The NFL’s last unbeaten team finally fell in Detroit, and the Lions made sure it happened in a game that swung on big plays, missed chances and one late strike from Jared Goff.
Goff found Jameson Williams for a 7-yard touchdown with 4:35 remaining, and Detroit held on for a 19-15 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The result ended Minnesota’s perfect start and gave the Lions their third straight victory.
Detroit improved to 5-2 and kept rolling in the NFC North, where it has already banked its first two division wins. Minnesota dropped to 6-1 after seeing its defense, which had been the league’s stingiest, give way late.
Jahmyr Gibbs powered the Lions’ offense with 153 rushing yards, highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that featured plenty of broken tackles. Goff finished 18 of 25 for 176 yards, with one touchdown and his first interception of the season.
Minnesota leaned on Kyler Murray, who went 17 of 29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Vikings managed only 81 rushing yards, a tough number for an offense that never quite found balance.
Detroit opened the scoring late in the first quarter with Jake Bates’ 25-yard field goal, but the drive came after a rough start for the Lions’ top receivers. Amon Ra-St. Brown and Williams were both flagged for taunting on the first two possessions.
St. Brown later appeared to erase that mistake with a touchdown catch, but the score was wiped out after review showed he didn’t secure the ball as he came down. He had gotten both feet in the end zone and secured the ball with his fingertips, but the catch did not stand.
Minnesota answered early in the second quarter. Murray floated a 1-yard pass to the left side of the end zone, and Justin Jefferson hauled it in with his left hand before hitting the turf to complete the catch, putting the Vikings ahead 7-3.
The Lions kept chipping away. D.J.
Reed, who had already broken up a pass in the end zone on the opening drive, stepped in front of Jordan Addison for a diving interception late in the second quarter. Detroit then worked the clock on its final possession of the half, converted a fourth-and-1 from its 47 and got another Bates field goal, this one from 37 yards, to trim the deficit to 7-6.
Bates had a shot to give Detroit the lead early in the third quarter, but his 46-yard attempt clanged off the left upright.
Minnesota also left points on the field. From the Detroit 25 in the second half, Kevin O’Connell went for it on fourth-and-5, and Murray’s pass fell incomplete.
The Vikings did regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter when Murray hit T.J. Hockenson for an 8-yard touchdown, then connected with Jordan Addison on the 2-point conversion to make it 15-12.
It didn’t last. Detroit answered with the decisive touchdown drive, and Williams finished it off with the go-ahead catch that put the Lions in front for good.
Injuries also piled up. Vikings safety Theo Jackson left with a quad injury.
For Detroit, linebacker Jack Campbell was placed on a backboard, carted off in the fourth quarter and taken to a hospital with a neck injury. Safety Brian Branch and edge DJ Wonnum were evaluated for concussions after colliding late in the second quarter and did not return.
Minnesota hosts the Bills on Monday, Nov. 9.
In Other News...
Jauan Jennings Trade Twist Leaves Vikings With A Bigger WR Question
A deal to send Jauan Jennings back to San Francisco briefly put the Vikings in the middle of a rare midseason trade wrinkle, with Minnesota and the 49ers reportedly agreeing on terms before the move could be finalized. Jennings had signed a one-year deal with the Vikings, but his role in the offense has been limited this season, which made the possibility of a return to the Bay Area at least plausible on paper.
The twist was that the arrangement still needed Jennings approval after a video call with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, and his preference was to stay in Minnesota. For the Vikings, that leaves the broader question intact: how much more can they get from a receiver who arrived with some intrigue but has yet to become a meaningful piece of the passing game? [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Face One Big Jonathan Taylor Question After New Trade Buzz
Jonathan Taylor has suddenly become one of the biggest names to watch as the NFL trade deadline approaches, with Indianapolis signaling a willingness to move the running back if the right offer comes along. The market is already taking shape around a familiar benchmark, with the Colts looking for a package that reflects the kind of return Carolina got for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, which means multiple draft picks would likely have to be part of any serious conversation.
For Minnesota, the buzz is obvious because the Vikings have been mentioned among the teams with interest, alongside Denver, Green Bay and the Giants. Nothing has been finalized, and the asking price figures to be the real hurdle, but Taylors availability alone adds another layer to a deadline that could shape how aggressive Minnesota wants to be about adding proven talent for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Jeffersons Frustration May Put Vikings Biggest Problem Back In Focus
The Vikings entered Week 8 as the NFLs last unbeaten team by leaning on defense and ball control, but the offense has not exactly looked like a unit built to overwhelm anyone through the air. Kyler Murrays passing production has been modest, and that has naturally put more pressure on Justin Jefferson, whose connection with the quarterback has not yet matched the standard Minnesota needs from its top receiver.
Jeffersons frustration is starting to feel like more than a sideline mood, especially after a recent game in which his yardage dipped to a season low. He declined to speak to the media afterward, a small but telling detail for a player whose role is supposed to stabilize the passing game, not spotlight its problems. For a team trying to protect an unbeaten start, the bigger question is whether this is just a rough stretch or the first sign that the Vikings most important offensive issue is coming back into focus. [Read more 🡒]