Wade Wilson

Did anyone else notice that on the important final weekend of the NFL season, the quarterback voted to the NFL Pro Bowl team by the players (Wade Wilson) was benched in the middle of a home game while Jim Everett of the Rams threw four touchdown passes on the road in San Francisco? Give the vote back to the fans. ANDY GUYER San Diego

Jerry Burns had his hook ready, but stuck with Wade Wilson. Wilson went on to complete 14 straight passes in the second half and finish with a career-high 391 passing yards Sunday, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 44-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. Burns nearly pulled Wilson when Detroit linebacker George Jamison tipped a pass by Wilson, intercepted it and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Lions to within 13-10 with 2:40 left in the first half.

How successfully can football be played in January weather? Well, some athletes can make it look like a romp on a summer afternoon, as two National Football League quarterbacks did Saturday: --At San Francisco, the Minnesota Vikings' surprise backup sensation, Wade Wilson, became the All-Pro quarterback of the playoffs--at least for the first two weeks--with his second consecutive big game for the wild-card Minnesota Vikings, who upset the 49ers, 36-24.

Here it was Wade Wilson's big chance, his first season-opening start at quarterback since knocking 'em dead at tiny East Texas State seven seasons ago, and, well, there were problems. In order of appearance: --His Minnesota Viking receivers, most notably Anthony Carter, were having some problems catching. Carter, usually reliable in such situations, kept dropping Wilson's passes as if the balls were coated with your favorite 10W-40 multi-grade.

Minnesota quarterback Wade Wilson, having thrown three interceptions in the first half, and wide receiver Anthony Carter, who had two of those passes bounce off his hands, both redeemed themselves in the third quarter Sunday. Wilson, starting in place of the injured Tommy Kramer, came back to throw three second-half touchdown passes, including a 73-yard play to Carter, to lead the Vikings past the Detroit Lions, 34-19.

Thanks to Wade Wilson's superb relief passing performance and to what New Orleans Coach Jim Mora felt was his team's ineptitude, Wilson's Minnesota Vikings went out winners and Mora's Saints went out losers. Wilson, starting in place of injured quarterback Tommy Kramer, had his second three-touchdown passing game of the year Sunday as the Vikings built a 27-point halftime lead en route to a 33-17 season-ending victory over the Saints.

Talk about an emotional roller coaster. Minnesota backup quarterback Wade Wilson, who started because Tommy Kramer was banged up, was yanked after a disappointing first half Sunday in which the Philadelphia Eagles took a 23-0 lead, then returned in the fourth quarter and led the Vikings to a 28-23 victory.