Minnesota Suffers First Defeat: 3 Takeaways From The Lions’ Win Over The Vikings

The 1972 Dolphins can celebrate one more time. The NFL’s last undefeated team collapsed with the Vikings falling to Detroit in what was largely a low-scoring loss until the fourth quarter.

The 19-15 win was somewhat overshadowed by a scary injury to fullback Jack Campbell, who was carted off the field after colliding with a teammate. He was one of several defensive starters to leave the game for the Lions.

However, it didn’t seem to matter. The Vikings offense, and Kyler Murray in particular, continued to struggle and the defense, which has carried the team all season, finally buckled in the second half, allowing Jahmyr Gibbs to run wild.

Here are my suggestions:

It’s hard to overstate how important this game was for Detroit, which was in danger of falling three games behind the Vikings. Instead, the Lions are a game behind and tied with Minnesota. But the Lions can’t get complacent after seeing four defensive starters leave the game with injuries, including a horrific collision that saw Jack Campbell carted off the field.

Campbell’s injury silenced what had been a wild Detroit crowd, but the offense got loud again, thanks to a handful of explosive runs from Jahmyr Gibbs and Sione Vaki. They both forced five missed tackles in the fourth quarter alone.

Overall, Minnesota’s defense produced a season-high 16 tackles and allowed the Lions to rush for 164 yards in the second half. Without much of a passing game and no healthy players on defense, the running game salvaged what could have been a completely miserable day in Detroit.

However, defensive injuries were the story. The Lions lost their defensive signal-caller, Campbell, their best linebacker, Brian Branch, and their only consistent source of sacks outside of Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum. DJ Reed also left the game late.

The defense, which entered the game ranked 26th in points allowed and dead last in expected points added, was already in a vulnerable state. Even with one of the league’s best offenses, it was hard to see Detroit as a serious contender because of those defensive struggles. If the unit has to move forward without three of its best players, that’s an even bigger stretch.

As long as the offense keeps going on the end — and there’s no reason to think it won’t — Detroit can play with anyone. Might have to score over 30 points a game to do it now.

Kyler Murray might have done only enough in the fourth quarter to stave off questions about his job security, but the Vikings still have some potentially awkward questions to ask about their quarterback before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.

Of course, finding a competent quarterback in the middle of the season could end up saving Murray’s job. A reunion with Kirk Cousins ​​could have been on the table had the Raiders lost to the Jets, but Las Vegas is just one game out of the final AFC playoff spot. Given how much losing that organization has done over the past three decades, it will want to contend for that postseason spot. Trading Cousins ​​wouldn’t make much sense.

But if Murray’s struggles continue, coach Kevin O’Connell will have to consider benching him. He just hasn’t been accurate enough to support Minnesota’s deep passing game and hasn’t developed any chemistry with Justin Jefferson. They both connected for a touchdown, but it took a mesmerizing effort from the receiver.

Murray cost Jefferson another shot with a reversal. Jefferson is starting to show signs of frustration with the quarterback situation. Cameras caught him complaining to coaches and teammates after Murray targeted Jordan Addison on a key third down late in the game. It’s hard to fault the star receiver. He’s getting open, but he’s not getting the right service from his centre-back.

It’s probably too early for O’Connell to make the switch — and Carson Wentz isn’t the most attractive option — but if Murray starts throwing interceptions, that could change. He’s mostly avoided those costly mistakes, but he made a bad pick late in the first half that led to Detroit’s points. That error, along with a rare error by forward Will Reichard, made the difference in the scoreboard.

Brian Flores’ defense made another brave switch, but couldn’t stop a potent Detroit attack for 60 minutes. That’s understandable, and despite a lackluster fourth quarter effort, holding the Lions to just 19 points is still impressive.

But this game showed that an elite defense can’t win games against good competition on its own. The offense has to do its part, even if it’s just staying on the field to give the defense some breathing room. Detroit won the time-of-possession battle by more than 11 minutes Sunday, and showed up in the fourth quarter with all those broken tackles.

Before that final frame, it looked like we were headed for another defensive masterclass from Flores. Jared Goff never got comfortable thanks to another comically high level of hitting from Minnesota’s defensive coordinator. Flores sent an extra pass rush on nearly 90% of Goff’s misses. At one point, the Lions gave up on pushing the ball downfield and opted for quick screen passes. It didn’t lead to much production, but Goff didn’t get a sack in the first half after going down four times in the first two quarters.

If the Vikings’ offense had resulted in more of a fight, this would not have been a viable strategy. Detroit didn’t need to put the ball in the air, which negated what this Minnesota defense does best. As long as that continues, we may see more game plans like the one the Lions used in the second half.

The Lions are officially back in the NFC North race, sitting just one game back of the next-on-the-schedule Dolphins. If they take care of business in Miami, they could be in first place by next Sunday night. Outside of the remaining divisional games and the Week 10 matchup with the Patriots, Detroit’s schedule is awfully forgiving. That could help the defense navigate the next few weeks if it has to play short-handed.

The opposite is true for the Vikings. This was just the first game of a four-week run. The Bills come to Minnesota next week, followed by games against the Packers and 49ers. It will be difficult to get through that stretch without a more competent offense. The defense will have its hands full against three quarterbacks in the MVP discussion.