DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying 4 touchdowns within the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings, 31-9, Sunday night time to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field benefit till the Tremendous Bowl.
“Everybody’s got to come through here, baby!” Detroit defensive finish Za’Darius Smith mentioned to the roaring crowd after the sport.
The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) might meet once more in two weeks.
Detroit could have a much-needed bye for its banged-up crew through the first week of the playoffs whereas Minnesota performs on the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams subsequent Monday night time.
Within the NFL’s remaining recreation earlier than the playoffs, two groups performed within the common season with a mixed 28 victories for the primary time.
A No. 1 seed was decided in a regular-season finale for the third time in three-plus a long time.
Dallas wrapped up the 1993 common season towards the New York Giants with a 16-13 time beyond regulation win to offer the Cowboys prime seeding they used to their benefit as they superior to and received the Tremendous Bowl.
The Giants, in the meantime, beat Minnesota within the wild-card spherical and have been routed at San Francisco the next week.
Detroit desperately hopes historical past repeats itself.
The Lions are in search of their first Tremendous Bowl look and hoping to finish an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957.
Sport No. 272 of the common season was anticipated to be a shootout with Professional Bowl quarterbacks main high-scoring offenses, however Jared Goff and Sam Darnold weren’t at their greatest.
Gibbs picked up the slack for his crew.
He had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three speeding touchdowns and caught 5 passes for 31 yards and one other rating.
Goff threw two interceptions after getting picked off solely as soon as within the earlier seven video games and Minnesota made discipline targets after the turnovers within the second and third quarters.
After Vikings rookie Will Reichard related on his third kick to chop the deficit to 10-9 early within the third, Goff directed a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:25 and was capped by a slick cross to Gibbs for a 10-yard landing on fourth-and-2.
Goff was 8 of 8 on that possession and completed 27 of 33 for 231 yards with a landing and two interceptions.
Darnold accomplished fewer than half his passes within the first half, lacking alternatives to choose up first downs and rating touchdowns.
The Vikings have been 0 of three within the purple zone by two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 within the second quarter and Darnold, underneath stress, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson in the long run zone.
Darnold threw one other incomplete cross on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early within the third.
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell opted to aim a 51-yard discipline objective late within the third, trailing by eight, and Reichard missed broad proper.
Darnold was 18 of 41, a season-low 44 % completion price, and related with Jefferson simply 3 times on 9 targets for 54 yards.
