Walker Goes Long Way to Help Vikings Win : NFC: Slump-ridden running back sprints 71 yards for a score in 26-24 victory over Buccaneers.

It took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make Herschel Walker look like his old self again Sunday night.

Walker sprinted 71 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter and Fuad Reveiz kicked four field goals--two of them 50-yarders--as the Minnesota Vikings kept alive their slim playoff hopes with a 26-24 victory over the Buccaneers.

“I’m not even thinking about the playoffs,” said quarterback Rich Gannon, mindful that the Vikings have to win remaining games against the Rams and Packers and get a lot of help from other teams to qualify for a wild-card berth.

Minnesota improved to 7-7 in its first game since Coach Jerry Burns announced he will retire at the end of the season. Tampa Bay fell to 2-12 despite rallying from a 17-point deficit to make the Vikings scramble in the closing minutes.

Walker had a season-high 126 yards in 16 carries, and Terry Allen picked up 64 yards in 12 attempts.

Minnesota built a 20-3 lead on Walker’s touchdown, Gannon’s five-yard touchdown pass to Mike Jones and Reveiz’s field goals of 50 and 40 yards.

Vinny Testaverde completed seven of eights passes to lead an 80-yard scoring drive in the final two minutes of the first half to make it 20-10.

Tampa Bay actually scored three times before getting a touchdown that counted.

An illegal substitution penalty on Tampa Bay’s Charles McRae, a tackle who lined up as a tight end without reporting to the referee, wiped out an apparent touchdown run by Testaverde. Then, instant replay reversed what officials on the field had ruled a 12-yard touchdown reception by Gary Anderson.

Replay official Bob Beeks ruled Anderson caught the ball about a foot shy. But Testaverde threw to Jessie Anderson on the next play for the touchdown.

Tampa Bay continued to use its hurry-up offense in the third quarter and drove 68 yards to cut its deficit to three points on Reggie Cobb’s one-yard run.

Reveiz kicked field goals of 32 and 50 yards to increase the Vikings’ lead to 26-17 midway through the fourth quarter.

Testaverde finished with a season-high 330 yards passing, including a 21-yard touchdown pass to Mark Carrier that cut the Vikings advantage to 26-24 with just over five minutes remaining.