National Football League
Minnesota 26, Detroit 16
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 20, 2015
Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Temperature: 67°
Head Official: Bill Vinovich
Attendance: 52319

MINNEAPOLIS -- Playing in front of his home fans for the first time in 20 months, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tried to make up for lost time.

Peterson ran 29 times for 134 yards and accounted for 192 total yards as the Vikings won 26-16 over the Detroit Lions at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday.

It didn't take long for the home crowd to warm to Peterson, who missed all but one game last season because of a suspension. During pre-game introductions, Peterson was loudly cheered by purple-clad fans.

He quickly got involved in the action.

The 31-year old running back rebounded from a sub-par performance in last week's season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. In that game, he carried just 10 times for 31 yards.

He had eclipsed that total by the end of the first drive Sunday, as the Vikings ran for 199 yards as a team. Peterson accounted for 45 of them on seven carries the game's initial drive, capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to tight end Kyle Rudolph.

"I don't know if that was actually the game plan," Peterson said. "But it was working and I guess if it's working, don't stop it."

Minnesota went ahead by two scores just two plays into the second quarter, converting a fourth-and goal from the 1-yard line. Bridgewater faked a handoff to Peterson, rolled to his left and jogged into the end zone untouched. Kicker Blair Walsh's extra-point made it 14-0.

"We talked about starting fast," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "We came out committed in this game to attack them on both sides of the ball."

Good things happened for Peterson even on plays where he made a mistake.

On the Vikings' fourth drive of the game, Peterson was run over while trying to protect Bridgewater. As the quarterback was going down, he flipped the ball underhand to a helpless Peterson who then scampered 49 yards down the sideline. Walsh finished the drive with a 28-yard field goal.

"Terrible, terrible setting for me; weak and pitiful to be honest," Peterson said. "But what a heads-up play Teddy."

After trading field goals, the Lions got on the board just before the half on an 11-yard Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson touchdown connection. Stafford rolled his left and found Johnson along the sideline, firing only where his receiver could get it. The 6-foot-5 Johnson dragged both feet for his first touchdown of the season.

Detroit fumbled the ball away to Minnesota on its initial drive of the second half, only to see Peterson hand it right back with a fumble inside the 10-yard line.

After a Lions three-and-out, the Vikings went ahead by 13, capping a six-play, 34-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge by fullback Zach Line. Peterson had fumbled the play before and Detroit recovered in the end zone, but was called for an offside penalty.

"That hurts and those are the plays you need to win in this league," Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "That's a momentum shifter. You think you have a huge play in a huge situation and it turns for the worst."

After missing the extra point following Line's touchdown, Walsh connected on a 23-yard field goal with 6:20 remaining in the fourth to make it a 16-point game.

Detroit pulled within 10 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Eric Ebron with 1:48 to play. The two-point conversion run was no good and Minnesota recovered the onside kick.

Bridgewater was efficient, connecting on 14 of 18 passes for 153 yards and a score. A week after being sacked five times against the 49ers, Bridgewater was not sacked and also ran five times for 23 yards and a score.

Johnson, who caught just two passes for 39 yards against the San Diego Chargers last week, was targeted 17 times and hauled in 10 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Golden Tate made six catches for 80 yards.

Stafford threw for 286 yards on 32-of-53 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked just once but was hit often and was slow to get up on several occasions. He got X-rays on his ribs and chest afterward but never left the game.

"There's no questioning his toughness. He's one of a kind in that regard," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "One hit on the quarterback is one too many."

One week after allowing San Francisco to rush for 230 yards and two scores, Minnesota limited Detroit to just 38 rushing yards on 16 carries.

"It shows when you're locked and loaded and you got everything going, it's hard to beat," Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said. "We're going to be hard to beat, we just have to keep it going and be us."

NOTES: The Lions were without LB DeAndre Levy, who missed his second game with a hip injury. He was replaced in the starting lineup by LB Josh Bynes. ... Minnesota committed 10 penalties for 97 yards. ... The Vikings won the time of possession battle, controlling the ball for 31:06. ... The Lions open their home schedule next week against the Denver Broncos. ... The Vikings will play at home for a second consecutive week when they host the San Diego Chargers.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Detroit   Minnesota
Matthew Stafford Player Adrian Peterson
4 Attempts 29
20 Yards 134
5.0 Avg Yards 4.6
0 Touchdowns 0
9 Long 25
Receiving
Detroit   Minnesota
Calvin Johnson Player Adrian Peterson
10 Receptions 2
83 Yards 58
8.3 Avg Yards 29.0
1 Touchdowns 0
18 Long 49
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Detroit 323 38 285 2 1 0 1.0 2
Minnesota 350 199 151 3 2 1 1.0 2
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against San Diego. The Vikings have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Denver. The Lions have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.