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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings returned, literally, to their winning way.Xavier Rhodes took back one of his two interceptions 100 yards for a touchdown and Cordarrelle Patterson returned the second-half kickoff 104 yards for a score in Minnesotas 30-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, helping the Vikings stop their four-game losing streak.Its been a long, long, long month, but its good to feel this again, said coach Mike Zimmer, who urged his team multiple times this week to stop chasing those momentum-shifting plays and focus instead on fundamentals. Its good to see the fight that the players had, to see the hard work.The Vikings are the first team since the 1962 Dallas Cowboys to have a 100-yard interception return touchdown and a 100-plus yard kickoff return touchdown in the same game. The Cowboys Amos Marsh had a 101-yard kickoff return touchdown and Mike Gaechter had a 100-yard interception return touchdown in Dallas 41-19 win over Philadelphia.The Vikings (6-4) held onto their first-place tie with Detroit in the NFC North, with a rematch against the Lions looming in four days. After scoring twice each on defense and special teams during their NFL-best 5-0 start, the Vikings failed to produce a return touchdown over their last four games until this breakthrough. They also sacked Carson Palmer four times, two by Danielle Hunter, for the most since their last victory six weeks ago.Palmer, who passed for 198 yards and two scores, was off the mark for much of the afternoon and had no time to find anyone on the final two possessions.They have a great front. They knew that we were in a position where we must throw, Palmer said. So they really pinned their ears back and had some good rushes, and we just couldnt quite get the ball out.David Johnson rushed for 103 yards and a score and tacked on 57 yards and a touchdown receiving, but the Cardinals (4-5-1) netted only 27 yards after halftime. The NFC runner-up last season fell further into the background of the playoff picture with four more road games remaining.Its an uphill climb, but I feel like with the veterans we have, the leaders, the players we have, we definitely still have a chance, said Johnson, who has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in all 10 games, only the fourth player to do so since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.TENSION, GONEThe Cardinals climbed within six points after Chandler Jones sacked Sam Bradford to force a fumble that Deone Bucannon recovered at the Vikings 27. That set up Johnsons third-down catch in the end zone with 7:24 remaining.John Browns 32-yard punt return put the Cardinals in excellent position, but the Vikings fired up their pass rush and quickly forced a punt. They had to kick it back, but Jeff Locke boomed a 72-yard punt after a friendly roll to the Arizona 13 with 2:20 left.It was weighing on everyone, said Bradford, who went 20 for 28 for 169 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. I think you could feel it just at practice and in the locker room. So the joy of winning, its a great feeling. That feeling we had in the locker room today, I think it solved a lot of problems.FITZS FRUITLESS VISITLarry Fitzgerald had six catches for 63 yards, leaving his native city with a loss for the fifth time in five trips in his NFL career. Fitzgerald has scored only one touchdown in eight all-time games against the Vikings, the team he used to serve as a ball boy for when Dennis Green was the coach. Green, who died on July 22 at age 67, was honored before the game with a video tribute and a painting presentation to his wife and three of his children.OMINOUS DEBUTNew Vikings kicker Kai Forbath made a short field goal and three extra points, but he had one PAT blocked in the second quarter that loomed large at the end. Forbaths ensuing kickoff was short, setting up a 49-yard return by Brittan Golden. Forbath replaced Blair Walsh, who missed a league-leading four extra points.INJURY REPORTCardinals: DT Corey Peters (foot) and FS Tyrann Mathieu (shoulder) were inactive, with Mathieu sidelined for a second straight game. RT Mike Iupati limped off after hurting his left ankle in the second quarter but returned before halftime.Vikings: Nickel CB Captain Munnerlyn (ankle) and punt returner Marcus Sherels (ankle) each returned from injuries that kept them out last week.UP NEXTCardinals: They visit Atlanta next Sunday. Theyve lost their last three games in the Eastern time zone, including at Buffalo and Carolina this season.Vikings: They play their first Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit since 1995, their only loss in six all-time appearances on the holiday. Their last Thanksgiving Day game was in 2000 at Dallas.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLDreMont Jones Jersey .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Custom Denver Broncos Jerseys . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Noah-Fant-Jersey/ . