Lions offense overcomes Vikings defense, as Detroit wins

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit Lions won on Sunday, knocking off previously unbeaten Minnesota at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon. Detroit won 19-15, over the staunch Vikings defense. 

Jared Goff threw a go-ahead, 7-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams with 4:35 left, handing the NFL’s last undefeated team its first loss.

The Lions (5-2) have won three straight, including their first two division games in the tight NFC North.

The Vikings (6-1) had a chance to stay unbeaten, but the league’s stingiest defense couldn’t hold onto a late lead, and they lost for the first time since Nov. 30, 2025, at Seattle.

Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 153 yards, including a 30-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown in the third quarter. Goff was 18 of 25 for 176 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season.

Kyler Murray was 17 of 29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, leading an offensively challenged team that had just 81 yards rushing.

or the first six games of the season, the Minnesota Vikings were able to count on their top-tier defense to bail out an inconsistent offense.

As a result, the Vikings went into Detroit on Sunday at 6-0 — the last undefeated team in the NFL. The Vikings were allowing a league-best 12.3 points per game, and were in the top 10 in points allowed, rushing yards allowed and passing yards allowed.

For 30 minutes, none of that changed. The Lions only had 154 yards and six points in the first half, while Minnesota had sacked Jared Goff four times and became the first team this season to intercept him.

"We have total trust and confidence in our defense," Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. "We know they are capable of keeping us in every game."

The game saw Jack Campbell carted off with a head injury. 

"Jack Campbell is resting and will remain in a local hospital tonight, for continued evaluation and monitoring. The team will provide further updates as we have them," the team posted on its social media accounts shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday night. 

The Lions broke a scoreless tie late in the first quarter on Jake Bates’ 25-yard field goal after their star receivers — Amon Ra-St. Brown and Williams — stunted the first two drives with taunting penalties.

St. Brown had a chance to make up for his flag with a touchdown catch, but the play was reversed after a review that showed he didn’t secure the football as he fell after making a reception with his fingertips and getting both feet in the end zone.

The Vikings went ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter when Murray lofted a 1-yard pass to the left side of the end zone that Justin Jefferson snagged with his left hand before going to the turf and completing the catch.

Lions cornerback D.J. Reed, who broke up a pass in the end zone on the game’s first drive, cut in front of Jordan Addison to make a diving interception late in the second quarter.

Detroit, huddling up and taking time off the clock on its last drive of the first half, converted a fourth-and-1 from its 47 and Bates later made a 37-yard field goal to make it 7-6.

With a chance to take the lead early in the third, Bates’ 46-yard kick hit the left upright.

The Vikings had a chance to put points on the board in the second half from the Detroit 25, but coach Kevin O’Connell went for it on fourth-and-5 and Murray threw an incomplete pass.

"If you cannot run it on these guys, you’re going to struggle and we got it going, particularly in the second half," coach Dan Campbell said.

Even wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown picked up a first down on a play where he lined up wide, 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, then caught a screen pass that counted as a lateral.

"What they do is kind of wacky so you have to be wacky and fight fire with fire," Goff said, adding the team had worked on the play for just a few days.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Lions leading 12-7, the defense forced a three-and-out with 12:48 left. Jack Fox’s punt was caught at the Vikings 16, but Minnesota went 84 yards in seven plays for Kyler Murray’s touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson with 8:44 to play.

The 2-point conversion was successful, giving the Vikings a 15-12 lead, but that’s when the Lions took over. Gibbs carried the ball three times for 35 yards and Vioki had two carries for 22 yards and a reception for 5.

Minnesota’s defense, though, could not hold onto the lead.

That moved Detroit to the Vikings 7, where Jared Goff hit Jameson Williams for a touchdown and a 19-15 lead.

The Minnesota offense only gained 5 yards in three plays, giving them a fourth-and-5 from their 33 with 3:01 to play.

O’Connell’s faith in his defense never wavered. He decided to punt.

"We had all three timeouts left, plus the two-minute warning," he said. "There was an opportunity for the defense to get a stop and get us the ball back."

Gibbs, though, ran for 22 yards on the first two plays of the drive, taking the clock down to two minutes, and the Lions picked up two more first downs before moving into the victory formation.

The Vikings held the league’s second-best scoring offense to 19 points, 11.6 below their season average. That’s an outstanding performance — it just wasn’t good enough to save a staggering offense.

"It’s November, and we’re still looking for that complete 60-minute game," O’Connell said. "We need to start playing with the right amount of urgency."

Injuries

Vikings: Safety Theo Jackson (quad) was injured during the game.

Lions: Linebacker Jack Campbell was placed on a backboard, carted off the field in the fourth quarter and taken to a hospital with a neck injury. Safety Brian Branch and edge DJ Wonnum were evaluated for concussions after colliding late in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Up next

Vikings: Host the Bills on Monday, Nov. 9.

Lions: at Miami on Sunday.

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