Field Level Media
Oct 14, 2018
Latavius Murray rushed for 155 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, Kirk Cousins had a passing and rushing touchdown, and the Minnesota Vikings downed the visiting Arizona Cardinals 27-17 on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Cousins completed 24 of 34 passes for 233 yards. Adam Thielen caught 11 passes for 123 yards and a score for the Vikings (3-2-1).
Cardinals rookie Josh Rosen completed 21 of 31 passes for 240 yards and was picked off once. David Johnson gained 55 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown, Christian Kirk caught six passes for 77 yards and safety Budda Baker scored on a 36-yard fumble return for Arizona (1-5).
Minnesota led 13-10 at halftime.
Rosen connected with Kirk three times for 47 yards during a first-quarter drive, which led to Phil Dawson's 26-yard field goal.
Minnesota took a 7-3 lead midway through the quarter on a six-play, 75-yard drive. Murray had a 26-yard rush to advance the ball into Cardinals' territory. He finished it off with a 21-yard burst to the end zone, the Vikings' first rushing touchdown this season.
Johnson lost a fumble on Arizona's next possession and the Vikings cashed in on Dan Bailey's 37-yard field goal.
Arizona had a chance to tie it early in the second after getting inside the Minnesota 10-yard line. But Johnson was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
The defense did what the offense couldn't by scoring a touchdown to even the score. Defensive end Chandler Jones strip-sacked Cousins, and Baker scooped up the ball and raced into the end zone with 4:13 left in the half.
Bailey drilled a 48-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half.
Cousins hooked up with Thielen four times during a third-quarter scoring drive, including a 13-yard touchdown pass over the middle to make it 20-10.
Following a three-and-out by the Cardinals, Minnesota quickly scored again. Murray's 34-yard run set up Cousins' 7-yard scoring keeper.
Rosen engineered a seven-play, 69-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter as Arizona cut the Vikings' lead to 27-17. He completed two passes for 31 yards to Larry Fitzgerald before Johnson scored on a 1-yard plunge.
--Field Level Media