Minnesota Vikings vs Arizona Cardinals Box Score on Dec 10, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Dec 10, 2015

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals won't know until Sunday if they clinched the NFC West title, but they made sure Thursday that they are going to the playoffs -- and likely as one of the NFC's top two seeds.

Arizona held off the Minnesota Vikings 23-20 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Cardinals blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead but got a 47-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro, his third of the game, with 1:28 remaining to snap a tie and take the lead for good.

The Vikings had a chance to win it or at least force overtime, but veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney forced a fumble by Teddy Bridgewater that was recovered by the Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell with five seconds to go. Arizona just had to take one kneel-down after the turnover to run off the clock.

The Cardinals (11-2) extended their winning streak to seven games and officially assured themselves of at least a playoff berth. They can claim their first division title since 2009 if the Seattle Seahawks lose or tie Sunday at Baltimore.

Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer worked over a depleted Minnesota defense that was missing a handful of starters, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns. He has 31 scoring passes on the year, breaking Kurt Warner's single-season franchise record.

The loss was the second in a row and the third in four weeks for the Vikings, who are jockeying to stay in playoff contention. Bridgewater and running back Adrian Peterson helped Minnesota (8-5) get in position to tie the score at 20 with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings' defense couldn't stop the league's No. 1-ranked offense down the stretch.

Minnesota ultimately was done in by three turnovers, all fumbles. Peterson, who rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries after twice calling out the Vikings' coaching staff for only giving him the ball eight times in last week's loss to the Seahawks, had one of the fumbles.

Palmer, who was 25 of 35 with no interceptions, threw touchdown passes of 65 yards to wide receiver John Brown and 42 yards to wide receiver Michael Floyd. After Catanzaro connected on a 23-yarder at the start of the fourth, Arizona had a 20-10 lead.

After a 53-yard field goal by Vikings kicker Blair Walsh, Bridgewater, who was 25 of 36 for 335 yards, fired a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace to tie the score at 20.

Minnesota limped into the game without four starters on defense and without three others right behind them on the depth chart. The missing starters were nose tackle Linval Joseph (foot/knee), linebacker Anthony Barr (groin/hand) and both safeties, Harrison Smith (knee/hamstring) and Andrew Sendejo (knee).

Those losses looked like they were going to doom the Vikings early as the Cardinals and their No. 1-ranked offense easily motored down the field on the game's opening possession. Palmer completed his first eight passes until running back David Johnson dropped a bullet at the goal line on third-and-goal from the Minnesota 9-yard line.

But after holding Arizona to a field goal, the Vikings had to like their chances as Bridgewater and Peterson took turns making big plays. They went 80 yards in less than 3 1/2 minutes on their opening drive, capped by a brilliant 9-yard touchdown run by Peterson in which he made two cat-quick cuts, then powered through the middle for his 100th career TD.

The Cardinals were missing their share of impact players as well, including tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee), cornerback Jerraud Powers (calf strain), defensive tackle Frostee Rucker (ankle) and running back Andre Ellington (turf toe).

But they still had Palmer and they still have perhaps the best speed in the NFL. Palmer used it to his advantage once again, connecting with Brown on a 65-yard touchdown pass and a 10-7 Cardinals lead.

Both quarterbacks had almost identical numbers at halftime. Bridgewater was 11 of 14 for 162 yards. Palmer was 12 of 16 for 161 yards.

Minnesota got a 44-yard field goal from Walsh with two seconds left in the second quarter to send the Vikings into the visitor's locker room tied at 10-10.

NOTES: Cardinals S Tony Jefferson, who was listed as questionable with a pulled hamstring, played against Minnesota. ... Vikings RB Adrian Peterson moved ahead of Steven Jackson (11,388) for 17th place on the NFL's all-time rushing list. ... The Cardinals and Vikings entered the game tied for fourth in fewest points allowed per game (19.3). ... With his second-quarter sack of Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater, Arizona DE Calais Campbell moved past Eric Swann and into fifth place on the franchise's all-time list (46).