Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions Match Player Stats: Every Key Performance
Introduction
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats tell a story of missed opportunities and defensive dominance. Sam Darnold completed just 18 of 41 passes for 43.9 percent, his worst completion rate of the season. Meanwhile, Jared Goff delivered a near-flawless performance, going 22-for-25 for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats reveal exactly where this game was won and lost.
Game Overview: How the Stats Tell the Story
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats show a game that was closer than the final score suggests—but the efficiency gap was enormous. Detroit converted scoring opportunities. Minnesota did not.
Final Score: Lions 31, Vikings 9
The Decisive Factor: The Vikings reached the red zone on four consecutive possessions and failed to score a single touchdown. That inefficiency shows up clearly in every Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stat.
Quarterback Comparison: The Tale of Two Signal-Callers
Jared Goff – Detroit Lions
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 22/25 |
| Passing Yards | 280 |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Passer Rating | 140+ |
Goff joined elite company with this performance. He became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history—alongside Aaron Rodgers (2011), Kurt Warner (1999), and Roger Staubach (1971)—to post three straight games with a 140-plus passer rating. His accuracy was surgical. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats show Goff completed 88 percent of his passes, a nearly impossible rate at the professional level.
Sam Darnold – Minnesota Vikings
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 18/41 |
| Passing Yards | 259 |
| Touchdowns | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Completion Percentage | 43.9% |
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats expose Darnold’s struggles under pressure. The Lions blitzed relentlessly, and Darnold’s accuracy suffered. Multiple passes sailed high or drifted wide. Coach Kevin O’Connell noted that mindset and mechanics intertwined as previous plays impacted the next.
Rushing Attack: Ground Game Comparison
Detroit Lions Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 20 | 116 | 2 | – |
| David Montgomery | 8 | 34 | 0 | – |
Gibbs totaled 150 yards from scrimmage and spearheaded a commanding performance at the line of scrimmage. The Lions rushed for 106 total yards and controlled the clock.
Minnesota Vikings Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Jones | 15 | 93 | 1 | – |
Jones played through a hamstring injury and still delivered 93 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings averaged 6.3 yards per carry—their second-highest average of the season. Yet they ran the ball only 19 times, their second-lowest total. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats reveal a puzzling imbalance: why abandon the run when it was working?
Receiving Corps: Top Targets
Detroit Lions Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 7 | 65 | 1 |
| Kalif Raymond | 5 | 38 | 1 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 5 | 34 | 0 |
Goff distributed the ball efficiently to multiple weapons. Both St. Brown and Raymond found the end zone.
Minnesota Vikings Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | 7 | 81 | 1 |
Jefferson led the Vikings with 81 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats show Jefferson produced despite constant attention from the Lions’ secondary.
Defensive Standouts
Ivan Pace Jr. – Game-Changing Play
Pace returned David Montgomery’s fumble 36 yards for a touchdown with 5:50 remaining. That score gave the Vikings a 29-28 lead and seemed to swing momentum.
Amik Robertson – Shutdown Corner
Robertson limited Justin Jefferson to just three catches for 54 yards in key moments. His near-interception in the end zone prevented a potential Vikings touchdown.
Lions Pass Rush
The Lions blitzed on an “extraordinary amount of plays” and consistently disrupted Darnold’s timing. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats show Darnold under duress on nearly every drop-back.
Special Teams and Key Moments
Jake Bates – Clutch Kicker
Bates drilled a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to secure the victory. He remained perfect on the season, now 10-for-10 on field goals.
Will Reichard – Missed Opportunity
Reichard made three field goals. But an illegal formation penalty on Christian Darrisaw pushed the Vikings out of range for a potential game-tying attempt.
The Two-Point Conversion That Changed Everything
Darnold’s crucial 2-point conversion pass sailed past Justin Jefferson after Pace’s fumble return touchdown. That single incompletion looms large in the Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats.
Red Zone Efficiency: Where the Game Was Lost
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats reveal a staggering red-zone disparity:
| Team | Red Zone Possessions | Touchdowns | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 4 | 3 | 21 |
| Vikings | 4 | 0 | 9 |
The Vikings reached the red zone four times and scored zero touchdowns. All six drives over the second and third quarters ended inside the Detroit 35, yet the Vikings produced only nine points from them. Justin Jefferson summed it up perfectly: “You’re not going to win games like that”.
Team Statistical Comparison
| Category | Vikings | Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 435 | 537 |
| Passing Yards | 365 | 431 |
| Rushing Yards | 70 | 106 |
| First Downs | 17 | 25 |
| Sacks | 1 | 0 |
The Lions dominated total yardage with 537 yards to Minnesota’s 435. They also controlled the first-down battle 25-17.
What These Stats Mean for Both Teams
For the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats expose an offense that needs recalibration. The passing attack—the foundation of Kevin O’Connell’s system—failed when it mattered most. O’Connell admitted: “There’s no question, there are certain circumstances in that game where I’ve got to do a much better job”.
The Vikings also need to trust their run game more. Six-point-three yards per carry deserves more than 19 attempts.
For the Lions
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats confirm Detroit’s status as a legitimate contender. Goff is playing at an MVP-caliber level. Gibbs provides explosive versatility. The defense creates pressure when it matters most.
Dan Campbell’s message to his team proved prophetic: “We talked about patience, keeping your composure, communication and an attitude, and our guys did that”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the final score of the Vikings vs Lions game?
A: The Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9. The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats show the Vikings couldn’t convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Q: How did Jared Goff perform against the Vikings?
A: Goff completed 22 of 25 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He posted his third straight game with a 140-plus passer rating.
Q: What were Sam Darnold’s stats in this game?
A: Darnold completed 18 of 41 passes for 259 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His 43.9 percent completion rate was his worst of the season.
Q: How many yards did Justin Jefferson have?
A: Jefferson recorded 81 receiving yards and one touchdown on seven receptions.
Q: What was Jahmyr Gibbs’ performance?
A: Gibbs rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns while adding 34 receiving yards for 150 total yards from scrimmage.
Q: Why did the Vikings lose despite being competitive?
A: The Vikings reached the red zone four times and scored zero touchdowns. Their inability to finish drives—combined with Darnold’s inaccuracy under pressure—proved decisive.
Conclusion
The Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions match player stats tell a clear story: Detroit executed when it mattered, and Minnesota didn’t. Goff was flawless. Darnold was erratic. The Lions scored touchdowns in the red zone. The Vikings settled for field goals. The numbers don’t lie—and they point to a Lions team that’s built for January football and a Vikings team that needs to rediscover its offensive identity.
Want to dive deeper into NFC North matchups? Check out our full season preview and player rankings to stay ahead of every game.
