In a pivotal Sunday night game, with both the NFC North title and the top seed in the conference on the line, the Minnesota Vikings suffered a humiliating 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. This defeat makes the Vikings the first 14-win wild-card team in NFL history, securing them the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
They now face an intriguing first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the only team, aside from the Lions, to have defeated them this season. Ironically, Minnesota lost to both the Lions and Rams in consecutive weeks in October, and they will be hoping to avoid repeating that scenario in January.
Before diving into Super Wild Card Weekend, it’s essential to review some of Minnesota’s mistakes during their Week 18 loss to Detroit.
Sam Darnold’s Poor Performance Against the Lions
Much like the Vikings, Sam Darnold had one of his worst performances of the season at the worst possible time. Completing only 43.9% of his passes, he finished the game with just 18 completions on 41 attempts for 166 yards, along with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. The simplest explanation for Darnold’s rough outing is that he made too many poor throws, particularly overthrows.
In the first half alone, he had eight overthrows, a mark that would have been the second-most in any full game of his career. Several of these inaccurate throws occurred in the red zone following an interception by Ivan Pace Jr. that gave the Vikings excellent field position. On three consecutive passes, Darnold failed to connect with Justin Jefferson in the end zone, forcing Minnesota to settle for a field goal. If the Vikings are to succeed against the Rams in the Wild Card Round, Darnold will need to perform much better than he did against Detroit.
Minnesota’s Receivers Struggled Against Detroit’s Secondary
While Darnold’s mistakes played a significant role in the lack of separation, Minnesota’s receivers also struggled. Jefferson had a tough time against Amik Robertson, who held him to just three receptions. Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, who combined for only three catches for nine yards, offered little help. Jalen Nailor had a solid game with three catches for 53 yards, but Addison and Hockenson will need to improve, especially if Jefferson faces double teams or has an off night.
Kevin O’Connell’s Field Goal Decision
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made a questionable decision late in the third quarter when facing 4th & 4 at the Lions’ 34-yard line, trailing 17-9. Rather than going for it, O’Connell opted for a 51-yard field goal attempt from Will Reichard, which missed badly to the right. While the decision can be somewhat understood—given the Minnesota offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders and Reichard had made a similar-length kick earlier in the game—this move was a missed opportunity. Darnold and the offense needed a confidence boost, but O’Connell didn’t provide it. This sequence shifted the momentum, allowing the Lions to pull away.
Andrew Van Ginkel’s Missed Pick-Six
After Reichard’s missed field goal, the Lions quickly moved the ball downfield, eventually taking a 24-9 lead with a third touchdown from Jahmyr Gibbs. On the third play of the drive, Jared Goff attempted a short pass toward Amon-Ra St. Brown, but Vikings linebacker
Andrew Van Ginkel jumped in front of the pass. With a clear path to the end zone, it appeared Van Ginkel would secure his third pick-six of the season. However, he dropped the ball, and the Lions capitalized on the missed opportunity. This costly mistake proved to be a game-changer.
