Arizona Cardinals surrender 19-6 lead, fall to Minnesota Vikings

Bob McManaman Arizona Republic

Show Caption

The Minnesota Vikings overcame a 19-6 deficit and rallied for a 23-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

It was the fifth consecutive win for the Vikings, who improved to 10-2 entering next Sunday's home game against the Falcons. The Cardinals (6-6) dropped their second straight game and will return home to face the NFC West rival Seahawks, who improved to 7-5 with their 26-21 win at the Jets.

The Cardinals outgained the Vikings 406 yards to 273 and were 5 of 13 on third-down conversions compared to Minnesota going just 1 for 8. Arizona, however, decided not to go for it on fourth and goal from the 4 with fewer than four minutes remaining, opting for a field goal. That opened the door for a possible Vikings comeback win.

Coach Jonathan Gannon elected to kick a field goal and, with a 22-16 lead, the Vikings went 70 yards on eight plays capped by Aaron Jones' 5-yard reception for a score.

Parker Romo's extra point was the difference. The big play came on fourth and 5 when Sam Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for a 12-yard gain and a clutch first down.

The Cardinals had 1:13 left, knowing a sixth field goal by Chad Ryland could win it, but on fourth and 10 from the Arizona 30, Kyler Murray was intercepted by Shaq Griffin. The Vikings kneeled to close it out. It was Murray's second pick of the game.

Murray completed 31 of 45 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown and was sacked once. Darnold was 21 of 31 for 235 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He was sacked five times for minus-30 yards.

The Cardinals rushed for 154 yards and held the Vikings to just 68 yards on the ground, but their failure to score TDs in the red zone killed them.

Arizona's Trey McBride caught 12 passes for 96 yards and joined Travis Kelce (10 straight from 2019-20) as the only tight ends in NFL history to have at least five receptions in 10 straight road games.

McBride also joined Hall of Famer Jackie Smith (3) as the only tight ends in franchise history with multiple seasons of 700 or more receiving yards.

Check out our full game recaps below.

Watch Cardinals vs Vikings on FUBO (free trial)

Cardinals get FG, lead 22-16

The Cardinals had their longest drive of the game — a possession that lasted seven minutes, 48 seconds — but they settled for another field goal.

Chad Ryland's fifth one of the day, a 23-yarder, extended their lead to six points.

Coach Jonathan Gannon's team faced a fourth and goal from the 4, but instead of trying to get a touchdown and make it a two-score game, he opted to kick the field goal.

The Cardinals withstood two costly penalties during the 16-play drive, including tight end Tip Reiman's third false start of the afternoon, and an intentional grounding call on Kyler Murray.

Score: Cardinals 22, Vikings 16 (3:20 left in the fourth quarter)

Vikings convert interception into another FG

Former Cardinals player Byron Murphy Jr. picked off an overthrown pass by Kyler Murray and the V ikings converted the turnover into three points.

Minnesota, which had been searching for a big play of any kind offensively strung together three in a row on the ensuing drive after the pick. Sam Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for a 30-yard gain, he then ran 14 yards for another first down, and then found Jordan Addison for an 18-yard reception.

The drive stalled, however, on three straight incompletions by Darnold and the Vikings settled for Parker Romo's third field goal of the game, this one from 31 yards..

Score: Cardinals 19, Vikings 16 (11:08 left in the fourth quarter)

Vikings answer back with TD

Not long after the Cardinals extended their lead to 13 points, the Vikings followed with their first touchdown of the game when Sam Darnold hit tight end Johnny Mundt for a 4-yard score.

It capped a six-play, 70-yard drive that only took 3 minutes, 20 seconds. Darnold was 5 for 5 during the drive for 42 yards, which included two completions to Justin Jefferson.

Score: Cardinals 19, Vikings 13 (end of the third quarter)

Marvin Harrison Jr hauls in TD

After forcing the Vikings to a three and out, thanks to Mack Wilson Sr.'s second sack of Sam Darnold and the Cardinals' fourth of the game overall, the boo birds started singing in U.S. Bank Stadium.

The boos got even louder when the Cardinals drove 73 yards for their first touchdown in two weeks — a 15-yard pass from Kyler Murray to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison now has seven touchdown receptions, the most by a Cardinals' player ever in his first 12 games. With one more TD catch, Harrison would join Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald for the most touchdown catches by a Cardinals' rookie wideout.

Score: Cardinals 19, Vikings 6 (4:37 left in the third quarter)

Chad Ryland adds fourth FG

Chad Ryland connected for his fourth successful field goal of the day and his 40-yarder extended the Cardinals' lead to six points.

Arizona faced a third and 6 at the Vikings' 23-yard line and the play call was conservative as coordinator Drew Petzing opted for a run by third-strike tailback Emari Demercado, who only gained one yard.

Ryland connected on the ensuing play and is 4 of 5 on field goal attempts for the game.

Score: Cardinals 12, Vikings 6 (8:33 left in the third quarter)

Vikings miss a field goal

The Vikings got the ball to start the second half and with the aid of a 28-yard pass interference call on Arizona's Sean Murphy-Bunting, were able to get into field goal position for kicker Parker Romo.

Three straight incomplete passes by Sam Darnold nullified any chance Minnesota had of finally reaching the end zone, but then Romo, who had been a perfect 10 for 10 on field goal tries this year, sailed his 43-yard attempt wide left.

