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(AP) The Minnesota Vikings were ready to show the
New England Patriots - and a prime-time audience - that they're
really a contender.
  

    Tom Brady handed them a humbling defeat and hushed another loud
crowd.

      Brady beat a relentless rushing defense by simply passing over
it for 372 yards and touchdowns to four different receivers, and
the Patriots pounded Minnesota 31-7 on Monday night to win their
sixth straight regular-season road game.

      "If you can duplicate it, it's a blueprint to go after the
Vikings," coach Brad Childress said. "My hat's off to them. They
did a great job."

      New England had four sacks and four interceptions, forcing Brad
Johnson into a handful of uncharacteristic mistakes.

      "It's probably one of the most embarrassing games I've been a
part of," said Johnson, who went 20-of-33 for 185 yards and three
interceptions, which sent him to the sideline for the final 12
minutes while backup Brooks Bollinger took over.

      Still firing well into the fourth quarter, Brady didn't let up -
going 29-of-43 to beat a defense that had been pretty decent
against the pass, too.

      "The plan was to come out and put the ball in the air a little
bit," Brady said, grinning. "The receivers made a lot of great
plays, and it was a lot of fun, needless to say."

      The Patriots (6-1) more than doubled Minnesota's average of
allowing 15.8 points per game, setting the tone for an easy victory
with an opening drive on which Brady completed all six of his
throws for 94 yards.

      "He found every weakness," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield
said. "As soon as he got the ball, he knew exactly where he was
going."

      Minnesota's only score was a 71-yard punt return by Mewelde
Moore in the third quarter, but New England rookie Laurence Maroney
- playing in the stadium where he became a college star - answered
that with a 74-yard kickoff return.

      Up next for the Pats? A home game against Indianapolis (7-0),
which is clearly a big one for November.

      "We're happy to win," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said,
"but it doesn't get any easier."

      The Vikings (4-3) proved they weren't in their opponent's class
just yet. Playing their first Monday night home game in five years,
they were consistently outschemed and outworked. The jazzed-up
crowd of 63,819 lost the buzz by halftime.

      "It was just good to come into a hostile environment and get a
win," defensive end Richard Seymour said. "That's the biggest
storyline - just to come in here, fight the crowd and play good,
sound football all away along the board."

      Save for an up-for-grabs pass up the sideline that Darren
Sharper snagged for a one-handed interception as he fell down in
the first quarter, Brady - now 10-0 when he plays inside - was
brilliant.

      The last time he was here, Brady was leading Michigan to a win
over the University of Minnesota in 1998. And, boy, it sure looked
like Brady was facing those defenseless Gophers again - not a
Vikings team that had held every prior opponent to 19 points or
fewer and entered the game ranked seventh in the league in total
yards allowed.

      A frighteningly easy opening march ended with a 6-yard touchdown
pass to Reche Caldwell. The Patriots drove 93 yards in eight plays
to get a 23-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the second
quarter. And just before halftime, they moved 74 yards in 11 plays
to take a 17-0 lead on a 9-yard scoring toss to tight end Ben
Watson.

      "Tom is such a smart guy," Watson said. "He studies. You
could ask him anything, and he knows it."

      With Brady slinging those usual darts all over the field to 10
different receivers, Minnesota just couldn't keep up. Childress has
built the Vikings into a run-first, low-risk outfit that relies on
a sound defense and a take-what-it-can-get offense to succeed, but
they're not made for big rallies.

      Their largest deficit to date was 17-3 against Detroit, and they
overcame that with a 23-point fourth quarter three weeks ago. But
after Troy Brown's 7-yard touchdown catch, set up by Maroney's
return, Minnesota was down 24-7. On the next possession, Troy
Williamson dropped a should-be touchdown on a long pass up the
sideline when he failed to adjust to the ball as it arrived.

      The Vikings, then, were out of opportunities.

      "You can't sulk your head too much, because we have a long
season. We haven't reach the halfway point yet. We have a long way
to go," Sharper said. "We know we're a good team, and we know
they're a good team. It was their game tonight."
Notes: Moore caught four passes for 91 yards. ... This was Brady's
first four-touchdown game since beating Buffalo on Dec. 27, 2003, a
span of 47 starts. He also came in without a completion longer than
35 yards this season, but he had two passes of 40 yards or more in
the first half.


Gallery

Sports

The Minnesota Vikings were ready to show the
New England Patriots - and a prime-time audience - that they're
really a contender. They didn't.

One if by air: Patriots light up Vikings, 31-7

Go Deeper.

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