Lions pull out all the stops to beat Vikings, keep playoff hopes alive

DETROIT – Revenge has never tasted so good.

Jared Goff threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns and the Detroit Lions got big plays from their defense and special teams to avenge an early season loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a 34-23 victory Sunday at Ford Field.

The Lions (6-7) have won five of their past six games to stay alive in search of their first playoff berth in six years, with four games left in the regular season. They trail the New York Giants (7-5-1) by 1 games for the final wild-card spot in the NFC after Sunday’s action.

The Lions lost to the Vikings in Week 3, 28-24, when Minnesota rallied for a late touchdown in the final minute, but came away from that game thinking they were the better team.

On Sunday, they showed it with another commanding effort and their third double-digit win in four weeks.

The Lions scored on their second offensive possession on a 41-yard pass to rookie Jameson Williams against a blown coverage, two plays after the defense stuffed Dalvin Cook on a 4thand-1 run up the middle.

Williams, playing his second game since tearing his ACL last January at Alabama, celebrated his first career catch wildly on the sideline and handed the touchdown ball to his father in the stands.

The Vikings tied the score at 7 with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the ensuing possession, but Goff threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark midway through the second quarter, and the Lions led the rest of the way.

Isaiah Buggs forced a Cook fumble near the goal line just before halftime, with Cook looking to throw a pass, and after the Vikings went three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half, the Lions followed with a 12-play, 76-yard touchdown drive.

Goff completed all four of his passes on the possession for 47 yards, and C.J. Moore ran for 44 yards on a direct snap on a fake punt. Goff capped the drive with his third touchdown pass of the day from 5 yards out to Josh Reynolds.

Goff finished 27 of 39 passing and had his second straight 300-yard passing day and fourth of the season. He played turnover-free football for the fifth straight game.

Kirk Cousins was 31 of 41 passing for 426 yards for the Vikings (10-3), who failed in their first chance to win the NFC North outright.

The Lions likely have to win out to make the playoffs. The Lions, ninth in the NFC, are two games back in the loss column of the seventh and final playoff spot.