updated 6:39 p.m. ET Nov. 15, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS - Even when Sidney Rice is tightly covered, Brett Favre isn’t afraid to fire a pass downfield.

Favre’s new favorite receiver just keeps fighting through the contact and coming up with the ball, perhaps finally making Minnesota fans forget Randy Moss.

Favre passed for a season-high 344 yards, 201 to Rice, and the Vikings overcame several self-inflicted setbacks to beat the Detroit Lions 27-10 on Sunday.

“Sidney never surprises me,” said Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns. “I have a nickname for him, and it’s ’Showtime.’ He’s got it tattooed on his arm. It fits him well.”

Thanks to Favre’s arrival at quarterback and a summer spent working out with some of the game’s greatest receivers, Rice has emerged as quite a threat for the surging Vikings (8-1). What he lacks in speed he has made up for with precision, position and poise.

“It seems like each game he’s getting better and better,” said left tackle Bryant McKinnie. “Some of those catches are definitely Randy Moss-esque.”

The Lions (1-8) joined the Houston Oilers, from Nov. 21, 1982 through Nov. 4, 1984, as the only NFL teams to lose 31 games in a 33-game stretch, according to STATS.

“You see the progress and see that we’re improving,” linebacker Julian Peterson said. “We just can’t get over that extra hump.”

After a slew of injuries and more poor pass coverage, the Lions dropped their 12th straight at the Metrodome despite keeping another game close for three quarters.

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“We came in with our first goal, which was to stop Adrian Peterson, but with Favre landing bombs like he did it was kind of hard,” linebacker DeAndre Levy said. “It throws off everyone, from the D-line to the cornerbacks.”

Peterson lost a fumble and threw a bad pitch to Percy Harvin for another turnover, both inside the Detroit 20 in the first half. The Vikings committed a season-most 13 penalties, totaling 91 yards.

“We’re not here to try to impress people,” linebacker Ben Leber said. “We’re here to get some wins.”

The Favre-Rice combination has been impressive, particularly in the past month. In the past four games, Rice has 27 receptions for 553 yards.

“Anyone can be stopped, but he sure is difficult to cover,” Favre said. “The type of plays he makes I think is what we all expect him to do.”

Rice wasn’t healthy much of last season, but he never found that connection with Tarvaris Jackson. Fittingly, when Jackson relieved Favre late in the game, Rice dropped his first throw.

Rice compared jockeying for the ball to boxing out for a rebound in basketball, a sport he considers his second favorite. Beyond that, what’s the secret to his success with Favre?

“Just communication and trust,” Rice said.

Matthew Stafford has had a rough rookie season, learning on the go with the Lions still dogged by glaring weaknesses a year after becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history. This was his second game without an interception even against a fierce Vikings pass rush, though, and his receivers dropped a handful of passes.

“I’m not worried about Matt,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “Good gracious. We don’t need to sit there and worry about him every single time. It’s about this team, and we didn’t handle their pressure well.”

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Kevin Smith’s fumble — forced and recovered by Ray Edwards, who was all over the field — on the first play of the third quarter set up Peterson for a 27-yard run and a 1-yard score to stretch the lead to 17-3.

Stafford finished 29 for 51 for 224 yards and one touchdown, which brought the Lions within 17-10. They were going for it on fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 48 late in the third quarter, but with the crowd roaring they called timeout to talk it over and then decided to punt.

Early in the fourth, Favre found Rice open for a 56-yard pass to set up a short touchdown toss to Jeff Dugan, essentially sealing the victory and moving the Vikings closer to clinching the NFC North.

NFL game stories Quick look at Week 11 games TITANS 20, TEXANS 17: Young now 4-0 as a starter this season CHIEFS 27, STEELERS 24, OT: Big Ben hurt in stunning loss  |    Video RAIDERS 20, BENGALS 17: Cincy coughs up lead, ball — and loses COLTS 17, RAVENS 15: Indy jumps on Baltimore’s gaffes  |    Video CHARGERS 32, BRONCOS 3: San Diego alone atop AFC West EAGLES 24, BEARS 20: Philly rebounds from 2-game skid  |    Highlights SAINTS 38, BUCS 7: New Orleans (10-0) starts in slow in romp PATRIOTS 31, JETS 14: N.E. takes 2-game lead in AFC East  |    Video VIKINGS 35, SEAHAWKS 9: Favre throws 4 TDs LIONS 38, BROWNS 37: Stafford throws 5 TDs in wild game  |    Video COWBOYS 7, REDSKINS 6: Late TD keeps Dallas atop East  |    Video GIANTS 34, FALCONS 31, OT: N.Y. ends 4-game slide  |    Video CARDINALS 21, RAMS 13: Warner leaves after blow to the head PACKERS 30, 49ERS 24: Rodgers shines as S.F. loses again  |    Video JAGUARS 18, BILLS 15: T.O. has 197 receiving yards in loss DOLPHINS 24, PANTHERS 17: Ricky runs wild for Miami (5-5)

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