Slow and Steady Wins the Game for Vikings

Daunte Culpepper and the Minnesota Vikings needed a victory so badly they were willing to wait for it.

Showing uncharacteristic patience, Culpepper led the Vikings on an 11-play, 96-yard drive and rammed his way into the end zone with about a minute left to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-16, on Sunday.

The win kept Minnesota from dropping to 0-3 for the first time since 1967.

Culpepper completed a career-high 30 passes in 44 attempts for 322 yards. He also threw for a touchdown, along with two interceptions.

The Vikings’ usual quick-strike offense instead took its time against Tampa Bay, which rarely gives up long gains.

“That’s their forte,” Viking wide receiver Cris Carter said. “They don’t think you’ll have enough patience.

“You don’t want to talk about it, but we had to have this game.”

Tampa Bay drove to the Minnesota 17 in the waning seconds, but Eric Kelly sealed the victory when he intercepted Brad Johnson’s pass, which glanced off Keyshawn Johnson’s hands.

The Buccaneers went ahead earlier in the fourth quarter on a six-yard touchdown run by Warrick Dunn.

Buccaneer defensive tackle Warren Sapp questioned earlier in the week whether the Vikings could play ball-control offense for an entire game.

Instead of going to Carter and Randy Moss, Culpepper found fullback Jim Kleinsasser eight times for 51 yards. Tight end Byron Chamberlain caught four passes for 88 yards.

“With the 11 dogs I hunt with, I thought we had them, no doubt about it,” Sapp said. “It wasn’t the deep ball. It was dink and dunk, dink and dunk. We had no answer for it. He just kept dumping and dumping. You know that’s not their style.”

Carter had a touchdown catch among his five receptions. Moss, still without a touchdown, had five receptions for 86 yards.

Brad Johnson was 20 for 34 for 224 yards against his old team and hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass this season.

“They did a tremendous job of controlling the clock,” he said.

“They didn’t quite make the big plays they’re used to getting, but Daunte did a tremendous job.”

The Vikings, last seen bickering on the sideline in a loss to Chicago, didn’t do much screaming this time.

“We stuck together, and that’s what championship teams are made of,” Culpepper said.