The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings were flat and lacking focus, while the New York Giants were hungry and eager for some success.

Kerry Collins passed for 375 yards and two touchdowns Sunday to lead the Giants to a 29-17 victory over the Vikings - the NFC's last unbeaten team.

"When you play like a team that's starting to believe what everyone is saying about you - that's what you get," said Minnesota coach Mike Tice, whose team lost for the first time in 10 regular-season games dating to last Dec. 8 at Green Bay.

"We never lost that will to win - the guys just kept on fighting," said Giants coach Jim Fassel, whose team ended a three-game losing streak and has never dropped four in a row in his seven seasons.

Randy Moss had two touchdown catches and 125 yards receiving for Minnesota (6-1), but Daunte Culpepper threw his first two interceptions of the year and the Vikings got little offensive production from anyone else.

"We just really didn't have it in us," Moss said. "I really don't know how we're going to react. Some teams go down in the hole, and some teams step up."

That's what the Giants (3-4) did.

They were 3-4 last year, too, before winning seven of their final nine to earn a wild-card spot. And then there was 2000, when New York lost two straight at home to fall to 7-4 and prompt Fassel to guarantee a playoff appearance. The Giants went to the Super Bowl that year.

"It's been tough around here," Collins said, "but we kept our belief."

Tiki Barber had a touchdown and 122 total yards for New York, which led 22-17 on Barber's 2-yard TD run with 5:29 remaining.

Culpepper was picked off by Frank Walker on the next play from scrimmage, and Walker returned it 18 yards to the Minnesota 17. Ike Hilliard got his second touchdown reception three plays later to put the game out of reach.

"We have a lot of character," said Giants safety Shaun Williams, "and it showed."

Hilliard had nine catches for 100 yards, Amani Toomer three for 96, Jeremy Shockey three for 81 and New York gained 450 total yards - the most allowed by the Vikings this year.

Their defense was squarely behind the 6-0 start, but the Giants have always had success moving the ball against them - most notably in a 41-0 defeat in the NFC championship game in January 2001.

"To come up here and get a win really helps our confidence," Collins said.

Confidence. That's something the Vikings might have had a little too much of coming into this game.

"I think we really got too far ahead of ourselves," Moss said. "We've just got to be reeled back in."

Panthers 23, Saints 20 (OT)

NEW ORLEANS - As Stephen Davis goes, so go the Carolina Panthers. And boy, was Davis going on Sunday.

Davis, who was held to 20 yards on 11 carries in the Panthers' loss to Tennessee last week, was back in form Sunday.

He rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns as Carolina beat the New Orleans Saints 23-20 in overtime.

"We gave them a heavy dose of Stephen," said Carolina coach John Fox. "He started fast and finished fast."

Davis has rushed for more than 100 yards five times this season, including 159 in Carolina's first game against the Saints. His teams are 19-4 when he breaks 100.

Davis had a key 34-yard run in overtime Sunday to set up John Kasay's 31-yard field goal for the victory that kept Carolina atop the NFC South.

Carolina staged a 58-yard drive, fueled by two pass interference calls and capped by Davis' second touchdown, a 1-yard dive that put Carolina up 20-17 with 3:45 left.

The Saints (3-5) tied it on a 42-yard field goal by John Carney with 36 seconds to go.

New Orleans won the coin toss in overtime and drove to the Carolina 37 before Deuce McAllister fumbled on fourth-and-1. Then Carolina went 50 yards, with Davis breaking free for 33, and Kasay hit his third field goal of the game.

"We stayed with what we do best," Davis said. "That's running the ball."

Bucs 16, Cowboys 0

TAMPA, Fla. - Beating Bill Parcells was only part of the satisfaction for Tampa Bay.

Sunday's 16-0 domination of Dallas also restored some of the Super Bowl champions' swagger. It was their second shutout of the season, the other: a 17-0 win over Philadelphia in the opener.

Keyshawn Johnson ended a week in which his agent complained about the receiver's role in Tampa Bay's offense by catching a 7-yard touchdown pass and Martin Gramatica kicked field goals of 24, 26 and 50 yards for the Bucs (4-3).

Tampa Bay's injury-riddled defense did its part in stopping the Cowboys' longest winning streak since 1994 at five games by forcing three turnovers, sacking Quincy Carter four times and holding Dallas (5-2) to just 178 yards a week after losing to San Francisco.

Bears 24, Lions 16

CHICAGO - The Detroit Lions' road woes are getting so bad even rookies are taking advantage of them.

Charles Tillman set up one score with an interception, Justin Gage had a TD catch and an assist in another score, and Brock Forsey ran for a touchdown Sunday.

It was the 20th straight road loss for the Lions, who haven't won outside of Michigan since Dec. 17, 2000. The Lions (1-6) have lost 14 of their last 15 overall.

Chris Chandler, who took the starting job from Kordell Stewart this week, was 20-of-31 for 207 yards.

Joey Harrington was 23-of-40 for 180 yards. But he was intercepted twice.

Cardinals 16, 49ers 13 (OT)

TEMPE, Ariz. - On a bad day for kickers, Tim Duncan and the Arizona Cardinals went away upset winners in overtime against the 49ers.

Duncan, kicking in place of injured Bill Gramatica, missed three of five attempts in regulation, including a 50-yarder as the fourth quarter ended. But his 39-yarder with 10:01 left in overtime gave Arizona its first victory over the 49ers in 10 years.

San Francisco's Owen Pochman, who nearly lost his job after missing three field goals last week against Tampa Bay, missed two more Sunday, including a go-ahead attempt from 35 yards with 2:25 left in regulation.

He also knocked the overtime kickoff out of bounds to give Arizona the ball on its 40.

Arizona entered the game as the NFL's worst rushing team, but Marcel Shipp carried 35 times, one shy of the franchise record. Arizona averaged 71 yards per game entering the contest, but got 70 in the first quarter alone.

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