DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs was the game-breaking player the Detroit Lions needed to get their high-powered offense in gear — and provides them a first-round bye and home-field advantage within the NFC playoffs.
Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying 4 touchdowns within the second half, and the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title.
“Everybody’s got to come back through here, baby!” Detroit defensive end Za’Darius Smith said to the roaring crowd after the sport.
The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) could meet again in two weeks.
Banged-up Detroit can have a much-needed week off, while Minnesota plays on the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night.
Within the NFL’s final game before the playoffs, two teams played within the regular season with a combined 28 victories for the primary time. A No. 1 seed was determined in a regular-season finale for the third time in three-plus a long time.
Dallas wrapped up the 1993 regular season against the Recent York Giants with a 16-13 time beyond regulation win to offer the Cowboys top seeding they used to their advantage as they advanced to and won the Super Bowl. The Giants, meanwhile, beat Minnesota within the wild-card round and were routed at San Francisco the next week.
Detroit desperately hopes history repeats itself. The Lions are searching for their first Super Bowl appearance and hoping to finish an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957. They’re a No. 1 seed for the primary time in franchise history.
“It’s not the cherry on top,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “Not yet.”
Game No. 272 of the regular season was expected to be a shootout with Pro Bowl quarterbacks leading high-scoring offenses, but Goff and Sam Darnold weren’t at their best.
Gibbs picked up the slack for his team.
“He’s as explosive as any player within the league,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and one other rating.
“He was special, and we wanted him to be,” Goff said.
Goff threw two interceptions after getting picked off just once within the previous seven games and Minnesota made field goals after the turnovers within the second and third quarters.
After Vikings rookie Will Reichard connected on his third kick to chop the deficit to 10-9 early within the third, Goff directed a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:25 and was capped by a slick pass to Gibbs for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.
Goff was 8 of 8 on that possession and finished 27 of 33 for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Darnold accomplished fewer than half his passes in the primary half, missing opportunities to select up first downs and rating touchdowns. The Vikings were 0 of three within the red zone through two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime and didn’t rating a touchdown once they were contained in the 20 for a fourth time within the second half.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 within the second quarter and Darnold, under pressure, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson in the long run zone.
Darnold threw one other incomplete pass on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early within the third.
“Kicking field goals isn’t going to get it done against that team,” Darnold said. “I actually have to hit those throws.”
O’Connell opted to aim a 51-yard field goal late within the third, trailing by eight, and Reichard missed wide right.
Darnold was 18 of 41, a season-low 44% completion rate, and connected with Jefferson just thrice on nine targets for 54 yards.
“We didn’t do a whole lot of the things we did well this season,” O’Connell said. “Sam has hit a whole lot of those plays all 12 months and I actually have every little bit of confidence that he’ll hit it the subsequent time.”
DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs was the game-breaking player the Detroit Lions needed to get their high-powered offense in gear — and provides them a first-round bye and home-field advantage within the NFC playoffs.
Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying 4 touchdowns within the second half, and the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title.
“Everybody’s got to come back through here, baby!” Detroit defensive end Za’Darius Smith said to the roaring crowd after the sport.
The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) could meet again in two weeks.
Banged-up Detroit can have a much-needed week off, while Minnesota plays on the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night.
Within the NFL’s final game before the playoffs, two teams played within the regular season with a combined 28 victories for the primary time. A No. 1 seed was determined in a regular-season finale for the third time in three-plus a long time.
Dallas wrapped up the 1993 regular season against the Recent York Giants with a 16-13 time beyond regulation win to offer the Cowboys top seeding they used to their advantage as they advanced to and won the Super Bowl. The Giants, meanwhile, beat Minnesota within the wild-card round and were routed at San Francisco the next week.
Detroit desperately hopes history repeats itself. The Lions are searching for their first Super Bowl appearance and hoping to finish an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957. They’re a No. 1 seed for the primary time in franchise history.
“It’s not the cherry on top,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “Not yet.”
Game No. 272 of the regular season was expected to be a shootout with Pro Bowl quarterbacks leading high-scoring offenses, but Goff and Sam Darnold weren’t at their best.
Gibbs picked up the slack for his team.
“He’s as explosive as any player within the league,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and one other rating.
“He was special, and we wanted him to be,” Goff said.
Goff threw two interceptions after getting picked off just once within the previous seven games and Minnesota made field goals after the turnovers within the second and third quarters.
After Vikings rookie Will Reichard connected on his third kick to chop the deficit to 10-9 early within the third, Goff directed a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:25 and was capped by a slick pass to Gibbs for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.
Goff was 8 of 8 on that possession and finished 27 of 33 for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Darnold accomplished fewer than half his passes in the primary half, missing opportunities to select up first downs and rating touchdowns. The Vikings were 0 of three within the red zone through two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime and didn’t rating a touchdown once they were contained in the 20 for a fourth time within the second half.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 within the second quarter and Darnold, under pressure, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson in the long run zone.
Darnold threw one other incomplete pass on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early within the third.
“Kicking field goals isn’t going to get it done against that team,” Darnold said. “I actually have to hit those throws.”
O’Connell opted to aim a 51-yard field goal late within the third, trailing by eight, and Reichard missed wide right.
Darnold was 18 of 41, a season-low 44% completion rate, and connected with Jefferson just thrice on nine targets for 54 yards.
“We didn’t do a whole lot of the things we did well this season,” O’Connell said. “Sam has hit a whole lot of those plays all 12 months and I actually have every little bit of confidence that he’ll hit it the subsequent time.”
