The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Detroit Lions in a close game; on Sunday October 20th, the final score was 31-29. Although Vikings fans might be sad about this loss, multiple sports analysts have said that the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL.
The offensive unit played well, scoring 22 points in total. While they did have a slow start in the first half, they picked themselves up to almost beat the Detroit Lions but came short. Vikings running back Aaron Jones talked about his disappointment.
“That’s 4-minute football right there, and you don’t want to give them the ball back,” Jones said, “I’ve got to be better in situational ball. Want to stay on the field and just run that time out and let our defense relax.”
One of the top players for Minnesota was quarterback Sam Darnold. He threw for 259 yards, went 22/27 for completion, had one passing touchdown, and threw only one interception. Another Vikings player who played well was running back Aaron Jones. He had 14 carries for 92 yards and one rushing touchdown.
“The spirits were high,” Jones said of the team’s mentality at halftime. “We knew we had the ball first [to start the second half], we could come out, respond, put points up, and get things rolling. And I feel like we did that … kind of got it rolling, momentum. “But then we just fell short,” he added.
The Vikings defense performed poorly, they allowed the Lions to score 31 points as the defense gave up on many snaps in the first half. The Vikings defense has always been the backbone for them this season as they have won multiple games against the Jets, the Packers and the Texans. In the second half, however, the defense played better, as Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr scored one touchdown due to Detroit’s running back fumbling the ball and stopping Detroit’s offense during crucial plays. In the end, however, Detroit’s offense got the better of the Vikings defense and won the game.
“They knew exactly where the sweet spots and the soft spots of the defense [were] going to be,” Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard said, “Hats off to them. They [saw] what they liked and continued to hit on it.”
Looking ahead, the Vikings need to prepare quickly for their next game, as they play Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams. This event marks a reunion of Kevin O’Connell’s former team, in which he served as an offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. A pressing question that Vikings fans are asking is whether tight end T.J. Hockenson going to play on Thursday night; the injury report currently lists him as “limited” which means he will be limited to how many snaps he can play. Although this was a tough loss and the first of the season, fans should remember that the Vikings will be back stronger as they play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
