Vikings 9 vs 31 Lions summary, stats, scores and highlights | NFL Week 18

Coach Campbell has a sneaky suspicion that this isn't going to be the last time these two teams meet. He went up to Kevin O'Connell and let him know that after the game. 

Gibbs capped the game off with his fourth TD of the night, and his third on the ground. In the biggest game of his life, Gibbs showed up and had one of the best if not the best game of his life. He went for 139 yards on 23 rushes and had another 31 yard receiving to lead the Lions to a first round BYE and home field throughout the playoffs. 

The Vikings will now have to go on the road for the entirety of the playoffs and next week they have a date with the Los Angeles Rams who already beat them once this year.

While Gibbs deserves a lot of the credit for the win and the Lions wrapping up the one seed this banged up defensive unit showed up on a night that they got one of their leaders back. Alex Anzalone made his long awaited return and that seemed to spur the defense that was constantly in the face of Sam Darnold with a barrage of blitzes that turned into sacks, pressures and a lot of incompletions. Darnold went 18/41 for 166 yards, and couldn't lead his team into the end zone when they had a chance to cut into the lead. This was a bit of a worrying sight for Darnold who had never played in a game this big, and it showed. 

Will Reichard would miss a field goal after Gibbs' second TD and the wheels came off after that for the Vikings. Just two minutes after the missed kick, Gibbs was in the end zone for his hat trick of TDs, and he wasn't done. 

Minnesota would cut the lead to one after the pick, but that was all the fuel the Lions needed to ignite the offense and Jahmyr Gibbs provided the spark. Once again the Lions gamble on fourth down paid off as Goff hit Gibbs with his only passing TD of the night. Goff may have thrown a couple picks, but he went 27/33 for 231 yards and this TD to open up the lead late in the third quarter. 

On the next play from scrimmage, Goff took a shot deep down the field from his own end zone and got picked by Harrison Smith. The Vikings defense did what they always do, which is create turnovers and give their offense the ball back with great field possession, but Darnold and company couldn't do anything with the field position. 

After a couple field goals drew the Vikings a little closer, they had a chance to take the lead on the opening drive of the third quarter but Sam Darnold's pass was batted away and again the Vikings were left with nothing after the Lions stopped them on 4th and Goal. Darnold and the potent Vikings offense would go 0-4 inside the red zone and that was really the story of the night. 

This was largely a defensive battle, especially in the first half as both teams struggled to put points on the board. The Vikings had a chance to cut into the lead or tie up the game but they were stopped on 4th and Goal early in the second quarter as the Lions banged up defense came up with their first big play of many. Minnesota did what they are know for and forced Goff into a mistake that Ivan Pace Jr. picked off and took inside the DET 10. Minnesota could only turn that take away into three points as the Lions defense came up with another big stop deep in their own territory. 

The Detroit Lions won the right to home field advantage and a first round BYE in the playoffs after their division win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns to lead his team to a 31-9 victory from Ford Field. 

It took a little while for the Lions high octane offense to get going but once Gibbs started to stretch his legs there was no stopping him. The first score was set up by a 4th and 5 conversion on the play right before Gibbs ran in this 25 yard TD as the Lions drew first blood. 

IT'S ALL OVER!!!

THE LIONS ARE KINGS OF THE NORTH, KINGS OF THE NFC AND KINGS OF THE JUNGLE. 

The Lions are going to run the clock out, and take the one seed i the NFC. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE TWO MINUTE WARNING!!!

Reynolds breaks a big run to the left side for a gain of 17 yards. 

2nd and 3 from the MIN 36. 

Goff finds Williams on the right side for a gain of 15 yards, but a PI flag on DET is going to bring that pass back. 

1st and 20 from the DET 47. 

TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!

Darnold was under pressure again and his pass to Nailor is short and falls incomplete. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 43 with 4:10 to go. 

Darnold was under pressure again and that pass bounces off the turf and falls incomplete. 

4th and 10 form the MIN 48. 

Darnold to Jefferson on the slant pattern and he had that pass batted out of his hands. 

