Randy Moss couldn't get a grip on this end-zone pass in the third quarter Sunday.

Moss, who as a rookie last season had 13 receptions for 343 yards with touchdowns of 52, 44 and 49 yards in two convincing victories over the Packers, was held to two catches Sunday for 13 yards.

Despite his limited productivity, Moss almost lifted Minnesota to another victory when his 10-yard touchdown reception with 1:56 remaining put the Vikings on top 20-16.

Only Brett Favre's 23-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 with 12 seconds remaining to cap a 77-yard march prevented another Vikings' victory courtesy of Moss.

"It is a nightmare dealing with the receivers that they have. I'll be honest with you," Packers coach Ray Rhodes said. "They have some outstanding receivers with height, size and speed. They made plays on us. Our young guys that were lined up and some of our veterans guys had to battle for their lives to slow this group down."

With Moss attracting extra coverage, Jake Reed caught six passes for 108 yards, including a 50-yarder that set up Minnesota's fourth-quarter score, and Cris Carter added four catches for 85 yards.

"They were doing a lot of combination coverages," Carter said. "They doubled up on Randy. That has to open some of the rest of us. They bumped Randy on almost every play and they had safety help over the top. That's what made it so difficult to get him the football. They did what they had to do."

After being scorched last season by Moss and Co., as well as several other big-play receivers, the Packers spent their first three draft picks on defensive backs Antuan Edwards, Fred Vinson and Mike McKenzie, who covered Moss much of the time.

"As a group on defense, we went out there and made some plays," McKenzie said. "They made some plays here and there, but as a group we never gave up. We didn't give in to them and we didn't get down on ourselves. As a defensive unit, we really came out and stepped up to the challenge."

Edwards accounted for the Packers' first touchdown, stepping in front of Moss for his first NFL interception and returning it 26 yards for the score.

"They tried to run the hitch like three times in a row, and then they put Randy on the inside," Edwards said. "I thought if they run the hitch again, I know he's cutting behind him. And it worked out. I read it really clean."

The 6-foot-4 Moss almost had another touchdown on a fade into the corner of the end zone, but officials ruled he juggled the ball, and the call was upheld on replay.

Defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas devoted considerable practice time to defending Moss.

"The only thing we did defensively, Emmitt came in and tried to make sure we had packages to try to take Moss out of the game," Rhodes said. "For the most part of the game we did have something for Moss. We tried to double him and play him high and low and keep people over the top of him as much as we could. But, the guy's a player. I want to say he might have been doubled when he scored. He made something happen. But, we did put a lot of energy and effort to stop Moss."