Vikings Take Down The Giants

Sunday, November 25th 2007, 3:13 pm

By: News On 6

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings showed Peyton Manning how bad little brother Eli can be. With older brother Peyton watching in the stands, Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith and Chad Greenway picked off passes by Eli and returned them for touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a 41-17 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

Darren Sharper scored on a 20-yard return, Dwight Smith rumbled 93 yards and Chad Greenway followed from 37 yards just a few plays later. The Vikings set a team single-game record for interception returns for touchdowns.

The NFL record for interceptions returns for touchdowns is four, set by Seattle against Kansas City on November 4, 1984.

The Vikings (5-6) nearly had a fourth return in handing the Giants (7-4) their second loss in the last three games. Smith returned a second-quarter interception 19 yards to the Giants 8, setting up a touchdown run by Chester Taylor.

The Giants were off-balance from the start. Tarvaris Jackson threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice just 41 seconds after the opening kickoff in helping Minnesota win back-to-back games for the first time this season. Ryan Longwell added two field goals.

More importantly, the Vikings got back into the wild-card playoff chase and prevented the Giants from taking a two-game lead for the top wild-card berth.

Eli Manning finished 21-of-49 for 249 yards and four interceptions. He threw a meaningless 6-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the fourth quarter.

Reuben Droughns scored on a 1-yard run for New York and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 48-yard field goal.