Friday, October 26, 2012
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS
Rookie Doug Martin racked up 214 total yards and two touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew out Minnesota 36-17 on Thursday night to hand the Vikings their first home loss of the season.
Martin took a screen pass 64 yards for a score, one of three touchdowns thrown by Josh Freeman, to give Tampa Bay a 27-10 lead 1:21 into the second half.
Then Martin, the first-round draft pick from Boise State, capped a drive of more than 9 minutes with a 1-yard muscle into the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to crush the comeback opportunity for Minnesota (5-3).
Adrian Peterson had a season-long 64-yard run for a score that brought the Vikings to 30-17, but his lost fumble in Minnesota territory in the second quarter led directly to a touchdown by the Buccaneers (3-4).
After Connor Barth’s third field goal made it 30-10, Adrian Peterson had a season-best 64-yard touchdown run that gave Minnesota some hope and the game picked up in intensity.
Jared Allen and Donald Penn traded shoves after one play that left Minnesota’s All-Pro with a facemask penalty and a bashed-up nose after Tampa Bay’s Pro Bowl left tackle pried Allen’s helmet off and got a personal foul of his own. Allen was yelling at Penn after the whistle, pointing at the blood running down onto his teeth and telling him he was coming after him.