Arizona 0 3 0 14--17 Minnesota 3 10 14 14--41
That's what it felt like to Brad Johnson, anyway.
Johnson threw a career-high four touchdowns and the Vikings stymied Boomer Esiason and the NFL's hottest offense for a 41-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"It was kind of like a daze out there. It was just happenin'," Johnson said. "Hopefully I can be in a fog the next three weeks."
The Vikings (7-6) will need that if they are to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. They gave themselves a chance by playing easily their best game of the season and winning at home for the first time since Oct. 6.
Their 41 points were the most since a 44-24 win at Pittsburgh in the third week last year and the final margin was the largest since a 28-point win at Chicago two years ago.
After losing six of their previous eight games, the Vikings remained one game out of the final playoff spot. Dallas, Washington and Philadelphia, three of the six teams ahead of the Vikings, each are 8-5.
"We've got our work cut out for us," said linebacker Jeff Brady. "We've got to win the next three to get in. We know that, and today was a big confidence booster. We know we're not out of it yet."
The Cardinals (6-7), who came into the game with a three-game winning streak, are awfully close to being eliminated for the 20th consecutive non-strike season.
They hurt themselves with three costly turnovers and 10 penalties, several sustaining Minnesota scoring drives, and they gave up their most points since a 41-3 loss at Washington on Nov. 29, 1992.
"I've been saying all week that NFL means 'Not For Long,' " Esiason said. "Sometimes, just when you think you've arrived, you get humbled, you get knocked back a rung."
Esiason, who had passed for 1,159 yards the last three weeks, finished 26-for-40 for 270 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Larry Centers scored both touchdowns for the Cardinals, whose 280 total yards were 190 below their average of the past three weeks.
Minnesota did it by shutting down Esiason until the game was out of reach and turning the three turnovers -- two interceptions and a fumble by Esiason -- into 17 points. The Vikings also scored a touchdown after stopping the Cardinals at midfield on a fake punt early in the third quarter, and another after an onside kick early in the final period.
For a game that meant so much to both teams, it was surprisingly one-sided.
"Minnesota's been in situations with a playoff-type atmosphere," said Arizona linebacker Eric Hill. "A lot of guys on their team have been there. That's something we have to learn."
Johnson, starting his third straight game in place of the injured Warren Moon, finished 19-for-26 for 238 yards before giving way to Jay Walker with 4:01 remaining.
"There's no replacement for game experience," said offensive coordinator Brian Billick. "For every game Brad plays, he's going to get better."
The Vikings dominated from the start, taking a 13-0 lead on a pair of Scott Sisson field goals and Johnson's 19-yard screen pass to Amp Lee with 4:59 left in the first half.
Arizona, which had only two first downs to that point, got a 38-yard field goal from Kevin Butler with seven seconds left in the half, but Minnesota scored touchdowns on its first four second-half possessions, the first three on Johnson passes.
A 40-yarder to Jake Reed, made it 20-3 at the end of a 96-yard drive after the Vikings forced Arizona to go three-and-out on the first possession of the third quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-4 at the Minnesota 46 on their next possession, the Cardinals snapped the ball to blocking back Ronald McKinnon, a linebacker. The Vikings stopped McKinnon for a 4-yard loss, and Johnson's 13-yard toss to a wide-open Qadry Ismail made it 27-3.
Then, after John Randle forced Esiason to fumble on the ensuing possession, Johnson threw 4 yards to Cris Carter on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals scored on Esiason's 9-yard pass to Centers with 11:28 to play, but Chris Johnson recovered the onside kick that followed. Leroy Hoard's 1-yard run made it 41-10 with 7:35 left.
Hoard carried 22 times for 94 yards and his first touchdown since Jan. 1, 1995, in a playoff game for the Cleveland Browns. His presence the last three weeks has helped the Vikings stay in playoff contention.
"Our backs are still against the wall," said defensive end Martin Harrison, who had one of Minnesota's two sacks. "We definitely have hope if we win the next three straight. If not, there's not much hope."
Second Quarter
Minn--FG Sisson 26, 6:45. Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 7:30. Key plays: Arizona offsides penalty on 4th-and-1 at Minnesota 45; B.Johnson 21 pass to Lee. Minnesota 6, Arizona 0.
Minn--Lee 19 pass from B.Johnson (Sisson kick), 10:01. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:56. Key plays: Griffith 18 interception return to Arizona 26; B.Johnson 5 run on 3rd-and-3. Minnesota 13, Arizona 0.
Ariz--FG Butler 38, 14:53. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:52. Key plays: Edwards 9 pass from Esiason on 3rd-and-3; Esiason 34 pass to Carter to Minnesota 10. Minnesota 13, Arizona 3.
Third Quarter
Minn--Reed 40 pass from B.Johnson (Sisson kick), 6:51. Drive: 7 plays, 96 yards, 3:55. Key plays: Hoard 12 run; B.Johnson 11 pass to Carter; B.Johnson 24 pass to Goodwin. Minnesota 20, Arizona 3.
