Minnesota 26, Jacksonville 23
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 9, 2012
Where: Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Temperature:
Dome
Head Official:
Robert Dalton
Attendance:
56607
By SportsDirect Inc.
Minnesota 26, Jacksonville 23 (OT): Adrian Peterson ran for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns just eight months removed from major knee surgery, and rookie Blair Walsh's fourth field goal - a 38-yarder in overtime - helped the Minnesota Vikings to a wild win over the Jaguars.
Percy Harvin totaled 192 all-purpose yards for Minnesota (1-0), which sent the game into overtime thanks Walsh's 55-yard field goal at the end of regulation.
Peterson suffered a torn ACL and MCL last Dec. 24, and was questionable heading into this game. But he looked as explosive as ever while surpassing Robert Smith as the franchise's all-time leading rusher with 6,841 yards.
Maurice Jones-Drew, the 2011 rushing champion who ended his messy 38-day holdout last week without a new contract, ran for 77 yards on 19 carries for Jacksonville (0-1). He played more than expected after starter Rashad Jennings left with a knee injury.
Minnesota received the ball first in overtime and drove to the Jacksonville 21, where Walsh connected on the go-ahead kick. Per the NFL's new overtime rules. Walsh's field goal didn't automatically end the game. Jacksonville was afforded a chance to respond, but the Vikings' defense didn't budge.
Second-year quarterback Christian Ponder (20-of-27, 270 yards) rallied Minnesota after Jacksonville QB Blaine Gabbert, maligned as a rookie, connected with Cecil Shorts for a go-ahead, 39-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left. Shorts, a fourth-round pick in 2011 who had just two catches last season, made a diving catch on a post-corner pattern and fell just inside the goal line.
Rookie Justin Blackmon hauled in the two-point conversion for a 23-20 lead, but the Vikings quickly responded. On the ensuing drive, Ponder connected with Devin Aromashodu for 26 yards and then hit tight end Kyle Rudolph to set up Walsh's game-tying field goal.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Jennings started in place of Jones-Drew and ran for 31 yards on eight carries before leaving. … Gabbert was 23-of-39 for 260 yards and two touchdowns. … Jones-Drew ran for 36 yards on eight carries in the opening half. … The Vikings allowed a sack for the 33rd straight game – the longest streak in the NFL. … Blackmon had three catches for 24 yards in his debut.
Top Game Performances
Receiving
| Jacksonville |
|
Minnesota |
|
Cecil Shorts
| Player |
Percy Harvin
|
|
4 |
Receptions |
6 |
|
74 |
Yards |
84 |
|
18.5 |
Avg Yards |
14.0 |
|
1 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
|
39 |
Long |
20 |
Team Stats Summary
| |
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
| Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
| Jacksonville
|
362 |
113 |
249 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2.0 |
1 |
| Minnesota
|
389 |
123 |
266 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
2.0 |
0 |
Upcoming Games
-
Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Indianapolis.
The Vikings have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
-
Jacksonville will play their next game at home against Houston.
The Jaguars have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
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