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| Jeff Gross/Getty Images |
| QB Tarvaris Jackson was 11-of-17 passing in his return to the Vikings' starting lineup Sunday against the Cardinals. |
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Watching from the sidelines all those weeks turned out to be just what Tarvaris Jackson needed.
When he got another chance to start Sunday, everything came so much easier.
Playing in place of injured Gus Frerotte, Jackson threw four touchdown passes, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals 35-14 to stay alone atop the NFC North.
"People ask me did watching Gus help," Jackson said. "I can't really point out exactly what helped. But I felt like I've come a long ways since I've been watching him the last what, 12 or 13 weeks."
» Vikings RB Adrian Peterson posted his third straight 100-yard game, his ninth of the season and the 15th of his two-year career.
» QB Matt Leinart played in the last series for the Cardinals, just the second time he has seen action this season.
» The Cardinals gained just 43 rushing yards, compared to 239 for the Vikings.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 165 yards on 28 carries, his franchise-record ninth 100-yard game of the season for the Vikings (9-5), who won their fourth in a row. In the process, Peterson broke Minnesota's single-season rushing record with two games to play. The Vikings can clinch the division title with another victory or a loss by the Chicago Bears.
Bernard Berrian scored Minnesota's first two touchdowns -- on an 82-yard punt return and 41-yard reception -- as the Vikings led 21-0 in the first quarter and 28-0 at halftime.
Jackson, who lost his starting job two games into the season, had touchdown passes of 41, 6, 11 and 59 yards. The last was to Bobby Wade in the waning seconds of the third quarter after Arizona had cut the lead to 28-14. Jackson was 11-of-17 passing for 163 yards.
"He looked real good," Peterson said. "He looked poised, he looked comfortable out there. He made some big plays."
But don't even ask Vikings coach Brad Childress about whether Jackson will start even when Frerotte is healthy. A reporter didn't even get the question out before Childress cut him off.
"Don't even go there," Childress said. "It's a nice luxury to have two guys. We've said all the way along we're probably going to need a couple to get it done."
Arizona (8-6) fell flat one week after clinching its first division title in 33 years. Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett called it "a lackadaisical effort."
The Cardinals lost at home for the second time this season in the team's most one-sided defeat there in Ken Whisenhunt's two seasons as coach.
"It appeared to me in the game that we did not come out ready to play," Whisenhunt said. "That's something we had concerns about because we hadn't handled success that well in the past."
Minnesota put pressure on Kurt Warner all afternoon to hold down an Arizona passing game that's ranked No. 2 in the NFL. Warner was 29-of-45 passing for 270 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"We don't have any room for letdowns or games like this. We've got to keep getting better," Warner said. "But that's a good football team, good on the offensive and defensive lines, and I think that's where this game was really won and lost today."
And it was never really close.
After Anquan Boldin dropped a pass that would have been a first down for the Cardinals, Berrian took a punt down the left sideline 82 yards for a touchdown. The next time Arizona had the ball, Warner overthrew Steve Breaston, who could only tip it, and Cedric Griffin's one-handed interception gave Minnesota possession at the Cardinals' 47.
Jackson threw a perfect lob down the right sideline on third-and-15 to Berrian for a 41-yard touchdown, and it was 14-0 with 6:39 still to go in the first.
Arizona turned it over again the next time, too. Boldin was stripped of the ball by Antoine Winfield, and Darren Sharper returned the fumble 20 yards to the Cardinals' 23. Six plays later, again on third down, Jackson threw 6 yards to Sidney Rice to put Minnesota ahead 21-0 with 2:43 remaining in the first quarter.
Find out who made the Pro Bowl when voting results are announced live on NFL Network on Tue., Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. ET on the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl Selection Show presented by State Farm.» NFL Network schedule |
Then the Vikings turned to their potent ground game. Peterson ran 32 yards on second-and-20 at the Minnesota 9 to ignite a 12-play, 91-yard drive that used up 7:06 and ended with Jackson's 11-yard touchdown pass to Chester Taylor.
Jerheme Urban broke free on a 50-yard scoring pass play from Warner on the third play of the second half to make it 28-7. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked Ryan Longwell's 35-yard field-goal try, and Rod Hood returned the ball 68 yards for a touchdown that cut the lead to 28-14.
But there would be no comeback. Wade faked out cornerback Hood and was wide open down the right sideline for 59 yards and the score that made it a 21-point game.
Notes: Vikings DT Pat Williams left the game in the second quarter after aggravating a shoulder injury. Williams has been playing because a federal judge in Minnesota issued an injunction blocking his league suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy. ... Arizona must win one of its last two games to avoid a second straight 8-8 season.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
