Vikings lose Bridgewater, beat Rams 21-18 in OT

Vikings lose Bridgewater, beat Rams 21-18 in OT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Angered by a hit to Teddy Bridgewater's head, the Minnesota Vikings steered their feelings toward another steely victory.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 125 yards on 29 carries, helping set up Blair Walsh's 40-yard field goal in overtime that lifted the Vikings a 21-18 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday after Bridgewater left with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.

In a predictably grind-it-out game between similarly constructed teams, the Vikings (6-2) ended Todd Gurley's streak of games with 125plus yards rushing at four. Gurley gained 89 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for the Rams (4-4), who received the overtime kickoff but went three-and-out.

Marcus Sherels tiptoed along the sideline for a 26-yard return of Johnny Hekker's 63yard punt, and Peterson ran the ball well into Walsh's range to give the Vikings their seventh straight win at home.

Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Rams, including a 53-yarder with 17 seconds left in regulation to make up for the 48-yarder that went wide right a few minutes before.

Zuerlein had a career-long 61-yarder among three field goals in the second quarter, the first from 60-plus yards in the NFL in nearly two years. Zuerlein became the second kicker in NFL history with multiple field goals from 60plus yards, joining Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski.

Bridgewater, who was replaced by former Rams backup Shaun Hill, finished 13 for 21 for 144 yards.

Nick Foles completed 18 of 33 passes for 168 yards for St. Louis.

Trumaine Johnson intercepted Bridgewater in the end zone on the second play from scrimmage of the second half.

Bridgewater scored on a third-and-2 run up the middle to retake the lead and padded it with the pure-hustle 2-point conversion on a bootleg to his right.

Later in the third quarter, Rams defensive end William Hayes drew the ire of the Vikings and the crowd with a low hit on Bridgewater, who grabbed his right knee, that was not penalized. Then on the next possession, Bridgewater scrambled and slid before taking a shoulder to the head from Lamarcus Joyner that was flagged.

Bridgewater was able to jog to the locker room for evaluation of a concussion, but he did not return.

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for an entire season for his oversight of a bounty system while in the same role with New Orleans. The Saints were found to have been paid bonuses for hard hits that hurt the other team.