DETROIT _ Through the first 25 minutes of Sunday's game against the Lions, the Vikings looked like anything but a team hungry to make the NFL playoffs.
But a sudden dose of offensive energy _ and a shocking Hail Mary touchdown at Ford Field _ got them back on track as they rolled to a 27-9 victory over the Lions.
Kirk Cousins threw three scoring passes for the Vikings (8-6-1). They can clinch an NFC wild card berth by beating NFC North champion Chicago next Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Their chance to clinch Sunday ended when Philadelphia (8-7) stayed alive by beating Houston 32-30.
"Win and in. That's how it is. I'm OK with that," said Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph ended the first half by outleaping Lions defenders in the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown reception to give the Vikings a 14-9 lead. Rudolph, who had two touchdown catches, set a career high for receiving yardage.
The Vikings offense was stagnant in the first half, going three-and-out on their first four drives, until coming alive on their final two possessions.
Trailing 9-0, Cousins hit Stefon Diggs on an 8-yard scoring pass with 1:35 remaining in the half to cut Detroit's lead to two.
The Vikings defense held and forced a punt, giving Cousins a chance to tack on points before the half ended. He started at his own 30 with 36 seconds remaining and drove to the Detroit 44 with two seconds remaining. Just out of field goal range, Cousins threw a desperation strike to the 6-6 Rudolph as time ran out.
"I had the easy part, just turning and catching," said Rudolph, who ended a streak of 11 consecutive games without a touchdown catch. He had nine grabs for 122 yards.
Cousins finished 21-for-28 for 253 yards. After a slow start, Dalvin Cook ran for 73 yards on 16 carries.
The Vikings' lack of offense early put the defense in a rough position. It was solid, but the Lions took advantage of good field position to drive for Matt Prater field goals of 47, 35 and 48 yards.
Two of Detroit's first-half drives were kept alive by Vikings penalties.
Dan Bailey kicked a 24-yard field goal on the Vikings' first drive of the second half to make it 17-9. Rudolph caught a 4-yard scoring pass from Cousins early in the fourth quarter, and Bailey added a 29-yard field goal.
Vikings kick return man Marcus Sherels left the game early in the first quarter because of a foot injury. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes tried to play through a groin injury but left in the fourth quarter.
Cousins broke Sam Bradford's team record for completions in a season; he has 405. Bradford had 395 in 2016. Cousins also had a season-high quarterback rating of 137.9
