For the Record, 13-1 Counts the Most

BALTIMORE —  On a record-setting day, only one thing really mattered to the Minnesota Vikings--their 13-1 record.

The Vikings took advantage of six Baltimore turnovers to win a franchise-best 13th game on Sunday, getting six field goals from Gary Anderson and two touchdown passes from Randall Cunningham in a 38-28 victory.

Minnesota scored 26 points off the turnovers and remained a game ahead of Atlanta in the race for best record and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

“We’re playing for pride, we’re trying to be the best and we’re trying to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs,” Viking Coach Dennis Green said. “That’s what we want to accomplish.”

Anderson has kicked 34 consecutive field goals, breaking the NFL record of 31 set by the Vikings’ Fuad Reviez in 1995. Anderson, 29 for 29 this season, connected from 43, 31, 45, 24, 46 and 20 yards.

The teams also set an NFL record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns in the first quarter. A 95-yard return by Corey Harris and a 97-yarder by Patrick Johnson gave the Ravens (5-9) a 14-6 lead, and the Vikings’ David Palmer followed with an 88-yard return for a touchdown.

By halftime, though, the Ravens had lost four fumbles and Minnesota held a 25-14 lead. In all, Baltimore lost five fumbles, was intercepted once and ran only 42 plays compared with 91 for Minnesota.

The Ravens found little consolation in returning 10 kickoffs for an NFL-record 367 yards, in part because their five fumbles were also a team record.

“You can’t win in this league and make as many mistakes as we did,” Baltimore Coach Ted Marchibroda said.

The Ravens played the entire game with a patchwork offensive line that’s missing three starters because of injuries. Jim Harbaugh was 16 for 26 for 212 yards and Floyd Turner had 10 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t nearly enough offense against the big-play Vikings.

Cunningham was 32 for 55 for 345 yards and his two touchdown passes give him 29 for the season.

Randy Moss, with 89 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, set a record for yards receiving by a rookie (1,209), breaking the mark of 1,132 by Terry Glenn in 1996.

Cris Carter had 11 catches and scored his 100th NFL touchdown on an 11-yard play in the third quarter. It was his 99th touchdown catch, tying him for third on the NFL career list with Don Hutson.