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Lions take NFC North lead after late FG tops Vikings

Vaseline October 21, 2024

Minneapolis — Dan Campbell mentioned it.

Earlier this week, the Detroit Lions head coach said no matter what happened during the first three quarters of Sunday’s crucial divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings, he wanted his team to keep its composure and have a chance to take the game into the fourth win quarter.

And that’s exactly what happened during the Lions’ 31-29 victory at US Bank Stadium.

After a costly fumble by running back David Montgomery allowed the Vikings to return for a touchdown, the Lions defense got a stop when it needed to and held on just long enough for rookie kicker Jake Bates to make a 44-yard field goal that pushed Detroit forward. into first place in the NFC North and handed the Vikings their first loss of the season.

“We knew they would be ready and it would come down to the wire. The team knew this. We talked about patience… keep your composure, communication and attitude,” Campbell said. “Our guys did that. We persevered. We didn’t sleep a wink.’

Detroit (5-1) rallied from an early 10-point deficit with 21 unanswered points in the second quarter before watching their two-score lead slip away in the second half after a frantic back-and-forth in the fourth quarter. Detroit’s defense held Minnesota to consecutive field goals in the fourth quarter, but it was the offense that nearly cost them the game after a scoop-and-score touchdown from Vikings defenseman Ivan Pace Jr. gave Minnesota (5-1) a 29-28. lead with 5:50 to go.

After the two teams exchanged three-and-outs, the Lions got the ball back on their own 30-yard line with 2:32 left in a one-point game. Detroit got a pair of big plays from running back Jahmyr Gibbs and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to advance to the Vikings’ 21-yard line with 1:07 left and ultimately capitalized on the opportunity with Bates’ field goal.

▶ Box score: Lions 31, Vikings 29

“We knew it was about composure all week,” said Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who had another perfect 12-for-12 first half and ultimately finished 22-for-25, rushing for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’re down 10-0, and we get a little bit of a kick in the mouth; stay calm, stay relaxed. We got the fumble, they score on us; stay calm, stay relaxed, one play at a time.” That came in handy late in the game.”

The kick was a huge moment for Bates, who is entering his first NFL season a perfect 10-of-10 on field goals, including the latest and greatest in front of a raucous Vikings crowd desperate to see him make his first miss.

“It’s definitely the loudest environment I’ve ever been in,” Bates said.

But he remained calm, remained relaxed. And got a little help from his favorite Bible verse, Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily ensnares us. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” the verse reads .

“At the end of the day, it’s doing the same job that I’ve prayed for so long and worked so hard for,” Bates said. “So I mean, if you let that get too big right now, it’s probably going to be too big for you.”

After Bates’ field goal with 15 seconds left, the Vikings had a chance to create a miracle going the other way. Minnesota had a chance to run a Hail Mary with one second left despite not being properly prepared for a pre-play surge, which drew a flag.

But on a day when the absence of injured defensive back Aidan Hutchinson was notable, it was another local boy, linebacker Trevor Nowaske (Salem High School/Saginaw Valley State), who sealed the victory with a sack of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as the time passed. .

Gibbs was sensational for Detroit. He totaled 160 yards from scrimmage (116 rushing, 44 receiving) and averaged 8.4 yards per touch with two touchdowns. His first score came on a 45-yarder, the longest run of his career, with the Lions offense desperately trying to break through after starting the game 0-for-3 on third downs.

St. Brown was a vintage version of himself, catching eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter to give Detroit a 14-10 lead at the 8:39 mark of the second quarter.

Lions safety Brian Branch, who had two interceptions in the team’s win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, intercepted his fourth pass of the season at 5:39 of the second quarter to stop the Vikings in Detroit territory .

The interception also came at the right time: Detroit nearly held the ball for the remainder of the second half and was able to take a two-score lead with 23 seconds left when Gibbs scored his second touchdown of the day on an 8- yard. walk.

“Confidence is through the roof,” Campbell said of Branch. “He’s getting better. He’s still a little young and new to the safety position for us. Sometimes you forget that. … He’s the ultimate football player. He understands how to play the game. He’s instinctive. He’s tough .He’s smart. He’s a great tackler. He’s got radar.

“He’s one of those guys who can change the game for you.”

Other than the interception, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was locked up. He finished 22-for-27 passing for 259 yards and a touchdown, with 81 yards coming from Justin Jefferson and 76 to former Michigan State receiver Jalen Nailor. Vikings running back Aaron Jones cut the Lions’ vaunted run defense with 93 yards on 14 attempts.

But the Lions got the stops when they needed them, even after giving Minnesota the ball back with 4:16 to go while trailing, 29-28.

“(The defense) fought. Those guys fought, and we knew full well what happened there,” Campbell said. “I thought (Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) had a damn good game plan in place. I thought those guys executed… I’ll tell you what, when we needed a critical stop there at the end of the game, and then had to finish after we kicked the field goal, our defense did that.”

The blocking on the field for Detroit was tremendous. It was plain to see during Gibbs’ long touchdown run, and he returned the favor on a crucial third-and-5 in the third quarter. Goff dumped it to Kalif Raymond in the flat and Gibbs closed the edge with a block on Metellus to release Raymond for his first touchdown of the season, giving the Lions a 28-17 lead with 5:43 to go in the third quarter. .

“What a smart play, to protect him a little bit,” Campbell said. “Otherwise you get a penalty and the game comes back. And then Raymond takes it. So he is a weapon for us.”

The Lions (5-1) didn’t pick up a first loss on their first three possessions and then scored touchdowns on four straight drives to silence a raucous crowd. Entering Sunday, the Vikings had made just five offensive plays while trailing all season, en route to a 5-0 start.

The Vikings defense got off to a dream start, scoring two penalties on reserve offensive guard Kayode Awosika – starting in place of Kevin Zeitler – and sacking Goff on second down to reach third-and-17. The Lions ran a fake punt on fourth-and-7 that was doomed from the start, giving the Vikings the ball at the Detroit 34-yard line.

Two plays later, Vikings running back Aaron Jones took a handoff, hit left and went untouched en route to a 34-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead at the 11:43 mark of the first quarter.

“Early in the game they came after us. They really did. They did a good job,” Goff said. “That’s what they do. We knew when they get into games they start well. They come out with their hair on fire and hit us in the teeth there early. We had to respond.

“That’s what we do. That’s what we do. That’s what we’re built to do: respond. Once we were able to put together a few drives and score a few touchdowns, we had them in a good spot.”

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