Craig/ Vikings' Edwards a one-man wrecking crew

Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards did everything humanly possible on a football field, except persuade referee Walt Anderson that it isn't a penalty to launch one's 6-5, 268-pound self over a tailback, sail 3 yards through the air and collide helmet-to-helmet with an NFL quarterback.

The league has been kind of funny about that since it became a multibillion-dollar enterprise dependent on franchise quarterbacks making more money than your typical Ponzi schemer.

"The running back [Maurice Morris] tried to cut me, so I jumped over the top of him," Edwards said. "I mean, what else do they expect me to do? I'm just trying to be a football player."

The penalty for unnecessary roughness turned a sack and a lost fumble into a Lions first down at the Vikings 7-yard line. Detroit scored two plays later when quarterback Matthew Stafford -- a promising rookie who stayed competitive through three sacks, 13 knockdowns and at least six dropped passes -- threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller.

Suddenly, the lowly Lions trailed only 17-10 with 8:14 left in the third quarter. And that didn't sit well with Vikings coach Brad Childress, who engaged Anderson in a heated conversation between possessions.

"I have too much of a headache here from elevating with the referee there," Childress said after the Vikings' 27-10 victory. "I'm going to stroke out on the stand right here."

Childress called Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, to complain as soon as the game ended. It was only the second time Childress could remember calling Pereira immediately after a game.

"I didn't think that [Edwards] was a launch at the quarterback," Childress said. "You obviously can't cause a collision with your head. There are launches all over the field in football. That's football. I didn't think it was a personal foul. ... I don't believe [Pereira] thought it was either."

Edwards' teammates also argued that Edwards didn't launch himself at the quarterback but was simply reacting to Morris' attempt to cut block him.

"It was a bad call to me," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "Ray is playing hard. And their guy is trying to take his legs out."

Because the Lions are, well, the Lions, the call didn't affect the game's outcome. Physically, the Lions -- 1-8 this year and 2-31 since the midway point of the 2007 season -- were no match for the Vikings (8-1), especially Minnesota's front four.

"We just felt we were the better team," Edwards said. "As long as we do our job, we don't think nobody can beat us."

Edwards led the charge, destroying Detroit's slow-footed right tackle Gosder Cherilus while compiling two sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, five tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The latter two came while tackling running back Kevin Smith on the first play of the second half. That set up a 28-yard touchdown drive that gave the Vikings a 17-3 lead and control of the game.

Edwards now has 5 1/2 sacks, breaking his career high of 5. He has four in the past two games.

Edwards was in his third season when defensive end Jared Allen arrived from Kansas City before last season. That required Edwards to move from right end to left end. It's a difficult adjustment, but obviously one Edwards is comfortable with.

"I don't think teams can ever ignore Jared," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "But I think teams have to think twice now about always putting a running back or a tight end to Jared's side in passing situations. They'll have to stop and think, 'Can we handle Ray Edwards?'"

After watching the replay of the penalty about 20 times, I disagree with the notion that Edwards shouldn't have been penalized. A helmet-to-helmet hit is still a helmet-to-helmet hit, regardless of how it happened. But I will agree that the Vikings now have a left end who is starting to measure up to the rest of the starting defensive line.

"We got three Pro Bowlers up there," Edwards said. "I'm just trying to be the fourth one."

Mark Craig • mcraig@startribune.com