Vikings Follow Script, Win in Overtime, 30-24

The Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals can’t seem to avoid overtime.

Warren Moon ended it quickly, throwing a 50-yard scoring pass to Qadry Ismail at 2:16 of overtime to beat the Cardinals, 30-24, Sunday.

It was the 19th overtime game of the season, tying the NFL record set in 1983.

The Cardinals (3-7) were 2-1 in overtime last year and are 1-2 this season. The Vikings (5-5) are 2-2 in overtime, matching their overtime record last season.

“I imagine there will be a couple more in the second half,” Viking Coach Dennis Green said.

Cardinal Coach Buddy Ryan, whose team beat Seattle on an interception return in overtime in its previous home game, said close games drain a team.

“These are tough to lose when you play as hard as we did,” Ryan said. “We couldn’t find a way to win. It’s one of the toughest losses of my career.”

Moon completed 24 of 43 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns and moved ahead of Johnny Unitas into fifth place in NFL career passing yardage, finishing with 40,398 yards to Unitas’ 40,239.

Ismail, crossing from right to left, caught the ball in the middle, stepped out of a tackle before Aeneas Williams could wrap him up, and broke into the clear at about the 35-yard line to score standing up.

“Once the tackle was missed, I said, ‘Please don’t let me get caught from behind,’ ” said Ismail, who had only the one reception.

Cris Carter set an opponent’s record last year, when the Cardinals beat the Vikings, 17-7, by catching 14 passes, and he had 12 for 157 yards this time, including scoring grabs of five and two yards.

“Warren and I were in sync today,” Carter said. “A few times, he just gave me the look, and I knew he was going to throw it to me.”

Moon’s other scoring pass was 32 yards to Jake Reed.

He was sacked four times, but the blitz left the Cardinals vulnerable by isolating Williams and rookie Tito Paul on Minnesota’s wide receivers.

The Vikings took a 24-16 lead with 12:17 left in regulation. But the Cardinals drove 80 yards, with Dave Krieg throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to Wendall Gaines and a two-point conversion pass to Rob Moore with 8:36 remaining in regulation.

Arizona, which lost its second in a row, never got the ball in overtime.