by It wasn’t a winner-take-all game on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions had to approach it like it was. Yes, they would have remained in the driver’s seat to win the NFC South even with a Christmas Eve loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but these Lions knew there was no benefit to letting Minnesota stay alive in the division race for another week.
Related: NFL recap: Lions hold on to beat Vikings for first division title since 1993
The Vikings, it must be admitted, did not make it easy for the Lions. Minnesota briefly took a 21-17 lead early in the third quarter before Detroit quarterback Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St Brown for a touchdown to put them ahead. However, point after attempt, the Vikings successfully blocked Michael Badgely’s kick for an extra point.
This seemed like a minor detail at the time, especially after Jahmyr Gibbs ran for the touchdown that increased Detroit’s lead to nine points. Then things got pretty shaky for the Lions. First, the Vikings cut the lead to six with a field goal. On the final drive of the game, Minnesota quarterback Nick Mullens led his team to the Detroit 30-yard line with the clock running down. Because of that failed point-after-point attempt, the Vikings were in a position to end the game right here without needing a two-point conversion.
Perhaps in past Lions seasons, this is how the game would have played out. When you’re a franchise that hasn’t even made it to the Super Bowl, you’re used to minor setbacks turning into major disasters. This season, it was the other team that made the crucial mistake. The frequently erratic Mullens’ throw landed in the hands of Detroit cornerback Ifatu Melifonwu for his fourth – and most painful – interception of the game. The Lions held on to win 30-24, improving their record to 11-4.
Melifonwu’s interception was literally historic. With the victory, the Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time. They last won the division in 1993, when they were still in the NFC Central. As the broadcasters pointed out, that was before Goff was even alive. Sunday’s victory over the Vikings means Detroit’s Ford Field will host a postseason for the first time in its history. The Lions have long been one of the most unlucky NFL franchises. In their existence, they have played a total of 20 playoff games. Most of the time, their “big game” of the year comes in November, when they play on Thanksgiving Day and usually lose.
“This is special,” head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “It’s something you can’t do all the time.”
Campbell should know. In his first year, the Lions finished with a 3-13-1 record. The Lions began their next season with a 1-6 streak. Since then, however, they have been one of the best teams in the league in the regular season.
Of course, neither he nor the Lions can afford to rest now. There’s more work to do in Detroit: First place in the NFC is still technically up for grabs, although it would depend on the San Francisco 49ers losing. Holding on to the second seed seems like a more reasonable expectation. However, that’s all just postseason positioning. The real goal will be to achieve something they have not achieved since 1991 and only once in 66 years: win a playoff game. Stay tuned.
MVP of the week
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets. Breece Hall did it all for the New York Jets on Sunday, turning in a 95-yard rushing performance with two touchdowns to go along with 96 yards receiving. Turns out the Jets needed him to have a big game, as his defense blew a 20-point halftime lead against the Washington Commanders. The Jets ultimately won 30-28 on a Greg Zuerlein field goal, but it shouldn’t have come down to that.
Statistics of the week
Three. Following Sunday’s 265-yard performance against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper has now had 200-yard games with three separate franchises. Cooper had previously accomplished this with the then-Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. The only other player to accomplish this was Terrell Owens, who also did it with the Cowboys, along with the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.
Cooper, who also set a franchise record for receiving yards, was a big part of the Browns’ 36-22 victory over the Texans. He caught two of QB Joe Flacco’s three touchdown passes as the Browns improved their record to 10-5, guaranteeing them a playoff berth.
Video of the week
It was immediately obvious that it wasn’t going to be the Dallas Cowboys’ day after their first drive of the game ended in a fumble in the end zone. While the Cowboys were able to take a one-point lead late, they gave Miami enough time to kick a winning field goal. The Dolphins won by a final score of 22-20, meaning the Cowboys’ inability to convert field position into points early in the game finally caught up with them.
The Dolphins improved their record to 11-4, guaranteeing them a playoff berth and putting them in a great position to win the AFC East. The Cowboys, at 10-5, have lost consecutive games and wasted a golden opportunity to, at least briefly, battle the faltering Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC East.
Elsewhere in the league
• Replacing the injured Kenny Pickett on Saturday, backup QB Mason Rudolph led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-11 victory over Cincinnati to improve their playoff chances while significantly denting the Bengals’ chances. . While it probably wasn’t enough to start a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, Rudolph’s surprisingly efficient performance means the Steelers won’t feel pressured to get Pickett back from his sprained ankle unless he’s fully healthy.
• The Buffalo Bills’ impressive run continued Saturday, although it might be too late to prevent the Miami Dolphins (11-4) from clinching the AFC East. Following their 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills have won four of their last five games and improved their record to 9-6. While their most likely path to the postseason will be through the wild card, their wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys have shown that they could be a very dangerous playoff team and maybe even a Super Bowl dark horse team.
• The Green Bay Packers (7-8) are still technically alive in the NFC wild card chase after their 33-30 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ record is now the worst in the league, 2-13. That’s bad news for them, but great news for the Chicago Bears, who have their first-round pick. At least Carolina QB Bryce Young had a solid game, throwing for two touchdowns and 312 yards in the loss.
• If the Chicago Bears end up with the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, these remaining games could determine whether they leave Justin Fields at quarterback or not. Fields put up good, but not amazing, numbers in Chicago’s 27-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 170 yards and rushing for 97 while scoring a touchdown both in the air and on the ground.
• The Seattle Seahawks are also still alive in the crowded NFC wild card race, as they improved their record to 8-7 following a 20-17 victory over the now-eliminated Tennessee Titans. This gives Seattle an identical record to the Los Angeles Rams, who hold the tiebreaker between the two teams. It looks like it won’t be decided until the final week, which is exactly what the NFL wants.
• While Fox Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw was unhappy with Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s decision to bench Desmond Ridder at quarterback in favor of Taylor Heinicke, the move It paid off on Sunday. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Heinicke was 23-for-33, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown in a 29-10 victory. The Falcons (7-8) are still technically alive in the playoff hunt, although they will need some help.
• The Denver Broncos (7-6), playing at home against a three-win New England Patriots team, had a great opportunity to improve their playoff odds Sunday night. However, the Patriots’ offense unexpectedly exploded for 20 points in the third quarter, while their defense held the Broncos’ offense to negative yards. Denver managed to tie the game late in the quarter only to see its postseason hopes essentially dissipate after much-maligned Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, who missed two kicks that night, kicked a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left. remaining.
