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Vikings Get Into Playoffs Beating Giants 20-19

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Dec 28, 2008 4:20 pm US/Eastern

Vikings Get Into Playoffs Beating Giants 20-19

New York's Derrick Ward Tops 1,000 Rushing Yards

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Derrick Ward #34 of the New York Giants runs with the ball against the Washington Redskins during their game at FedEx Field on Nov. 30, 2008, in Landover, Md.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

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With the New York Giants already comfortably in, the Minnesota Vikings pushed their way into the playoffs.

Ryan Longwell's 50-yard field goal with 5 seconds left lifted the Vikings to a 20-19 victory over the resting Giants on Sunday afternoon, making Minnesota NFC North champions for its first postseason appearance in four years.

David Carr took over at quarterback for Eli Manning after halftime and threw a touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon midway through the third quarter to take a 16-10 lead, but New York (12-4) was on cruise control from there with a bunch of backups on the field.

The Vikings (10-6), who pulled within two points on a 54-yard touchdown pass by Tarvaris Jackson to a wide-open Bernard Berrian after third-string cornerback Terrell Thomas fell down, weren't complaining.

Giants running back Derrick Ward topped 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Sunday against Minnesota, giving New York only the fourth pair of 1,000-yard backs in league history.

Brandon Jacobs, who was inactive on Sunday, rushed for 1,089 yards this season. Ward entered the game needing 52 yards to join him in the club, and picked that up on a 5-yard rush in the third quarter.

Miami's Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris formed the first running back duo to rush for 1,000 yards each in 1972. Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier did it for Pittsburgh in 1976 and Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack did it for Cleveland in 1985.

Atlanta also had two 1,000-yard rushers in 2006 with running back Warrick Dunn and quarterback Michael Vick.