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Favre powers Vikes, Jets shock Bolts
BRETT Favre kept his Super Bowl dream alive in emphatic fashion by throwing four touchdown passes to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a crushing 34-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys in their divisional playoff on Sunday.
Receiver Sidney Rice pulled in three of Favre's TD passes for the Vikings who will visit the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
In San Diego, the New York Jets pulled off a surprise 17-14 win over the San Diego Chargers to earn an AFC Championship showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
In Minneapolis, the 40-year-old Favre, the oldest starting quarterback in playoff history, threw for 234 yards to continue his outstanding season.
"This is what I came back for - this is what the team expected - to be in the playoff. We had to be confident and we had to play outstanding football. It was a great win for us, in all our phases," Favre told reporters.
The quarterback was expertly protected by his line against a Cowboys defense that went into the game in impressive form.
In the end, it was the Vikings' defensive line that was ruthless, sacking Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo six times in the game.
The hits had an impact as Romo fumbled three times and threw an interception, his most turnovers in a game since the second week of the season.
"It's not rocket science, when the front four are pressurizing you it makes it difficult," Romo said.
Favre, whose four TDs were a personal best in the playoffs, found Rice twice in the first half with expertly floated passes and the Vikings were 17-3 up at halftime.
Minnesota put the game beyond Dallas with a Rice catch on a 45-yard pass from Favre in the fourth before making the win even more emphatic through Visanthe Shiancoe on another looping throw from Favre.
The Cowboys did not help themselves with two missed field goals from kicker Shaun Suisham but it was the lack of protection for Romo that cost them.
"It had a lot to do with pressure, it seemed like Tony was running for his life a lot," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said.
In San Diego, the Jets trailed 3-7 going into the fourth but snatched the lead with a TD when rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a short pass on the run to Dustin Keller.
Another Jets rookie, running back Shonn Greene, then gave the Jets a 17-7 lead with a 53-yard TD run.
San Diego's Nate Kaeding missed his third field goal of the day as the Chargers tried to respond. It was a nightmare game for kicker Kaeding, who had converted his previous 20 kicks going into the game.
Quarterback Philip Rivers ran through the middle from a yard out to bring the Chargers within three points, but it was too late for a team that had gone 13-3 in the season.
The Jets scrambled into the postseason with a 9-7 record and are now one more upset win away from a place in the Super Bowl.
But first year coach Rex Ryan said he did not consider the win, which takes his team to their first AFC Championship game since 1998, to be a shock.
"Not really - we have believed the whole time, the whole year," said Ryan.
Receiver Sidney Rice pulled in three of Favre's TD passes for the Vikings who will visit the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
In San Diego, the New York Jets pulled off a surprise 17-14 win over the San Diego Chargers to earn an AFC Championship showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
In Minneapolis, the 40-year-old Favre, the oldest starting quarterback in playoff history, threw for 234 yards to continue his outstanding season.
"This is what I came back for - this is what the team expected - to be in the playoff. We had to be confident and we had to play outstanding football. It was a great win for us, in all our phases," Favre told reporters.
The quarterback was expertly protected by his line against a Cowboys defense that went into the game in impressive form.
In the end, it was the Vikings' defensive line that was ruthless, sacking Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo six times in the game.
The hits had an impact as Romo fumbled three times and threw an interception, his most turnovers in a game since the second week of the season.
"It's not rocket science, when the front four are pressurizing you it makes it difficult," Romo said.
Favre, whose four TDs were a personal best in the playoffs, found Rice twice in the first half with expertly floated passes and the Vikings were 17-3 up at halftime.
Minnesota put the game beyond Dallas with a Rice catch on a 45-yard pass from Favre in the fourth before making the win even more emphatic through Visanthe Shiancoe on another looping throw from Favre.
The Cowboys did not help themselves with two missed field goals from kicker Shaun Suisham but it was the lack of protection for Romo that cost them.
"It had a lot to do with pressure, it seemed like Tony was running for his life a lot," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said.
In San Diego, the Jets trailed 3-7 going into the fourth but snatched the lead with a TD when rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a short pass on the run to Dustin Keller.
Another Jets rookie, running back Shonn Greene, then gave the Jets a 17-7 lead with a 53-yard TD run.
San Diego's Nate Kaeding missed his third field goal of the day as the Chargers tried to respond. It was a nightmare game for kicker Kaeding, who had converted his previous 20 kicks going into the game.
Quarterback Philip Rivers ran through the middle from a yard out to bring the Chargers within three points, but it was too late for a team that had gone 13-3 in the season.
The Jets scrambled into the postseason with a 9-7 record and are now one more upset win away from a place in the Super Bowl.
But first year coach Rex Ryan said he did not consider the win, which takes his team to their first AFC Championship game since 1998, to be a shock.
"Not really - we have believed the whole time, the whole year," said Ryan.
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