by By Rick Alonzo ralonzo@pioneerpress.com , St. Paul Pioneer Press

Here's a closer look at how the special teams unfolded in favor of the Vikings :

THE BIG RETURNS

Kick returner Percy Harvin was explosive, breaking returns of 77 and 48 yards. He piled up 175 yards on five returns in all. He was a key in helping the Vikings dominate field position. His longest return of 77 yards came late in the first quarter, and it was a result of big blocks by several teammates along the right side, including Jeff Dugan and Jim Kleinsasser.

Dugan made perhaps the most important block on the run when he hit linebacker Brad Jones and engaged him until Harvin could cut up inside a seam. Dugan's block came at the 25-yard line. Kleinsasser's block was about 10 yards farther up the field on Spencer Havner.

Harvin made Packers kicker Mason Crosby miss at the 40-yard line and then was off to the races down the field, outrunning Desmond Bishop and Nick Collins. He was brought down by John Kuhn at the 14-yard line. That return set up a touchdown by Adrian Peterson when he was able to punch it across the goal line on fourth down from the 1.

It gave the Vikings a 7-3 lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter, and they would never trail after that.

"Great blocking," Harvin said. "I just tell the blockers to give me a hole and I'm going to hit it 100 mph. They've been doing a great job of that the last couple weeks, and we hope to be able to continue to do that."

Said Dugan: "Percy's done a great job returning kicks. ... Everybody had a good block. The whole right side, it was just seal it off and Percy hits it. The whole kickoff return team has done great."

Late in the third quarter, after the Packers had cut the Vikings' lead to 24-20, Harvin's 48-yard return set up the Vikings at the Green Bay 38-yard line. The drive ended with Dugan catching a 2-yard touchdown pass to put the Vikings up 31-20.

THE FUMBLE

The only big mistake by the Vikings' special teams came during the third quarter and helped the Packers get momentum during their rally.

Clearly afraid of what Harvin could do to hurt them, the Packers tried a squib kick, trailing 24-6. The Vikings' Brian Robison recovered the ball and was pushing to try to gain extra yards when Green Bay's A.J. Hawk came in and stripped the ball loose. Nick Collins recovered the ball for the Packers at the Minnesota 41.

The Packers turned that turnover into a touchdown with a five-play drive capped by Aaron Rodgers' 16-yard touchdown pass to Havner.

"It's just a mishap during the game," Robison said. "I tried to return the kick. Their guys did a good job of stripping it. I couldn't get the other hand over (the ball to protect it). But, no excuses. Their guys made a good play stripping at the ball, that's all there was to it."

THE FIELD GOAL

Ryan Longwell kicked a 41-yard field goal right before the end of the first half that put the Vikings ahead 17-3, giving them a two-touchdown cushion. Although it would have been better to get a touchdown in that situation, it showed what a luxury it is to have Longwell as the Vikings' kicker.

The conditions were windy, and an attempt from that distance is not easy. Except, perhaps, for Longwell, who makes kicks look easy. He's made 60 of 62 field-goal attempts from inside 45 yards since joining the Vikings in 2006.

And having played for the Packers for nine years, Longwell knows how to kick at Lambeau Field.

"It's very different obviously than (the Metrodome)," Longwell said. "You've got to take into account the footing, first of all. Really measure the wind every time you go out there. It's different every single time. You approach it slower, a little calmer than you would in the dome. You've just got to know where you're aiming and kick it where you're aiming.

"The one shot we had today, I hit it really well. Great snap, great hold and (I) hit it right down the middle."

Green Bay's Mason Crosby missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt wide right in the fourth quarter that would have cut the Vikings' lead to 31-29.

THE FIELD-POSITION GAME

The Vikings dominated the coverage units throughout the game. Green Bay's Ahman Green averaged just 20.1 yards on seven kick returns. His longest return was 28 yards.

For punt returns, Green Bay's Tramon Williams had one for eight yards. Minnesota's Chris Kluwe had three punts, averaging 45.7 yards. He had a long of 59 yards. He had two that were downed inside the 20-yard line and one touchback.

The excellent play by the Vikings' coverage units allowed them to win the field-position game. Minnesota's average starting field position was its own 46-yard line. Green Bay's average start was from its 29.

"I can't say enough, halfway through the season, about what our special teams have allowed us to do, as far as field position starts," Vikings coach Brad Childress said.

Vikings punt returner Jaymar Johnson averaged just 7.4 yards on five returns, but he had a long of 20. And because he didn't have any fair catches, he didn't allow the ball to hit the ground and bounce in favor of the Packers. So he played an important role as well.

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