3rd and 10 form the MIN 48. 

That play was reviewed after DET threw the challenge flag and the play was reversed.

2nd and 10 from the MIN 48. 

Darnold finds Hockenson over the middle for a gain of 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the DET 47. 

Darnold's pass to Nailor is incomplete, but a holding on DET will give MIN a first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 48. 

After a delay of game on MIN, Darnold finds Nailor with a pass to the left side for 8 yards. 

2nd and 7 from the MIN 43. 

Darnold tucks it and runs to the right side and he gets 9 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 40. 

MIN get the ball back from their 30 and Darrnold finds Hockenson for a short gain of a yard on the right side. 

2nd and 9 form the MIN 31. 

In the biggest game of his life, Jaymyr Gibbs might be having the best game of his life. Four TDs, three rushing, 139 yards on the ground and another 31 receiving. This dude is for real. 

Gibbs his so fast he's not even giving me time to post his highlights. This was his third TD, but there was more to come. 

On 4th down, Goff got the defense to jump with a hard count and that's going to be a first down!

1st and Goal from the 3. 

Goff with a short pass to LaPorta for a gain of 7 yards. 

4th and 2 from the MIN 6. 

Goff rolls to the right side and he steps out of bounds and losses four yards. 

3rd and 9 from he MIN 13. 

Gibs to the left side and he picks up 5 yards inside the MIN 10. 

2nd and 5 from the MIN 9. 

Gibbs skips through a whole on the right side and he gets 10 yards and another first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 14. 

Gibbs to the right side and he takes it for a gain of 3 yards. 

2nd and 7 from the MIN 24. 

Gibbs breaks to the right side and races for a gain of 47 yards to start the drive!!!

1st and 10 from the MIN 27. 

DET take over from their 26 after the punt from MIN.

Darnold is swallowed up by Muhammad for a loss of 7 yards!

4th and 16 from the MIN 34 with 10:31 to go in the 4th quarter!!

Darnold over the middle for Hockenson, but Branch was there to bat the pass away. 

3rd and 9 from the MIN 41. 

Darnold swings it out to Akers and he gets just a yard on the right side. 

2nd and 9 from the MIN 41. 

Darnold was rushed out of the pocket and his pass falls incomplete, but a flag flies for defensive holding which will give MIN a free first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 40. 

Darnold to the left side for Akes and he picks up 3 yards. 

3rd and 5 from the MIN 35. 

MIN get the ball back from their 30 an Akers gets 2 yards on the left side. 

2nd and 8 from he MIN 32. 

Goff over the middle for Williams and he reels it in for 12 yards and another first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 13. 

Goff over the middle for St. Brown and he makes the catch for 9 yards. 

3rd and 1 from the MIN 25. 

Goff looked for St. Brown on the WR screen and Van Ginkel almost came up with the pick and he would have taken that for 6. 

2nd and 10 from the MIN 34. 

Goff finds LaPorta over the middle and he stretches for an 11 yard gain and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 34. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER HERE FROM DETROIT!!

Goff finds Gibbs out of the backfield and he takes it down the left sideline for a gain of 14 yards!

1st and 10 from the MIN 45. 

MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!

Reichard pushes that 51 yard field goal wide right!

DET get the ball from their 41 with 23 to go in the 3rd quarter. 

Darnold's pass over the middle for Hockenson is incomplete. He was looking for a flag for PI but none came. 

4th and 4 from the DET 34. 

Darnold to the right side for Oliver and he makes the catch for a short gain of 3 yards. 

3rd and 4 from the DET 34. 

Jones gets the handoff to the left side and he picks up 3 yards on fist down. 

2nd and 7 from the DET 37. 

Darnold looks deep to the right side for Nailor and he drags it in for a gain of 27 yards. 

1st and 10 from the DET 40. 

MIN get the ball for their 30 and Jones gets three yards on the right side. 

2nd and 7 from the MIN 33. 

