It wasn’t a winner-takes-all game on Sunday, but the Detroit Lions had to approach it as if it was. Yes, they would have remained in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North even with a Christmas Eve loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but these Lions knew that there was no upside in letting Minnesota stay alive in the division race for another week.
The Vikings, to their credit, did not make it easy for the Lions. Minnesota briefly took a 21-17 lead early in the third quarter before Detroit quarterback Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St Brown for a touchdown that put them up front. On the point after attempt, however, the Vikings managed to successfully block Michael Badgely’s kick for an extra point.
This seemed like a minor detail at the time, especially after Jahmyr Gibbs ran in for the touchdown that increased Detroit’s lead to nine points. Then things got rather wobbly for the Lions. First, the Vikings cut the lead down to six with a field goal. In the game’s final drive, Minnesota quarterback Nick Mullens led his team all the way to Detroit’s 30-yard-line with the clock ticking down. Because of that failed point-after attempt, the Vikings were in a position to end the game right here without even needing to pull off a two-point conversion.
Maybe in past Lions seasons, that’s how the game would have played out. When you’re a franchise that has never even made the Super Bowl, you’re used to minor mishaps snowballing into major disasters. This season, it was the other team that made the crucial error. The oft-erratic Mullens’s throw landed in the hands of Detroit cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu for his fourth – and most painful – interception of the game. The Lions hung on to win 30-24, improving their record to 11-4.
The game-clinching 🎙 from @DanMillerFox2 🎉 pic.twitter.com/jQavjdCxB6
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2023
Melifonwu’s interception was literally historic. With the win, the Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time ever. The last time they won the division was in 1993, back when they were still in the NFC Central. As the broadcasters pointed out, that was before Goff was even alive. Sunday’s win over the Vikings means that Detroit’s Ford Field will host a postseason for the first time in its history. The Lions have long been one of the unluckiest NFL franchises. In their existence, they have played a grand total of 20 playoff games. More often than not, their “big game” of the year comes in November, when they play on Thanksgiving and usually lose.
“This is special,” head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “It’s something you don’t get to do all the time.”
Campbell should know. In his first year, the Lions ended with a 3-13-1 record. The Lions started off their next season on a 1-6 run. Since then, however, they have been one of the best regular season teams in the league.
Of course, neither he nor the Lions can afford to rest now. There’s more work to be done in Detroit: the top seed in the NFC is still technically in play, although it would depend on the San Francisco 49ers losing out. Holding onto the second seed seems like a more reasonable expectation. All of that is just postseason positioning, however. The real goal will be to accomplish something they haven’t done since 1991 and only once in 66 years: winning a playoff game. Stay tuned.
MVP of the week
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets. Breece Hall did it all for the New York Jets on Sunday, putting in a 95-yard rushing performance with two touchdowns in addition to 96 receiving yards. As it turns out, the Jets needed him to have a big game, as their defense blew a 20-point halftime lead to the Washington Commanders. The Jets eventually won 30-28 on a Greg Zuerlein field goal, but it shouldn’t have come down to that.
Stat of the week
Three. After Sunday’s 265-yard performance against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper has now had 200-yard games with three separate franchises. Cooper had previously accomplished this with the then-Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. The only other player to accomplish this was Terrell Owens, who also did it with the Cowboys, alongside the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.
Cooper, who also set a franchise receiving yards record, was a huge part of the Browns’ 36-22 win over the Texans. He caught two of QB Joe Flacco’s three touchdown passes as the Browns improved their record to 10-5, all but guaranteeing them a playoff spot.
Video of the week
The Dolphins recover the fumble at the goal line!
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
📺: #DALvsMIA on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAk0MB pic.twitter.com/o1Yz1AKuQc
It was immediately obvious that it wasn’t going to be the Dallas Cowboys’ day after their first drive of the game ended in an end zone fumble. While the Cowboys were able to take a one-point lead late, they gave Miami just enough time to kick a game-winning field goal. The Dolphins won by a final score of 22-20, meaning the Cowboys’ inability to convert field position into points early in the game ultimately came back to bite them.
The Dolphins improved their record to 11-4 guaranteeing them a playoff spot and putting them in great position to win the AFC East. The 10-5 Cowboys have now lost back-to-back games and squandered a golden opportunity to at least briefly fight off the reeling Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East.
Elsewhere around the league
• In for the injured Kenny Pickett on Saturday, backup QB Mason Rudolph led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-11 romp over the Cincinnati to improve their odds of making the playoffs while significantly denting the Bengals’ chances. While it probably wasn’t enough to start a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, Rudolph’s surprisingly efficient performance means the Steelers won’t feel pressured to bring back Pickett from his ankle sprain unless he’s fully healthy.
• The Buffalo Bills’ impressive run continued on Saturday, although it might be too late to prevent the 11-4 Miami Dolphins from clinching the AFC East. After their 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills have won four of their last five games and improved their record to 9-6. While their most likely route to the postseason will come via the wildcard, their statement wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys have shown that they could be a very dangerous playoff team and maybe even a dark horse Super Bowl team.
• The 7-8 Green Bay Packers are still technically alive in the NFC wildcard hunt after their 33-30 win over the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ record is now a league-worst 2-13. That’s bad news for them but great news for the Chicago Bears, who hold their first-round draft pick. At least Carolina QB Bryce Young had a solid game, throwing for two touchdowns and 312 yards in the loss.
• If the Chicago Bears do end up with the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, these remaining games might determine whether they move on from Justin Fields at quarterback or not. Fields put up good but not eye-popping numbers in Chicago’s 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 170 yards and rushing for 97 while picking up a touchdown both in the air and on the ground.
• The Seattle Seahawks also remain alive in the crowded NFC wildcard race, as they improved their record to 8-7 following a 20-17 win over the already eliminated Tennessee Titans. This gives Seattle an identical record as the Los Angeles Rams, who hold the tiebreaker between the two teams. This looks like it won’t be decided until the final week, which is exactly what the NFL wants.
• While Fox Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw wasn’t happy with Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s decision to bench Desmond Ridder at quarterback in favor of Taylor Heinicke, the move paid off on Sunday. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Heinicke went 23-for-33, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 victory. The 7-8 Falcons remain technically alive in the playoff hunt, although they will need some help.
• The 7-6 Denver Broncos, playing at home against a three-win New England Patriots team, had a great chance to improve their playoff odds on Sunday night. However, the Patriots offense unexpectedly exploded for 20 points in the third quarter while their defense held the Broncos offense to negative yardage. Denver managed to tie the game late in the fourth only to see its postseason hopes essentially dissipate after much-maligned Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, who missed two kicks on the evening, nailed a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left.
