National Football League

Vikings lead Panthers 7-6 after 3rd quarter

Published Dec. 22, 2009 10:48 a.m. ET

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Adrian Peterson bounced off two tacklers on the way to a short touchdown run late in the first half that gave the Minnesota Vikings a 7-6 lead over the Carolina Panthers after three quarters Sunday night.

Peterson's 4-yard run capped a short-field drive for the Vikings, who had done relatively little offensively through the first three periods. Brett Favre completed a pair of passes on that drive, including a 14-yard pass to Sidney Rice that set up the score.

Peterson did the rest, taking the handoff and running for the goal line only to be met by safety Chris Harris at the 1. Harris appeared to have Peterson wrapped up and going backward as Richard Marshall arrived to help, but Peterson stayed on his feet and spun free for the touchdown with 5:01 left in the half.

But Favre and the Vikings didn't look sharp and found themselves hounded by a Carolina defense that played as if it was still in the playoff hunt despite being eliminated this weekend. The Panthers sacked Favre four times through the first three quarters, while holding Peterson to 34 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Still, the Panthers didn't do a lot to take advantage, either.

Matt Moore connected with Brad Hoover for a short touchdown pass early in the quarter for Carolina, but the Panthers had to play the entire period without starting running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams hurt his left ankle on a short run late in the first and was questionable to return.

Hoover's 1-yard score was his first TD catch since 2004, but Ray Edwards blocked the extra-point attempt and the Panthers had to settle for the 6-0 lead. It was the first missed extra point try for John Kasay since 2005, a streak of 157 straight.

Carolina also cost itself with penalties, first with a false start forcing the Panthers back as they lined up a long field goal for Kasay just before halftime. The Panthers instead opted to throw a heave for the end zone that fell incomplete as time expired.

Then, an offensive holding penalty wiped out a spectacular 26-yard touchdown grab by Steve Smith late in the third.

Moore was playing one of his best games this season in place of injured starter Jake Delhomme, completing 16 of 26 passes for 139 yards. Jonathan Stewart ran for 61 yards, with most coming after Williams left the game.

The turf in Bank of America Stadium appeared a little slick early after the region got plenty of rain this week, with Favre struggling with his footing before going down on a sack while Peterson slipped on a short third-down catch later on that possession. That prompted Favre to change his cleats at one point in the first quarter, then come onto the field for what seemed to be a prime scoring chance that ended with Ryan Longwell's miss.

The Vikings made their first gain of the night about 35 minutes before kickoff, clinching the NFC North title once Pittsburgh beat Green Bay on a last-second touchdown pass. In fact, Favre and several other Vikings players took a moment to watch the video boards replaying Mike Wallace's diving touchdown catch before returning to warmups.

Minnesota is still in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC after New Orleans' loss to Dallas on Saturday night.

Vikings rookie Percy Harvin was back in the lineup after missing a game with migraine headaches. The receiver returned to practice last week and was also to return kicks despite a report he's set to visit the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday. Harvin told NBC on Saturday that an MRI last week showed he has two bulging disks in his neck, though a team spokesman on Sunday said he couldn't confirm the report.

Before the game, there was a moment of silence to honor Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who died this week after a fall from the back of a pickup truck in Charlotte.

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