The Detroit Lions hadn’t won a division title since the beginning of the Clinton administration. And the Minnesota Vikings did everything they could Sunday to make them wait even longer.
It wasn’t until their fourth interception of Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens with 58 seconds left that the Detroit Lions finally secured a 30-24 road victory and win the NFC North title.
The Detroit Lions (11-4) won their first division title since 1993 behind another quality game from quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for 257 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers.
Yet they had trouble putting away the Vikings (7-8), who are fighting for their playoff lives. Their playoff chances dropped to 32 percent as they fell to the No. 8 spot in the NFC at the end of the games in the 1 p.m. ET window.
Detroit Lions thwart Vikings’ late rally
The Vikings, with Mullens starting his second straight game, lost two of their offensive weapons to injury earlier in the game — tight end T.J. Hockensen and rookie receiver Jordan Addison.
Yet Mullens, who threw for 421 yards and two touchdowns, still had arguably the league’s best receiver in Justin Jefferson (6 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD).
In the end, though, Mullens tried to force Jefferson the ball one too many times. His final throw of the day — intended for Jefferson near the end zone — was caught instead by Detroit’s Ifeatu Melifonwu for Mullens’ fourth pick of the day.
After two Goff kneel-downs to run out the clock, it was time for the Lions and their fans to celebrate.
Despite the yardage allowed to Mullens in the passing game, the Lions’ defense held the Vikings to only 17 yards rushing and sacked Mullens four times, with Melifonwu notching two of them.
The Lions’ No. 3 ranked offense beat the Vikings with a balanced attack, between Goff’s pinpoint passing (he was 30-of-40) and their effective running back tandem of David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who combined for 143 yards and three touchdowns.
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Detroit Lions playing well at the right time
The Detroit Lions, who began Sunday as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, have won two straight since a brief stumble in which they lost two out of three games. But since a 28-13 loss to Chicago in Week 14, they’ve averaged 36 points per game in their two wins.
The Lions still have an outside shot at the No. 1 seed, depending on how the No. 2 Dallas Cowboys and the No. 1 San Francisco 49ers fare Sunday and Monday, respectively. And the Lions have an even greater chance to help themselves next week when they travel to Dallas, where the Cowboys are a perfect 7-0.
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After their monumental showdown with the Cowboys, the Lions finish the regular season with another game against the Vikings at home.
But they have greater aspirations, with another drought they’d like to end. The Lions remain the only NFC team that has never gone to a Super Bowl.