The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions at home 28-24 to improve to 2-1 and remain in first place in the NFC North. The Lions fall to 1-2 with the loss and will now be in last place in the division.
The Lions came out strong and had the lead or a tie right up until the final minute of the game.
The Vikings took some time to get their offense together and find a rhythm, but even as they struggled to create chemistry between quarterback Kirk Cousins and the receivers, they never let the game get too far behind them.
The major news out of the game was Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook going down with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The Lions started with 14 unanswered points and the Vikings retaliated with 14 unanswered points of their own by halftime.
It remained a close game until the very end, with the Vikings getting the go-ahead touchdown thanks to a 38-yard scoring pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn.
The Lions had the chance for one more drive, but were unable to do anything with it. They had less than a minute and no timeouts, which did not help their chances.
The Vikings sealed the deal with an interception by Josh Metellus on a pass intended for DJ Chark.
Why the Vikings won
The Vikings won because they were the last ones to score. That is a simple version in a game that was close for the majority of the 60 minutes.
Here's the long-winded explanation:
The Vikings started off looking rough on all sides of the ball, unable to score or stop the Lions from scoring.
Kirk Cousins was getting time to throw, but had no one open and the offense was not able to create opportunities.
The second quarter is when the Vikings started to get themselves together, scoring 14 unanswered points as a direct response to the Lions' two touchdowns.
Cousins overall looked decent, going 24 of 41 for 260 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Before he was ruled out with a shoulder injury, the run game from Dalvin Cook was one of the main difference-makers for the offense. Cook finished just shy of 100 yards, with 17 carried for 97 yards.
K.J. Osborn and Adam Thielen were two other playmakers who helped get the win, with 73 yards and 61 yards receiving, respectively.
This one really could've gone either way, but the defense was able to come up and save the game by preventing the Lions from scoring on the final drive.
Why the Lions lost
The Lions had the momentum to start, but could not keep up the pace throughout the game. They maintained a lead for the majority of the 60 minutes, but unfortunately for them it came apart as the fourth quarter was coming to an end.
They were unable to stop the rhythm of Cousins and Co. on defense and their offense did not do enough to create a large enough lead.
They had multiple players have solid games, including running back Jamaal Williams with 20 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who had six receptions for 96 yards and Amon-Ra St. Brown, finishing with six receptions for 73 yards.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff by no means had a rough game, going 25 of 41 for 277 yards, one touchdown and an interception on his final drive.
It was a pretty even matchup in many ways and that showed in how close it was until the very end.
Turning point
There are a lot of candidates for the turning point, but the real change for the Vikings came in the second quarter when they scored their first touchdown. Before then, it was 14-0 Lions and the Vikings were struggling on offense and defense. Cousins was not finding receivers and it looked like this could be a long day for Minnesota.
The 1-yard touchdown pass to Thielen put them on the board, gave them confidence and then was followed seven minutes later with another touchdown.
Play of the game
I have to give the play of the game to Osborn, who had the go-ahead touchdown, which ended up to be the game-winner.
Cousins connected with Osborn for 28 yards on the play.
Take a look at the winning TD:
What's next
The Lions will play host to the Seattle Seahawks next week at Ford Field. The Seahawks are adjusting to life without quarterback Russell Wilson and now have Geno Smith as their offensive leader.
The Vikings will face the New Orleans Saints in the International Series in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Saints lost to the Panthers in Week 3, dropping to 1-2.