NFL

NFL Fans React To Record-Setting Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions Tackling Minnesota Vikings, Defending NFC North Title

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By
Jeff Hawkins
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Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

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Published05 Jan 2025

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nfl lions defense comes up big vs vikings (1)

Through Week 8, the Detroit Lions ranked first for offense, defense and special teams, becoming the fourth team to accomplish the feat that far into an NFL campaign. 

After the Lions started suffering a series of injuries during the second half of the season, some league insiders started writing off the Lions’ chances of capturing the Super Bowl, let alone the NFC’s No. 1 seed and repeating as division champions.  

An aggressive defensive gameplan and running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ record-setting performance Sunday night helped the Lions upend the Minnestoa Vikings, 31-9, at Ford Field. 

Backed by a defense that stopped two fourth-and-goal attempts and Gibbs’ four touchdowns, the back-to-back NFC North-champion Lions (15-2) enter the playoffs as, perhaps, the team to beat. 

Sunday’s win started with the defense, which led the league in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) though the first half of the season, becoming just the ninth team since 1979 to do it. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn designed a blitzing gameplan and overcame a plethora of injuries to key personnel. 

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was 1 of 8 for 4 yards in the red zone during the first half. The Lions scored 21 unanswered second-half points. 

Having Gibbs in the backfield also helped. The second-year professional tied a franchise single-game record with four touchdowns as the Lions earned the conference’s top seed for the first time.   

The Vikings (14-3) fell to the fifth seed and will play at the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 13. The Lions will host the winner of  that Wild Card matchup. Will there be a rematch in two weeks?

X (Twitter) users replied to the 2024 NFL season’s 272nd – and final – kickoff of the regular season, dominated by the Lions’ defense. The home crowd showed its appreciation for quarterback Jared Goff and Co. …  

Leading up to the regular-season finale, Fox Sports NFL analyst Charles Woodson previewed the Lions-Vikings matchup, highlighting turnovers as a key. The Lions have won their last 16 outings when they win the turnover battle …  

Will the Lions and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown have their cake and eat it, too? … 

To help show support in Detroit, the Vikings’ front office invested approximately $2 million in tickets to distribute to their fans for Sunday night’s regular-season finale … 

Ford Field before Sunday night’s madness. After 17,098 games in NFL history, Sunday’s contest was the first featuring two 14-2 squads … 

One play after converting by a fourth-and-12 pass play, Gibbs accounted for his first TD Sunday, a 25-yard run. It was his 17th touchdown this season, tying a team record … 

Vikings’ Andrew Van Ginkel rocked Gibbs, who immediately departed for the sideline, but returned for the next series …  

After the Lions’ defense stopped the Vikings on a fourth-and-goal pass, Goff tossed a second-quarter screen pass that was deflected and intercepted, setting the Vikings up inside the Lions’ 10-yard line. Darnold overthrew an open Justin Jefferson on third down, forcing the Vikings to kick a field goal … 

Vikings’ Andrew Van Ginkel rocks Gibbs, who immediately departed for the sideline, but returned for the next series …  

The Lions defense stopped the Vikings for the second time on a fourth-and-goal play … 

Catching a 10-yard score on a fourth-down pass with 2:30 left in the third quarter, handing the Lions a 17-9 advantage. Gibbs established a franchise single-season record with 18 touchdowns, including four through the air …  

Securing his second fourth-quarter TD, Gibbs created another record by scoring on a 4-yard run, capping the scoring. The Vikings established their own mark by winning the most games without claiming a division title …

The Lions became the ninth team in NFL history to win 15 games in a season. Of the previous seven, excluding the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs, only the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and 1985 Chicago Bears captured the Super Bowl … 

Final Score: Lions 31, Vikings 9 …