The Vikings have played in close games all season, but they were only able to end Week 14 within two points of their opponent because they spent the majority of the day playing catch-up. Minnesota had no answer for its opponent on the defensive side of the ball going into Sunday’s game, where the Lions held a five-game lead in the victory column. Kevin O’Connell’s team lost 34-23 after giving up three touchdown passes to a hot Jared Goff, giving Detroit its fifth victory in six games and gaining ground in the NFC playoff race.
Before the NFC North matchup began, Vikings receiver Jalen Reagor and his fellow pass catchers Justin Jefferson (who set a franchise record with 223 yards) and T.J. Hockenson (six catches) contributed to a last-ditch comeback effort. Additionally, Kirk Cousins contributed to that by launching many accurate passes down the stretch. However, the Lions also hampered Minnesota’s offensive line, with Aidan Hutchinson leading a relentless pass rush that pressured Cousins four times.
The defensive play was the actual X-factor. The front four of Detroit helped the team win, keeping Cousins on his toes and all but making Dalvin Cook (15 carries, 23 yards) irrelevant. In contrast, the Vikings’ backfield was a complete mess. On Sunday, the Lions didn’t really build much of a ground game, but they never needed to since they were so effective at moving the chains and getting to the end zone. D.J. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds also remained active on crucial downs as trustworthy targets for Goff, allowing Detroit to rack up 464 total yards. Chark and Jameson Williams also hauled in deep touchdowns.
A 41-yard run on a fake punt and a last-second field goal from Michael Badgley was among the crucial special teams plays that helped Dan Campbell’s Lions, who went 7 of 15 on third downs, secure the victory. Detroit, now 6-7, kept itself in the race for the wild card behind groups like the Commanders, Giants, and Seahawks while preventing the Vikings from winning the NFC North with the victory.
The @Lions have scored 25+ points in 5-straight games for the first time since 1954.
This ties for the single-season franchise record.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/SUh0pqkBzi
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) December 11, 2022
