
End zone celebration (Lions photo by Jeff Nguyen)
No one expected the battered Detroit Lions defense to hold the Minnesota Vikings to only three field goals and no touchdowns.
Miraculously, they did it in a convincing 31-9 victory Sunday night at Ford Field.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs also shined, scoring three rushing touchdowns and one receiving on fourth down from quarterback Jared Goff.
The 15-2 Lions, tops in the NFC North, are also the NFC #1 seed, which allows them a first-round bye in the playoffs and home field advantage. The week-break will give some of the injured and battered players time to rest and heal.
"Man, what a win, " Coach Dan Campbell said in the post-game press conference.
"The guys on defense executed exactly the way that we we had worked and what we had talked about," he said, adding that the return of linebacker Alex Anzalone "was huge."
The defense as a whole put a lot of pressure on Viking quarterback Sam Darnold, forcing him to rush his passes.