Last meeting:
Steven Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Rams past the Vikings, 41-21, in Week 17 of 2006.

Streaks:
St. Louis has taken four of the past five meetings, but trails 22-16-2 in the overall series, including the playoffs.

Last week:
A second-half meltdown led to the Rams suffering a 35-0 defeat at the hands of the 49ers. ... Behind Brett Favre, the Vikings outlasted the Packers on Monday night.

Keep your eye on ...

The Vikings' focus: Following a dramatic win against San Francisco and an emotional victory over Green Bay, this game against winless St. Louis would seem to present a classic letdown scenario to Minnesota. The Vikings can demonstrate a lot of maturity by jumping on the Rams early.

Adrian Peterson's rushing output: After averaging 6.8 yards per carry in the first two weeks and rushing for 272 yards in those games, Peterson has been held to just 3.2 yards per rush and 140 yards in his last two outings. He will be eager to improve on those numbers against the Rams' 24th-ranked rushing defense.

St. Louis' improving defense: While the Rams have hardly been a defensive juggernaut, they have shown considerable progress under coach Steve Spagnuolo. Led by rookie James Laurinaitis, the unit has flashed promise at times and its place as the 19th-ranked defense is deceiving given the difficult situations St. Louis' offense has repeatedly put the defense in.

Did you know?
The Vikings look for their first 5-0 start since 2003. ... Favre is the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams. ... Rams S Oshiomogho Atogwe has 14 interceptions since 2007, which is tied for the most in the NFC and second in the NFL. ... St. Louis DE Leonard Little has 83.5 sacks since 2000, which is third most among active players.