Peterson outruns Gurley as Vikings squeak by Rams in OT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Angered by a hit to Teddy Bridgewater's head, the Minnesota Vikings steered their feelings toward another steely victory.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 125 yards on 29 carries, helping set up Blair Walsh's 40-yard field goal in overtime that lifted the Vikings a 21-18 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday after Bridgewater left with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.
In a predictably grind-it-out game between similarly constructed teams, the Vikings (6-2) ended Todd Gurley's streak of games with 125-plus yards rushing at four. Gurley gained 89 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for the Rams (4-4), who received the overtime kickoff but went three-and-out.
Marcus Sherels tiptoed along the sideline for a 26-yard return of Johnny Hekker's 63-yard punt, and Peterson ran the ball well into Walsh's range to give the Vikings their seventh straight win at home.
Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Rams, including a 53-yarder with 17 seconds left in regulation to make up for the 48-yarder that went wide right a few minutes before.
Zuerlein had a career-long 61-yarder among three field goals in the second quarter, the first from 60-plus yards in the NFL in nearly two years. Zuerlein became the second kicker in NFL history with multiple field goals from 60-plus yards, joining Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski.
Bridgewater, who was replaced by former Rams backup Shaun Hill, finished 13 for 21 for 144 yards.
Nick Foles completed 18 of 33 passes for 168 yards for St. Louis.
Trumaine Johnson intercepted Bridgewater in the end zone on the second play from scrimmage of the second half, but the Vikings forced five straight punts by the Rams while doing an admirable job of containing the relentless rookie Gurley.
Bridgewater scored on a third-and-2 run up the middle to retake the lead and padded it with the pure-hustle 2-point conversion on a bootleg to his right.
Later in the third quarter, Rams defensive end William Hayes drew the ire of the Vikings and the crowd with a low hit on Bridgewater, who grabbed his right knee, that was not penalized. Then on the next possession, Bridgewater scrambled and slid before taking a shoulder to the head from Lamarcus Joyner that was flagged.
Bridgewater was able to jog to the locker room for evaluation of a concussion, but he did not return.
Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for an entire season for his oversight of a bounty system while in the same role with New Orleans. The Saints were found to have been paid bonuses for hard hits that hurt the other team, including Brett Favre and the Vikings in the NFC championship game after the 2009 season.
The Vikings built a 10-0 lead in less than 10 minutes. Peterson's short run into the end zone was the first touchdown allowed by the Rams in four weeks, the equivalent of more than 10 quarters without one since Oct. 11 when James Jones caught one from Aaron Rodgers for the Packers.
Foles found Kenny Britt for 55 yards to set up a tough touchdown run by Gurley, who took a jarring hit from Anthony Barr as he leaped at the goal line before sliding in on the second effort. Rams coach Jeff Fisher curiously called for a 2-point conversion, a run off right guard by Gurley out of the pistol formation that the Vikings stuffed for no gain.
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