Minnesota Gets Win By a Foot : Nelson’s Kick Beats San Francisco in Overtime, 27-24

Tommy Kramer of the Minnesota Vikings and Jeff Kemp of the San Francisco 49ers passed for a total of 685 yards, then turned the game over to the kickers.

Chuck Nelson kicked a 28-yard field goal four minutes into overtime Sunday to give the Vikings a 27-24 victory over the 49ers.

“I feel very comfortable from 28 yards,” Nelson said. “If I can’t make it from there, I’m in trouble.”

Ray Wersching of the 49ers (4-2) could have won the game as time ran out in regulation, but his 38-yard attempt hit the left upright and bounced away.

Wersching thought he’d made the kick.

“The wind was blowing right to left, but I didn’t worry about it,” he said. “I figured all I had to do was hit the ball well. When I looked up, I thought it was going to be good, but all of a sudden it began moving toward the left upright.”

The 49ers never got the ball back.

Kramer, who finished with 326 yards passing, completed three passes on the 58-yard drive which led to Nelson’s winning kick. Kemp had a career-high 359 yards, hooking up with Jerry Rice 7 times for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Vikings (4-2) trailed, 24-14, early in the second half, but got a 26-yard field goal from Nelson and tied the score on Kramer’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Carter with 8:23 left.

Minnesota took an early 7-0 lead on Kramer’s six-yard pass to Carter. The 49ers tied the score two minutes later when Kemp passed to Dwight Clark on a 45-yard play.

Late in the first quarter, the Vikings took a 14-7 lead when Gerald Robinson blocked a punt by Max Runager and Issiac Holt recovered in the end zone. The 49ers got a 39-yard field goal from Wersching early in the second period and went ahead on Kemp’s 34-yard scoring pass to Rice.

Rice scored on a 17-yard reception in the third period to make it 24-14.