Lions secure NFC’s No. 1 seed as huge matchup vs Vikings turns into a rout

Detroit Lions tease uniforms for Week 18 clash with VikingsAt least the Minnesota Vikings will make history next week. They will become the first 14-win wild-card playoff squad in NFL history.

There have been criticisms that the NFL overemphasises its divisions, resulting in anomalies like as the home team having four fewer wins than its away opponent in the wild card round. However, the Vikings were aware of the historical significance of Sunday night’s game versus the Detroit Lions. The champion is 15-2 and receives the first seed in the NFC. The other club breaks the wild-card record set by the 1999 Tennessee Titans with 13 wins and falls to fifth place.

And knowing the stakes, the Vikings came up short. Sam Darnold had a poor performance, possibly his worst of the season. There were some questionable coaching decisions and some significant special teams failures. Finally, the Lions pulled away despite not playing their best, capturing the NFC North with a 31-9 score. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns, and the Lions became the ninth team in NFL history to win 15 games during a regular season.

The Lions get some relaxation. They have the wild-card weekend off, and they will not have to travel for the NFC playoffs. They need the week off due to their injuries, including cornerback Terrion Arnold, who exited Sunday night’s game with a foot injury. The Vikings slide all the way to the fifth seed. They’ll face the Los Angeles Rams on January 13 during wild-card weekend.

The Vikings’ season hasn’t ended. The 1999 Titans made the Super Bowl as an overqualified wild-card club. On Sunday night, however, the Vikings’ route became much more difficult, while the Lions’ became much simpler.

Vikings and Lions enjoy an error-filled first half.
Both teams appeared tight to begin Sunday night’s game, which is normal. The stakes were tremendous.

The first half was full with mistakes. Darnold has been terrific all season, but he has missed numerous throws, the majority of which are high. In one instance, following a Vikings interception that put them within the Lions’ 10-yard line, Darnold missed a wide open Justin Jefferson twice, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal. According to ESPN, Darnold had eight overthrows in the first half, the second highest in a single game in his career.

The Lions also seemed to be pressuring. On fourth-and-inches, Detroit chose to pass rather than run behind the NFL’s finest offensive line, and the play was incomplete. The Vikings converted their good field position into a field goal, but subsequently made another blunder. With 20 seconds left, they booted it out of bounds, giving the Lions possession at the 40-yard line. Jared Goff completed passes of 19 and 11 yards, one of the only occasions Detroit’s offence displayed much explosiveness in the first half, setting up a gift field goal as the half expired.

The Lions lead the Vikings 10-6, but neither team played like if they had 14 wins going into the night. For such a terrific matchup, the first half was far from ideal. Fortunately, the Lions recovered in the second half. The Vikings didn’t.

Lions extend their lead.
Minnesota’s blunders continued into the second half.

The Vikings went for it on fourth-and-goal in the first half, passing on an easy field goal, then did the same on their first possession in the second half. Both times, Darnold threw incomplete passes. The Vikings squandered six easy points in a close game. However, on the next play, Goff threw wildly downfield, and Harrison Smith made an easy interception.

The Lions offence finally got rolling with a 13-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. Unsurprisingly, the Lions opted for it on fourth-and-2 and made a beautiful play to find Gibbs wide open in the middle for a 10-yard score. The Vikings were still in the game, behind 17-9, but they weren’t done stumbling over themselves.

The Vikings missed a field goal late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Vikings defensive end Andrew Van Ginkel dropped a pick-six. A few plays later, Gibbs scored his third touchdown of the game, putting Detroit ahead 24-9.

The Vikings may win the Super Bowl from the wild card berth. If they don’t, they may reflect on the pivotal moment when Van Ginkel dropped an interception that could have tied the game, instead falling behind by 15 points after Gibbs’ 13-yard touchdown run.

Following that, the Lions were forced to rely only on the Vikings. There was one more major mistake. With less than six minutes left, the Lions prepared to go for it on fourth-and-two. The Vikings jumped offside, so the Lions didn’t even have to snap the ball for a first down. Gibbs scored his fourth touchdown shortly thereafter.

The Vikings enjoyed an amazing regular season. They were not anticipated to make the playoffs but won 14 games. Darnold has established himself as a legitimate starting quarterback. Their defence was excellent. The coaching staff earned recognition as one of the best in the NFL. And for all of Minnesota’s good work, the prize is a trip to Los Angeles for a difficult playoff start.

 

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