Vikings survive furious Cardinals comeback

 

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 11/30/2006

Last Sunday, many Vikings fans’ emotions were caught between welcoming back former Head Coach Dennis Green and his All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and pulling for a Vikings win. The Arizona Cardinals were just what the Vikings needed to end a season-long four-game losing streak.

 They broke that streak with a 31-26 win before 63,483 fans, the 92nd-straight sellout at the Metrodome dating back to when Green was head coach of the Vikings from 1992 to 2001. Quarterback Brad Johnson, a man drafted by Green in the seventh round, played brilliantly, throwing for 271 yards and three touchdown passes while the Vikings defense forced five Cardinals turnovers.

 

The Vikings improved to 5-6 and next Sunday travel to Chicago to play the NFC North-leading Bears (9-2) at historic Soldiers Field.

Hard-running Chester Taylor, who has run for 999 yards this season, again set the tone for the Vikings, running for 127 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings trailed 13-7 with time running out in the first half and the home faithful in a foul mood when Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress decided to go for it on a critical fourth and seven at the Cardinals’ 39.

Johnson hit tight end Jermaine Wiggins with a 22-yard pass play over the middle. On the very next play, Johnson hit Marcus Robinson in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 14-13 with  just 37 seconds left.

 

The Vikings used that boost of momentum to take control of the game in the third
quarter and the second half, scoring 24 unanswered points to build a 31-13 lead. Game over, right? Not so fast.

 

Green has always preached to his teams to play 60 minutes. The Cardinals took advantage of a Chester Taylor fumble on the one-yard line when safety Adrian Wilson ran 99 yards for a touchdown.

 

Cardinals rookie quarterback Matt Leinart threw for a career-high 405 yards and went after the Vikings secondary, throwing to talented receivers Anquan Bolden and former Vikings ball boy Larry Fitzgerald Jr., who was born and raised in Minneapolis .

Bolden had nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. Fitzgerald had 11 catches for 172 yards, making several spectacular leaping catches.

 

An official ruled that on what appeared to be a great leaping catch by Fitzgerald on the five-yard line with the Vikings clinging to a 31-26 lead, Vikings defensive back Cedric Griffith forced Fitzgerald out of bounds. Had the catch been ruled good, which it should have been, the Cardinals would have had a first down and goal at the five-yard line with 30 seconds left.

 

On the next play, Leinart, trying to hit Fitzgerald in the end zone, overthrew him; the pass was intercepted in the end zone by Dwight Smith, his second interception of the game. This one saved the day for the Vikings, ending their four-game losing streak and spoiling the highly anticipated return of Green and the local kid Fitzgerald, who starred at Holy Angels High School .

 

Fitzgerald, with 11 receptions in his 40th career game, joined teammate Bolden, Lionel Taylor, Tom Fears, Terry Glenn, and Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow with 200 career catches. They are the only players in NFL history with 200 career catches in fewer than 40 games.

 

Fitzgerald now has 205 career receptions in this, his third NFL season.

 

 

 

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio, 89.9 FM, at 8:20 am, and Monday evenings 6-7 pm. He welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzger ald.com.