Before Sunday's Vikings-49ers game, coach Brad Childress suggested to wide receivers coach George Stewart, "Don't be afraid to play Greg Lewis."
Lewis had been signed as a free agent three days before the season opener at Cleveland, after New England released him. Lewis had played for Childress with Philadelphia after making the Eagles roster as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois in 2003.
To make room for Lewis, popular veteran receiver Bobby Wade was released, and there was some criticism of the move in the Vikings locker room.
"I had in my mind the whole game what Brad said," Stewart said. "... Greg has been in this offense for seven years. It's the same offense he's been in in Philadelphia, same offense here. So, it wasn't new for him."
Childress liked Lewis' athleticism better than Wade's. So Wade was let go, and he ended up with Kansas City; he caught six passes for 72 yards in his Chiefs debut last week and had two for 19 yards, including a touchdown, Sunday against the Eagles.
As for Lewis, he was inactive the first two weeks of the season. So he was making his Vikings debut Sunday, playing three plays in the first half. Stewart put Lewis in the game with only 12 seconds to play and the Vikings trailing 24-20 with the ball on the San Francisco 32. But it was Lewis who caught Brett Favre's 32-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone with only 2 seconds left to give the Vikings a 27-24 victory over the 49ers.
"[No. 3 receiver] Percy Harvin was tired," Stewart said. "Percy couldn't run. He was extremely spent. You know, he was ill during the course of the week.
"And I just looked out there, and I just felt it was time to put fresh legs in."