The Lions have turned a couple of 4th down conversions into points. Once in the first half, which set up a Gibbs TD run, and this time it's Gibbs making the TD catch on 4th down. 

Gibbs to the left side and he gets 2 yards but he is short of the marker. 

4th and 2 from the MIN 10 coming up. 

Short pass to St. Brown on the right side and that pass play goes for 3 yards. 

3rd and 4 from the MIN 12. 

Gibbs to the right side for a gain of 3 yards on first down. 

2nd and 7 from the MIN 15. 

Gibbs to the left side and he picks up 5 yards to move the chains. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 18. 

Goff to the left side for Williams and he makes the catch for a gain of 6 yards. 

2nd and 4 from the MIN 23. 

Goff over the middle for St. Brown on the crossing route and that goes for 12 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 29. 

After a false start on DET moves them back 5 yards, Goff throws a strike for LaPorta who reels it in for a gain of 17. 

3rd and 3 from the DET 41. 

Pass to the flat for Williams and he is cut down by Murphy for a loss of 5 yards. 

2nd and 15 from the DET 46. 

Gibbs to the left side and he picks up 3 yards and another first down. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 49. 

Goff to the right side for LaPorta and he picks up 7 yards on the pitch and catch. 

2nd and 3 from the DET 48. 

Gibbs to the right side and he moves the chains with a two yard run. 

1st and 10 from the DET 41. 

Goff swings a pass to Gibbs on the left side and he takes that pass for a 9 yard gain. 

2nd and 1 from the DET 39. 

On the next play from scrimmage, Goff goes deep and is picked off by Harrison Smith. 

A few minutes ago, the Lions came up with a another turnover on downs inside the 10, but DET would give it right back. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Reichard drills the 51 yard field goal and we have a one point game from Detroit. 

Lions lead 10-9 wit 9:55 to go in the 3rd quarter. 

Darnold's pass for Jefferson on the slant hits off the WR's hands and falls incomplete. 

4th and 6 from the DET 33. 

Out route to the right side for Jefferson and he makes the catch and takes it for 17 yards up the sideline. 

3rd and 6 from the DET 33. 

Darnold was under pressure again and he had to get rid of it but threw it right at the feet of a Lions defender. A flag flies for intention grounding. 

2nd and 23 from the 50. 

Screen pass set up for Jones on the right side and he picks up 10 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the DET 37. 

Jones to the left side and he gets a nice pick up of 7 yards on first down. 

2nd and 3 form the DET 47. Arnold is shaken up and he is going to need some medical attention after the play. 

INTERCEPTION!!! 

Goff goes deep down the middle for Willams and that pass is picked off by Smith at the MIN 46! The Vikings D takes the ball back after the turnover on downs!

1st and 10 from the MIN 46. 

TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!

Darnold's pass to the right side for Addison is broken up by Arnold and the VIkings turn it over on downs inside the 10 for the second time tonight! They are 0/4 in the red zone tonight!

DET ball form the 2 wit 12:00 to go in the 3rd quarter. 

Darnold was rushed out of the pocket again and he had to throw that one away. 

4th and Goal from the 2. 

Darnold to Jones on the left side and he is dropped after a three yards gain by Robertson. 

3rd and Goal from the 2. 

Akers with the run out of the shotgun and he is stopped for no gain. 

2nd and Goal from the DET 5. 

Akers break a big run with a gaping hole on the right side. He takes it for 58 yards down to the DET 5. 

1st and Goal from the 5. 

Darnold going to the right sideline for Addison but that pass skips off the dirt. 

2nd and 10 from the MIN 37. 

Darnold rolls to the left side and looks for Jefferson, and that pass was batted away by Robertson but flags fly for PI on DET. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 37. 

Darnold goes deep down the field for Addison but they weren't on the same page and that pass lands 20 yards ahead of the WR. 

3rd and 8 from the MIN 32. 

Akers to he right side on first down and he gets 2 yards on the right side. 

2nd and 8 from the MIN 32. 

WE ARE BACK IN DETROIT FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!

