Berrian comes up big with career-best game

NEW ORLEANS - Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian had some tough talk about the Saints defense last week, but he backed it up with a career-best performance Monday in a 30-27 victory against the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome.

Berrian caught six passes for a career-high 110 yards with a 33-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that tied the score 27-27. Berrian said afterward that he ran the wrong route on that play.

Berrian also drew a critical 42-yard pass interference penalty on New Orleans safety Kevin Kaesviharn with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining that set up a winning field goal by Ryan Longwell.

On third-and-3 from the Vikings 44, Berrian ran a deep route and quarterback Gus Frerotte fired the ball downfield. Kaesviharn clearly interfered with Berrian as he went up for the catch.

That play set up Longwell's 30-yard field goal with 13 seconds left.

Berrian's 33-yard touchdown catch came on third-and-16. Berrian and Aundrae Allison both ran routes to the middle of the field, and they actually collided as Berrian caught the ball at the goal line.

Berrian said he was supposed to run a post-corner route but made an adjustment once he saw the ball in the air.

"I ran the wrong route," Berrian said. "Gus was throwing it to Aundrae. I saw the ball and it was just determination to go get that ball. I wasn't letting that ball fall."

Berrian provided some bulletin-board material last week by saying the Saints defense has "big holes" in it. Frerotte completed 19 of 36 passes for 222 yards.

"We still left a lot of plays out there on the field," Berrian said. "But we were able to get the bulk of our big plays in that last quarter."

Vikings special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro was looking for improvement from both his punt and kickoff coverage units entering Monday's game.

He didn't get it. Pierre Thomas took the opening kickoff back 56 yards and ended up averaging 33.6 yards on five kickoff returns.

Then Reggie Bush took over, with punt returns of 71 and 64 yards in the second half for touchdowns, putting the Saints ahead 27-20.

Through the first four games, the Vikings had given up an average of 11.5 yards per punt return to rank second to last in the NFL. The kickoff coverage was ranked 26th with opponents beginning drives at their own 28-yard line.

"I'm not happy with where we are," Ferraro said before the game. "To sit here and say anything else wouldn't be honest. We need to pick it up in all ways. It's a guy here and a guy there. But that doesn't matter. We're a unit and we have to play together. ... We have to be better."

Vikings receiver Sidney Rice was inactive for the second time in three games because of a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Rice was injured in Week 2 against Indianapolis and did not play in the following game against Carolina. Rice was used sparingly last week in the Vikings' loss at Tennessee, catching one pass for 6 yards.

Cornerback Marcus McCauley made his season debut after being inactive the first four games. He played in all 16 games last season, including nine starts. But he suffered a knee injury in training camp and fell behind Benny Sapp, who was inactive for the first time Monday.

Fullback Thomas Tapeh was inactive for the third consecutive game. The Vikings signed Tapeh as a free agent this offseason, but he lost his starting job to Naufahu Tahi.

Jeff Dugan made his season debut and was the backup fullback. Dugan played in all 16 games last season.

Linebacker Vinny Ciurciu (knee) and defensive end Ray Edwards (shoulder) returned after missing one game because of injury.

The Saints and their fans were absolutely livid with the officiating in the second quarter, and they had good reason. The officials missed an obvious facemask penalty on linebacker Chad Greenway, who twisted Bush's helmet on a tackle, causing him to fumble.

Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson picked up the ball and ran, but he tried to pass the ball forward to Brian Robison as he was being tackled. Johnson was called for the penalty, but Saints coach Sean Payton, his players and the Superdome crowd screamed at the officials over the no-call on Bush.

Then, on the Vikings' first play of the ensuing possession, the officials ruled Berrian caught a 9-yard pass, even though replays showed the ball clearly hit the ground first.

Payton challenged and referee Ed Hochuli overturned the call, ruling it an incomplete pass. But not before Payton gave him an earful.

The Saints were not happy with Hochuli's crew again late in the first half. The Saints thought they had caused an Adrian Peterson fumble, which they recovered.

The officials ruled Peterson was down before he fumbled but the booth reviewed it since it was inside two minutes. Payton chased Hochuli to the review monitor.

Hochuli ruled Peterson maintained control of the ball with right hand as his knee hit the ground.

• The Vikings have about 2,300 tickets remaining for Sunday's home game against Detroit, according to Steve LaCroix, team vice president of sales and marketing. The franchise increased its sellout streak to 108 games in Week 3 against the Panthers. In that case, the Vikings had about 3,700 tickets left the Monday before the game.

• With David Herron replacing E.J. Henderson at middle linebacker, the Vikings made a change in their nickel package. Herron came out, leaving Greenway and Ben Leber as the linebackers. Charles Gordon remained the extra defensive back. Previously, Henderson stayed on the field in nickel situations.

• Former Vikings coach Dennis Green was the radio analyst for Westwood One's broadcast Monday. It marked the first time Green has worked as an analyst for a Vikings game.

CHIP SCOGGINS and JUDD ZULGAD