6 Winners, 3 Losers From Lions Win Over Vikings

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions squared off in their second straight divisional contest, taking on the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

The Lions faced early issues with discipline and blocking, allowing three sacks alongside two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the first quarter alone.

The Lions wore down the Vikings, with the run game taking over the second half and bleeding the clock out to win 19-15.

Here are the winners and losers from the contest.

Winners

CB DJ Reed

Reed started the day as a player with a tough assignment, but built on his solid outing against Green Bay with another strong showing against the Vikings.

Reed was whistled for a defensive pass interference on the day, but got the last laugh in the first half by intercepting Kyler Murray.

Unfortunately, his solid stretch came to a screeching halt with a third quarter injury.

DT Skyler Gill-Howard

Anytime there is a mobile quarterback in the backfield, there is extra stress on the defense. Sure enough, Murray had the capability to escape pressure, and the Lions found themself allowing scrambles.

Gill-Howard was able to net his first full sack of the season, showcasing his speed, something that he has been flashing since the preseason. Gill-Howard’s sack was the sole Lions’ sack of the first half.

LB Jimmy Rolder

Rolder finally got more time on the field Sunday, and he immediately made the most of it with a sack on Kyler Murray on third down, forcing a punt.

That sack came at a crucial time after Jake Bates missed a go-ahead field goal attempt off the upright. Any momentum was destroyed with a two-sack effort on the drive by the defense.

RB Jahmyr Gibbs

It was a slow start for Gibbs, as was the case for most of the Lions offense. The back was a focal point of the Vikings defense, forcing many of his runs parallel to the line of scrimmage with no running room.

However, in the second half, Gibbs and the Lions came alive, with the back accounting for 53 rushing yards in the first two drives of the third quarter alone. Both put the Lions in scoring position, with one missed field goal followed by Gibbs taking one in for 30 yards. His two-point conversion did not get through the Vikings line, however.

In his first rush of the fourth quarter, Gibbs had a 17-yard burst, making it another 100-yard game.

RB Sione Vaki

Gibbs was not the only back making the Vikings pay, as Sione Vaki flexed his muscle in the second half as the Lions run game dominated.

Vaki put together multiple crucial runs, including a pair of 10-or-more yard gains to finish with 65 yards on the day, alongside 5 yards receiving.

DT Alim McNeill

McNeill continues to showcase his 2024 form, adding another sack from the middle of the defensive line.

It was a statement game from the defensive line with star Aidan Hutchinson held in check and DJ Wonnum getting carted off in the first half. The interior stood strong and held the Vikings to 81 yards on 18 carries, too.

Losers

CB Roger McCreary

Anytime the starting assignment opposite a corner is Justin Jefferson, it is a rough outing. On Sunday, McCreary was among the corners facing off with Jefferson, and the corner got bested by the wideout for the Vikings’ opening touchdown.

To be fair to the corner, it was a spectacular catch deflected by Jefferson to himself. That said, the rest of his body of work does not make up for the day he had.

OT Penei Sewell

In a surprise twist Penei Sewell finds himself among the losers on the day after an outing that is one to forget. The Vikings pass rush had a prolific day, with early sacks and Andrew Van Ginkel disrupting Detroit at any moment.

Sewell in particular finds himself on the losers bracket after a series with back-to-back false starts securing him a spot in the negatives this week. Sewell was not done for the day on the penalty sheet, being whistled twice more including a holding in the second half.

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

St. Brown was held in check on Sunday, with only 46 yards on 7 catches, along with a rush for 10 yards.

The receiver could not get separation and it helped make Sunday’s contest into a close one that needed the run game to carry the slack from the passing. St. Brown’s 56 total yards look even worse when a 15-yard first quarter taunting is factored in.

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