The Cardinals still lead 9-6 with 13:28 left in the third quarter.

Cardinals lead at halftime 9-6

Following a 55-yard field goal from Parker Romo, which tied the game for Minnesota 6, the Cardinals got the ball back and had just 1:12 remaining in the first half to try and get a score.

And they did, getting a third field goal from Chad Ryland, this one from 24 yards as time expired, to regain the lead 9-6 heading into halftime.

Tight end Trey McBride caught for passes for 29 yards during the 12-play, 64 yards drive and he now has a game-leading seven receptions for 49 yards.

Kyler Murray is 19 of 25 for 149 yards and no sacks. The Vikings' Sam Darnold is 8 of 9 for 67 yards and has been sacked three times.

Arizona has run 40 plays compared to Minnesota's 20 and lad in total yardage 228 to 75.

Murray has 37 rushing yards on four carries, followed by James Conner (23 yards on eight carries). Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson has just two catches for 32 yards.

Score: Cardinals 9, Vikings 6 (halftime)

Arizona takes 6-3 lead

After forcing a quick three and out, which was aided by a 9-yard sack of Sam Darnold by linebacker Kyzir White, the Cardinals drove 71 yards on 11 plays and grabbed the lead back on a 31-yard field goal by Chad Ryland.

The scoring drive featured four big plays: A 19-yard run by Kyler Murray, a 22-yard pass play from Murray to Michael Wilson, a 13-yard catch by Wilson following a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage, and a 19-yard catch by tight end Elijah Higgins.

Penalties, however, have been a problem for the Cardinals. They now have been flagged five times, including three false starts and a holding penalty.

Score: Cardinals 6, Vikings 3 (6:01 left in the first quarter)

Cardinals force fumble, can’t score

After punter Blake Gillikin and the Cardinals downed the ball at the Vikings’ 14-yard line, Arizona forced a turnover when Sean Murphy-Bunting knocked the ball loss from Aaron Jones after a short catch and Roy Lopez recovered the fumble at the 19.

A false start penalty on tight end Tip Reiman and an illegal man downfield call on center Hjalte Froholdt, along with a 3-yard loss by Greg Dortch on a screen, had the Cardinals going backwards. Emari Demercado ran for four yards for the only positive play during the possession.

Arizona failed to convert the turnover into points as Chad Ryland’s 45-yard field goal attempt missed wide right. It’s still tied at 3 with 4:22 left in the second quarter.

Vikings answer with a FG

Minnesota went 44 yards on nine play and got a 44-yard field goal from Parker Romo to tie the score at 3.

Aaron Jones rushed three times for 16 yards and tight end Johnny Mundt caught an 18-yard pass from Sam Darnold to help set up the field goal. A 7-yard sack of Darnold by the Cardinals' L.J. Collier on third and 2 helped keep the Vikings out of the end zone.

Score: Cardinals 3, Vikings 3 (4:42 left in the first quarter)

Cardinals open game with a FG

Kyler Murray went 5 for 5 for 31 yards, completing passes to four different players including all three of his tight ends, and the Cardinals scored on their game-opening possession by getting a 32-yard field goal from Chad Ryland.

Arizona drove 57 yards on 11 plays, consuming nearly six minutes of possession time, to grab the early lead.

James Conner had four carries for 16 yards during the drive, surpassing his rushing total from last week's loss in Seattle.

Score: Cardinals 3, Vikings 0 (9:02 left in the first quarter)

Darius Robinson ready to roll

Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson, one of four Arizona players listed as questionable entering today’s game at the Vikings, is active and will make his NFL debut.

Robinson’s start to his NFL career has been delayed since a calf injury in August that landed him on injured reserve. He was activated on Oct. 28, but the Cardinals have been cautious during his return. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he gets on defense and exactly were he’ll line up during his first regular-season game.

Safety Jalen Thompson, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, is also active for the Cardinals. Running back Emari Demercado (back) and safety Joey Blount (hip) are active as well.

The Cardinals’ five-man list of inactive players are all healthy scratches: Defensive tackle Kyyiris Tonga, receiver Xavier Worthy, offensive lineman Christian Jones, tiht end Travis Vokolek, and outside linebacker Julian Okwara.

Cardinals vs Vikings schedule: What time is NFL Week 13 game?

The game is Sunday, Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. ET.

Cardinals vs Vikings TV: What channel is NFL Week 13 game on?

The game can be seen on FOX.

Cardinals vs Vikings streaming: How do I watch NFL Week 13 game on livestream?

Streaming options for the Cardinals at Seahawks game include FUBO, which offers a free trial, and other streaming services that carry FOX.

Cardinals vs Vikings announcers: Who is calling the NFL Week 13 game?

Joe Davis (play-by-play) and Greg Olsen (analyst) are scheduled to be the announcers for the Cardinals-Vikings Week 13 NFL game.

Cardinals vs Vikings game odds: Who is favored in NFL Week 13?

The Vikings are a 4-point favorite over the Cardinals in NFL Week 13 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

Minnesota is -200 on the moneyline, while Arizona is +165.

The over/under (point total) is set at 45.5 points.

Pregame reading for Vikings vs Cardinals game today

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Paste BN Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Facebook Twitter Email