Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings Match Player Stats On Oct 21, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 21, 2012

Vikings 21, Cardinals 14: Adrian Peterson rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown and Harrison Smith returned an interception for a score as host Minnesota handed Arizona its third straight loss.

Percy Harvin added a 3-yard touchdown catch for the Vikings (5-2), who defeated the Cardinals for the fourth time in the last five meetings. Brian Robison (three) and Jared Allen (two) combined for five of the Vikings' seven sacks to help offset a poor performance by quarterback Christian Ponder, who was 8-of-17 for 58 yards with two interceptions.

Larod Stephens-Howling rushed for a career-high 104 yards and a touchdown and quarterback John Skelton, replacing the injured Kevin Kolb, was 25-of-36 for 262 yards and a score for Arizona (4-3). The Cardinals trailed 14-7 at halftime before Smith's 31-yard return on the third play of the second half made it 21-7.

Peterson sliced through the Cardinals' defense and scored on a 13-yard run up the middle to open the scoring in the first quarter. Stephens-Howling bulled his way in from the 3-yard line - four plays after Paris Lenon intercepted Ponder at the Vikings' 16 - to tie it 7-7 early in the second.

Ponder's second pick came with five seconds left before halftime when he inexplicably threw a pass while under heavy pressure, which was intercepted by Sam Acho. Arizona could not take advantage, though, as Jay Feely missed a 47-yard field goal wide right.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ponder didn't throw an interception in his first four games this season but has thrown six in his last three contests. ... Cardinals WR Andre Roberts had seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. ... Arizona has yielded an NFL-high 35 sacks this season, including 29 in the last four games.