Viking Defense Is Too Powerful for Lions, 23-0

Alfred Anderson ran for two touchdowns and Chuck Nelson kicked three field goals as the Minnesota Vikings strengthened their playoff hopes with a 23-0 victory over the Detroit Lions Thursday.

The Vikings’ topmranked defense set a club record by allowing only three first downs and tied a club mark--equaled twice before--by yielding just 60 total yards offense.

“It was a dominating defensive game,” Viking Coach Jerry Burns said. “But Detroit is not a very good offensive team, and we should be able to dominate them. Their passing game is suspect, and the running game never materialized.”

The Vikings (9-4), who have won 4 straight and 5 of their last 6, have the best record among National Football Conference teams that aren’t division leaders.

“We’ve got three games to go, and we feel we have to win every game to make the playoffs,” Burns said.

The Lions, who were routed, 44-17, by the Vikings in their first meeting Nov. 6, suffered their first loss under their interim coach, Wayne Fontes, and fell to 3-10.

“One day, hopefully, we’ll be that good,” Fontes said. “They’ve got athletes, and they’re so well coached.

“We need a lot of players. We need a lot more skilled players. We need receivers. We need more speed. We need our quarterbacks to start playing better.”

The Vikings, who have the No. 1 overall defense in the NFL, held the Lions--who have the worst overall offense--to just 89 total yards in their first meeting of the season. This time, the Lions didn’t cross midfield until the fourth quarter.

The Vikings intercepted two Detroit passes, giving them 30 for the season and breaking the club record set in 1969.

“We’ve got a good defense. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Burns said. “The game balls went to the defensive coaches.”

After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings scored on five successive possessions. They led, 20-0, at halftime and made it 23-0 on their first possession of the second half.

Anderson scored from the 2- and 1-yard lines, and Nelson kicked field goals of 21, 33 and 18 yards.

Minnesota’s Wade Wilson completed 16 of 21 passes for 186 yards, including 7 for 84 yards to Anthony Carter, who had 8 catches for 188 yards in the Vikings’ first game with Detroit.

“You always like to do more, but anytime you win, that’s the most important thing,” Carter said.

Detroit quarterback Chuck Long, making his first start since he injured his left knee 6 weeks ago, completed only 2 of 6 passes for 5 yards with 1 interception. He was relieved by Rusty Hilger with 1:04 left in the first half.

“(Long) was not on his game,” Fontes said. “He made some poor decisions. We went with Rusty as soon as we found out Chuck wasn’t going to get it done today.”

The Vikings’ time of possession was 44:57, leaving Detroit only 15:03 with the ball.

“The defense was on the field too long,” Detroit linebacker Dennis Gibson said. “We started getting tired, and that’s when they started moving the ball on us.

“I’m not trying to pick on the offense, but you can’t win without moving the ball.”

On their third possession, which began late in the first quarter, the Vikings drove 72 yards in 12 plays for Anderson’s 2-yard touchdown run. Wilson hit Hassan Jones for 11 yards and Carter for 14, and Anderson also had a 12-yard burst up the middle during the drive.

On the first play after the kickoff, Carl Lee stepped in front of Lion wide receiver Pete Mandley for his seventh interception, best in the NFC, setting the Vikings up at the Detroit 26-yard line.

Five plays later, Nelson kicked a 21-yard field goal and the Vikings led, 10-0, with 6:51 remaining in the second quarter.

On their next possession, the Vikings--aided by a 26-yard pass interference call against Detroit’s Devon Mitchell--went 65 yards in 8 plays for Anderson’s 1-yard touchdown dive. Wilson also had a 15-yard completion to Jones in the drive, which put the Vikings ahead, 17-0, with 1:12 remaining in the first half.

Hilger replaced Long, but three snaps failed to gain a single yard, and the Lions punted.

But Wilson, with only 31 seconds remaining in the half, hit Carter, who made a brilliant leaping catch over Raphel Cherry on the Detroit sideline for a 25-yard gain. Nelson then kicked a 33-yarder for a 20-0 lead as the half ended.

The Vikings took the second-half kickoff, and Wilson drove them 75 yards in 14 plays, running 9:11 off the clock before Nelson’s 18-yarder.