Vikings Are Unfazed and Still Undefeated

The Minnesota Vikings were behind at halftime to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but quarterback Randall Cunningham wasn’t too concerned.

“We never panic when we’re down,” Cunningham said. “We believe we can put points on the board at any time. That’s the type of team we have.”

Cunningham threw the second of two touchdown passes and the Vikings had 17 consecutive points in the third quarter to remain undefeated with a 34-13 victory over the Lions on Sunday.

Robert Smith had 134 yards in 19 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown run to clinch the victory for the Vikings (7-0), who trailed, 13-10, at halftime in defeating the Lions (2-5) for the second time this season.

Detroit rookie Charlie Batch played better than he did in his NFL debut at Minnesota in the third game of the season. He was 20 for 37 for 231 yards, including a one-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Morton, with one interception. But he couldn’t overcome the Lions’ 14 penalties for 169 yards.

“That cannot happen, and I have the responsibility to not let that happen,” Detroit Coach Bobby Ross said. “That is far too much. To me, that is the story to this game.”

Cunningham, Batch’s boyhood hero during his early NFL years with the Philadelphia Eagles, was 17 for 30 for 190 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jake Reed and a 10-yard scoring pass to Cris Carter.

Cunningham, starting his fifth game since Brad Johnson suffered a broken leg, threw his first two interceptions of the season, but both were harmless. Jimmy Hitchcock took Batch’s interception 79 yards for the game’s final score late in the fourth quarter.

“I’m frustrated with myself,” Batch said. “I didn’t play the type of ball needed to win this game. I have receivers open, but I just didn’t put the ball where they could catch it.”

Gary Anderson kicked field goals of 35 and 44 yards for the Vikings. Jason Hanson had field goals of 47 and 48 yards, and Barry Sanders gained 127 yards in 24 carries for the Lions.

“We just made all those errors out there,” Sanders said. “God, you don’t see those in junior high, or Pop Warner.”

Neither coach was happy with the work of referee Tony Corrente and his crew. Ross, who seldom shows much animation on the sideline, went into a rage after a pass interference call against Bryant Westbrook that jump-started the drive to Minnesota’s first touchdown in the second quarter.

Later, with the Lions on the Viking 30, time appeared to have expired in the half as Batch spiked the ball. But the referee ordered one second put back on the clock, and Hanson kicked a field goal to give the Lions their halftime lead.

That upset Viking Coach Dennis Green, who headed straight to midfield and walked all the way to the tunnel with Corrente.

The Vikings dominated in the second half, with penalty flags continuing to fly.

A 59-yard pass interference call against Westbrook was the key play in a five-play drive for the Vikings’ go-ahead score--Cunningham’s pass to Carter, who caught the ball between Kevin Abrams and Ron Rice in the back of the end zone.

A personal foul call against Robert Porcher gave the Vikings a first down on their next possession. Smith broke free on his touchdown run on the next play to give the Vikings a 27-13 lead with 1:54 left in the third.