Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs steamrolled the Vikings defense, rushing for a season-high 139 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) plows through the Minnesota defense, including Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7), for one of his four touchdowns Sunday night. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Key player
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs was unstoppable Sunday night, scoring all four of the Lions’ touchdowns and accounting for 170 of his team’s 394 total yards.
He carried the ball 23 times for a season-high 139 yards. He rushed in touchdowns from 25, 13 and 4 yards and had a non-scoring chunk play of 47 yards when he burst out past the line toward the right sideline, unable to be tackled by Vikings safety Camryn Bynum. That play pushed him over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season.
Gibbs also added 31 yards and a touchdown receiving.
Key play
Vikings’ failed red-zone fourth-down attempt on the opening drive of the second half
The Vikings started the second half with the ball trailing a manageable 10-6. They moved 68 yards downfield, the most they had all game, powered by a 58-yard rush by running back Cam Akers.
On first-and-goal at the Lions’ five, the Vikings handed off to Akers for no gain and then running back Aaron Jones, who picked up three yards. Quarterback Sam Darnold’s pass went incomplete on third.
The Vikings stayed on the field for fourth down from the 2. Darnold targeted wide receiver Jordan Addison, but the ball fell incomplete off his fingertips in the end zone.
Between the second and third quarters, the Vikings had six drives finish in Detroit territory, four in the red zone and three inside the 10.
They never once reached the end zone. That early third-quarter drive was the closest the Vikings got, and they came up empty-handed.
Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) couldn’t corral this fourth-down throw from Sam Darnold in the third quarter against Detroit. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Key number
3 catches on 9 targets
Darnold connected with wide receiver Justin Jefferson on only a third of his targets. Jefferson was targeted nine times but finished with only three receptions. Three of his targets that did not turn to completions came consecutively in the end zone during the second quarter when the Vikings were down 7-0.
Both players shared blame in the failure to connect. Jefferson couldn’t haul in a few close calls he typically would and dropped one late, though the Vikings were already out of the game by then. Darnold finished the night 18-of-41 for just 166 yards, his fewest of the season.
Up next
at Los Angeles Rams, 7 p.m., Jan. 13
The Vikings once again come off a loss to the Lions and head west to face the Rams, who fell to the NFC’s fourth seed with a loss against the Seahawks on Sunday while playing backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Last time the two teams met in Week 8, it was a Thursday night matchup creating a quick-turn week for the Vikings, who lost 30-20.
2024 schedule and results
Oct. 13: Bye