Vickings outlast Packers

Cris Carter kept his starting streak alive, but his services weren't needed. Randy Moss was all over the field on Monday night.

Cris Carter kept his starting streak alive, but his services weren't needed. Randy Moss was all over the field on Monday night.

Moss caught five passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Green Bay Packers 24-20 at the Metrodome.

Moss also atoned for his fumbled punt that led to a Green Bay touchdown by hauling in a 36-yard pass from Jeff George that set up Leroy Hoard's 1-yard run for the winning score with nine minutes left.

The Vikings (8-6) snapped a two-game skid and moved within a game of NFC Central leader Tampa Bay. The Packers fell to 7-7, tied with the New York Giants, Dallas and Carolina in the wild-card logjam.

The Packers had one last chance, driving to the Minnesota 27, before Brett Favre was intercepted by Robert Griffith in the end zone on the final play.

George's two touchdown tosses to Moss and the longest scramble of his 10-year career staked the Vikings to a 17-13 lead after three quarters.

But rookie Basil Mitchell, who forced two fumbles that led to 10 points, jarred the ball loose from Moss on a punt return and Tod McBride recovered for Green Bay at the Vikings' 37.

The Vikings appeared to stop the Packers at the 9, and Ryan Longwell came in for his third chip-shot field goal. But holder Matt Hasselbeck, Favre's backup, threw a touchdown strike to tight end Jeff Thomason for a 20-17 lead with 12:31 remaining.

Carter extended his starting streak to 111 games despite a severely sprained right ankle that had him in a cast all week. But he was no factor, playing just a few snaps in the first quarter and not getting any balls thrown his way.

The Packers led 13-10 at halftime on the strength of Dorsey Levens' 1-yard run and two Longwell field goals. Levens returned to the lineup after missing two games with a cracked rib and gained 99 yards on 26 carries.

But the Vikings converted three third downs on their way to the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, including a 17-yard scramble by George to the Green Bay 42, George's longest run ever.

After Levens bullied in from the 1 for a 7-3 Packers lead, Robert Tate fumbled the ensuing kickoff and rookie De'Mond Parker recovered for Green Bay at the Minnesota 23, leading to Longwell's 26-yarder and a 10-3 lead.

The Vikings tied on Moss's 57-yard touchdown catch with 4:17 left in the half. George had a great play fake to Leroy Hoard, then hit Moss, who blew past Tyrone Williams, in stride at the 25.

Tate, a converted receiver, also had a 15-yard face mask penalty, but he saved a touchdown when he tackled William Henderson at the 3, forcing Longwell to try a 22-yarder, which he made with three seconds left in the half.

Gary Anderson, who had scuffed through a 10-miss season one year after becoming the first perfect kicker in NFL history, nailed a 43-yarder for a 3-0 Minnesota lead. Anderson had been 0-for-6 from 41 yards and out.

The archrivals fancied themselves as the NFC's best four months ago but are now scrambling just to make the playoffs. But both showed a spark on defense Monday night that they'd been lacking all season.

All week, it was thought that the loser between the two underachievers would miss out on the postseason party, but five other NFC playoff contenders lost Sunday, leaving the logjam in place.