MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Detroit Lions were beaten by the Minnesota Vikings 20-7 in a battle of longtime NFC North rivals Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The game was broadcast live on FOX 17.
The Lions came in with a 3-8-1 record while the Vikings entered the proceedings at 8-4 and as 13-point favorites. This marked the second time this season that the two have met. On Oct. 20, Minnesota prevailed 42-30 at Ford Field in a game where Detroit’s Marvin Jones Jr. caught four touchdown passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford, who this time around remained out of the lineup and on the sideline with a back injury.
The Vikings are quarterbacked by Holland’s Kirk Cousins.
The Lions received the opening kickoff but Minnesota scored first on a 9-yard pass from Cousins to Bisi Johnson for a 7-0 advantage at the 5:47 mark of the opener. Meanwhile, rookie signal-caller David Blough and his Detroit teammates couldn’t crack the scoreboard, and the 7-0 count stood through the initial break.
At the 4:42 juncture of the second stanza, Dan Bailey booted a 27-yard field goal, hiking the Viking lead to 10 points. His Lions counterpart, Matt Prater, missed from 45 yards soon thereafter. Then, with only 20 seconds to go until intermission, Dalvin Cook scored on a 3-yard run and Minnesota was up 17-0 at halftime.
The two fought to a scoreless draw in the third period.
In the finale, Bailey tacked on a field goal and the Vikings increased the gap to 20-0. Then with 2:09 left in the game Blough hit Kenny Golladay with a 10-yard TD aerial and Prater’s PAT trimmed the Detroit deficit to 20-7. That margin stood until the final gun.
Next up the Lions will return home to meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Ford Field.
The Vikings, meanwhile, will hit the road for their next contest – an encounter with the Los Angeles Chargers starting at 4:05 p.m. next Sunday at Rokit Field at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
