Sack Attack Stops Buccaneers, 24-10 : Minnesota: Viking defense brings down Tampa Bay’s Testaverde seven times.

TAMPA, Fla. —  The Minnesota Vikings weren’t fancy, just effective.

The NFC Central Division leaders used a relentless pass rush and timely offense Sunday to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-10, for the club’s sixth victory in seven weeks.

Reggie Rutland returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, and the Vikings sacked Vinny Testaverde seven times as the Buccaneers (3-7) lost their fifth straight.

Steve Jordan, who caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Wade Wilson that helped Minnesota build a 17-0 first-quarter lead, said: “We’ve got a stretch of three games on the road, and we’ve had a history of not beating the teams we’re supposed to beat. This was a good momentum builder for our team.”

The victory was the Vikings’ 10th in their last 11 games with Tampa Bay, which hasn’t won since a 42-35 upset of Chicago on Oct. 8.

Buccaneer running back Lars Tate said: “We fought our hearts out. Things just didn’t work out.”

Rutland picked up Bruce Hill’s fumble caused by Vikings safety Brad Edwards and raced to the end zone untouched to give Minnesota a 10-0 lead with 4:33 left in the first quarter. Two minutes later Wilson scrambled 23 yards after a Tampa Bay punt and threw his touchdown pass to Jordan for a 17-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, the Viking defense protected its No. 1 ranking by allowing only 201 net yards. Minnesota blitzed little but pressured Testaverde all afternoon with a strong rush from its front four of Chris Doleman, Keith Millard, Henry Thomas and Al Noga.

“I don’t think anybody’s got four guys up front who are better than we’ve got,” Minnesota Coach Jerry Burns said. “We didn’t feel we needed to blitz to cover the responsibilities at the line, so we didn’t risk losing the coverage in the backfield.”

Doleman sacked Testaverde three times, and Millard and Noga reached the Buc quarterback twice each for losses totaling 54 yards.

The defense also stopped Tampa Bay on downs at Minnesota’s five-yard line late in the second quarter and held the Bucs to Donald Igwebuike’s 22-yard field goal after Leo Lewis fumbled a punt at his own eight.

“Minnesota has the best defense in the league. They are devastating,” Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins said. “We made some pass protection adjustments, doubling Millard, but you can’t double all four.”

Testaverde, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 165 yards, trimmed Minnesota’s 17-3 halftime lead to seven points with a five-yard touchdown pass to James Wilder early in the fourth quarter. But the Buccaneers, beaten by the Vikings, 17-3, six weeks ago, got no closer.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for the man,” Millard said of Testaverde. “He’s getting banged around a lot right now, but he’s a good quarterback.”

Wilson clinched the victory with a 76-yard scoring drive that consumed nearly eight minutes of the final period. He had completions of 10 and 12 yards to Jim Gustafson, and a 13-yarder to Hassan Jones, to set up Herschel Walker’s one-yard touchdown run that made it 24-10 with 5:40 remaining.

“That was the best drive we’ve had all year,” Burns said.