Reports of the demise of the Minnesota Vikings' offense appear to have been greatly exaggerated. . .particularly those of quarterback Donovan McNabb.
After forcing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to punt for a second time, the Vikings embarked on a very impressive 90-yard drive, sparked by. . .of all people. . .backup running back Toby Gerhart, who rumbled for a big 31-yard gain around left end in relief of Peterson. McNabb was very impressive on the drive, as he completed all five of his pass attempts and has already surpassed the 39 yards he put up in San Diego in Week 1.
(Yes, that's not a huge accomplishment, but it's worth pointing out anyway.)
But, when someone needed to bring home the back, the Vikings turned to the usual suspect, as Peterson took the handoff from McNabb on third down and powered into the end zone from a yard out. It was the 53rd rushing touchdown of Peterson's career, which breaks the tie that he had been in with Bill Brown and Chuck Foreman for that mark.
As we start the second quarter at the Metrodome, the Minnesota Vikings lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 7-0.