Jim McMahon is a lot like Eddie Stanky. As Leo Durocher used to say of his feisty little second baseman: “He can’t hit, he can’t run, he can’t throw; all he can do is beat you.”
With an enormous assist from a defense that intercepted five passes in the second half and turned one of them into the game’s only touchdown, the punky quarterback led the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-0 victory over the Detroit Lions Sunday and threw the NFL Central division race up for grabs.
Even the Vikings (6-6) now think they have a chance, although they are a game behind the Bears, Lions and Packers and have a tougher closing schedule than any of them, including home games against Dallas and Kansas City and a visit to Green Bay.
“At least we’re in the hunt now,” said McMahon, who played for the first time since separating his left shoulder five weeks ago against the Lions. “As long as we win week to week, we’ve got a chance.”
Even with their tough schedule, the Vikings appear to have a better chance than the Lions, who looked hapless on offense without Barry Sanders. Derrick Moore tried his best to replace the league’s most dangerous runner, rushing for 86 yards and catching six passes for 43 more.
But Vikings linebacker Jack Del Rio, who had three of the interceptions, noted: “We wanted to get them in passing situations, because with Barry out, we could let the line take off and not worry about Barry slipping in there. We’ve got the best front four in the league, and when they get after a quarterback like that, he’s got to eat it or get rid of it.”
Lions starter Rodney Peete was sacked seven times, threw four interceptions and was booed unmercifully. Two of the sacks took the Lions out of field-goal range on the rare occasions they got across midfield.
Del Rio’s first interception killed another drive, but the crusher came with just over two minutes to play. Lamar McGriggs, starting his first game for the Vikings in place of injured safety Todd Scott, made a diving interception at the Minnesota 37, picked himself up and raced 63 yards for the clinching touchdown.
McGriggs, who played at Western Illinois and was sitting at home in New Jersey waiting for the phone to ring a month ago, indicated the boos for Peete just might have been justified.
“He was looking at his receivers all day; he was not even looking us off,” said McGriggs, who “took a little crash course in the defense this week” after finding out he would be starting.
“The defense played their tails off, and we’ve got to help them more than that,” said McMahon. “We’ve got to be able to put the ball in the end zone. We had one chance early, and I got greedy and tried to get the ball to Cris Carter when he was double-covered.”
McMahon’s 26-yard completion to Anthony Carter set up Fuad Reveiz’s first field goal, and his 31-yarder to Roger Craig, delivered just as he was falling under a swarm of Lions, set up a second field goal for a 6-0 halftime lead.
But mostly McMahon was more conspicuous for what he did not do. Once, sensing the pass rush coming from behind, he switched the ball to his left hand just in time to avoid a fumble. Several times he managed to escape a sack and throw the ball away.
He was only 15 of 32 for 145 yards, but this is the statistic that counts: The Vikings are 5-2 in games McMahon has started, 1-4 in games he hasn’t.
Minnesota suffered a serious blow early when running back Robert Smith sprained his right knee when he planted his foot on the turf and was hit from the side. “I felt it give,” he said.
Smith was replaced by Scottie Graham, a former Ohio State teammate who responded with 66 yards.
Detroit’s defense also played well, keeping the Lions in the game until McGriggs’ interception. “It’s not like the defense won and the offense lost-we all lost,” said Lions safety William White. “It was very ugly, very ugly.”
“The thing that bothers you most,” said Peete, “is when your defense is playing so well and basically left us with having to make only one drive for a touchdown to put us ahead, and we weren’t able to do that. The quarterback is supposed to move the team and get in the end zone. I wasn’t able to do that today, and I take responsibility.”
More Top Picks Pour Overs