Minnesota's Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes but Dwight Lowery's interception return score with 90 seconds to play gave the New York Jets a 29-20 victory over the Vikings.
In a Monday night game that stretched into Tuesday morning thanks to a 45-minute delay at the start because of a lightning storm, it was National Football League all-time passing leader Favre who provided an electrifying finish.
"I'm disappointed. I was thinking we were going to win," Favre said. "There are some things I have to do better." A day after his 41st birthday, Favre fought through tendinitis in his throwing elbow and connected on touchdown throws of 11 and 34 yards to Percy Harvin and 37 to fellow legend Randy Moss in their first game as teammates. "Brett Favre is an amazing competitor and a tremendous quarterback," Jets coach Rex Ryan said.
Moss joined the Vikings last week after being traded from New England amid reports of conflicts with other players while a scandal erupted around Favre, who is accused of sending lewd e-mails and messages to a former Jets employee. Favre said he was never distracted by the off-field issues. "No different than any other time. I concentrated on this game. I gave it my all. It wasn't good enough," Favre said. "I played as hard as I ever have. I prepared as well I ever did. I was focused on the New York Jets."
Moss, who made four catches for 81 yards, said the entire team backs Favre. "I know he has a lot on his plate. He has a lot of things going on," Moss said. "But we're going to stick by him. Simple as that." With the Vikings trailing 22-20 and needing to move half a field to set up a potential winning field goal, Favre misfired and Lowery returned a pick-off 26 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.
"That's a heck of a win," Ryan said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game. Our challenge was to keep digging, dig deep and find a way to get it done. I'm proud. We didn't know how we would do it but we got it done." Nick Folk kicked five field goals for the Jets, who improved to 4-1 after their fourth win in a row, all without a turnover, while Minnesota fell to 1-3 after losing a match of teams that were a win shy of last season's Super Bowl.
"It was ugly at times but me hanging in there and us maturing enabled us to get a win," said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Lightning bolts forced spectators to leave their seats for cover and sent players off the field and into the locker rooms until the danger passed. The Vikings struggled for most of three quarters in wet and miserable conditions against an aggressive Jets defence before Favre, who fumbled for his 161st career time to match an NFL record, found his magic once more.
Favre, who spent a season with the Jets between his first and second failed retirements, connected with Harvin on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 12:47 to play to pull the Vikings within 15-13, but a two-point conversion pass failed. The Jets answered with their first touchdown, Shonn Greene capping the New York march with a 23-yard touchdown run, and a conversion kick put the hosts ahead 22-13 with 4:30 to play with the Vikings needing two scores to win.
Favre responded by moving Minnesota down the field 54 yards in 81 seconds and found Harvin in the back of the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 3:09 to play, pulling the Vikings within 22-20. "They could be down 100 points and he would give them a chance," Sanchez said. The Jets botched a chance to run out the clock late and the Vikings got the ball back with 1:48 to play, setting the stage for Lowery's heroics.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
