Photo: Junfu Han ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT, Jan. 5, 2025 ~ The Detroit Lions (15-2) clinched their second consecutive NFC North Title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC for the first time ever in a 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings (14-3) Sunday night at Ford Field. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had the game of his young career, accounting for every single touchdown of the night.
Despite battling the most injuries in the NFL on defense, the unit did not allow a touchdown to one of the leagues most potent offenses.
Gibbs exploded out of the gate and rode the wave of momentum throughout the evening, scoring one of his three rushing touchdowns on the Lions second possession. He added a receiving touchdown in the third quarter and two more scores in the final 15 minutes to finish his regular season with 20 total touchdowns. That marks the most in a single-season in franchise history and the most in the entire NFL this year.
The second-year back finished with 139 rushing yards to go with 31 receiving yards, pushing his end of season total to over 1,900 total yards from scrimmage.
“I didn’t care how we did it, I just wanted to win,” Gibbs told WJR Correspondent Nick Lundberg after the game. “The performance is great too though, shoutout to the o-line for doing a good job all game and the coaches for the game plan.”
PODCAST:
Jan. 6, 2025 ~ The Detroit Lions have clinched the NFC No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs, following the win over the Vikings. Chris Renwick, Lloyd Jackson, and Jamie Edmonds talk with Lions radio analyst Lomas Brown about the historic season and the defense’s incredible performance against Minnesota.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
.@Lions RB @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 has produced his fifth game of the season with 100+ rushing yards.
This is the most by a Lions player since @BarrySanders in 1997.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/9RghZQAeh9
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 6, 2025
(CONTINUED) When it mattered most, the defense stepped up to deny Minnesota a touchdown on four separate goal-line opportunities. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could not put the ball in the end zone after going for it on fourth down three times. Pressure from the defensive front helped make the Pro-Bowler uncomfortable all night, while cornerback Amik Robertson was locking down Minnesota’s star receiver Justin Jefferson, holding him to just 54 receiving yards.
Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone made a big difference for the defense after returning for the first time since he broke his forearm earlier in the season. He tallied seven total tackles, a quarterback hit, and a pass defended. His impact in the middle of the field against former Detroit tight end T.J. Hockenson was massive even with a brace on his arm. Hockenson finished with nine yards on two catches.
Despite two interceptions, quarterback Jared Goff did enough to pull Detroit to victory. He finished with 231 passing yards and a touchdown, making accurate throws while taking big hits in the pocket. With the performance, Goff has officially passed Michigan and NFL legend Tom Brady with at least a 75% completion percentage in nine games this season. This marks the most games in a single year with such efficiency in league history.
For the first time ever, the Lions went a perfect 6-0 in divisional play, sweeping the NFC North.
Detroit will get a much-needed week to rest before the Divisional Round with a chance at a home NFC Championship game at stake.
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