by It wasn’t a winner-takes-all game on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions had to approach it as if it were. Yes, they would have stayed 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 upside to letting Minnesota stay alive in the division race for another week.
Related: NFL roundup: Lions hold on to beat Vikings for first division title since 1993
It was not easy for the Vikings, to be believed, 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 that put them ahead. On the point after try, however, the Vikings managed to block Michael Badgely’s kick for an extra point.
This seemed like a minor detail at the time, especially after Jahmyr Gibbs ran in for the touchdown that extended Detroit’s lead to nine points. Then things got rather wobbly 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 all the way to Detroit’s 30-yard line as the clock ticked down. Because of the failed punt attempt, the Vikings were able to end the game right here without even needing a two-point conversion.
Maybe that’s how the game played so well in the Lions’ past seasons. When you’re a franchise that’s never even made the Super Bowl, you experience minor incidents snowballing into major disasters. This season, it was the other team that made the critical error. Mullens’ multiple throws landed in the hands of Detroit cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu for his fourth — and most painful — interception of the game. The Lions went on to win 30-24, improving their record to 11-4.
Melifonwu’s interception was literally historic. With the win, the Lions won the NFC North for the first time ever. The last time they won the division was in 1993, back when they were still in the NFC Central. As the broadcasters pointed out, it was before Goff was even alive. Sunday’s win 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. While there, they played a total of 20 playoff games. More often than not, the “big game” of the year comes in November when they play on Thanksgiving and usually lose.
“This is special,” head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “It’s something you don’t have to do all the time.”
Campbell should know. In his first year, the Lions finished with a 3-13-1 record. The Lions started their next season on a 1-6 run. Since then, however, they have been one of the best regular teams in the league.
Of course, neither he nor the Lions can afford to rest now. Detroit has more work to do: the top seed in the NFC is still technically in the playoffs, though it would depend on the San Francisco 49ers losing. Holding onto the second seed seems a more reasonable prospect. That’s all just postseason positioning, though. The real goal will be to accomplish something they haven’t done 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, putting in a 95-yard rushing performance with two touchdowns along with 96 receiving yards. As it turned out, the Jets needed a big game, as their defense blew a 20-point halftime lead to the Washington Commanders. The Jets ended up winning 30-28 on a Greg Zuerlein field goal, but it shouldn’t have come down to that.
The situation of the week
Three. After a 265-yard performance Sunday against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper now has 200-yard games with through separate franchises. Cooper previously achieved this with the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. The only other player to achieve 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 receiving yardage record, was a big part of the Browns’ 36-22 win over the Texans. He caught two of QB Joe Flacco’s three touchdown passes as the Browns improved their record to 10-5, all but guaranteeing them a playoff berth.
Video of the week
It was immediately clear that it was not going to be the day for the Dallas Cowboys after their first drive of the game ended in the end zone. Although the Cowboys were able to take a one-point lead late, they gave Miami enough time to kick the game-winning field goal. The Dolphins won by a final score of 22-20, meaning the Cowboys were unable to convert field position into points early in the game to finally break them.
The Dolphins improved their record to 11-4 guaranteeing them a playoff spot and putting them in a great position to win the AFC East. The Cowboys have now lost back-to-back games at 10-5 and have squandered a golden opportunity to at least briefly contend against the Philadelphia Eagles who are chasing the top spot in the NFC East.
Elsewhere throughout the series
• In Kenny Pickett injured on Saturday, backup QB Mason Rudolph led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-11 romp over Cincinnati to improve their odds of making the playoffs and 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 be pressured to bring Pickett back from his ankle sprain unless he’s fully healthy.
• The Buffalo Bills’ impressive run continued Saturday, though it may have been too late to prevent the 11-4 Miami Dolphins from clinching the AFC East. After their 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills have won four of their last five games and improved their record to 9-6. Although the most likely route to the postseason will come through the wild card, their statement wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys have shown that they could be a very dangerous playoff team and maybe even a team Super Bowl dark horse.
• The 7-8 Green Bay Packers are still technically alive in the NFC wild-card hunt after their 33-30 win over the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the Panthers record is now a series worst 2-13. That’s bad news for them but great news for the Chicago Bears, who have their first round draft 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 get the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, the remaining games could determine whether or not they move on from Justin Fields at quarterback. Fields put up good but unexpected numbers in Chicago’s 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 170 yards and rushing for 97 while picking up a touchdown both through the air and on the ground.
• The Seattle Seahawks also stay alive in the NFC playoff race, as they improved their record to 8-7 after a 20-17 win over the already eliminated Tennessee Titans. This gives Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams an identical record, which is the tiebreaker between the two teams. It looks like this won’t be decided until the final week, which is exactly what the NFL needs.
• Although Fox Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw was not happy with Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s decision to bench Desmond Ridder at quarterback in favor of Taylor Heinicke, the move paid off on Sunday. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Heinicke went 23-for-33, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 victory. The 7-8 Falcons technically remain alive in the playoff hunt, although they will need some help.
• The 7-6 Denver Broncos, playing at home against a three-game winning New England Patriots team, had a great chance to improve their playoff odds Sunday night. However, the Patriots offense unexpectedly exploded for 20 points in the third quarter and their defense held the Broncos offense to negative yards. Denver managed to tie the game late in the fourth only to see hopes of the postseason essentially dissipate after the much-maligned Patriots Kicker Chad Ryland, who missed two kicks on the evening, nailed a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left .
