Vikings defense holds Lions in check for 3 quarters before buckling late

DETROIT (AP) — For the first six games of the season, the Minnesota Vikings were able to count on their top-tier defense to bail out an inconsistent offense.

As a result, the Vikings went into Detroit on Sunday at 6-0 — the last undefeated team in the NFL. The Vikings were allowing a league-best 12.3 points per game, and were in the top 10 in points allowed, rushing yards allowed and passing yards allowed.

For 30 minutes, none of that changed. The Lions only had 154 yards and six points in the first half, while Minnesota had sacked Jared Goff four times and became the first team this season to intercept him.

“We have total trust and confidence in our defense,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. “We know they are capable of keeping us in every game.”

That defense, though, struggled a bit in the second half. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 116 of his 153 yards and a touchdown, and little-used No. 2 running back Sione Vaki carried six times for 36 yards.

“If you cannot run it on these guys, you’re going to struggle and we got it going, particularly in the second half,” coach Dan Campbell said.

Even wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown picked up a first down on a play where he lined up wide, 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, then caught a screen pass that counted as a lateral.

“What they do is kind of wacky so you have to be wacky and fight fire with fire,” Goff said, adding the team had worked on the play for just a few days.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Lions leading 12-7, the defense forced a three-and-out with 12:48 left. Jack Fox's punt was caught at the Vikings 16, but Minnesota went 84 yards in seven plays for Kyler Murray's touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson with 8:44 to play.

The 2-point conversion was successful, giving the Vikings a 15-12 lead, but that's when the Lions took over. Gibbs carried the ball three times for 35 yards and Vioki had two carries for 22 yards and a reception for 5.

That moved Detroit to the Vikings 7, where Jared Goff hit Jameson Williams for a touchdown and a 19-15 lead.

The Minnesota offense only gained 5 yards in three plays, giving them a fourth-and-5 from their 33 with 3:01 to play.

O'Connell's faith in his defense never wavered. He decided to punt.

“We had all three timeouts left, plus the two-minute warning,” he said. “There was an opportunity for the defense to get a stop and get us the ball back.”

Gibbs, though, ran for 22 yards on the first two plays of the drive, taking the clock down to two minutes, and the Lions picked up two more first downs before moving into the victory formation.

The Vikings held the league's second-best scoring offense to 19 points, 11.6 below their season average. That's an outstanding performance — it just wasn't good enough to save a staggering offense.

“It's November, and we're still looking for that complete 60-minute game,” O'Connell said. “We need to start playing with the right amount of urgency.”

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