Roof Collapse Sends Giants, Vikings to Detroit

The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants are headed to Detroit tomorrow night to play after the Metrodome's inflated roof collapsed in a snowstorm. The game will kickoff at 7:20, the NFL said. Metrodome officials told the league the roof wouldn't be ready in time to play tomorrow or Tuesday. The league had discussions with Detroit and Indianapolis and briefly considered the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium before deciding to hold the game at Ford Field.

The delay has given Vikings quarterback Brett Favre more time to heal his sprained right shoulder and see if he can extend his streak of 297 straight games started. It will be the first Monday night game ever at Ford Field and first in Michigan since the Pontiac Silverdome hosted one in 2000. The roof collapse is a fitting metaphor in a trying season for the Vikings that has included: the firing of coach Brad Childress; the investigation of Favre for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a Jets hostess 2008; the disappointing play of a 5-7 team that had Super Bowl aspirations. (More Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome stories.)