Minnesota Vikings narrowly defeat St. Louis Rams after Teddy Bridgewater's injury

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Vikings were leading 18-15 early in the fourth quarter Sunday and were in position to pull away from the visiting St. Louis Rams when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was lost for the game after an illegal hit by Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner.

Bridgewater appeared to be knocked out cold after Joyner drilled him in the head with his shoulder after the quarterback slid down following a short run. Joyner was called for a personal foul. Bridgewater went to the locker room and was ruled out with a concussion. He was replaced by Shaun Hill, a former Rams quarterback.

The offense was ineffective without their second-year starter, but the Vikings held on to win, 21-18, with kicker Blair Walsh's 40-yard field goal in overtime at TCF Bank Stadium.

The Vikings won the coin toss before the start of overtime, but coach Mike Zimmer opted to kick the ball away and get the wind at his team's back. The gamble paid off. His defense forced a three-and-out and punt returner Marcus Sherels gave the Vikings the ball near midfield with a 26-yard return down the right sideline.

Some hard running by running back Adrian Peterson, who finished the game with 125 yards on 29 carries, moved the Vikings into field-goal range. And Walsh connected from 40 yards for his second walk-off winner in as many weeks.

With Hill under center, the Vikings offense could not sustain drives on their final four possessions in regulation, putting the pressure on the defense to hold on for the win.

Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein missed from 48 yards out with 1:45 left in regulation as the strong winds sweeping through TCF Bank Stadium pushed his field-goal try wide right.

But the Rams got the ball back with 1:15 on the clock. A pass interference penalty on rookie cornerback Trae Waynes gave them a first down at the Vikings' 35-yard line. Zuerlein was good this time, from 53 yards, to send the game to overtime.

The Vikings raced out to a 10-0 lead with scores on their first two possessions. After a field goal from Walsh, they quickly moved down the field on their next drive with four straight completions on play-action passes by Bridgewater. Peterson finished off the drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown.

The Rams were sparked offensively with a 55-yard pass from quarterback Nick Foles to wide receiver Kenny Britt on third down, moving them into the red zone. Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley then rushed for a one-yard touchdown.

Zuerlein boomed three field goals, including one from 61 yards with the wind at his back, in the second quarter and the visitors took a 15-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. His 61-yarder was tied for the seventh-longest field goal in NFL history.

The Vikings reclaimed the lead midway through the third quarter when Bridgewater escaped the pocket on third down and split the Rams defense for a six-yard rushing touchdown. Bridgewater's run for a two-point conversion put the Vikings up, 18-15.

The Vikings, now 6-2, will travel to Oakland to play the Raiders next Sunday. The next several days will determine if Bridgewater will be able to join them on the field.