ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Vikings didn't need Daunte Culpepper, but the Atlanta Falcons could have used Michael Vick.
Gus Frerotte threw two touchdowns and Moe Williams ran for a pair of scores in the second half as the Vikings scored 17 consecutive points to remain unbeaten with a 39-26 victory over the Falcons.
Frerotte made his second straight start in place of the injured Culpepper, who is sidelined with three broken bones in his back. He engineered a second-half comeback for Minnesota (5-0), which has won its first five games for its best start since opening the 2000 season 7-0.
Atlanta continues to play without Vick, who suffered a broken ankle during the preseason. He torched the Vikings in the last meeting between the teams, rushing for 173 yards - the most by a quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
Despite the absence of their electrifying quarterback, the Falcons (1-4) had a 20-12 halftime lead after scoring consecutive touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the first half.
The Vikings tied it with 7:34 remaining in the third, when Frerotte threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss and connected with rookie running back Onterrio Smith on the two-point conversion.
Williams capped a 77-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run with 2:39 remaining and added a five-yard score on the opening drive of the fourth.
Frerotte completed 14-of-24 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Williams rushed for 71 yards on 11 carries and Smith ran 13 times for 63 yards as the Vikings gained 166 yards on the ground and remained one of four unbeaten teams in the NFL.
"We had to come out and see what they would give us today," Frerotte said. "It took us a while, but we adjusted to their defense. It's the first time we've seen this defense, but we made the necessary adjustment at the half and it showed later. We went out and made plays."
Minnesota finished with 399 yards despite managing only 161 in the first half.
"It was a tale of two halves," Vikings coach Mike Tice said. "I thought the first half was the worst half of football we've played all season. The coaches did a good job of settling the guys down. They showed a lot of character. They came out and play a very good second half."
"The focus level of the team was a bit shaky in the first half," said Moss, who had five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. "We had to make some adjustments to come out and finish the game up. The first half showed how things can get when you're not focused."
Minnesota, which has a bye next week, has won eight consecutive games since losing at Green Bay on December 18, 2003.
Atlanta's Doug Johnson was 28-of-40 for 352 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His favorite target was Peerless Price, who caught 12 passes for 168 yards - both season highs - and caught his first touchdown with the Falcons.
"I'll take away any catch I ever had for a win," Price said. "That's a positive, but it doesn't mean much when you lose. We did some good things, but the bottom line is we still lost. We didn't do enough good things."
Atlanta had 440 yards on offense, but was limited to just 24 yards in the third quarter as Minnesota rallied.
"(The Vikings) started moving the ball, they scored on three straight possessions," Atlanta coach Dan Reeves said. "We tried to move the ball and we were penalized. What they did specifically I can't tell you."
After Williams' second touchdown gave the Vikings a 34-20 cushion, linebacker Chris Claiborne intercepted Johnson's pass to T.J Duckett.
Frerotte threw an interception on the next play and the Falcons regained possession at their own 4. On third down, tackle Bob Whitfield was called for holding, resulting in Atlanta's second safety of the game to give Minnesota a 36-20 cushion.
Atlanta was threatening on its next possession when Johnson connected with running back Warrick Dunn, who caught the ball at the 26 yard line and took it to the 5 before fumbling into the end zone.
Minnesota recovered and recorded its league-leading 13th interception on Atlanta's next possession to put away the game.
"We just never recovered offensively to get back in the game until the end," Reeves said. "We had a chance and then turned it over, you have to give (the Vikings) credit, they did a good job in the second half and we didn't. We didn't execute very well."
