DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying 4 touchdowns within the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday evening to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field benefit till the Tremendous Bowl.
“Everyone’s bought to come back by right here, child!” Detroit defensive finish Za’Darius Smith stated to the roaring crowd after the sport.
The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) may meet once more in two weeks.
Detroit could have a much-needed bye for its banged-up workforce in the course of the first week of the playoffs whereas Minnesota performs on the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams subsequent Monday evening.
Within the NFL’s last recreation earlier than the playoffs, two groups performed within the common season with a mixed 28 victories for the primary time. A No. 1 seed was decided in a regular-season finale for the third time in three-plus a long time.
Dallas wrapped up the 1993 common season in opposition to the New York Giants with a 16-13 time beyond regulation win to present the Cowboys high seeding they used to their benefit as they superior to and received the Tremendous Bowl. The Giants, in the meantime, beat Minnesota within the wild-card spherical and had been routed at San Francisco the next week.
Detroit desperately hopes historical past repeats itself. The Lions are searching for their first Tremendous Bowl look and hoping to finish an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957.
Sport No. 272 of the common season was anticipated to be a shootout with Professional Bowl quarterbacks main high-scoring offenses, however Jared Goff and Sam Darnold weren’t at their finest.
Gibbs picked up the slack for his workforce.
He had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three speeding touchdowns and caught 5 passes for 31 yards and one other rating.
Goff threw two interceptions after getting picked off solely as soon as within the earlier seven video games and Minnesota made discipline objectives after the turnovers within the second and third quarters.
After Vikings rookie Will Reichard related on his third kick to chop the deficit to 10-9 early within the third, Goff directed a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:25 and was capped by a slick go to Gibbs for a 10-yard landing on fourth-and-2.
Goff was 8 of 8 on that possession and completed 27 of 33 for 231 yards with a landing and two interceptions.
Darnold accomplished fewer than half his passes within the first half, lacking alternatives to select up first downs and rating touchdowns. The Vikings had been 0 of three within the pink zone by two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 within the second quarter and Darnold, beneath strain, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson ultimately zone.
Darnold threw one other incomplete go on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early within the third.
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell opted to try a 51-yard discipline purpose late within the third, trailing by eight, and Reichard missed large proper.
Darnold was 18 of 41, a season-low 44% completion price, and related with Jefferson simply 3 times on 9 targets for 54 yards.
Accidents
Vikings: OLB Patrick Jones (knee) was inactive.
Lions: LB Alex Anzalone (damaged forearm) and punt returner/receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) returned from accidents to play for the primary time since November. … CB Terrion Arnold (foot) and DL Pat O’Connor (Calf) had been injured in the course of the recreation and OG Kevin Zeitler got here off the sector, holding the again of his proper leg late within the recreation.
Up subsequent
Vikings: Go to the Rams because the NFL’s first 14-win wild card.
Lions: Host a divisional-round recreation after their first bye since Week 5.
