Vikings-Cardinals: Vikings Stay Ahead of Bears with Impressive Win in Arizona

The Minnesota Vikings were able to defy odds and get a convincing 35-14 victory over the NFC West Champion Arizona Cardinals. The win kept the Vikings a game ahead of the Chicago Bears in the race for the NFC North Division title.

The odds-makers and just about all of the so-called, "experts" had Arizona beating Minnesota, and most had the Vikings losing by double-digits. All of them clearly weren't banking on an Arizona team that came out completely flat.

After the Vikings' game-opening drive sputtered to a quick halt, the Minnesota defense did their job and got a quick stop on the other side of the ball. Bernard Berrian, who has seen a bunch of success in recent weeks returning punts and kicks, returned the Cardinals first punt 82 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

Berrian would find himself in the end zone just a short time later. After another Vikings stop, Tarvaris Jackson threw an absolutely perfect pass to Berrian for a 41-yard touchdown.

The Vikings were facing 3rd-and-15 when Jackson bought enough time and found Berrian who was being covered perfectly. That third down efficiency would become a theme for the Vikings who were 10-15 on third down over the course of the game.

The Vikings followed their second touchdown with another quick defensive stop. On the ensuing possession, Tarvaris Jackson found Sidney Rice on a six-yard square-in for the Vikings' third touchdown of the game, and Jackson's second.

The Vikings were up 21-0 when the first quarter ended, which was by far their most productive and complete quarter of football all season.

The Vikings went ahead 28-0 on an 11-yard Jackson pass to Chester Taylor. That touchdown capped a 12 play, 91-yard drive that chewed up over seven minutes of the clock which essentially brought an end to the first half.

The Vikings were in unfamiliar territory entering the third quarter, up 28 after out gaining the Cardinals 160-28 on the ground. Arizona had plans to get their game plan executed and their first drive of the third quarter would produce a touchdown.

Kurt Warner hit his tight end Jerheme Urban on a short comeback route and after a series of missed tackles by the Vikings, Urban found himself in the end zone after taking it 50 yards for six.

After two failed drives, one from each team, the Vikings moved the ball well and were looking to go up 31-7 when they sent Ryan Longwell on the field for a field goal attempt. His attempt was blocked by the Cardinals Rogers-Cromartie and was scooped up by Rod Hood, who took it 68 yards for a touchdown to make the score 28-14.

While the Vikings were up by two touchdowns, the blocked field goal for a touchdown sent shivers throughout Viking fan territory. The Cardinals had the momentum shift their way, and the Vikings had a largely untested quarterback in Jackson who had to weather that momentum shift and produce (at least) a time consuming drive.

The young and often criticised Jackson did exactly that. On 2nd-and-11 from his own 41-yard line, Jackson looked calm in the pocket looked right at his target, looked left quickly to draw the safety away, looked back right, threw a small shoulder fake that troubled the Arizona cornerback and threw a perfect pass to Bobby Wade behind the corner which took Wade up the sideline for a 59-yard score.

It was exactly what the Vikings needed and Jackson was able to deliver.

With a 35-14 lead, the Vikings stout defense locked the Cardinals up for the rest of the game. Warner and the Cardinals failed to convert on a 4th-and-15 on the ensuing drive, which just about ended the game.

Warner was under fire from all angles. He faced all sorts of blitz packages, and was hurried or touched almost every single down. Jared Allen, who played the game with a strained Medial Collateral Ligament, (an injury that would sideline most for a large chunk of any football season) hurried Warner all day, and got two sacks.

The Cardinals would get the ball twice more and would be unable to convert either drive for a score. The game ended 35-14.

The Vikings can take a lot away from this victory. This was easily their most complete victory. Most importantly, it was a vital win. The Vikings moved to 9-5 on the year and kept themselves a game ahead of the Chicago Bears with two games to play.

The Vikings play the Atlanta Falcons, who kept themselves in playoff contention today with a victory over the Tampa Bay. The Vikings play their last two games at home where they are 5-1.

A victory over the Falcons on Sunday afternoon would clinch the NFC North Division for the Vikings because of the tie break situation they have with the Bears.

To all of those pundits who picked the Cardinals to beat the Vikings this week, how easy is it going to pick against the Vikings next week?