The Arizona Cardinals fell to the Minnesota Vikings 21-14 Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. The loss sinks the Cardinals to 4-3 as Arizona has lost three straight after their 4-0 start.
The Vikings took their second drive 88 yards on five plays and got into the endzone on an Adrian Peterson 13-yard touchdown run. Peterson finished the day with 23 carries for 153 yards and one touchdown.
Following a Christian Ponder interception by Paris Lennon, LaRod Stephens-Howling punched into the endzone from four-yards out to tie the game at seven early in the second quarter. The Vikings added a touchdown pass from Ponder to Percy Harvin in the second quarter, and led 14-7 at halftime.
On Arizona's opening drive of the second half, John Skelton was intercepted by Harrison Smith, who took it 32-yards for the Minnesota touchdown.
The Vikings never looked back as the Minnesota defense smothered the Arizona offense all game. The Cardinals turned the ball over twice and punted six times. Skelton was sacked six times and fumbled inside the Minnesota redzone.
One bright spot for Arizona was the play of Larod Stephens-Howling, the "Hyphen" rushed for 104 yards on 20 carries and had four catches for 45 yards in the Arizona loss.
The defense was solid again as they forced two turnovers and only allowed 58 passing yards. Daryl Washington led all Cardinal defenders with nine tackles and two sacks.