Minn--Ismail 13 pass from B.Johnson (Sisson kick), 11:55. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:25. Key plays: B.Johnson 14 pass to Carter; Hoard 7 run. Minnesota 27, Arizona 3.
Fourth Quarter
Minn--Carter 4 pass from B.Johnson (Sisson kick), :03. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:03. Key plays: F.Smith recovery of Esiason fumble on Cardinals' 31; Bradford 22 pass interference penalty to Cardinals' 9. Minnesota 34, Arizona 3.
Ariz--Centers 9 pass from Esiason (Butler kick), 3:32. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:29. Key plays: Esiason 13 pass to Moore on 3rd-and-3; Esiason 11 pass to Sanders; Esiason 19 pass to Anderson. Minnesota 34, Arizona 10.
Minn--Hoard 1 run (Sisson kick), 7:25. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 3:53. Key plays: B.Johnson 10 pass to Reed; Williams 11 pass interference penalty to Cardinals' 1. Minnesota 41, Arizona 10.
Ariz--Centers 1 run (Butler kick), 10:55. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:30. Key plays: Esiason 13 and 15 pass to Anderson; Esiason 7 pass to Edwards on 4th-and-5. Minnesota 41, Arizona 17.
A--45,767. No-shows--6,477.
Arizona 0 3 0 14--17
Minnesota 3 10 14 14--41
Ari Min
FIRST DOWNS 18 29
Rushing 2 10
Passing 16 14
Penalty 0 5
THIRD DOWN EFF 4-11 8-14
FOURTH DOWN EFF 1-2 0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS 280 412
Total Plays 55 75
Avg Gain 5.1 5.5
NET YARDS RUSHING 35 149
Rushes 12 45
Avg per rush 2.9 3.3
NET YARDS PASSING 245 263
Sacked-Yds lost 3-25 1-6
Gross-Yds passing 270 269
Completed-Att. 26-40 21-29
Had Intercepted 2 0
Yards-Pass Play 5.7 8.8
KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 4-0-0 8-2-0
PUNTS-Avg. 3-51.0 1-49.0
Punts blocked 0 0
FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0
TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 173 49
Punts Returns 1-10 2-16
Kickoffs Returns 7-163 2-14
Interceptions 0-0 2-19
PENALTIES-Yds 10-77 3-10
FUMBLES-Lost 1-1 2-0
TIME OF POSSESSION 22:14 37:46
RUSHING--Arizona, Centers 4-21, L.Johnson 7-18, McKinnon 1-(minus-4). Minnesota, Hoard 22-94, Graham 9-21, Lee 4-15, Evans 4-11, B.Johnson 4-7, McDaniel 2-1.
PASSING--Arizona, Esiason 26-40-2-270. Minnesota, B.Johnson 19-26-0-238, Walker 2-2-0-31, Walsh 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING--Arizona, Centers 10-85, Anderson 3-47, Moore 3-28, Edwards 3-27, Sanders 3-26, T.Carter 2-52, McWilliams 1-5, Smith 1-0. Minnesota, C.Carter 5-40, Reed 4-79, Lee 4-42, Hoard 2-44, Ismail 2-25, Evans 2-10, Goodwin 1-24, Jordan 1-5.
PUNT RETURNS--Arizona, A.Edwards 1-10. Minnesota, Lee 2-16.
KICKOFF RETURNS--Arizona, McElroy 7-163. Minnesota, Ismail 1-11, DeLong 1-3.
TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS--Arizona, Miller 9-3-0, Bennett 8-3-0, Swann 6-3-0, Bankston 5-4-0, Joyner 7-1-0, Hill 4-4-0, Alexander 1-7-0, Wilson 2-4-0, Rice 3-2-1, Bradford 3-1-0, Williams 3-0-0, Drake 2-0-0, Ottis 1-1-0, Irving 1-1-0, Lassiter 1-1-0, L.Brown 1-0-0, A.Edwards 2-0-0, L.Johnson 1-0-0, Junkin 0-1-0, McDonald 1-0-0, McKinnon 1-0-0, C.Smith 1-0-0. Minnesota, Brady 8-3-0, Griffith 6-2-0, Washington 4-0-0, Fisk 2-2-0, Jackson 3-0-0, Fuller 2-1-0, Thomas 1-2-0, Garnett 2-0-0, Harrison 3-0-1, Randle 2-0-1, Talley 2-0-0, Tuaolo 1-1-1, R.Brown 1-0-0, Barnett 1-1-0, Bercich 0-1-0, Hanks 0-1-0, F.Smith 0-1-0, Berger 2-0-0, DeLong 0-1-0, Graham 1-0-0, Morrow 1-0-0, Walsh 2-0-0.
INTERCEPTIONS--Arizona, None. Minnesota, Griffith 1-18, Fuller 1-1.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--Minnesota, Sisson 45 (WL).
OFFICIALS--Referee Johnny Grier, Ump Jim Quirk, HL Tom Johnson, LJ Jeff Bergman, BJ Van Golmont, SJ Dean Look, FJ Billy Smith.
Time: 2:56.
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