The VIkings kicked a field goal to chip into the lead but then Reichard pulled the kickoff out of bounds and that gave the Lions a chance at a field goal to stretch the lead out once again. Goff hit St. Brown and then Raymond to set up a 48 yard Jake Bates field goal. 

After stopping the Vikings on 4th and Goal, the Lions gave the ball right back after Ivan Pace picked off this tipped pass from Goff. Goff is 13/17 for 115 yards and the Lions lead by 6 points after the Lions defense stood strong on 7 straight plays inside the 10 yard line and kept MIN out of the end zone. 

Sam Darnold has been under pressure all night long. He's only been sacked one, this one from Smith, but nothing has been easy for the MIN QB who is 9/20 for 93 yards.  

This has been the opposite of what everyone has expected tonight from Detroit. We were expecting points, but so far there are just 13 total points and one TD on the board. This 25 yard TD run from Jahmyr Gibbs came right after a 4th and 5 conversion and that's the only TD that has been scored so far. 

WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF FROM DETROIT!!!

FIELD GOAL!!!

Bates drills the 48 yard field goal as the clock expires!

DET lead 10-6 at the halftime break. 

Goff over the middle for Raymond and he makes the catch for 11 yards. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 30. Timeout DET with 2 on the clock. 

Goff with a deep pass to St. Brown on the out route and that goes for 19 yards as he gets out of bounds. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 41. 

DET get the ball back from their 40 after the kickoff sails out of bounds.

FIELD GOAL!!!

Reichard drills the 31 yard field goal to cut the lead to 1. 

DET are up 7-6 with 20 to go. 

Darnold was under pressure again and his pass to Nailor is well short of the WR. 

4th and 5 from the DET 13. 

TIMEOUT MIN WITH 28 TO GO IN THE FIRST HALF. 

Darnold over the middle and he picks up 4 yard to bring up 3rd and medium. 

3rd and 5 from the DET 13. 

Jones with the carry out of the shotgun and he is dropped after a yard. 

2nd and 9 from the DET 17. 

Jones to the right side this time and he gets 8 yards. A flag flies for holding on DET so five yards will be added to the end of the run. 

1st and 10 from the DET 18. 

Jones to the right side and he cuts back into the middle for a gain of 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the DET 31. 

WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING FROM DETROIT!!!

Stop route from Naylor at the marker and he turns up field for a gain of 18 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the DET 36. 

Darnold escapes the pocket and races to the sideline for a gain of 2 yards. 

3rd and 6 from the MIN 46. 

Jones up the middle for a gain of 2 yards on first down. 

2nd and 8 form the MIN 44. 

TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!

DET challenged the ruling on the field and the call stood. 

Goff drops back to throw on 4th and inches and his pass is tipped at the line and falls incomplete. 

MIN ball from their 42 with 3:37 to go in the first half. 

Reynolds to the left side and he is stopped inches short of the marker. 

4th and inches from the MIN 42.

Gibbs to the left side and he is tripped up by Pace after a 4 yard gain. 

3rd and 3 from the MIN 44. 

Gibbs up the middle for a gain of 3 yards on first down. 

2nd and 7 from the MIN 48. 

Goff finds St. Brown on the cross route and he takes it for a gain of 11 yards on the catch and run. 

1st and 10 from the DET 49 .

DET take the ball back from the 30 and Goff finds Patrick for a gain of 8 yards. 

2nd and 2 from the DET 38. 

Pace had a fumble return for a TD in the earlier game between these two teams, and comes up with a pick that the Vikings couldn't turn to six. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Reichard drills te 25 yard field goal but that was an opportunity missed. They had 7 straight plays inside the 10 and couldn't get it into the end zone. 

DET lead 7-3 with 6:35 to go in the 1st half. 

Darnold's pass to the corner for Jefferson was too high and the Vikings waste a big opportunity to tie this game up. 

4th and Goal from the DET 7. 

Darnold to the back of the end zone for Jefferson who had it in his hands but couldn't bring it down!

3rd and Goal from the DET 7. 

