DETROIT — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and doesn’t spare the red ink:
#### Quarterback
When cutting pieces of blame pie to hand out after Detroit’s defeat, Jared Goff’s slice should not be the biggest. By no means was he dominant or a difference-maker, but he protected the ball and did what he could while under constant duress. His best play came in the second quarter, when he spun out of a would-be sack and completed a pass to David Montgomery, who broke a tackle from defensive back Byron Murphy Jr. and picked up 13 yards. It ultimately proved to be too little too late, but Goff got the offense quickly down the field in the fourth quarter to keep the game alive with a touchdown. He finished 25-of-37 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Grade: B-
#### Running backs
Outside of a ridiculously impressive performance from Jahmyr Gibbs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit’s running game has shown reasons for worry in the last month. Those issues came to a head against the Vikings, who limited the Lions to 65 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Much of Sunday’s issues can be attributed to the offensive line (more on that soon), but Gibbs struggled as a pass-protector, and David Montgomery had a costly, costly fumble (forced by linebacker Blake Cashman) in the third quarter, putting the Vikings in position to go up by two scores. Grade: D-
#### Wide receivers/tight ends
Sam LaPorta started hot with three catches for 66 yards on the Lions’ opening drive, but the passing game couldn’t find its rhythm on the rest of the possessions that followed in the first half, and Detroit’s pass-catchers suffered; through two quarters, LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown were the only receivers or tight ends with positive yardage. St. Brown was Goff’s safety blanket on Detroit’s late drive that cut Minnesota’s lead to three points (he had 31 yards on three catches) and Jameson Williams finally got going, snaring a 34-yard touchdown to give the Lions defense a chance late. Grade: B
#### Offensive line
Detroit’s offensive line has seen better days — much better ones. The Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores deployed their usual tricks, blitzing defenders from the second level to cause havoc in the backfield. Goff was hurried throughout and sacked five times. The blitz overwhelmed Detroit’s protection in some instances, while sacks were the result of players losing their individual matchups. More troubling than the pass protection was the run blocking. Not only were Gibbs and Montgomery limited to 3.3 yards per carry, but only once did either have a rush of 10 or more yards. Grade: F
#### Defensive line
Vikings running back Aaron Jones left the game with a shoulder injury in the third quarter, but he had 78 yards on nine carries, gashing the Lions to the tune of 8.7 yards a pop. Jordan Mason (36 yards on 10 carries) wasn’t as prolific. Still, a combined average of 6.0 yards per rush from Minnesota’s running backs is too effective. J.J. McCarthy was sacked thrice by members of Detroit’s defensive line; Aidan Hutchinson got home for his seventh sack of the season in the fourth quarter; Al-Quadin Muhammad tackled McCarthy for no gain later in the same frame; and Tyler Lacy got to McCarthy, also for no gain, in the second quarter. Grade: C
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) is hit by Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Detroit. Campbell was flagged for roughing passer. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
#### Linebackers
Linebackers weren’t a problem for the Lions defensively, though Alex Anzalone did take a poor angle on a scramble from McCarthy, allowing the quarterback to get to the edge and score a 9-yard touchdown. They also can’t be let off the hook for Detroit’s issues in stopping the run, though Jack Campbell had two run stops. Campbell’s sack was impressive, as he drove Mason back into McCarthy and physically used the running back to knock the QB over. Derrick Barnes finished with two tackles for loss, including a chase-down sack of McCarthy after he evaded initial pressures from Muhammad and Hutchinson. Grade: B-
#### Secondary
Justin Jefferson got the better of rival Amik Robertson early, snagging a one-handed touchdown for Minnesota’s first score. Jefferson also had a 21-yard gain and drew a costly penalty against Robertson that negated an interception, but Detroit’s secondary did as good of a job as you could have hoped against a star of Jefferson’s caliber — he had 47 yards on six catches. Second-year pro Terrion Arnold finally secured his first interception, ripping the ball away from receiver Jalen Nailor as the two tumbled to the turf. McCarthy finished with 143 passing yards. Grade: B+
#### Special teams
Hope for a Lions’ comeback took a hit with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Minnesota’s Levi Drake Rodriguez broke through Detroit’s protection to block Jake Bates’ 45-yard field goal attempt. Isaiah Rodgers recovered the loose ball and put the Vikings in range for a field goal, and a 10-point lead. The Lions struggled on kickoff coverage, as well, allowing a 61-yard return ahead of the Vikings’ first possession. They also nearly surrendered a kickoff return for a touchdown, if not for a penalty that went their way. Grade: F
#### Coaching
It’s easy to question and criticize play-calling, but something is amiss about this offense under coordinator John Morton. The Vikings are known for their exotic looks on defense that puts teams in precarious situations, but the Lions have far too much talent to be limited to 17 points, especially coming off a bye week. We were told third-down efficiency was a point of emphasis. The Lions went 5-of-17 on third downs. A small note: Credit to head coach Dan Campbell for winning a critical challenge, doing his part to overturn an originally called third-down completion to Jefferson. Grade: D