5 things that stood out from the Vikings' turnover-filled win over Detroit

Every time you watch a Minnesota Vikings game, you might just see something (or multiple somethings) you've never seen before. That was the case on this Christmas afternoon, when the Vikings won the turnover battle 6-0 but also recorded 3 net passing yards and didn't pull away until late in the fourth quarter in a 23-10 victory that knocks the rival Lions out of playoff contention.

Here are five things that stood out from a wild one at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Flores' defense was unbelievable

What is there to say about that defensive performance? It was nothing short of spectacular on a holiday Thursday in front of a raucous crowd that showed up in full force despite the Vikings being out of the playoff hunt. They recorded one takeaway in the first quarter, one in the second quarter, two in the third quarter, and two in the fourth quarter.

Two were interceptions from Byron Murphy Jr. and Harrison Smith. Four were fumble recoveries by Jalen Redmond, Murphy, and Andrew Van Ginkel (twice). Eric Wilson and Dallas Turner forced the two that weren't botched Lions snaps. Blake Cashman had 17 tackles. The Vikings got five sacks, including 1.5 from Van Ginkel. Flores' blitzes and disguises wreaked havoc on Jared Goff and the Lions' offense all game long, outside of one 80-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter.

What makes the takeaways more impressive is that the Lions came into the day with just eight turnovers all season, fewest in the NFL. In game No. 16 of the campaign, they just committed 43 percent of their 14 giveaways all year. Everyone involved with this defensive performance should take a bow. Flores, as the architect, is going to be paid handsomely next season, whether it's as a head coach or a defensive coordinator. The Vikings should do whatever they can to try to keep him around.

And one last thought: It's a shame this defense won't get a chance to play in the postseason.

CRUSHED.@andrewvanginkel @unoerra

📺: @Netflix pic.twitter.com/8NxQhbH0XK
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 26, 2025

Max Brosmer was in over his head

Brosmer has started two games in place of J.J. McCarthy this season. Both have been absolute disasters of quarterback play, albeit in different ways. Against the Seahawks around a month ago, Brosmer threw for 126 yards with four interceptions — including a brutal pick-six — and four sacks in a shutout loss. It was a historically bad outing.

In this game, Brosmer managed to avoid any turnovers, which he gets credit for. But everything else was a mess. He completed 9 of 16 passes for 51 yards and lost 48 yards on seven sacks. The three net passing yards are the fewest by a winning team in nearly two full decades.

Without seeing the tape, it's tough to know just how much blame should go to Brosmer. It was a rough game for an offensive line playing three backups. It's also hard to know if he had players open or if everyone was simply covered downfield. But time and time again, Brosmer held onto the ball too long, which always leads to trouble in the NFL. The number of times that he dropped back and got rid of the ball within the designed rhythm of the offense can be counted on one hand. It felt hopeless and was very hard to watch for most of the afternoon.

Brosmer played well in the second half against the Giants last Sunday, but he doesn't appear to be ready for the NFL right now. With all of that said, he does get credit for a nice throw to Justin Jefferson on a late 3rd and 5 that helped seal the deal.

AQM delivers a Christmas sack of his own#DETvsMIN 📺 Netflix pic.twitter.com/UhDqUvzEr0
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 25, 2025

Harrison Smith delivers one more legendary performance

There are obviously all kinds of players on defense who we could highlight further. But the most deserving is probably Smith, given everything he did in this game and everything he's accomplished over a 14-year career with the Vikings.

Smith had a sack on a blitz, giving him 21.5 in his career. He recorded his 39th interception, which leads all active players in the league. The only other player in NFL history with at least that many sacks and interceptions is Hall of Famer Ronde Barber (28 and 47, respectively). For good measure, Smith also recorded a second tackle for loss and a pair of batted passes at the line of scrimmage.

It remains to be seen if next week's game will be Smith's last, or if he comes back for a 15th season. Either way, he's made a real HOF case for himself since being drafted in 2012.

Harrison Smith bringing more turnover joy to the @Vikings faithful!

DETvsMIN on @Netflix pic.twitter.com/itwuWloDeb
— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2025

Will Reichard remains automatic

The Vikings' offense got some solid volume and a touchdown from Aaron Jones, a few Jefferson catches, and a key 65-yard touchdown run by Jordan Addison. Their other weapon on offense was their kicker. Reichard continued his incredible season by converting field goals from 52, 56, and 42 yards out in this game. He's now 30 of 32 on the season and 11 of 13 from beyond 50 yards. The 11 makes from 50+ are a Vikings single-season record. The dude is a machine.

Odd challenge pays off

It was somewhat confusing when, in the first quarter, Kevin O'Connell used a challenge on a spot ruling after Lions RB David Montgomery was granted a first down on a 2nd and 6 run in his own territory. The ruling was overturned and Montgomery was ruled short, setting up a 3rd and 1.

O'Connell's decision was then rewarded handsomely when the Lions botched the snap and Van Ginkel recovered for the first takeaway of the day. That set up Jones' touchdown run to open the scoring.