The Vikings’ undefeated start is over. They’re tied for the NFC North lead with a Detroit Lions team that has beaten them four straight times, including twice at U.S. Bank Stadium, and let the Vikings know Sunday that the division race will be a long fight.
Lions beat Vikings 31-29 as field goal in final seconds hands Minnesota its first loss
Both the Vikings and the Lions built and lost double-digit leads before Detroit rallied for a 44-yard field goal from Jake Bates with 15 seconds left. The 5-1 teams are tied for the NFC North lead.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 20, 2024 at 9:50PM
The Vikings fell 31-29 in a game that felt like a playoff matchup at times. Both teams built and lost double-digit leads before the Lions rallied for a 44-yard field goal from Jake Bates with 15 seconds left.
The Vikings stopped the Lions on a fake punt on the first series of the game, putting themselves in position for an early lead when Aaron Jones raced off the left side of the line for a 34-yard touchdown. The Vikings led 10-0 after a quarter, marking the sixth straight game they had built a double-digit first-half lead.
But the Lions scored three touchdowns in a second quarter, when Jared Goff completed all seven of his passes for 118 yards, and led 28-17 into the third quarter. The Vikings rallied to take the lead with two Will Reichard field goals and an Ivan Pace Jr. fumble recovery for a touchdown, but they couldn’t convert the two-point conversion to go up by three, and the Lions won it on Bates’ field goal.
Why it happened: The Vikings defense gave up a number of big plays, especially in the Lions’ 21-point second quarter, and their offense couldn’t finish enough drives in the end zone. Sam Darnold’s first-half interception, when he threw for Jordan Addison on a play where Jones was wide open on the backside, killed a Vikings drive in Lions territory and set up a third Lions touchdown in the second quarter.
What it means: The Vikings are tied with the Lions for the NFC North lead and the top record in the conference at 5-1, but they missed a chance to put some early distance between themselves and the defending division champions. The Week 18 game between the two teams in Detroit could be a pivotal matchup for division and playoff standings.
Play of the game: With the Vikings down 28-23 in the fourth quarter, Josh Metellus punched the ball out of David Montgomery’s hands as Camryn Bynum slowed him up. Pace recovered the fumble and raced in for a 36-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings a 29-28 lead on their third defensive score of the season.
Turning point: After the Vikings took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Lions opened the second quarter with two drives that were capped by big plays for touchdowns. Gibbs raced through a hole on the right side of the Vikings’ line, then juked Bynum for a 45-yard score. On the next Detroit drive, Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown on a seam route as the Lions picked up a blitz for a 35-yard score that put Detroit up 14-10.
Up next: The Vikings will travel to Los Angeles for a Thursday night game against the Rams, Kevin O’Connell’s first meeting against his former boss, Sean McVay.
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