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Two old quarterbacks with golden resumes
and ageless arms took the field Sunday night. Kurt Warner was
marvelous, Brett Favre was miserable.


      Warner, back after missing a game with a concussion, threw for
285 yards and three touchdowns and Arizona's defense stifled Favre
and the Minnesota Vikings in a stunningly one-sided 30-17 victory
for the Cardinals.


Favre set an NFL record for consecutive appearances, but game
No. 283 in a row was no night to remember for him or the rest of
the Vikings (10-2). The 40-year-old quarterback, with just three
interceptions in the first the first 11 games, was picked off twice
and sacked three times.

      Even more startling, Arizona (8-4) held Adrian Peterson to a
season-low 19 yards in 13 carries and outrushed Minnesota 113-62.


      The victory, coupled with San Francisco's loss at Seattle, gives
Arizona a three-game lead in the NFC West. The Cardinals can clinch
the division title with a victory at San Francisco a week from
Monday night.


      Favre had two touchdown passes, but the second, a 31-yarder to
Percy Harvin, came with 1:20 to go and the game out of reach. Favre
was 30 of 45 for 275 yards.


      Warner, rarely under pressure, was 22 of 32 with no
interceptions and no sacks. Larry Fitzgerald caught eight passes
for 143 yards and a score. Anquan Boldin had seven catches for 98
and two scores.


      A year ago, Peterson had 165 yards on the same field as
Minnesota routed Arizona 35-14.


      This Vikings team, with the addition of Favre and the big-play
rookie Harvin, has overwhelmed opponents with a more balanced
offense and a tough defense. Minnesota had outscored its last three
opponents 98-29.


      But after giving up a 99-yard last-minute touchdown drive to
lose at Tennessee 20-17 last week, Arizona's defense apparently was
in a nasty mood.


      Warner threw for 200 yards in the first half as the Cardinals
took a 21-10 lead at the break, then the defense took over.


      Karlos Dansby and Michael Adams each intercepted Favre in the
third quarter to set up field goals by Neil Rackers that put
Arizona up 27-10. It was the first interception in Adams' NFL
career. Favre had his first multiple interception game of the
season.


      Rackers added a third field goal in the fourth quarter.


      With his first snap, Favre broke the record for consecutive
games he had shared with longtime Vikings defensive end Jim
Marshall.


      The Cardinals handed him a congratulatory gift when Benny Sapp
stripped the ball from running back Tim Hightower and Tyrell
Johnson recovered for Minnesota at the Arizona 47. Ten plays later,
Favre threw 3 yards to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for the score.


      Warner sat out last week's game with post-concussion symptoms,
snapping a string of 41 straight starts, but he had practiced all
week and said he was feeling much better. His game certainly didn't
suffer.


      Steve Breaston's 64-yard punt return set up Warner's 2-yard TD
pass to Boldin that tied it at 7-7.


      Arizona took the lead for good when Boldin, who caught seven
passes for 98 yards and two scores in the first half, adjusted to
Warner's pass on the sidelines. He stepped in front of cornerback
Cedric Griffin, grabbed the ball, then broke a tackle en route to a
39-yard scoring play that put Arizona up 14-7 with 7:42 left in the
half.


      Ryan Longwell's field goal cut it to 14-10, then Arizona caught
a break when Tyrell Johnson's interception was nullified by an
offside penalty against the Vikings' Ray Edwards. 


Warner promptly
directed a 5-play, 77-yard drive in 41 seconds, culminated by his
34-yard pass to Fitzgerald, who was wide open in the end zone after
beating safety Madieu Williams on the play.


      Things got worse for the Vikings when linebacker E.J. Henderson
suffered an ugly leg injury late in the game. The exact nature of
Henderson's injury wasn't immediately known. 


Henderson's left leg
twisted violently as he tried to tackle Hightower in the fourth
quarter, and was carted off the field.

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Minnesota Vikings

Kurt Warner threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and Arizona's defense stifled Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in a stunningly one-sided 30-17 victory for the Cardinals Sunday night.

Cardinals dominate Vikings, 30-17

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