NFL
Scores
Schedules
Standings
Statistics
Transactions
Injuries
Players
Message Board
NFL en español
FEATURES
NFL Draft
Super Bowl XXXVII
Photo gallery
Power Rankings
NFL Insider
CLUBHOUSE


ESPN MALL
TeamStore
ESPN Auctions
SPORT SECTIONS
Monday, November 29
Updated: December 6, 12:22 PM ET
 
For Vikes, it's better to receive

By Arnie Stapleton
Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Nobody in the 29-year history of the Minnesota Vikings has played two consecutive games better than Randy Moss.

Randy Moss
Minnesota's Randy Moss has 21 catches for 331 yards in his last two games.
The second-year star broke Paul Flatley's 1963 two-game record by amassing 331 yards on 21 catches against Chicago and San Diego.

And he isn't even the hottest receiver on the team right now.

Cris Carter holds that distinction. He has had four consecutive 100-yard games, the latest coming in a 35-27 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.

During that span, he has caught eight touchdown passes, including a career-high three against Chicago, helping the Vikings (7-4) recover from their 2-4 start.

Carter's tiptoe sideline grabs were on full display Sunday, a game in which he also spiked a ball that accidentally hit an official in the nose.

"I've never seen Cris play like this since I've been here," running back Robert Smith marveled. "I just can't say enough about how impressed I am with him. I mean, he's no spring chicken. I tell you, he's getting better every week. It's just unbelievable the fire the guy has."

Before this spectacular stretch, Carter had never recorded more than two consecutive 100-yard games in his 13-year NFL career. On Sunday, he joined Jerry Rice, Art Monk and Andre Reed as the only receivers to surpass 900 career catches.

Fittingly, the milestone came on a third-down TD reception.

Carter has been so spectacular lately it's easy to overlook Moss. Moss set career highs with 12 catches for 204 yards against Chicago, then added nine receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

Carter has 20 catches for 277 yards and five TDs during the same span.

About the only one not impressed by his stratospheric level of play is Carter himself.

"I'm supposed to make plays," he said.

Carter, who turned 34 on Thanksgiving, always assumes he could have done more: "There were a couple of balls that I could have had," he said.

But there's no disputing this is his finest stretch.

"I've been amazed by him since I came into the league," Smith said. "He's probably played his best in the last five weeks. It's just hard for me to believe that he's gotten any better. But I think he has."

Carter's recent run coincides with the ascension of quarterback Jeff George, who is 5-0 as a starter after replacing Randall Cunningham.

After catching just one TD in 5½ games with Cunningham at quarterback, Carter has 10 touchdown catches in the same span with George.

"I don't know if there's a quarterback who's come into a system in his very first year and had the kind of success that Jeff has had," coach Dennis Green said.

Even Jake Reed, who was benched two weeks ago after dropping his fifth pass in three games, got into the act Sunday with four catches, including a 5-yard touchdown, his first TD in nine games.

"We knew he was going to come back," Carter said. "It's tough when you have a guy like him, not only as a football player, but as a friend -- he's probably my closest friend on the team -- to see him struggle. There was nothing I could do to help him but try to encourage him."

Reed said he and his wife attended the circus and a comedy show and didn't think about football during the bye week.

"On my way back, on the plane, I did a lot of thinking and soul searching," Reed said.

On Sunday he found some answers. And for the first time, Reed, Moss and Carter caught a touchdown pass on the same day.





 More from ESPN...
Mort Report: Sherman marches on
ESPN's Chris Mortensen says ...
Kreidler: Bucs stop everything, but ...
ESPN.com's Mark Kreidler says ...

NFC: Can Bucs cash in?
Can Tampa Bay reach the Super ...

War Room preview: Vikings at Buccaneers

Focal Point: Vikes vs. Bucs
Minnesota's offense has been ...

Tuesday Morning Quarterback
While most of the attention ...

Playoff picture coming into focus
The postseason lineup is just ...

Murphy: Even the losers ...
ESPN.com's Brian Murphy says ...

Week 13 previews
The explosive Vikings will ...

Week 13 injury report
Check the status of Ricky ...

Week 13 picks
The fearless prognosticator ...

NFL Question of the Week
We asked our NFL experts if ...

 ESPN Tools
Email story
 
Most sent
 
Print story
 
Daily email