DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions were back from a bye week. But their high-powered offense was nowhere to be found for most of the game in a ho-hum showing against the Minnesota Vikings.
The result? A 27-24 loss after a late comeback bid was foiled and the end of five-game win streak against their division rival.
The Lions entered favored by more than a touchdown, but a sleepy, sloppy showing doomed them for most of the day.
Minnesota’s blitz-happy defense was making life hard for quarterback Jared Goff. Goff was pressured 11 times on his first 21 dropbacks, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs was among those struggling to thwart pass rushers.
The Vikings finished with 23 pressures, five sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Detroit’s offensive line went through hell and back, and it eventually turned out to be too much.
Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker and Tate Ratledge all left with injuries and returned during the game. Christian Mahogany was carted off the field in the fourth quarter, one play before Ratledge (shoulder) returned to action.
Minnesota’s blitz, Detroit’s offensive line injuries and inability to pick those blitzes up, paired with a season-high 10 penalties and a terrible day on special teams, turned out to be too much to overcome.
Trailing 24-17 in the fourth, the Lions had Jake Bates’ 45-yard attempt blocked, and Isaiah Rodgers returned it 41 yards to Detroit’s 26-yard line. The Vikings used the short field to kick a short field goal, going up 27-17 with 2:49 left.
The Lions drove down and got a 37-yard touchdown catch from Jameson Williams on the first play after the two-minute warning to make it 27-24. But Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy hit Jalen Nailor for 16 yards on third-and-5 to seal Minnesota’s win.
At half, the Lions were fortunate to only be trailing 17-14. They started hot with an opening-drive touchdown, then got a little sleepy. After a long kickoff return, Minnesota matched Detroit’s opening score and even took a 14-7 lead on McCarthy’s second TD pass. Terrion Arnold’s first-career interception kept the Vikings off the scoreboard further late in the first half.
At one point in the third quarter, Detroit had its third consecutive three-and-out, something that hadn’t happened since Week 14 in 2023 against the Chicago Bears. The next drive, David Montgomery lost a fumble on a long third down run and the Vikings took over at the 35-yard line.
McCarthy beat Alex Anzalone to the pylon for a 7-yard touchdown run and a 24-14 Minnesota lead.
The Lions (5-3) head into a crucial matchup inside the NFC next weekend. They’ll get a chance to avenge last year’s divisional round playoff loss with a trip to face the Washington Commanders.
See below for more observations from the game:
-- The third-down offense and getting the ball to Williams were major talking points coming out of the bye week. The Lions converted on four of 16 third-down plays. Williams was limited to three catches on five targets for 29 yards, until the 37-yard TD late.
-- Penei Sewell went to the locker room after a three-and-out drive to open the second half. Sewell was back on the field for the next series. He also appeared to get poked in the eye earlier, too. Taylor Decker missed most of a drive with a knee injury. But the veteran tackle was also back on the next series for the offense. Rookie guard Tate Ratledge also went to the locker room in the fourth quarter before returning. But on the play Ratledge returned, Christian Mahogany was down on the field and exited midway through the fourth quarter. All are injuries something to watch moving forward.
-- Arnold was dealing with a back injury throughout the second half. He was spotted getting a ton of work from trainers on the bench, and spent a lot of time on the workout bicycle to try to stay loose. Amik Robertson was banged up for a couple of plays after taking a body blow to the lower leg. But he played through the pain down the stretch, too.
-- Montgomery’s first-half rushing touchdown was his 30th time as a member of the Lions. He and Gibbs are the first running back duo in the Super Bowl era to each account for 30 rushing touchdowns in any three-season span. On that note, though, the rushing attack struggled mightily on Sunday*,* garnering only 65 yards on 20 attempts.
-- On the bright side, Detroit’s offense finally converted on third-and-long. The Lions hadn’t converted on a third-down play longer than 10 yards on their first 22 attempts of the season, until Jameson Williams and Goff connected for 18 yards on third-and-14.
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