Darnold's pass to Jefferson is almost picked off by Robertson who cut inside that route. 

2nd and Goal from the DET 7. 

INTERCEPTION!!!

Goff has his short pass to Reynolds tipped and picked off by Pace wo takes it to the DET 7!! Big play from the Vikings defense. No surprise there. 

1st and Goal from the DET 7. 

Reynolds squeezes his way over the marker for a first down and a gain of 3. 

1st and 10 from the DET 26. 

Reynolds up the gut and he takes it for 8 yards. 

3rd and 1 from the DET 23. 

Gibbs to the right side for a gain of a yard on first down. 

2nd and 9 from the DET 15. 

Pass to the left sideline for LaPorta and he makes the catch for 6 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the DET 14. 

Goff was swarmed in the end zone and he threw it into the dirt but LaPorta was in the area so that saves him from the safety. 

3rd and 5 from the DET 8. 

Gibbs to the left side and he bounces to the sideline for a five yard gain. 

2nd and 5 from the DET 8. 

TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!

Darnold had time and let the pass go to Jefferson but that pas was a little too high and the coverage was good. 

DET take over from their 3 with 10:10 to go in the first half. 

Darnold looking for Hockenson in the corner of the end zone but that pass was too high for the TE. 

4th and Goal from the 3 and the offense stays on the field. 

Darnold throws that ball away with no one open in the end zone. 

3rd and Goal from the 3. 

Akers to the left side and he picks up 2 yards on the first down run. 

2nd and Goal from the DET 3. 

Darnold hung in the pocket and got crushed but he laid a dime for Jefferson on the right side for a gain of 31!

1st and Goal from the DET 5. 

Darnold going deep for Addison in the end zone but that pass was too far out in front of the WR. 

3rd and 10 from the DET 36. 

Darnold looking for Addison in the flat but he is cut down for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the DET 36. 

Hitch route over the middle for Oliver and he takes it for 13 yards and a first down before taking a big hit. 

1st and 10 form the DET 36. 

MIN get the ball back from their 50 and Akers gets a yard on the first down run to the left side. 

2nd and 9 from the DET 49. 

Goff is dropped for a loss of 11 yards by Greenard and the Lions are forced into a quick three and out. 

4th and 31 from the DET 10. 

Goff's swing pass to Gibbs is blown up by Van Ginkel for a loss of  9 yards!

3rd and 20 from the DET 21. 

DET get the ball back from their 31 but a false start backs them up five yards. 

After the penalty, Gibbs gets three yards on the run to left side. 

2nd and 12 from the DET 29. 

WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER HERE FROM DETROIT!

Darnold's pass over the left hash for Hockenson was a hair over thrown and the Vikings will punt for the second time. 

4th and 18 from the MIN 12. 

Darnold finds Jones out of the backfield for a gain of 9 yards. 

3rd and 18 from the MIN 9. 

MIN take the ball back from the 20 and Smith gets into the backfield on the rush and drops Darnold for a loss of 17!

2nd and 27 from the MIN 3. 

After a big gain on 4th and 5 on the previous play, Jahmyr Gibbs busts a run for a 25 yard TD and the Lions get on the board first. 

Goff got smacked in the backfield but he released it to Williams over the middle and he takes it for 14 yards to extend the drive. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 25. 

Goff to the left side for Patrick and he reels it in for a 7 yard catch on the crossing route. 

4th and 5 from the MIN 39. 

Reynolds got the handoff and popped it outside for a first down, but a holding call will bring that run back. 

3rd and 12 from the MIN 46. 

Timeout DET with the game clock winding down. 

Goff finds LaPorta over the middle for a gain of 8 yards. 

3rd and 2 from the MIN 36. 

Goff to the left side for Reynolds and that pass was too far in front of the WR. 

2nd and 10 from the MIN 44. 

Goff over the middle with a strike to St. Brown for a gain of 23 right around midfield. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 44. 

Gibbs to the left side and he is dropped by Greenard for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the DET 33. 

Goff finds LaPorta on the hitch route right at the marker. 

