Asiata scores three TDs for third time in three-year career

Matt Asiata did it again. In his 36th career game, the Vikings running back recorded three touchdowns for the third time during the 29-26 victory over Washington on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.

The 27-year-old has nine career rushing touchdowns, and they've all come in single-game three-touchdown performances.

"The coaches trust me in the goal line area, and I just have to do my job, trust the offensive line, read my read and score," Asiata said.

Asiata became the first undrafted player in the common era to have three games with three or more rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons. He scored twice from the 1, and once on a 7-yard burst. He also added a two-point conversion run.

Asiata has lost carries to rookie Jerick McKinnon over the past few weeks, but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer commended Asiata's response to the situation.

"I love the way that he had an opportunity to kind of go in a different direction when McKinnon started getting a lot more carries, but he kept fighting, doing what he's supposed to do," Zimmer said. "He's a great team player. I love having him here."

Tight end Chase Ford caught his first career touchdown on a 21-yard reception from Teddy Bridgewater just before halftime.

Ford had five catches for a career-high 66 yards.

"Chase is going to be a household name," Bridgewater said. "Chase is a guy that has been making plays for us since OTAs. He's a very explosive player."

Ford is playing more while Kyle Rudolph recovers from sports hernia surgery. Ford, undrafted in 2012, started training camp recovering from a broken foot.

"I never gave up faith," Ford said. "I knew that God had a plan for me, and I just went in there. When I was in the weight room, I was going as hard as I can. And when I got the opportunity, I've been trying to make the most of it."

Harrison Smith wouldn't directly address a personal foul penalty, but he still got his point across.

"Y'all know how I feel about that call," Smith said. "That's all I have to say about that. We won. I don't want to spoil it. You guys saw it. That's all that matters."

On the next play, Griffin connected with DeSean Jackson for a 13-yard touchdown that gave Washington a 17-14 lead. It was one of three touchdowns allowed by the Vikings, and the only passing touchdown by Griffin.

"My opinion was that they called it and gave him a first down," Zimmer said. "But we had about three of those today defensively where we had penalties on third downs."

Two of Washington's team buses collided while bringing players and team personnel to the game Sunday morning. A Minneapolis police car struck an exit ramp guardrail while escorting the buses to TCF Bank Stadium from an Edina hotel around 8:15 a.m..

The Redskins said no one was seriously hurt in the accident along eastbound Interstate 94 at the Huron Avenue ramp. The first bus swerved and stopped to avoid the cruiser, but the second bus rear-ended the first, driving it up and over an embankment and leaving passengers shaken and some of them with bruises, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said.

"It was a unique way to start the day for a football game, and we were about five feet from driving off a cliff," Gruden said. "It was an experience that would shake a lot of people, honestly, but it's not an excuse."

The officer driving the police car was hospitalized because of minor injuries.

Sidelined Vikings running back Adrian Peterson might be wrapping up his court case sooner than expected. ESPN's Adam Schefter, citing sources, reported Peterson is discussing a plea agreement which could be done as early as Tuesday.

Peterson was charged in Texas with felony reckless or negligent endangerment to a child after disciplining his 4-year-old son. A tentative trial date of Dec. 1 has been set in Houston.

Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said via e-mail, "That info certainly did not come from us, and we make it a policy to never comment one way or the other [on] plea rumors in any case we are involved in."

Peterson is on the commissioner's exempt list, and is being paid despite missing eight of the first nine games.