Lions lead Vikings 7-3 in second quarter

The Vikings had to settle for three points despite starting their most recent drive just seven yards from the end zone.

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold threw an incomplete throw to Justin Jefferson on three straight plays – narrowly missing him on 3rd and goal.

After attempting the 4th goal on their last drive, the Vikings chose to take the points this time. The Lions now lead 7-3.

The Lions’ latest campaign went from near-disaster to total disaster.

Five plays after Jared Goff was nearly sacked for safety reasons, his short pass was intercepted and intercepted.

The Vikings’ decision to not score a field goal and go for it with a fourth down and goal was atypical of how they have played this season. On the one hand, Minnesota had attempted a record 10 fourth-down conversions early in Week 18. It was also rare that the Vikings failed to come away with points on their trip to the red zone.

In their last three games, Minnesota had scored a touchdown on 70% of its drives that ended inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (11th best in the NFL).

The Vikings attempted a 4th and field goal from three yards out, but Sam Darnold was unable to find Justin Jefferson in the end zone, ending the drive.

Minnesota drove 47 yards in eight plays before the drive’s climactic play. Jefferson caught a pass for 31 yards to get the team inside the 10 and create the goal-to-go situation.

Without the conversion, the Vikings still trail 7-0.

Minnesota built its record to 14-2 by consistently producing strong starts. His 6.8 points per first quarter are tied for second in the league with Washington and behind Tampa Bay. Yet against Detroit, two of the league’s best offenses struggled to get going, with the Vikings managing just two first downs in the first quarter.

Brutal drive for the Lions, who lost 21 yards on three plays and punts. A penalty, a drop pass and a sack doomed Detroit.

The Vikings will take over with good field position, starting at midfield trailing 7-0.

The Vikings cannot respond to the Lions’ touchdown after only three plays. Sam Darnold was sacked on first down for a loss of 17, and Minnesota couldn’t dig out of the hole.

Darnold almost completed a pass for a first down on 3rd and 18, but overthrew TJ Hockenson down the left seam.

Detroit now takes over alone 30.

One play after Jared Goff delivered a perfect pass on fourth down, the Lions moved into the end zone.

Jahmyr Gibbs found a seam up the middle for a 25-yard run and scored.

We are scoreless after two drives following a Vikings punt. Minnesota had 29 yards on eight plays, but failed to convert a 4th-and-9 from the edge of Detroit territory.

The Lions will take over alone 22.

The Lions’ first drive ended in a punt after a 3rd-and-8 from their 36-point drive lost seven yards. Maybe Detroit was trying to set up a 4th down attempt, but a curious playcall!

The Vikings take relay 14 alone for the first time.

The NFC North championship game is underway! The Lions had the ball first and their first play from scrimmage was a two-yard run by Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Vikings team looks to join Andre Johnson, Marvin Harrison, Antonio Brown and Julio Jones as the only receivers in NFL history to start their careers with three consecutive seasons with 100-plus catches and 1,500-plus catches. yards. Jefferson already has 100 catches but needs 21 more yards tonight to reach 1,500.

The Lions quarterback enters Week 18 tied with Tom Brady (2007) and Kirk Cousins ​​(2019) as the only players to have completed at least 75% of their passes in eight games during a season. He can break this tie and hold the accuracy record all to himself tonight.

If the Vikings quarterback produces a passer rating above 100 tonight, he will join Aaron Rodgers in 2020 as the only QB in league history to record 14 games in a season with a D rating. ‘at least 100, according to the NFL.

Under coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have been the most fearless team in the league in attempting fourth-down conversions. Since becoming coach in 2021, Detroit is 82-147 initially, a 55.8% success rate; ratings are the highest in the league. Minnesota, with its defense led by coordinator Brian Flores, is seemingly one of the defenses best prepared for the Lions’ willingness to play. The Vikings have allowed conversions 11 times on 31 attempts this season, a 64.5% stop rate that leads the NFL.

Minnesota and Detroit both locked up their playoff spots a week ago, but when it comes to their top seed, it all comes down to one final game. The stakes are simple, but important: Whoever wins this game will earn the NFC’s first playoff berth and, with it, a first-round bye and home-field advantage.

The loser, however, faces consequences, namely an extra game. The loser would become the No. 5 seed in the NFC and open the playoffs with a guaranteed away game in the wild-card round, facing the division winner with the worst record. Being the No. 5 seed could mean three straight road games just to make the Super Bowl. Only the 1985 Bears, 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, 2010 Packers and 2020 Bucs have won three road playoff games and won the Super Bowl. Detroit this season is 8-0 on the road.

It should be noted that Detroit has never been a No. 1 seed in its long history.

This is the first game in NFL history between two teams with at least 13 wins. The Vikings and Lions are both 14-2.

That’s partly a quirk of the 2021 rule change that added a 17th regular-season game. But it’s also a remarkable testament to the strength of the NFC North this season, while becoming the most competitive division in the league. Minnesota, Detroit and Green Bay all entered Week 18 having outscored their opponents by at least 122 total points this season. Meanwhile, only four other teams in the entire league had a point differential of plus-100 or greater.

Another sign of the strength of the North? Entering Week 18, an 11-5 record was only good enough for third place in the division (Green Bay). That same record, meanwhile, would have led three of the league’s other seven divisions.

A preseason prediction that Detroit quarterback Jared Goff would make the Pro Bowl wouldn’t have been far-fetched; After making the playoffs last season, the Lions looked ready for Super Bowl contention. But perhaps no one would have predicted that Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold would earn a Pro Bowl nomination, as he did this week.

Darnold, who was expected to be the Vikings’ backup until a preseason injury sidelined Minnesota’s first-round pick JJ McCarthy, led the Vikings to nine straight wins for the first time in franchise history. franchise since 1975. And in his last seven games, Darnold has thrown for 18 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

Statistically, Goff was even better during that same seven-game span, having thrown 20 touchdowns and just one interception. That helped Goff already throw a career-high 36 touchdown passes with one game remaining.

Consistent with the success of these teams this season, each has been rewarded with numerous Pro Bowl recognitions.

Seven Lions and six Vikings were named to the league’s de facto all-star roster, which will play a flag-football-style game Feb. 2 in Orlando.