The Vikings beat Arizona 30-24 despite another botched extra point and because of a 104-yard kickoff return and a 100-yard interception return, but what grabbed me was the way Pat Shurmur ran the offense.
In brief, he kept Sam Bradford alive behind a struggling offensive line and found ways to move the ball with creativity and short passing, and by picking on the Cardinals cornerbacks not named Patrick Peterson.
I don't know that I've ever seen more formations from one team in one game, and the array of approaches kept Arizona off balance and led to some of the Vikings' biggest plays.
The Vikings will play in Detroit on Thursday for first place in the NFC North. And both teams will demonstrate offenses that rely on an accurate quarterback throwing short passes and avoid relying on a mediocre running game.
JIM SOUHAN
