Dwight Freeney’s defensive play saves Arizona’s 23-20 win

The idea was to get the ball closer and make an easier field goal attempt for Blair Walsh, but the ending was not the one Zimmer hoped for. Hopefully, they’ll be ready for an Eagles team hunting for the playoffs in a week.

The Vikings’ loss does give the Panthers two chances this weekend to at least clinch a first-round bye. It’s been a physical month for us.

The Cardinals should return next week healthier than they have been in a while.

They were well within field goal range against the Cardinals, but Bridgewater’s drop back on third down looking for a receiver running toward the right sideline was ruined when Dwight Freeney powered past left tackle Matt Kalil. “We don’t know where or when, yet we’re in”, coach Bruce Arians stated.

Moving past Minnesota is much more feasible, though, especially after they fell on Thursday. Every time they began to move the ball down the field they would have a few poor runs or errant throws to stall the drives. I’ve already said the Vikings played great, but the Cardinals have too much talent to be shut out in the red zone.

But after holding Arizona to a field goal, the Vikings had to like their chances as Bridgewater and Peterson took turns making big plays.

There is plenty to tinker with.

The defense had some good moments, as did the offense. The team’s best plays all came from his gloved hands – and none were better than a 7-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace that tied the game at 20 with five minutes to play. The short-yardage play (Thursday night) was a three-and-out after a score. We’re a exhausted team right now.

“It’s not good enough, clearly, but I think it’s a step back to where we want to be”, linebacker Chad Greenway said.

“Defensively, if there’s a common thread, it’s getting off the field on third down”.

Kalil had a more blunt description of what went wrong on the play. He hit a game-winning 47-yarder late in the game to propel Arizona to its seventh consecutive win.

He got away with a couple passes that could have been picked off, but Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer made yet another case for his league MVP candidacy this season. He led the Cardinals in targets and finally looks like he is back to 100 percent full health. He broke Kurt Warner’s record of 30, set in 2008. “To break that record is a tremendous honor”.

Arizona had to take just one kneel-down after the turnover to run off the clock. He passed for 310 yards and didn’t have one intercepted.

It’s a shame the Vikings lost this game with Bridgewater having one of his best games, going 25-for-36 for 335 yards and one touchdown, and with receivers such as Mike Wallace, Kyle Rudolph and Wright having some of their best games of the season.

In the first half the defense struggled to contain Adrian Peterson, he had 39 rushing yards on Minnesota’s first drive alone, but the defense was able to hold him to just 16 yards on 11 rushes in the second half for a game total of 23 carries for 69 yards. He hurt the Cardinals on the Vikings’ first possession but was quiet thereafter.