Jay Schroeder gave the Arizona Cardinals a new look at quarterback. And a new lease on life.
With the 11th-year veteran behind center, the Cardinals reversed the form that saw them start 0-3 for new coach Buddy Ryan. The line opened big holes in Minnesota's defense - No. 1 against the run going in - the receivers got open downfield and the defense bent before Vikings quarterback Warren Moon, but never broke.It added up to a 17-7 victory Sunday over the Vikings, who had won three in a row.
"I was looking for it the first week, but it didn't happen," Ryan said of his first win. His teams were 1-3 after four games in all but one of his five seasons coaching the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ryan called center Ed Cunningham and guards Ben Coleman and Ernest Dye up before the team last week and told them they were the key to improved line play. He rewarded them with game balls after the win.
Vikings Ed McDaniel and John Randle had sacks, but Schroeder had ample protection most of the time.
"The offensive line did a heck of a job," said Schroeder, who didn't sign until four weeks ago and was inactive until Sept. 18, when Cleveland embarrassed the Cardinals 32-0 before a bye week. "They took the challenge. Everybody had been talking about them for two weeks, and they didn't like it."
The win also belonged to Schroeder, who threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Derek Ware and set up Larry Centers' 6-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard bomb to Randal Hill, the longest play against the Vikings this season.
Centers circled left end on the next play, and the Cardinals had their 17-7 lead with 9:58 left in the game.
"That should end the controversy," said Ryan, who wanted to throw long to Hill up to five times a game but hadn't been able to with Steve Beuerlein and Jim McMahon at quarterback. Neither has Schroeder's arm strength.
Moon passed 13 yards to Jake Reed for Minnesota's TD, which created a 7-7 halftime tie.
Davis' field goal in the fourth quarter capped a short march, set up when Minnesota's Mike Saxon, holding for a 40-yard field goal try by Fuad Reveiz, lost the snap. Arizona's James Williams covered it at the Cardinals' 45-yard line.
Reveiz made five of seven attempts in four previous games, but also missed from 30 and 47 yards Sunday.
"I'm not going to overanalyze," Reveiz said. "Things just happened to us, but thinking won't make them disappear. I stood up there and two kicks went left on me."
Moon was effective through most of the game, throwing for 355 yards against what had been the NFL's top pass defense. Cris Carter had 14 receptions, a record for a Cardinals opponent, for 167 yards, but the Vikings were unable to make a first down on their first three possessions of the fourth period.
Arizona limited Minnesota to 18 yards rushing, and that delighted Ryan, a former defensive coordinator.
"Nobody runs on us, no matter where we are. The '85 Bears, the Eagles, the Oilers, nowhere - not even Dallas next week," Ryan said.