Vikings’ Defense Has a Merry Time, 20-7

Mike Merriweather wanted to remind folks that the Minnesota Vikings rose to the top with tough defense long before Herschel Walker arrived on the scene.

With Merriweather leading the National Football League’s No. 1 defense, the Vikings overwhelmed the Detroit Lions, 20-7, Sunday.

“The game plan here in Minnesota is blitzing and everybody had an opportunity today,” Merriweather said. “Our defensive line is the best in the league and our secondary can run with anybody.”

The victory, Minnesota’s second over Detroit in the last three games, gave the Vikings (5-2) a half-game lead in the NFC Central over the Chicago Bears, who play tonight at Cleveland. Detroit fell to 1-6.

The Vikings’ defense had eight sacks for 42 yards in losses, intercepted two passes and recovered three fumbles. Merriweather had two sacks, one interception, caused two fumbles and recovered one of them.

The Lions now have lost seven straight to the Vikings. In their game Oct. 1, Minnesota returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 24-17 win at Minneapolis. The Vikings had eight sacks in that game and eight again last week against the Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings, scoring on their first three possessions, built a 13-0 lead the Lions even crossed midfield.

Rich Karlis kicked a pair of 40-yard field goals, then Chris Doleman recovered a fumble by Detroit’s Barry Sanders at the Lions’ 17-yard line, and six plays later Walker, following a block by right guard Todd Kalis, dove over from the one for his first Minnesota touchdown.

Walker, in his second game with the Vikings, carried 20 times for 89 yards.

The Lions appeared headed for a score in the closing moments of the first half, but two mistakes by rookie Rodney Peete ended the drive. With first-and-goal at the Vikings’ five, Peete scrambled to the three, then tried a pass and was penalized five yards.

A pass interference call against Carl Lee gave the Lions a first-and-goal at the one, but Peete fumbled after a hit by Merriweather, who recovered with one second left in the half.

Peete, who completed four of six passes for 44 yards in the drive, finished 19 of 36 for 240 yards. Tommy Kramer completed 15 of 20 for 143 yards for Minnesota.

“I didn’t play a good game,” said Peete. “I had some guys open and didn’t hit them. I threw interceptions on balls that should not have been thrown.”

On the Lions’ first snap of the third quarter, Joey Browner reached over Robert Clark to intercept Peete’s pass and returned it 27 yards to midfield. Five plays later, with Walker going left as a decoy, Alfred Anderson plowed four yards up the middle for a touchdown, putting Minnesota ahead 20-0.

Peete scored the Lions’ lone touchdown on a one-yard keeper with 5:07 left in the game, capping an 80-yard, seven-play drive that was aided by a 45-yard pass interference call against Lee.