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Vikings hold on to defeat winless Lions

Dec 8, 2008 - 1:17 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Thanks to a surprising second-half spark provided by Tarvaris Jackson, the Detroit Lions took another step toward an unwanted NFL record.

Jackson, filling in for the injured Gus Frerotte, threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter Sunday to lift the red-hot Minnesota Vikings to a 20-16 victory over the woeful Lions.

Despite having numerous chances to claim its first win of the season, Detroit (0-13) moved within three losses of becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history.

"It's another loss and it's totally unacceptable," Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper said.

"I'm sure they're going to be prepared for the rest of the year," Vikings running back Adrian Peterson added. "They don't want to go down in the Hall of Fame. Whoever is facing them these last three games better be prepared."

If they do not win one of their final three games - against Indianapolis, New Orleans or Green Bay - the Lions will join the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) as the only winless teams in league history.

"You talk to guys on other teams, they feel for you," Lions offensive tackle Jeff Backus said. "They understand that it's not a good situation to be in and it's a tough situation."

The Lions, who dropped a 12-10 decision two months ago in their first meeting with the Vikings, were competitive throughout this contest and took a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

"There's nothing scarier than going to a fight with someone who has nothing to lose," Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said. "These guys had absolutely nothing to lose, and they've been putting up the points and they've actually been playing pretty well."

But Jackson, who was benched two games into the season, orchestrated an 11-play, 90-yard drive punctuated by his 11-yard TD pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe that gave Minnesota a 17-13 lead with 11:22 remaining.

"I can't say enough about Tavaris coming into the game with limited reps," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "That's what happens in that position. He did a good job coming in moving the football around and converting third downs."

The fleet-footed Jackson completed four first-down passes on the drive before hitting a leaping Shiancoe for his second TD pass of the season.

Detroit, which eschewed a pair of field-goal opportunities in the first half, closed within 17-16 on the ensuing drive when Jason Hanson capped a 10-play march with a 39-yard field goal.

The Lions saw the drive stall when Calvin Johnson's apparent first-down reception was ruled incomplete, negating a catch that would have pushed the ball to Minnesota's 10-yard line.

"That was huge," Culpepper said. "I thought he caught it. It was probably the biggest play of the game. I would've bet that he caught the ball, but I guess he didn't."

The Vikings (8-5) salted away the victory by grinding out a 10-play drive that took up over five minutes. Ryan Longwell's 50-yard field goal gave Minnesota a 20-16 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

"The biggest disappointment was at the end of the game," embattled Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "We've got to stop them. We played well for most of the game and when we had a chance and needed to stop them, we didn't get it done."

Peterson rushed for 102 yards and Chester Taylor scored on a 17-yard run in the third quarter for the Vikings, who have won five of their last six contests and remained one game ahead of the Chicago Bears (7-6) for first place in the NFC North.

"It was a good NFC North win," Childress said. "It's important to win the games in your division. We've got three NFC games to go."

Detroit, holding a 6-3 lead in the second quarter, opted against another field goal on 4th-and-1 from Minnesota's 30. The decision backfired when Culpepper's pass fell incomplete.

However, Frerotte was intercepted by Corey Smith on the very next play, giving the Lions the ball at the Minnesota 26 with 2:52 remaining in the first half. Frerotte suffered a lower-back injury on the play and did not return.

The Lions drove the ball to the Vikings 6 with 46 seconds remaining, facing another 4th-and-1. But Culpepper was stuffed on a sneak attempt, as the Vikings preserved the 6-3 deficit into intermission.

"The two fourth downs, I wanted to go for those during the week, just like I did at Carolina," Marinelli said. "I thought we needed touchdowns the way we've been playing on defense lately."

Culpepper, a former All-Pro with the Vikings, completed 14-of-24 passes for 220 yards.

The Lions took a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter when Culpepper found the dynamic Johnson for a 70-yard TD reception.