DETROIT – The Detroit Lions won the biggest game in their franchise’s history to win the NFC North and secure the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
READ: Here’s who Lions’ first playoff opponent will be in every possible scenario
In a game that everyone expected to be a shootout, it was the Lions' defense that stole the show -- at least until the final 20 minutes.
The Lions held the Vikings to six total points on their first four trips to the red zone and allowed just six points in the first half to rescue their struggling offense.
After the Vikings cut the deficit to 1 point in the third quarter, the Lions woke up and scored touchdowns on three-consecutive drives to ice the game.
Jahmyr Gibbs played hero on offense, scoring four total touchdowns and racking up 170 yards on 23 carries and five catches.
Lions strike first
The Lions got the opening kickoff and punted, but the defense held, allowing a pair of first downs before a false start penalty helped them get off the field.
Kalif Raymond returned from injury with a nice 14-yard return out to the 22, and that’s when Jared Goff and Gibbs got to work.
Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 26-yard gain early in the drive, but the biggest sequence came after a holding penalty backed the Lions up to a third and 12 on Minnesota’s 46.
The Vikings brought pressure on third down, and Goff got the ball out to Tim Patrick for seven yards. Dan Campbell didn’t hesitate going for the ensuing fourth and 5, and Goff took a huge hit but got the ball to Jameson Williams for a first down.
On the next play, Gibbs broke through the line and froze a defender en route to a 25-yard touchdown.
Offense sputters during strong defensive half
The Lions defense forced another punt, thanks to a Za’Darius Smith sack back inside the 5-yard line on first down.
But the offense missed an opportunity to build a lead, going three-and-out with a couple of disastrous plays -- a Gibbs catch for a loss on a huge hit and then a sack.
Minnesota got great field position and marched right down the field to the 3-yard line, where they faced a second and goal.
But the Lions stiffened up and forced three-straight incomplete passes to turn the Vikings over on downs and hang onto their 7-0 lead.
Goff almost took a safety on the second play of the next drive, but intentional grounding was not called (the Lions caught a break). The Lions converted on third down to move the chains twice, but then disaster struck.
Goff faced heavy pressure and tried to dump the ball off to Gibbs in the flat, but it was tipped up in the air by Josh Metellus and intercepted by Ivan Pace on Detroit’s 7-yard line.
Just like the previous drive, though, Darnold threw three-straight incomplete passes -- including one to a wide open Justin Jefferson on third down. This time, the Vikings settled for a field goal to get on the board.
For the fourth time in five drives, the Lions' offense came up empty. They drove into Minnesota territory but then tried play action on fourth and inches. Goff’s pass was tipped at the line and the Vikings took over.
Yet through all the missed opportunities on offense, the defense found a way to give the Lions a lead going into the break.
The Vikings took over on their own 42 and converted a key third-and-6 for 18 yards heading into the two-minute warning. They drove all the way into the red zone before the Lions once again flexed their muscles and forced a field goal.
Goff got back on track with 20 seconds left in the half, thanks in part to a kickoff out of bounds that gave the Lions the ball at the 40. He completed passes of 19 and 11 yards to get the Lions into field goal range, and Jake Bates nailed a 48-yarder to make it 10-6.
Epic red zone defense continues
The story of the first half was Detroit’s red zone defense, and that script continued on the first drive after the break.
Brian Branch committed an illegal contact penalty to erase what would have been an early drive-ending incompletion on third down. Two plays later, Cam Akers broke a 58-yard run to get inside the Lions' 5-yard line.
The Lions stuffed a run on first down and then sniffed out a short pass to Aaron Jones, knocking him out at the 2-yard line. Incomplete passes on third and fourth down left the Vikings without points once again.
Another offensive miscue
It took just one play for the Lions offense to put the defense right back on the field.
Goff launched a deep ball for Williams off of play action on first down, and Williams was nowhere to be found. Harrison Smith caught the ball as if he was fielding a punt, and the Vikings took over near midfield.
To make matters worse, cornerback Terrion Arnold was carted to the locker room after the first play of the ensuing defensive drive.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the defense picked up the offense once again.
An intentional grounding penalty that created a second-and-23 ultimately doomed Minnesota, forcing a 51-yard field goal that cut the Lions' lead to 10-9.
Key 4th down conversion
With a 1-point lead and the Vikings dominating time of possession, the Lions desperately needed to put together a touchdown drive.
How does 13 plays and 70 yards in 7:25 sound?
With the Lions facing a second-and-19 on their own side of midfield, Goff hit LaPorta for 17 yards and St. Brown for 12 yards to keep the drive alive.
But the most important play was a fourth and 2 at Minnesota’s 10. Goff took the snap and fired a dart to Gibbs over the middle for a touchdown that put the Lions up 17-9.
Lions catch fire
Darnold found Jalen Nailor for 27 yards to get into Lions territory on the next drive, but the defense ultimately forced a fourth and 4 from the 34-yard line.
The Vikings elected to try a 51-yard field goal in that situation, despite trailing by eight points, and the kick went wide right.
The quarter ended with Gibbs gaining 14 yards across midfield. It felt like the Lions were on the brink of taking control.
Andrew Van Ginkel nearly changed that on the second play of the fourth quarter, jumping a screen pass and nearly grabbing it for a pick six.
Instead, the ball fell incomplete, and the Lions responded with gains of nine, 12, and 13 yards. Williams made a great catch and took a big hit on a key third down, and Gibbs scored from 13 yards out on the next play.
An Al-Quadin Muhammad sack forced Minnesota to punt the ball back to the Lions, and they responded with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that officially locked up the NFC North.
Lions' historic season
This is by far the best season in Lions’ franchise history.
The Lions broke a record by winning their 13th game two weeks ago in Chicago, and then proceeded to break that record each of the next two weeks.
At 15-2, they beat their previous best (12-4 in 1991 and 12-5 last year) with ease.
More importantly, Detroit locked up the top seed in the NFC, which comes with a first-round bye. The Lions will host the worst-seeded team left standing after the first round.
Then, if they win their divisional round game, the Lions will host the NFC Championship Game at Ford Field.
