Cook lifts Vikings

Dalvin Cook had a career-high 136 yards and 2 touchdowns on a season-high 19 carries as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Miami Dolphins 41-17.

VIKINGS 41, DOLPHINS 17

MINNEAPOLIS — With a new play caller in place, the Minnesota Vikings recommitted to running the ball. And Dalvin Cook proved again his capability, when healthy, of taking over a game.

Cook had a career-high 136 yards and 2 touchdowns on a season-high 19 carries for the Vikings, who stayed in control of a spot in the playoffs with a 41-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

“We just wanted to go out there and get back to playing like how we know we can play,” Cook said.

Latavius Murray added 68 rushing yards and a score on 15 of the team’s season-high 40 attempts. The Vikings (7-61) converted each of their first three drives under interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski into touchdowns, using a back-to-the-basics approach to build a big lead and lean on the defense down the stretch.

“He knows the type of guys he has around him,” Cook said. “We’re going to give it 100 percent every play for him. He dialed it up today.”

Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter each had two of the nine sacks of Ryan Tannehill, totaling 71 lost yards for the Dolphins (7-7). Miami came crashing down from the euphoria of defeating New England with that double-lateral 69-yard score on the final play last week capped by Kenyan Drake’s race across the goal line.

Minkah Fitzpatrick returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Kalen Ballage scored on a 75-yard run on the first snap of the second half to bring the Dolphins within 21-17. But on their next five possessions they netted a staggering minus-27 yards on 16 plays.

“We’ve got to look in the mirror and ask ourselves how we want to finish the season,” Drake said.

Tannehill finished 11 for 24 for 108 yards, as the Dolphins took just their fifth loss in the last 17 games he has started and saw their wild-card bid in the AFC take an even bigger hit.

Baltimore, Indianapolis and Tennessee all won to move to 8-6 and leave Miami in ninth place in the conference race.

Though Chicago won the NFC North by beating Green Bay, the Vikings moved a critical step closer to returning to the postseason.

With enough help, they could clinch the second wildcard spot next week.

Kirk Cousins threw touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Aldrick Robinson to make up for the pick-six. He went 14 for 21 for 215 yards for the Vikings, who posted their second-highest score in five years under Coach Mike Zimmer.

Miami ............. 0 10 7 0 — 17

Minnesota ...... 21 0 3 17 — 41

First Quarter

Min—Diggs 13 pass from Cousins (Bailey kick), 11:40. Min—Cook 13 run (Bailey kick), 6:21. Min—Murray 18 run (Bailey kick), 1:32.

Second Quarter

Mia—Fitzpatrick 50 interception return (Sanders kick), 7:44.

Mia—FG Sanders 25, :14.

Third Quarter

Mia—Ballage 75 run (Sanders kick), 14:49. Min—FG Bailey 36, 8:40.

Fourth Quarter

Min—FG Bailey 34, 13:01. Min—Robinson 40 pass from Cousins (Bailey kick), 9:54.

Min—Cook 21 run (Bailey kick), 7:49. Attendance—66,841.

Mia Min

First downs .................................. 12 22

Total Net Yards ............................ 193 418 Rushes-yards ........................... 20-156 40-220 Passing ......................................... 37 198

Punt Returns ............................... 2-8 5-116

Kickoff Returns .......................... 2-45 1-24 Interceptions Ret ........................ 1-50 0-0 Comp-Att-Int ............................ 11-24-0 14-21-1 Sacked-Yards Lost ..................... 9-71 2-17

Punts ......................................... 7-50.1 3-42.3 Fumbles-Lost .............................. 1-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards .......................... 8-49 6-45

Time of Possession .................. 26:44 33:16

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Miami, Ballage 12-123, Gore 5-14, Bolden 1-12, Drake 1-6, Tannehill 1-1. Minnesota, Cook 19-136, Murray 15-68, Diggs 1-9, Cousins 5-7. PASSING—Miami, Tannehill 11-24-0-108. Minnesota, Cousins 14-21-1-215.

RECEIVING—Miami, Amendola 3-30, Drake 3-28, Gesicki 2-23, Stills 1-17, Butler 1-12, Ballage 1-(minus 2). Minnesota, Diggs 4-49, Rudolph 3-23, Conklin 2-53, Robinson 2-44, Thielen 2-19, Cook 1-27.