The much-anticipated game between the top two teams in the NFC North turned out to be a rout after the Detroit Lions devoured the Minnesota Vikings, 31-9, on Sunday.
The 28 combined wins between the Vikings and the Lions were the most shared by two teams in a regular-season game in the history of the NFL. With the win, Detroit clinched the division crown for the second straight year and earned the No. 1 seed for the first time.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 27-of-33 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. While he was intercepted twice, it hardly mattered as they moved a step closer to making it to their first-ever Super Bowl.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, on the other hand, wasn’t up to par. He finished 18-of-41 for season lows of a 43.9% completion rate and 166 passing yards.
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After the game, he took accountability and acknowledged his gaffes.
“Kicking field goals isn’t going to get it done against that team,” said the 27-year-old Darnold in a report from the Associated Press. “I have to hit those throws.”
His usual connection with wide receiver Justin Jefferson was also absent. Darnold only found Jefferson thrice on nine targets for 54 yards.
With the loss, the Vikings dropped to the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. They will be the first-ever 14-win squad to go to the Wild Card, where they will battle the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite Darnold’s dud, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell affirmed his trust in his signal-caller.
“Sam has hit a lot of those plays all year and I have every bit of confidence that he will hit it the next time,” said O’Connell in the same report.
