Recap Of Vikings Loss To Dolphins

Adrian Peterson could not be contained by the Dolphins defense but there were too many mistakes and miscues for the Vikings to overcome in their home opener. The result was a 14-10 victory for the Dolphins at Mall of America Field on Sunday, as a visiting team won a regular season game at the Vikings home stadium for the 1st time since December of 2008.

The mistakes and miscues added up for the Vikings, as they were penalized 7 times for 44 yards and turned the ball over 4 times. While one Vikings superstar - Peterson – was up to his old tricks (28 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD), another Vikings superstar just couldn’t get it going. Favre lost a fumble in the endzone that was recovered for a TD and he threw 3 INTs.

Usually dominant at home, where they accumulated a 9-0 record last year, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 1st half. Favre drove the Vikings from their own 29 to Miami’s 32 in just 9 plays on the game’s opening drive, but a decision to go for it on 4th down ended up costing the Vikings points. Miami’s defense held and the offense immediately drove on the Vikings defense to take a quick 7-0 lead.

Both teams scored TDs in the 3rd quarter. Miami scored when LB Koa Misi fell on Favre’s endzone fumble and the Vikings scored when LB Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble forced by his older brother, E.J., near the Dolphins goal line. Peterson plowed his way into the endzone 2 plays after the Hendersons combined to turn Miami over.

The Vikings held Miami to just 1 first down and 4 total plays on the ensuing drive, giving the offense possession after a punt on the Vikings 11-yardline. That’s where the Vikings relied on their workhorse, Peterson, to take over. Peterson accounted for 62 yards on the Vikings drive and after a sack of Favre, Ryan Longwell came on to salvage a few points by splitting the uprights on a 28-yard try that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10.

The Vikings defense rose up 3 more times from that point on but the Vikings offense wasn’t able to capitalize. Following Longwell’s FG, Minnesota forced the Dolphins to a 3-and-out. But Favre followed with an INT, giving the Dolphins possession on their own 34. One play later, the Vikings defense forced another Dolphins fumble and Favre and Co. took possession on Miami’s 24.

Five plays after the recovered fumble, the Vikings had a 4th and goal from the 1, but Miami’s defense bowed up and stopped Peterson, giving their offense possession on the 1.

From there, the Dolphins picked up 1 first down via a holding penalty against the Vikings defense, but DT Kevin Williams batted down a Chad Henne pass on 3rd down, which gave the Purple another chance to mount a game-winning drive.

The Vikings took over after a punt on their own 45. Favre drove the team down to the Dolphins 31 on 3 plays, but from there he threw 3 incompletions and eventually the ball was turned over to Miami, where they were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.

The loss drops Minnesota to 0-2, the same record they had in 2008 before they won 10 of their next 14 on the way to a division title.