MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Daunte Culpepper's first interception of the season came at the worst possible time.
Culpepper was picked off with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter and the New York Giants capitalized with a touchdown three plays later to send the Minnesota Vikings to their first loss of the season, 29-17.
The Giants (3-4) had just gone ahead, 22-17, on a two-yard scoring run by Tiki Barber when Culpepper was picked off by Frank Walker, a rookie playing in his first game. On third down of the ensuing drive, Kerry Collins found Ike Hilliard for a 14-yard touchdown strike - Hilliard's second of the game.
"We knew their record didn't reflect the kind of team they had," Culpepper said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game."
The Giants have won at the Metrodome in back-to-back seasons. Collins passed for 375 yards and two touchdowns, his fourth straight 300-yard game against the Vikings, including the playoffs.
"We came in today knowing that we wanted to get the ball downfield," Collins said. "We had opportunities from the coverage that they gave us."
Although Collins threw an interception, the league-high 17th pick by the Vikings this season, he found Hilliard nine times for 100 yards, Amani Toomer three times for 96 yards and tight end Jeremy Shockey three times for 81 yards, including a 46-yard pass that set up Barber's go-ahead touchdown.
"We weren't able to put pressure on them, like we've been doing previous games," Vikings defensive end Kenny Mixon said. "If you're going to win, you've got to make them uncomfortable."
Minnesota (6-1) was trying to go 7-0 for the second time in four seasons - the Vikings won their first seven in 2000, when they lost the NFC championship game to the Giants.
"When you play like a team that's starting to believe what everyone is saying about you, that's what you get," Vikings coach Mike Tice said. "You get sloppy plays, you get players not making plays, you have coaches not coaching good."
Randy Moss had a pair of touchdown catches in the first half for the Vikings, but aside from his one-yard score in the third quarter, Moss was a non-factor in the second half. After he caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in the first half, the Giants held Moss to two catches for four yards in the second, including the touchdown.
"They started triple covering him like everyone else has," Culpepper said. "We tried to exploit some other holes we thought they had. We weren't able to come up with the plays."
Even when the Vikings did come up with a play, it worked out well for the Giants. Safety Jack Brewer came up with Minnesota's first blocked punt since 1989 in the third quarter, but Wesly Mallard picked up the ball for New York and ran 12 yards to save possession for the Giants and stop the Vikings from getting a golden opportunity to score at the New York 12.
"The blocked punt was a great play, but we're not jumping on the ball," Tice said. "(We've) got a chance for a short field touchdown and just didn't make the play."
Culpepper threw one more interception on the final play of the game.
