hail Mary into the end zone that was batted around but ultimately fell incomplete. The Vikings had sealed perhaps the most shocking victory of Favre’s career. Down by 10 points with under a minute to go, Favre led the largest comeback win in team history. For that reason, the “Miracle in the Metrodome” stands as one of the strangest and most memorable games of Brett Favre’s career.
The “Monday Night Miracle” – 2003
Another improbable Favre comeback happened on an even bigger stage on September 8, 2003 when the Green Bay Packers hosted the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football. This game would cement itself in Packers lore as the “Monday Night Miracle.”
The Raiders jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter on a long touchdown run by running back Charlie Garner. Oakland added a field goal in the second to take a 10-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Things looked bleak for Green Bay, who had mustered just 125 total yards of offense through two quarters against the Raiders defense.
Oakland continued to pour it on in the third quarter. Quarterback Rich Gannon hit Jerry Porter for a 55-yard touchdown, extending the Raiders lead to 17-0. Then in the fourth, after a Garner rushing touchdown, Oakland led 24-10 with just over 11 minutes remaining. At that point, most fans and analysts had all but written off the Packers. Favre and Green Bay were facing a 14-point deficit with single digits on the clock. No one could have predicted what was about to happen next.
Favre got the Packers on the board first with a touchdown pass to Javon Walker. Then, after forcing a Raiders punt, Favre led another scoring drive capped by a touchdown scramble. With the successful two-point conversion, Green Bay had cut the Oakland lead to 24-22 with just over 5 minutes left.
After yet another Raiders punt, the Packers got the ball back on their own 20-yard line with 1:25 remaining and no timeouts. Favre dropped back and lofted a beautiful pass down the right sideline to Donald Driver, who tiptoed along the sideline for a 41-yard gain. A few plays later, on 4th down from the Oakland 33, Favre looked to the end zone and chucked it deep for Jordy Nelson in the corner. Nelson hauled it in for the game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock.
The Lambeau Leap was born as Nelson and Favre celebrated the impossible comeback. Down 14 points with less than 4 minutes to go, Favre had led the Packers on two touchdown drives, including the game-winner with no time left on Monday Night Football. The “Monday Night Miracle” instantly became part of Packers lore. Favre cemented his legacy as a clutch performer in the process.
Which Was Stranger?
Both the “Miracle in the Metrodome” and the “Monday Night Miracle” games featured Brett Favre leading incredible fourth quarter comebacks against all odds. Down double digits with just a few minutes remaining in each contest, Favre willed his teams to victory through sheer will and big plays in crunch time. However, there are some key differences that make one game perhaps stranger than the other.
The Metrodome Miracle comeback was larger, with the Vikings erasing a 10-point deficit in the final 37 seconds. Favre threw the game-winning touchdown as time expired. It also came against division rivals the Lions, adding more significance. However, it wasn’t on national primetime television like the Monday Night game.
The Monday Night Miracle saw Favre lead two scoring drives in the final 3:38 while down 14 points on the road. He threw the game-winning 48-yard bomb to Nelson as time expired on Monday Night Football. The national spotlight and do-or-die situation with no timeouts perhaps makes this comeback slightly stranger.
Ultimately, both games show Favre at his absolute best in the clutch. His willingness to take chances and play with a reckless abandon led to two of the most unbelievable fourth quarter comebacks in NFL history. Favre’s gunslinging style and ability to will his teams to victory through the air made strange and improbable outcomes somewhat commonplace. While each game has a compelling case, most fans and analysts agree these two contests stand out as Brett Favre’s strangest due to the incredible circumstances surrounding each comeback victory. Favre wrote himself into NFL lore by making the impossible possible on multiple occasions.
