After giving up 263 yards in the first half to a Cardinals team that ran 41 plays, the Vikings allowed just 38 in the game’s next 28 minutes and turned up the pressure on Carson Palmer to end two late Cardinals drives.
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NY took the lead on Manning’s 15-yard touchdown pass to receiver Sterling Shepard with 6:49 left in the third quarter. The losing streak is left the Vikings in a state of shock, because they started the season with five straight wins.
They were: Minnesota’s flea-flicker which drew a pass interference penalty on safety Tony Jefferson at the 2-yard-line; the backbreaking 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes; and, finally, the 104-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
“When you’re struggling and you’ve got a bunch of really good guys, guys that really care, guys tend to try to do a little too much, including myself”, coach Mike Zimmer said.
NY has grown old with its best players – Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and Darrelle Revis – all nearing the end of the road and the Jets have multiple bodies and very little promise at quarterback. That means the early game on Thanksgiving in Detroit will be for sole possession of the NFC North lead.
The offense is getting it done, and now the defense is chipping in. The same goes for the Vikings, as they need a win today to break their four-game losing streak. Now faced with one of their toughest assignments yet in trying to contain Chandler Jones and Calais Campbell, the job of keeping Bradford upright does not appear to be a likely scenario all things considered.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) carries the ball past Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The NFC runner-up last season fell further into the background of the playoff picture with four more road games remaining.
“I think it was weighing on everyone”, Bradford said of the four-game slide. The quick dropbacks did limit the contact from the Arizona pass rush, as Bradford was sacked only twice. I know everybody thinks I’m insane, but my goal is to win the division. So the joy of winning, it’s a great feeling. Larry Fitzgerald led the Cardinals in receiving with 63 yards on six catches. In four starts against the Vikings, Palmer has a 105.2 rating, with seven TD passes, one interception and a 3-1 record. Green, who died on July 22 at age 67, was honored before the game with a video tribute and a painting presentation to his wife and three of his children.
Then Forbath kicked an extra point and you’ve never in your life heard a louder collective cheer for an extra point. Forbath’s ensuing kickoff was short, setting up a 49-yard return by Brittan Golden.
A close game is in the offing between the Cardinals and the Vikings, with both teams still having work to do in order to have a good second half to the season.
The Bengals have been even worse than the Cardinals but less surprising as the cracks in their armor were obvious in their Wild Card meltdown last January vs. the Steelers. That may be easier than expected, as the Cardinals are without a few of their impact players. They can prepare for a key holiday game with the Lions.
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The Vikings had those concerns before Sunday’s game as a team that was fading fast with no progress in sight.
