The Detroit Lions have won the NFC North, thanks in part to the play of safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. The Lions took over for Tracy Walker at Melifonwu three games ago. He’s been a sparkplug for the team’s defense ever since. He’s a nasty blitzer with good coverage skills and some amazing open-field tackles.
And on the greatest stage, Melifonwu delivered the play that sealed Detroit’s first NFC North title.
With the Vikings trailing by six points with less than a minute remaining, backup quarterback Nick Mullens was bringing Minnesota closer to a game-winning touchdown.
On first-and-10 from the Lions’ 30-yard line, Mullens attempted a game-winning pass to Justin Jefferson. Jefferson was on fire in this game, and he had previously made a play in the drive to bail the Vikings out of a third-and-27 situation. Melifonwu, on the other hand, would have none of it. The third-year safety intercepted the throw, giving Detroit their fourth interception of the game.
MelifonWOOOOOOOOO‼️#DETvsMIN on FOX pic.twitter.com/wTexRiBbRi
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2023
