Minnesota Vikings 20,c 30: The game is over.
The Minnesota Vikings had almost nothing to play for in their 2023 regular season finale on Sunday at Ford Field, but they still managed to have a successe. ful gamUltimately, the Detroit Lions proved to be too formidable.
The Vikings lost to the Lions in their last regular
season game by a final score of 30-20, but the game’s outcome had no bearing on the team’s chances of making the playoffs because the Vikings had already been eliminated from postseason contention by the Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints’ victories earlier in the day.
Following a trade of punts on the teams’ first drives, Detroit scored first. After returning a punt 42 yards, the Lions
On their subsequent play, Detroit added another first down as Jahmyr Gibbs scored from three yards out to the end zone. With just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter of play, the Lions were down 13-0 even though they missed the extra point.With just over nine minutes remaining in the first half, Greg Joseph’s 39-yard field goal gave Minnesota its first points, making the score 13-3. They subsequently had a 43-yard field goal from Joseph to close the half, making the score 13–6 as they entered the locker room.
On their opening possession of the second half, the Vikings turned the ball over on downs. From the Detroit 31-yard line, they were faced with a fourth-and-three. Nick Mullens
The Lions attempted to put it out of reach on the opening play of the fourth quarter when Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 70-yard touchdown throw, making the score 27–13. Akayleb Evans was completely destroyed on the play. Not a good appearance for someone who has had difficulty throughout the majority of the season’s second half.To their credit, the Vikings responded quickly and scored again, this time on a big ball from Nick Mullens that went 42 yards toc. With just over thirteen minutes left in the game, the rookie’s tenth score of the campaign brought the score within one again, this time at 27-20.
With little more than eight minutes left in regulation, Michael Badgley’s 39-yard field goal gave Detroit a two-score advantage once again. Nick Mullens did what he sort of does, forcing Detroit to punt, and then turned the ball over. He effectively ended any possibility the Vikings had of mounting a comeback by throwing interceptions on the team’s next two possessions, one of which took place in Detroit territory.
The Vikings and their supporters will now be watching the Chicago Bears and the Las Vegas Raiders’ performances in their respective games against Green Bay and Denver, as well as the Vikings’ standing in the 2024 NFL Draft, in the late window on Sunday afternoon. Should the two teams triumph,
