The Detroit Lions are NFC North champions as they dominated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 and won the division title in back-to-back seasons.
Not only will they be crowned division champions, but the Lions will also be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
In the meantime, the Vikings are the No. 5 seed as the best of the three wild-card squads in the NFC. Instead of the bye week, they’ll head to Los Angeles to face the Rams next weekend.
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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) hands the ball to running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, January 5, 2025. (PROPOSE)
This featured ‘Game of the Year’ as two of the best offenses in the league combined to determine who gets the top seed and the division title, all in 60 minutes of play.
But there was no shootout at Ford Field on Sunday night, and a lot of that had to do with the immense pressure Aaron Glenn’s Lions defense put on Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ offense.
On the other hand, the Lions used the man leading the N.F.L in touchdowns this season, Jahmyr Gibbs, who added four more to his total in this crucial game.
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Gibbs, who will see more play with the loss of his counterpart David Montgomery in the backfield, capped a nine-play drive for the Lions with a 25-yard burst into the end zone, putting the Lions up 7-0 in the first quarter . .
It was surprisingly the only touchdown scored in the first half, but Gibbs got the lead for Detroit in the second half when head coach Dan Campbell went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Minnesota 10-yard line, and Jared Goff threw a ball to his wide open back for a 10-yard score.
Then, after the Vikings missed a field goal attempt, Gibbs found another crease, this time for 13 yards to blow the doors off the game early in the fourth quarter, 24-9.
This game could have been much closer if Darnold, who has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks all season, had taken advantage of his opportunities in the red zone.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Pat Jones II (91) pressures Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (PROPOSE)
Early in the second quarter, Darnold had the Vikings’ first and goal at the Detroit 5-yard line, but he couldn’t reach the end zone on a pair of errant throws to Justin Jefferson, while also not seeing a wide-open Jordan Addison. also in the apartment.
Once the Vikings defense had picked off Goff for the first of two times, Minnesota couldn’t find the end zone from the seven-yard line this time and saw more bad throws from Darnold.
Darnold was harassed throughout the game as Glenn turned up the pressure, forcing the Vikings star to speed up his “quarterback clock” as he went through his progressions. He ultimately finished 18-for-41 for 166 yards – his lowest output all season – as the Vikings didn’t score a touchdown all game.
The victory was sealed by Gibbs’ fourth touchdown of the game, a drive that he carried all the way across the Lions field. It started with a 47-yard run to push him over 100 yards overnight.
Then, after the Lions got the Vikings to jump into the neutral zone on fourth-and-2, Gibbs made his way into the end zone, carrying multiple Vikings defenders to score a four-yard rush for his fourth touchdown of the night. .
Gibbs finished the game with 139 rushing yards on 23 carries and 31 receiving yards on his big night, while Amon-Ra St. Brown had six catches for 77 yards to lead the Lions through the air.
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26), right, celebrates a touchdown against Minnesota Vikings with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (PROPOSE)
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Goff went 27-for-33 for 231 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
With this NFC North finish, the 2024 NFL regular season has come to an end and the playoffs are set for Wild Card Weekend in a few days.
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