Brett Favre's 10-yard scramble for a first down on third-and-8 late in Sunday's game against Washinngton caused many Vikings fans to ask why on earth the quarterback didn't do the same thing last January in New Orleans.

With the Vikings facing a third-and-15 from the Saints 38-yard line and the scored tied at 28 in the NFC Championship Game, Favre had room to run but instead forced a pass back into the middle of the field for Sidney Rice. Saints cornerback Tracy Porter picked it off and the game went to overtime. New Orleans won on a 40-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley.

Favre's fourth quarter scramble on Sunday came despite the fact he is playing with several injuries, including a stress fracture in his left ankle and another in his left heel that he suffered last month against Green Bay. That day in New Orleans, Favre was dealing with ankle and thigh injuries that happened in that game.

On Wednesday, Favre was asked if he could have scrambled against the Saints or if he was hurting too much to take off.

"I'm sure I could have been," able to run, Favre said. "I've asked myself that question a bunch. San Francisco game last year, could have easily thrown it over to Sidney Rice or thrown it to someone else. [He threw it to Greg Lewis and it resulted in a last-second touchdown.] You make decisions. Physically I was able to play in the Saints game. It would have been a lot tougher a day or two later to play. I could have done that, wish I would have done it. Or I wish I would have thrown it to Bernard [Berrian] in the flat. But that wasn't the case."

Berrian was wide open in the flat and actually would have been the best option because he could have stepped out of bounds and Ryan Longwell would have had a very manageable field-goal attempt on fourth down.