Vikings | 23 |
Bears | 20 |
MINNEAPOLIS — Adrian Peterson thought his Minnesota Vikings had won and lost the game against Chicago about three times during a dizzying, exhilarating overtime.
When the game was finally over, after two missed kicks and two made kicks, three changes of possession, and one premature celebration, he walked off the Metrodome turf a winner, the nagging groin injury that has bothered him for weeks feeling just fine.
Peterson carried the ball 35 times for 211 yards and Blair Walsh kicked a 34-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Vikings to a 23-20 victory over the Bears on Sunday.
Walsh drilled his winner after a 39-yarder earlier in overtime was wiped out by a penalty and a 57-yard miss put the Bears in prime position to close it out.
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But Robbie Gould missed a 47-yarder for the Bears, leaving the door open for the tireless Peterson. He rushed nine times for 51 yards in overtime alone, including 30 on the final drive that set up Walsh.
''You're at an all-time high because you think you've got a victory, and then you're sitting there waiting for what the call is and you're at an all-time low,'' Peterson said. ''Ultimately we were able to give him another opportunity and he nailed it.''
Matt Cassel threw for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception in relief of the injured Christian Ponder for the Vikings (3-8-1), who tied Green Bay last week.
Peterson's fifth career 200-yard game helped him surpass 10,000 yards for his career in just 101 games, third fastest to do it behind Eric Dickerson (91) and Jim Brown (98).
''It's been my mind-set since I was young to be the best to ever play,'' Peterson said. ''You've got to believe it in order to accomplish it.''
Alshon Jeffery had 12 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (6-6), who led by 10 points in the fourth.
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Greg Jennings was halfway up the tunnel in overtime when Walsh's 39-yard field goal sailed through the uprights for an apparent victory. But Rhett Ellison was flagged for a facemask while trying to block Devin Hester. Jennings had to hustle back on to the field for another play on third down to try to gain some of the yardage back. Peterson was thrown for a 3-yard loss and Walsh's 57-yard field sailed wide left.
Chicago drove into Vikings territory before a decision by rookie coach Marc Trestman cost it dearly. On second and 7, he elected to let Gould try a 47-yarder. His kick went wide right, giving the Vikings life.
''We were definitely in range, and I didn't want to at that point in time risk a possible penalty that would set us back, similar to what happened on the other side, or a fumble of some kind,'' Trestman said. ''Something unique.''
With their second straight tie looming, Cassel hit Jennings for 17 yards, and the offense then rode Peterson to get Walsh in position for a second try, which he buried.
Jeffery caught touchdown passes of 80 and 46 yards in the third quarter to give the Bears a 20-10 lead.
Then, Peterson ran through four tacklers for a 19-yard run that set up an 8-yard TD pass from Cassel to Jennings with 7:41 to play in regulation.
The Vikings faced fourth and 11 from their 8 with less than two minutes to play, but Cassel positioned them for Walsh's 30-yard field goal, tying it with 20 seconds left.
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Both teams still had a chance to win in regulation. Gould's 66-yard prayer in the final seconds landed in Cordarrelle Patterson's arms in the end zone, but his bid to match the miracle return by Auburn's Chris Davis that beat Alabama on Saturday was stuffed.