1st and 10 from the DET 33. 

DET get the ball back from their 22 and Gibbs gets 4 yards on the dive up the middle. 

2nd and 6 from the DET 26. 

Darnold's pass to the right sideline for Hockenson hits off the TE's hands and falls incomplete. 

4th and 9 and the Vikings will punt from their 43 with 7:10 to go in the 1st quarter. 

After a false start on MIN, Darnold felt the pressure and his pass over the middle was too far out in front of Oliver. 

3rd and 9 from the MIN 43. 

Jones up the middle and he picks up 6 yards on the first down dive. 

2nd and 4 from the MIN 48. 

Darnold moves the chains with a pass to Jones on the right side and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 4. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 42. 

Jones with a run to the right side and he picks up 2 yards to bring up 3rd and short. 

3rd and 2 from the MIN 38. 

Darnold to the right side for Jefferson and he is stopped after a gain of 6 yards. 

2nd and 4 from the MIN 36. 

Darnold double pumped and found Hockenson over the middle for a pick up of 8 yards. 

1st and 10 from the MIN 30. 

Jones up the middle on the first run of the night and he bursts for 8 yards. 

2nd and 2 from the MIN 22. 

MIN get the ball back from their 14 and here comes Sam Darnold and the Vikings. 

Gibbs with the run to the left out of the shotgun and Greenard blew that play up for a loss of 7. 

4th and 15 from the DET 36. 

Gibbs up the middle and he picks up 5 yards to bring up 3rd and long. 

3rd and 8 from the DET 43. 

Gibbs was pushed to the right side in the backfield and runs out of bounds after a loss of 3 yards. 

2nd and 13 from the DET 38. 

Goff finds Gibbs over the middle and he spins out of a tackle and gets 6 yards to move the chains. 

1st and 10 from the DET 41. 

Goff finds Williams in the flat and he takes it for 3 yards on the first pass play of the night. 

3rd and 5 from the DET 35. 

DET start the night with the ball and they take over at the 30. 

Gibbs gets the opening handoff and gets two yards on the run up the middle. 

2nd and 8 from the DET 32. 

WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM DETROIT!!!

The one seed in the NFC will be determined in a matter of hours!

NFC Playoff picture  

Taking a look at the standings it’s quite clear. The winner of this game gets the one seed, home field advantage and a BYE in the first round of the playoffs. The loser would get the top Wild Card seed in the NFC, which means they would play the division winner with the worst record. That would be the Los Angeles Rams, who have already beaten the Vikings and gave the Lions a run for their money in Week 1. As the Wild Card, who ever loses this game goes from having the possibility to hosting all of their playoff games at home to having to go on the road for all of their postseason games. Needless to say, this one is huge. 

Previous match up

These two teams played in mid October when the Vikings were actually on top of the NFC North at 5-0. Minnesota got off to a quick start going up 10-0 with an Aaron Jones TD run and a Will Reichard field goal, but Goff and the Lions offense turned on in the second quarter scoring 21 unanswered points to take a 21-10 lead into the halftime break. The Vikes would come back and take the lead in with under 6:00 to go in the fourth quarter thanks to an Isaac Pace scoop and score after David Montgomery fumbled the ball at his own 35. The Vikings went up 29-28 after missing the two point conversion, but Goff and the Lions got the ball back and set up a game winning field goal from Jake Bates with 15 seconds to go to hand Minnesota their first loss of the season. 

Star watch: Lions 

In the last two weeks Jahmyr Gibbs has shown that he is going to be more than capable of carrying the load in the backfield with David Montgomery on the injured list at least for another couple of weeks. He’s had back to back 100 yard rushing games, scores a TD in each of those games and had 46 yards and 45 yards receiving in both of those games. Gibbs is the sixth leading rusher in the league with 1,273 yards and that’s with the explosive RB splitting time with Montgomery for most of the season. He is a key part of the Lions offense and takes an enormous amount of pressure off the shoulders of his QB. Look for him to have a big night in the biggest game of the season. 

