MINNEAPOLIS _ It took touchdowns in all three phases and two late stands by the defense, but the Vikings stopped their slide Sunday with a wild 30-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Down 30-17, the Cardinals pulled back within one score midway through the fourth quarter after their star pass rusher, Chandler Jones, blew by left tackle T.J. Clemmings and knocked the ball out of Bradford's right hand as he attempted to throw.
The Cardinals recovered the fumble at 27-yard line and six plays later quarterback Carson Palmer hit do-it-all running back David Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown.
After a Vikings three-and-out, the Cardinals got the ball back near midfield. But the Vikings pass rush, which had been neutralized in previous games, came through when they needed it. Defensive end Danielle Hunter sacked Palmer on second down and the Cardinals quarterback was called for an intentional grounding penalty on third.
The Cardinals got one more possession. And after a fourth-down personal foul on defensive tackle Tom Johnson kept hope for the Cardinals alive, Hunter sacked Palmer on fourth down to secure a Vikings victory and snap their four-game losing streak.
The Vikings couldn't have asked for a better start. Defensive end Brian Robison drilled Palmer on third down to force an incompletion. Marcus Sherels, back in the lineup after missing one game, returned a punt 22 yards into Cardinals territory. Then wide receiver Adam Thielen made an acrobatic back-shoulder touchdown grab in the end zone.
On the next drive, the Cardinals tied it after a 1-yard touchdown run by Johnson then took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, with Johnson leading them downfield.
The Vikings regained the lead less than three minutes later when running back Matt Asiata dove into the end zone from two yards out. The score was set up by a Cardinals pass interference penalty after the Vikings ran a trick play out of the Wildcat formation with Cordarrelle Patterson flipping the ball to Sam Bradford, who then threw deep.
New kicker Kai Forbath had his extra-point try blocked, keeping the score at 13-10.
The Cardinals ventured deep into Vikings territory again. Palmer, anticipating that wide receiver John Brown would break outside, threw into the end zone. But Brown got caught in traffic and Palmer's pass went right to cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who ran the interception back 100 yards, the longest return in franchise history, for a touchdown.
Rhodes added another interception in the third quarter, giving him four on the season.
The visitors pulled within three points at 20-17 after tight end Jermaine Gresham scored on a 29-yard touchdown reception from Palmer. Both Vikings safeties, Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo, had a chance to tackle Gresham inside the 10 but could not.
In all, the teams combined to score 37 points in a wild first half at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The rollercoaster ride continues at the start of the second half when Patterson took the opening kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. The wide receiver celebrated the score, which made it 27-17, by leaping into the arms of Vikings fans sitting in the first row.
Sunday was the first time in team history the Vikings had two plays topping 100 yards.
The Vikings increased their lead to 30-17 with a 27-yard field goal from Forbath. Three Cardinals personal foul penalties on the drive put the Vikings in scoring position.
