The Detroit Lions are heading back to the playoffs. With a 30-24 win against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Detroit clinched the NFC North and punched its ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The team has made the playoffs just three other times since 1999.
The Lions secured their first 10-win season since 2014 with their Week 15 win over the Denver Broncos. Detroit entered Week 16 with a three-game lead over Minnesota in the NFC North and needed just one victory in the remaining weeks to secure their first division title since 1993.
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Once in the playoffs, the Lions will be looking to win their first playoff game since 1991, when they reached the NFC Championship Game on the back of Barry Sanders. The 2023 Lions have built their playoff campaign on the arm of Jared Goff — who ranks third in the NFL in passing yards after Week 16 — and with the second-most rushing yards per game in the league.
Lions coach Dan Campbell has now led the Lions to two winning seasons and a playoff berth in his first three seasons in Detroit. Of the 10 full-time and interim coaches to lead Detroit since Bobby Ross resigned in 1999, only Jim Caldwell has put together multiple winning seasons with the team.
Detroit earned the postseason spot Sunday after another big performance by its offense. Goff threw for 250 yards and a touchdown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs added 80 yards and two scores on the ground.
Minnesota played most of the matchup without two key offensive weapons, as tight end T.J. Hockenson and receiver Jordan Addison were both ruled out with injuries.
Addison injured his ankle after a collision with a teammate while trying to tackle Lions safety Kerby Joseph following an interception in the second quarter. Hockenson was hit hard by Joseph after making a catch midway through the third quarter and suffered a knee injury on the play.
Vikings edge D.J. Wonnum was also carted off the field early in the fourth quarter and ruled out.
Addison, who stepped up for Minnesota when star receiver Justin Jefferson went down with a hamstring injury in Week 5, led the team with nine touchdowns entering Sunday. Hockenson paces the Vikings with 902 receiving yards this season and also contributed five scores.
NFL Week 16 scores: Live updates, schedule, injury report, news, playoff standings and highlights
The Lions actually did it
After 30 long, long years, the Lions are division champs. This is what the Lions set out to do this year. When Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes arrived, they hoped they’d field a team capable of winning the division by Year 3. The first year, a 3-13-1 season, was about setting the foundation. The second year, 9-8, was about learning how to win. This year, 11 wins and counting, was about doing the damn thing.
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The Lions can now say they’ve done it. It wasn’t easy, needing a late-game interception from Ifeatu Melifonwu to clinch it, but the Lions held off a scrappy Vikings team to emerge with the victory and an NFC North title.
The Lions are now 11-4, and can look ahead to the playoffs. Seeding is still in play, as the Lions can clinch the No. 2 seed if they win out, and have an outside shot at the No. 1 seed if the 49ers lose two of their final three. But that’s not as important as this moment. The Lions are back in the playoffs, they’re back on top of the division and a special season continues. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer
How Detroit will fare in postseason
The Lions’ season has always been about winning the NFC North. The last team to do that was the 1993 Lions, so the city has been waiting patiently for a winner. The progress the team displayed late last year, going 8-2 in their final 10 games, set things up for what we’re seeing now — a 11-4 squad that’s just about ready for the postseason. When the Lions are on top of their game, they’re a hard team to beat.
They have an offense that can beat you in multiple ways, a defense that defends the run and is getting key pieces back and a coaching staff full of former players who’ve played in big games. The Lions look capable of hanging with just about anyone, which should make for a fascinating January. — Pouncy
Justin Jefferson gave the Vikings a chance
Jefferson hauled in a corner route toward the sideline on third-and-27. He absorbed massive hits on catches over the middle. He dove and snagged the team’s second touchdown on Minnesota’s scoring drive right before halftime. The effort explains his image at the end. Quarterback Nick Mullens, who had been gunslinging all day, attempted a pass to Jefferson on a crosser. The ball wobbled into the air and was intercepted. The result ended what would have been an improbable comeback attempt. Jefferson sank to his knees on the field. Teammates attempted to lift his spirits. Frustration defines his season — a hamstring injury, watching Kirk Cousins tear his Achilles, falling to 7-8. Sunday’s result just adds to the frustration. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer
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Vikings defense comes up short
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores worked magic all season, but the Lions pose a difficult test. Minnesota knew it would and prepared for the event that it had to score a bevy of points. The Lions’ offensive line, skill players and Goff operate calmly and with experience. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has coordinated the unit exceptionally well, and multiple Vikings players explained postgame that they knew it would be a difficult test.
Goff finished with a 75 percent completion percentage. Most of his throws were completed in swaths of space in zones. Meanwhile, Gibbs ran for 80 yards on 15 carries. The overall efficiency and explosiveness proved to be too much to overcome. — Lewis
Required reading
(Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
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