MINNEAPOLIS — With a chance to close out a win for the third week in a row, the Minnesota Vikings defense came through again Sunday, spoiling the return of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III in a 29-26 win at TCF Bank Stadium.

Vikings running back Matt Asiata scored his third touchdown of the day with 3:27 left in the game, and capped it with a two-point conversion plunge to give Minnesota the three-point lead.

The Vikings stopped the Redskins’ final drive at midfield.

Asiata only averaged 2.6 yards per attempt on 10 carries Sunday, but scored on a pair of 1-yard runs. His longest run of the day was a 7-yard scoring scamper two minutes into the final quarter.

Griffin was far from perfect in his first game action since Week 2, but passed several critical physical tests. On the first drive of the game, Griffin kept a read-option play, moved well out of the pocket and drove the Redskins into position for a 36-yard field goal by Kai Forbath.

Washington led 10-0 after a 14-yard run by Alfred Morris early in the second quarter and the Vikings offense failed to do much of anything until a gift interception from Griffin late in the first half gave Minnesota life, and the ball in Redskins territory with a chance to get on the board before halftime.

“I just threw it inside,” Griffin said. “Dre ran a great route, just left the ball inside, didn’t come out of my hand right, wind caught it, doesn’t matter. It was left inside at the end of the day and I can’t let that happen.”

Four plays later, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected on a 20-yard score to tight end Chase Ford to pull Minnesota within three at intermission.

Asiata got in the end zone for the first time on Minnesota’s opening drive of the second half to give the Vikings their first lead at 14-10.

Griffin and the Redskins answered on their next drive, taking advantage of a questionable roughing-the-passer call on third down to keep a drive alive. On the next play, Griffin hit wide receiver DeSean Jackson on a slant route for an 13-yard score.

A 26-yard field goal by Forbath made it a 20-14 game headed to the final quarter.

Following Asiata’s 7-yarded to open the final quarter, Griffin hit Jackson on a 53-yard pass to set up Morris’ second scoring run of the day from two yards out. The drive went 80 yards on eight plays, and gave Washington its final lead of the day at 26-21 with nine minutes to play.

The Vikings answered with a 73-yard drive in 12 plays to score the winning touchdown. Bridgewater went 5-for-7 on the drive, converting a third and 10 with a 21-yard pass to Jarius Wright and a third and five with a six-yarder to Greg Jennings.

What the Vikings said:

“It’s big. We are starting to get it and bring it together as a whole team. Now we have a little time to rest up, heal up and come back ready to go.” –Safety Harrison Smith on getting a win before the bye week.

What the Redskins said:

“Not good enough to win, that’s all that matters. We lost the game, guys fought really, really hard. But we know how bad we need wins right now, and we didn’t come out here and do that today. I need to play better to make that happen.” –Quarterback Robert Griffin III on his first start since Week 2 following a dislocated left ankle.

What we learned about the Vikings:

1. Minnesota struggled for much of the first half, especially quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. But the rookie showed some pluck, especially in the fourth quarter, leading the Vikings back from a pair of deficits. Bridgewater looked like a veteran on Minnesota’s winning drive, completing 5-for-7 passes on the drive and converting a third and 10 with a 21-yard pass to Jarius Wright and a third and five with a six-yarder to Greg Jennings. Bridgewater said afterward it’s all about finishing. “I thought our team grew up a lot today,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “They could have folded their tents early, we fell behind 10-0, but they kept fighting and fighting.”

2. Has Matt Asiata found his role? The third-year running back from Utah has nine career touchdowns — coming in three separate three-touchdown games, including Sunday. It was his second such game this season. He also added a two-point conversion plunge with 3:27 left in the game to give the Vikings a three-point cushion. “He’s a tough, strong runner,” Zimmer said. “Never says a word, he just does his job every single day. He’s a great team player. I love having him here.” Jerick McKinnon had two more carries than Asiata Sunday, but Asiata had a vast majority of the goal line work. That’s how it’s likely to breakdown until and if Adrian Peterson returns.

–QB Teddy Bridgewater’s 26 completions Sunday were the second most by a rookie in franchise history (Christian Ponder had 29 in 2011). It was his third time this season without throwing an interception, which is also a rookie club record.

–DE Everson Griffen had a sack Sunday and has nine this season, establishing a new career high (eight in 2012). Griffen’s nine sacks leads the NFC and is second in the NFL.

–RB Matt Asiata scored three touchdowns and now has nine in his career. All nine touchdowns have come in three, three-touchdown games. All three scores Sunday came within seven yards of the end zone. “The coaches trust me in the goal line area and I just have to do my job, trust the offensive line and make my read,” Asiata said.

–TE Chase Ford caught five passes for 66 yards and his first career touchdown. The 66 yards were a career high. Over the last two weeks, Ford has hauled in 11 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

What we learned about the Redskins:

1. After missing six games with the ankle injury, the Redskins didn’t baby Griffin in his return to the lineup. On their first series of the game, Griffin left the pocket on a couple of designed roll-outs, kept the ball on a read option play and was sacked for the first time, awkwardly bending the injured left ankle that has been problematic. Through it all, Griffin came out okay. “It’s a warrior’s game. Nobody is out there playing pain free, nobody is out there playing 100 percent all the time. I’ll do anything I have to do to help this team win,” Griffin said.

2. Washington has issues on defense. After being staked a 10-0 lead, the Redskins allowed the Vikings to score 14 unanswered points to take the lead early in the third quarter. A Griffin interception shortly before halftime didn’t help their cause, but Washington took the lead twice more in the second half, only to see the Vikings answer with a pair of 70-plus yard touchdown drives. “We need to look at the film and find out if it’s schematic or if they just out-physicaled, outworked us, out-prepared us, I don’t know,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “That was unacceptable football.”

–QB Robert Griffin III started for the first time since dislocating his left ankle Week 2 against Jacksonville and completed 18-for-28 passing with 251 yards and a touchdown. He also threw critical first half interception that led to Minnesota’s first points of the day. Griffin had 24 yards on seven carries running the ball.

–RB Alfred Morris rushed 19 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. The yardage total was his highest of the season and the two scores were half the number he had this season entering the game. Morris also snagged two passes for 17 yards, including a 15-yarder on a screen in the first half.

–RB Silas Redd, Jr. did not play Sunday after suffering from back spasms stemming from the Redskins’ team bus crashing on the way to the stadium. Coach Jay Gruden said a number of players and coaches suffered from whiplash in the collision. “A little unique way to start the day, getting ready for a football game and you’re five feet from driving off a cliff,” Gruden said.

–WR DeSean Jackson caught four passes on seven targets for 120 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth time this season Jackson has gone over 100 yards and the fourth time he’s done it without more than five passes. The touchdown catch was his fourth of the season. It was the fourth time this season Jackson has had a catch of at least 50 yards in a game.