The Week 7 matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings was hyped up as the preeminent game of the week, if not the middle part of the NFL season. The two best teams in the NFC through six weeks battled for divisional supremacy and the top seed in the conference.
The game action did not disappoint, nor did the finals score–for Detroit fans. The Lions survived and advanced into the top spot in the NFC with a 31-29 win on enemy turf.
Minnesota surged out to a 10-0 lead early, with Detroit’s offense unable to do anything on the first three drives. Detroit then answered with authority, scoring 21 straight points in the second quarter to seize the halftime lead. The second half was played with the intensity of a playoff game, with both teams unloading their A-games in the quest to win.
Minnesota took the lead late on a David Montgomery fumble, which Vikings LB Ivan Pace scooped up and returned for a touchdown. The failed 2-point conversion kept the margin to just one point. Both defenses held strong on subsequent drives, setting up Jared Goff and the Lions for one final shot.
Goff impressively drove the Lions into field goal range for first-year kicker Jake Bates. With 15 seconds left, Bates drilled home a go-ahead field goal from 44 yards out.
Minnesota had one last gasp, but Trevor Nowaske sacked Vikings QB Sam Darnold on the final play to secure the win.
Goff finished nearly perfect, completing 22 of his 25 passes for 280 yards and two TDs. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six of those passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win.
The Lions and Vikings are both 5-1, with Detroit holding the tie-breaker with the head-to-head win.