DETROIT — A highly anticipated game that was supposed to be a battle for the ages turned out to be the exact opposite.
After failing to capitalize on their opportunities in the early stages of the game, the Vikings ended up getting thoroughly dominated in 31-9 loss to the Lions on Sunday night at Ford Field in Detroit.
Now the Vikings will have to travel next weekend for a game against the Rams on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Let’s just say the most recent performance from the Vikings doesn’t inspire much confidence heading into the playoffs.
Here are five takeaways from the Vikings’ 31-9 loss to the Lions.
Sam Darnold was a disaster
There’s no way around it. In the biggest game of his career to this point, quarterback Sam Darnold was completely consumed by the moment. He seemed rattled from the first time he touched the ball and only completed 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards.
The biggest issue for Darnold was his lack of accuracy in the red zone. On multiple occasions, Darnold had a teammate running wide open in space, and he missed the mark on a potential touchdown.
That explains why the Vikings finished 0 for 4 in the red zone and did not score a touchdown at any point.
As good as Darnold has been this season, if he has lays another egg in the playoffs next weekend, his future with the Vikings might start to be called into question.
Brian Flores did what he could
It might not seem like the Vikings played well on defense simply by looking at the final score. That said, defensive coordinator Brian Flores deserves a ton of credit for the game plan he put together.
If the Vikings had shown any sort of pulse on offense, especially in the red zone, they would’ve been in position to win the game because of how well the defense played for prolonged stretches.
Whether it was linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. recording an interception, the unit stepping up for a turnover on downs, or safety Harrison Smith recording an interception, the Vikings held their own against the Lions for most of the game.
That’s something the Vikings can build on heading into a matchup with the Rams.
Justin Jefferson couldn’t get rolling
Shockingly, star receiver Justin Jefferson had a minimal impact for the Vikings, aside from a 31-yard reception that ended up having no bearing on the outcome.
It should’ve been a big game for Jefferson considering he was mostly shadowed by undersized cornerback Amik Robertson. Instead, Jefferson struggled to find a way to break free, finishing with 3 catches for 54 yards.
Though the lack of production was partially due to Darnold’s inconsistent play, Jefferson certainly didn’t go above and beyond to do him any favors.
As for the some of the pass catchers, receiver Jordan Addison was basically invisible, and tight end T.J. Hockenson failed to make his presence felt against his former team.
Will Reichard remains inconsistent
There was a time earlier this season when rookie kicker Will Reichard seemed incapable of missing a kick of any kind. It actually felt like every time the ball left his foot it was destined to split the uprights without a doubt.
That’s no longer the case.
There has been a noticeable inconsistency from Reichard that has coincided with him returning from injured reserve. He suffered a quad injury that forced him to miss a month, and while he claims to be back to 100 percent, he hasn’t been nearly as accurate over the past month or so.
In total, Reichard is 24 of 30 on field goals this season, which is a much lower percentage than would’ve been projected earlier this season. His most recent hiccup was a missed 51-yard field goal that plagued the Vikings against the Lions.
Jahmyr Gibbs is a problem
To say the Vikings had no answer for running back Jahmyr Gibbs would be an understatement. He led the way for the Lions, finishing with 23 carries for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns, to go along with 5 catches for 31 yards and 1 touchdown.
There’s a second gear that Gibbs possess that is hard to prepare for when he has the ball in his hands.
That was on display throughout the game as the Vikings often appeared to be in position to make the tackle only to have Gibbs accelerate his way past a a host of defenders in the open field for a big gain.
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