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Photograph: Abbie Parr/AP
It wasn’t a winner-takes-all game on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions had to approach it as if it was. Yes, they would have remained in the driver’s seat to win the NFC South even with a Christmas Eve loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but these Lions knew that there was no upside in letting Minnesota stay alive in the division race for another week.
Related: NFL roundup: Lions hang on to beat Vikings for first division title since 1993
The Vikings, to their credit, did not make it easy 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 up front. On the point after attempt, however, the Vikings managed to successfully 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 increased Detroit’s lead to nine points. Then things got rather wobbly for the Lions. First, the Vikings cut the lead down to six with a field goal. In the game’s final drive, Minnesota quarterback Nick Mullens led his team all the way to Detroit’s 30-yard-line with the clock ticking down. Because of that failed point-after attempt, the Vikings were in a position to end the game right here without even needing to pull off a two-point conversion.
Maybe in past Lions seasons, that’s how the game would have played out. When you’re a franchise that has never even made the Super Bowl, you’re used to minor mishaps snowballing into major disasters. This season, it was the other team that made the crucial error. The oft-erratic Mullens’s throw landed in the hands of Detroit cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu for his fourth – and most painful – interception of the game. The Lions hung on to win 30-24, improving their record to 11-4.
Melifonwu’s interception was literally historic. With the win, the Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time ever. The…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-one-playoff-win-since-080017698.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2023-12-25 08:00:17
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