The Minnesota Vikings might not have a more impressive drive all season than the one they just put together against the San Francisco 49ers to take an early lead.
The Niners deferred after winning the coin toss, and the Vikings took over at their own 19-yard line. From there, the Vikings moved the ball down the field on the arm of Christian Ponder and the legs of Adrian Peterson. Peterson carried the ball eight times on the drive, and though he only gained 19 yards on those carries, it played a role in keeping the San Francisco defense honest.
Ponder completed six of his eight passes on the drive, and none bigger than the pass on fourth down from the 1-yard line. Ponder faked a handoff to Peterson, drifted out to his left, and hit Kyle Rudolph in the back of the end zone for the score. The drive covered 81 yards and took a whopping 16 plays against what might be the best defense in the National Football League.
Halfway through the first quarter at the Metrodome, the Minnesota Vikings lead the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 7-0.