Pinner pounds Purple past Lions

By Krupka  |   Sunday, December 10, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Minnesota Vikings
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Artose Pinner had a career day for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, carrying the ball 29 times for 125 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs, in a 30-20 victory over the Detroit Lions.

"It's a big win and I guess it's a little bit sweeter because it's against my old team," said Pinner.

The Lions, whose player personnel decisions always seem to come back and bite them, decided to release the running back when they made their final cuts prior to this season. Pinner signed on with the Vikings, but hadn't played much all year.

With starting running back Chester Taylor unable to play with a rib injury, many thought that Ciatrick Fason would get the bulk of the rushing attempts. Instead, Minnesota opted to go with Pinner. And the team would reap the benefits.

Pinner capped off the first two drives with touchdowns from 3 and 4 yards out, respectively. He galloped for 105 yards in the first half en route to his career-best performance.

"I was able to touch the ball over 20 times and make plays. That's all I ever asked for and to have the opportunity to do it here makes it that much sweeter," said Pinner.

It wasn't just Pinner on the ground for the Vikings, though. Five ball carriers combined for 175 total yards. And the ground attack was the difference in Sunday's game as Minnesota outrushed Detroit 175 yards to minus-3 and controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for 35 minutes, 31 seconds.

RealFootball365's own Os Davis, in his article on Dec. 8, dismissed the Vikings' defense. After yet another outstanding performance by the unit, maybe colleagues and the rest of the media will start to acknowledge one of the better run defenses in recent memory. Through 13 games the unit is allowing a measly 54 yards per game rushing. The 'D' forced six turnovers, giving the Vikings 11 takeaways in the past two weeks.

Lions running back Kevin Jones can attest as he has been held to 5 yards total in two games against the Vikings, with a long run of five yards. In the first meeting he was held to 8 yards on 10 carries.

As per usual, the defense provided another outstanding performance, but it was the work of Pinner, an unexpected source, that provided the punch needed to defeat the Lions.

The man who feels like he is 10 feet tall and walking with his chest puffed out isn't Superman; it's Artose Pinner this week. On Sunday, the Lions got a first-hand look at what they were missing.

Eric Krupka is a senior writer for RealFootball365.com. He can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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