"It was huge," Vikings receiver Sidney Rice said. "Good teams win at home."

Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin said a month without a road game helped the players get their legs back.

"That airplane takes a lot out of guys," he said.

Now, though, is another challenging stretch, with three of the next four games on the road.

The Vikings will head to Arizona to face NFC champion Arizona and then host the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals before heading to Charlotte, N.C., to face the Carolina Panthers.

Coach Brad Childress and his players are reluctant, though, to even acknowledge any team beyond Sunday's opponent.

"I am just worried about Arizona; that's all. I can't get over my ski tips too far," Childress said. "We got a West Coast trip to a team that played in the Super Bowl last year. That's a hard place to play that has a lot of explosive components to it."

Here is a closer look at the Vikings' next three opponents:

ARIZONA Cardinals SUNDAY AT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM

The Cardinals lead the NFC West with a 7-4 record. But they have hardly played like they did in January, when they were rolling through the postseason.

The Cardinals' defense has struggled this season, particularly against the pass. The defense ranks 24th overall and 29th against the pass.

Tennessee quarterback Vince Young shredded the Cardinals on Sunday, passing for 387 yards and converting three fourth downs on an impressive 99-yard, game-winning touchdown drive. That painful loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Cardinals.

Kurt Warner's status for Sunday's game is day to day. But backup Matt Leinart did pass for 405 yards against the Vikings during his rookie season in 2006. He was 31 of 51 with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 31-26 loss at the Metrodome.

The Cardinals always have to be feared because they boast arguably the league's best receiving corps, led by Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and Anquan Boldin. And while the Cardinals don't run the ball a lot, the team's top two tailbacks, Tim Hightower and rookie Beanie Wells, both average more than 4.3 yards per carry.

CINCINNATI Bengals (8-3) DEC. 13 AT THE METRODOME

The Bengals have a surprising two-game lead in the always-formidable AFC North.

The Bengals are 6-0 in the division, with sweeps of the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite the presence of Pro Bowl players such as quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals are winning because of their sixth-ranked defense.

But the Bengals suffered a big blow when defensive end Antwan Odom, whom the Vikings were interested in during the 2008 offseason, suffered a season-ending Achilles' heel injury in the sixth game of the season. He finished the season with eight sacks.

The Bengals are stingy against the run, ranking third in the NFL, and are solid against the pass (16th). Over the past five games, they are 4-1, giving up an average of 11.2 points.

Their lone blemish came against the Oakland Raiders, one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Palmer is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, but he has posted modest numbers this season, generally playing a secondary role to running back Cedric Benson. But there's no shortage of playmakers: seven players have scored at least two touchdowns for the Bengals, and recently acquired running back Larry Johnson rushed for more than 100 yards Sunday.

CAROLINA Panthers (4-7) DEC. 20 AT BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM

The Panthers have fallen on hard times after winning the NFC South with a 12-4 record in 2008.

The Panthers' defense is ranked a respectable 11th in the NFL, thanks to their third-rated pass defense. But the Panthers don't match up well with the Vikings because of their 26th-ranked run defense.

The Panthers did upset the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium, 34-21.

Former Pro Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme has a 59.4 rating, 31st in the NFL, and has thrown 18 interceptions.

The Panthers have legitimate threats, but running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and wide receiver Steve Smith were limited to 80 total yards in a 17-6 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday at the Meadowlands.