MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rookie Doug Martin racked up 214 total yards and two touchdowns, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew out Minnesota 36-17 on Thursday night to hand the Vikings their first home loss of the season.
Martin took a screen pass 64 yards for a score, one of three touchdowns thrown by Josh Freeman, to give Tampa Bay a 27-10 lead 1:21 into the second half. Then Martin, the first-round draft pick from Boise State, capped a drive of more than 9 minutes with a 1-yard muscle into the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to crush the comeback opportunity for Minnesota (5-3).
Adrian Peterson had a season-long 64-yard run for a score that brought the Vikings to 30-17, but his lost fumble in Minnesota territory in the second quarter led directly to a touchdown by the Buccaneers (3-4).
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook has a broken wrist.
Cook got hurt early in the third quarter Thursday night on a run by Tampa Bay rookie Doug Martin in the Buccaneers' 36-17 win. Cook went to the locker room, and Martin took a screen pass 64 yards for a touchdown on the next play.
Vikings rookie Josh Robinson took Cook's place for most of the rest of the game.
Cook missed most of his rookie season because of meniscus injuries in both knees. Last year, he spent the last 10 games away from the team after his arrest on felony assault charges after an altercation with his girlfriend. Cook was later acquitted.
He was hitting his stride this season, only to get hurt again. Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier had no timetable on Cook's recovery.