Star watch: Vikings 

Maybe one of the toughest debates in football is: who is the best WR in the league? Ja’Marr Chase is on the verge of winning the triple crown, and that’s impressive, but Justin Jefferson maybe be the most spectacular WR in the league. His numbers are incredible with 1,479 yards and 10 TDs on 100 catches, but more than that it’s the impact he has when he is on the field. All eyes are on JJ and that opens up the offense for Sam Darnold. He may not win the triple crown, but his impact may be felt more than any other WR in the league. 

Season recap: Lions 

The Lions went from being a dark horse to favorites in the NFC after coming just short of their first Super Bowl trip in team history last year. It was the defense that carried the load for the first three weeks, but the Bucs stunned the Lions in Week 2 after Detroit narrowly escaped the Rams in the opening week of the season. The offense would catch fire in Week 3 and hasn’t looked back since. They won 11 in a row and Jared Goff was playing nearly perfect football, but as the season went on the injuries started piling up, especially on the defensive end. They narrowly beat the Bears on Thanksgiving and since then the defense has been giving up a lot of points making things tough on the offense. Luckily they have Goff and Gibbs and that has been enough to get past almost everyone, except the Bills a few weeks ago. Not many teams can keep track with the Lions offense and that’s been their ket to success lately, but once the playoffs come around they are going to have to show they can stop teams. They can do themselves a big favor by starting tonight against the Vikings. 

Season recap: Vikings

After letting Kirk Cousins go in the offseason and seeing their first round draft pick go down with a season ending knee injury before the season started, Kevin O’Connell entrusted in a journeyman QB who had never been a regular starter in the NFL. They started the season 5-0 and were the last undefeated team in the NFC. A two game losing skid against he Lions and the Rams made everyone jump ship but the Vikings have rattled off nine straight wins, although six of those wins have come in one possession games. There are still some doubters around this team, but they can silence those doubters tonight by winning the NFC. 

Last game: Lions

The Lions had a primetime game from San Francisco in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship and for the Niners put up a fight against the Lions despite their very different records. There wasn’t much defense played as both teams exchanged TDs for the first five possessions until the Lions were stopped on downs inside the SF 10 and the Niners went to half up 21-13. DET didn’t slow down as Goff passed for 303 yards and 3 TDs and Jahmyr Gibbs had 117 yards and a TD on the ground, but it was the defense that came up with a couple of interceptions in the second half and that was enough for the Lions to pull away and set up this massive match up tonight.  

Last game: Vikings 

The Vikings had their first of two division games to end the season last week and needed to win that game if they were going to have a chance at the one seed this week. The Packers came into town looking to play spoiler, but Sam Darnold and company never gave them a chance. The defense did what they always do, force their opponents to commit turnovers, and they did it on the first drive of the game. The Packers had nothing going on the offense end for the first two quarters and that allowed Darnold to build up a 20-3 lead early in the third quarter as he passed for almost 400 yards and 3 TDs. The Packers would make a late charge, but it was much too late to make a comeback on a Vikings team that was on a mission to get to where they are tonight. 

We are live from Ford Field  

Hello everyone and welcome to Detroit, and it doesn’t get any bigger than this if we are talking regular season games. These two teams have been the best in the NFC all season and tonight we will determine who is the top dog, not just in a jam packed NFC North, but in the conference. The Lions looked like the most dominant team all season but a string of injuries have them limping into the postseason, but a week off would do them all kinds of good. The Vikings are without question the surprise of the season, shocking the world in a season that they ditched their franchise QB and replaced him with a guy who hadn’t been a regular starter in the NFL since he was drafted with a top five pick years ago. Tonight some one will be crowned champions of the NFC, and take a big step towards Super Sunday. 

Vikings vs. Lions  

It all comes down to this. The one seed, home field advantage and a first round BYE are all up for grabs tonight from Ford Field as two heated rivals end the season with a chance to win the conference. It’s the Detroit Lions taking on the Minnesota Vikings with massive playoff implications on the line and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from the Motor City.