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| AP Has Another Big Day W/ 160 Yards Rus |
RECAP: Adrian Peterson continued his re-emergence as the Vikings' most valuable player with a dazzling 160-yard, two-touchdown performance to lead Minnesota to its first victory of 2010 against the always forgiving Lions (0-3). Brett Favre (23 of 34, 201 yards) was pressured plenty by Detroit's staunch defensive line and threw a pair of interceptions. But he connected with nine different receivers trying to establish some type of rhythm. His 24-yard touchdown strike to Percy Harvin tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter before the Vikings handed over the offense to Peterson.
MEANING: Favre and the passing game remain mostly inefficient but there is no mystery to Minnesota's offensive identity -- hand the ball to Peterson and let him pound the ball up field. The Vikings improve to 1-2 and salvage some dignity entering the bye week, with a brutal stretch of games looming against perennial playoff teams. They are off until Oct. 11, when they travel to New York for a Monday night matchup against reality show darlings the Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium.
PLAY OF THE GAME: First-and-10 at the Detroit 20 with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter and leading 17-10, Peterson hits the line of scrimmage, stiff arms C.C. Brown and out runs the Lions' safety for an 80-yard touchdown to put the game in a vise. It was Peterson's longest career run and the fourth-longest in team history.
ETC.: Linebackers Ben Leber and Chad Greenway recovered key Lions turnovers. Greenway
recovered Stefan Logan's muffed punt to set up Harvin's touchdown while Leber intercepted former Viking Shaun Hill's pass at the goal line as the Lions were driving for a score late in the fourth quarter. Antoine Winfield later intercepted Hill in the end zone with 58 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
UP NEXT: Vikings at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, ESPN, KFAN-AM 1130
