Despite he’s leaving Detroit Lions Today ‘disappointment will be at Dan Campbell…
The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 30-20 to finish the regular season with a 12-5 overall record.
It’s just the second time in franchise history the Lions have finished the regular season, with the other time being 1991—the last time this team won a playoff game.
The Lions held the lead for the entirety of the game, although there were times in which the Vikings offense looked like they were going to make it close.
Perhaps the bigger story of the game was injuries.
Several Lions got banged up during the course of the game, with the most notable being rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, who suffered a knee injury in the first half and did not return.
Punt returner and reserve receiver Kalif Raymond also suffered a knee injury and did not return.
Regardless, the Lions are hosting a playoff game, and we’ll await whether they can get the NFC’s two seed based on the afternoon results.
The Lions won the toss and elected to receive. But the offense would not stay on the field long. Jared Goff and the offense went three-and-out after two incomplete passes.
A booming Jack Fox punt—61 yards—set the Vikings up at their own 10-yard line.
The Vikings were able to pick up a couple of quick first downs.
Then on a third-and-4 from their own 38-yard line, Nick Mullens threw it behind his receiver with pressure in his face, and the drive ended.
Kalif Raymond took the ensuing punt 42 yards to the Lions’ 48-yard line to give Detroit’s offense good field position.
The Vikings started with a third-and-8 at midfield that turned into a third-and-13 following a false start.
But the Vikings would eventually convert on a fourth-and-6 scramble from Mullens.
The Lions appeared to finally get a stop with a Romeo Okwara sack on third down, but a defensive holding penalty on Brian Branch extended the drive.
Minnesota got into the red zone, but Aidan Hutchinson completely blew up an end around for a 12-yard loss, forcing a third-and-goal from the 20 that moved back another 5 yards after a delay of game.