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. Terrell Davis Womens Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Steve Atwater Broncos Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph.Paris, France (Sports Network) - Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal outlasted world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set semifinal, while David Ferrer landed in his first-ever Grand Slam final with a big victory of his own Friday at the French Open. The third-seeded former No. 1 Nadal held off his great rival Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 9-7 in a pulsating 4-hour, 37-minute affair to reach his eighth French Open final in nine years. "I was ready for the fight," Nadal said. "I really fought a lot." A fourth-seeded Ferrer, meanwhile, won Fridays semifinal nightcap with a mostly one-sided 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded heavy French favorite and former Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the famed red clay at Stade Roland Garros. In a match that featured two of tennis greatest players, Djokovic and Nadal did not disappoint on a hot, breezy, sun-drenched Day 13 of the fortnight. The two stars only intensified their great rivalry, piling up the winners with bludgeoned forehands, fierce two-handed backhands, and deft volleys. The deciding 82-minute fifth set opened with a service break by the six-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic and the two stalwarts then stayed on serve until the eighth game, when Nadal finally broke back to even the stanza at 4-all. A frustrated Djokovic was called for both a time violation and net violation in that key game. The marathon fifth was ultimately decided in the 16th game, when Nadal stunned Djokovic by breaking the strapping Serb at love when Djokovic misfired long on one final forehand on Nadals first match point at a jam-packed Court Chatrier. "It has been an unbelievable match to be part of, but all I can feel now is disappointment," Djokovic said. "I wanted this title so much." The classic win gave Nadal an amazing 58-1 record at the French Open, with his only loss coming against Swede Robin Soderling in the fourth round back in 2009. "I congratulate Novak," Nadal told the crowd. "Hes a very great champion. He will win here at Roland Garros another year." The Australian Open champion Djokovic, donning a white cap on Friday, managed to stay alive in a 58-minute fourth set, one in which Nadal was two points away from reaching a fourth straight final in Paris. Nadal broke for a 4-3 lead in the fourth, but the advantage was short-lived, as the Serb broke right back and then held for a 5-4 edge. Nadal then held and got another break for a 6-5 lead and then tried to serve out the match. He appeared on his way to do just that after crushing a pair of brilliant forehand winners for a 30-15 lead to again put himself just two points away from the finale. But the ever-resilient Djokovic would not be denied, as he charged back to take that 12th game via break, setting the stage for a tiebreak. Djokovic dominated the tiebreak, which came to a close when the formidable Serb swatted a forehand into Nadals feet that the Spaniard could only scoop into the net. Earlier in the bout, Nadal tallied the lone break of the first set en route to victory before Djokovic officially got into the match by cruising in the second. Djokovic was down a set and trailing 2-3 in the second before a paiir of breaks helped him grab a 5-3 lead and a hold secured the stanza for the Serbian star, who won the last four games of the second to level the encounter.dddddddddddd The third set then was all Nadal, as the mighty Mallorcan rolled out to a 5-0 lead before settling for a 6-1 win. Nadal wound up with eight breaks of serve on Friday, compared to five for the hard-luck loser Djokovic, who tallied 31 more unforced errors (75-44) than his Spanish counterpart. "Thats why hes a champion," Djokovic said. "Thats why hes been ruling Roland Garros for many years, and for me its another year." The 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal beat the Serbian slugger Djokovic in last years French Open final to secure a third straight and mens-record seventh overall Roland Garros title. He is trying to become the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam event. The reigning Aussie Open champion Djokovic still needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam. The 27-year-old Nadal is now 20-15 lifetime against the 26-year-old Djokovic, who beat the Spaniard in an ATP Masters final in Monte Carlo in April. Nadal, however, is now 7-3 in their Grand Slam meetings, including a perfect 5-0 mark at Roland Garros. Their previous 11 meetings on tour had all come in finals. Ferrer, meanwhile, dismissed Tsonga in just over two hours, breaking the Frenchman six times while Tsonga settled for only two breaks in the setback. Tsonga piled up 35 more unforced errors (56-21). The gritty Ferrer managed to handle Tsonga, who was playing in his first-ever French Open semi, and improve to 3-1 lifetime against the Frenchman. Tsonga won their previous lone Grand Slam meeting in the fourth round at Wimbledon two years ago. Ferrer, who wound up breaking Tsonga to wrap up the Day 13 festivities, has won all 18 of his sets at this Parisian fortnight after converting on his first match point Friday when Tsonga shot long on one final forehand. The 31-year-old Ferrer is now 1-5 in his career major semifinals and will appear in that elusive Grand Slam final on Sunday. Tsonga appeared in his fifth career Grand Slam semi (1-4) and was the first French mens French Open semifinalist since Gael Monfils in 2008. He was trying to become the first French mens French Open finalist since Henri Leconte in 1988 and first French mens champion since Yannick Noah in 1983. Nadal will appear in his ninth final in nine tournaments in 2013, seeking a seventh title. He owns 56 career championships in 79 finals. The left-hander missed this years Aussie and last years U.S. Open while recovering from a knee injury. Ferrer will appear in his 39th career final, seeking a 21st title. Hes 2-3 in his 2013 finals, including a loss against Nadal in Acapulco back in March. The 5-foot-9 Ferrer has reached at least the semis in five of the last seven Slams. Nadal is a dominant 19-4 lifetime against Ferrer, including 3-0 this year. Ferrer, however, is 2-2 versus his compatriot at the majors, but Nadal is 2-0 in their matchups here at Roland Garros. The last all-Spanish French Open final came in 2002, when Albert Costa upended former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. The 2013 French Open champ will claim $1.97 million. ' ' '