MINNEAPOLIS – Adrian Peterson gave Minnesota another injury-defying performance. This time, Christian Ponder and the rest of the Vikings provided the necessary balance.
Peterson raced 61 yards for the game-sealing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, padding his NFL rushing lead with 171 yards on 27 carries for the Vikings in a 34-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Peterson had 120 yards in the final 15 minutes, 10 1/2 months after reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Ponder bounced back from a rough game with 221 yards and two touchdowns on 24-for-32 passing for the Vikings (6-4).
Rookie Jarius Wright filled in for injured standout Percy Harvin and scored in his first NFL game. Tight end Kyle Rudolph had a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, too. Ponder passed for almost as many yards in the first quarter of this game (57) as he did last week at Seattle (6-3).
But with the Vikings, it always comes back to Peterson. He has 353 yards in the last two games.
Calvin Johnson had 207 yards on 12 catches, including a touchdown that brought the Lions (4-5) a little closer with 1:53 left. But Johnson’s lost fumble near midfield on the previous possession put Vikings rookie Blair Walsh in position for his fourth field goal.
Matthew Stafford threw touchdown passes to Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young to cap quick 80-plus-yard drives in the second half, fueled by Johnson and his ailing left knee that sure didn’t look too bad. Their sluggish start, though, was too much to overcome.
The Lions lost defensive end Cliff Avril in the third quarter to a possible concussion, and cornerback Chris Houston left on a cart with what was announced as an ankle injury.
Winning this game was critical for both teams and their quest to make the playoffs, which for the Lions would be their first consecutive appearances since three in a row from 1993 to 1995 and for the Vikings would be their first since Brett Favre’s renaissance in 2009.
The rest of the schedule is brutal on each side. Detroit’s remaining opponents took a combined 44-16 record into Sunday, and Detroit plays Green Bay and Houston next. The Lions can play five of their last seven contests at home, however.
The Vikings face four of their final six on the road, with their only home games against Chicago and Green Bay. To have a fighting chance in this challenging stretch, the Vikings badly needed a boost for Ponder and their ragged passing scheme.
The defense had been in a slump, too, failing to force a turnover in either of the previous two games and allowing four straight 100-yard rushers. Progress was made there, too. Chad Greenway’s interception set up Walsh’s first field goal. Mikel Leshoure’s team-leading total was 43 yards rushing.
