Nordo’s Numbers: Week 17 vs. Detroit Lions

People often use the holidays as a checkpoint to measure growth and change year over year. However, neither the Minnesota Vikings nor the Detroit Lions would want to do that, because they went from two teams that were the cream of the cop in the NFC last season to duking it out in the NFC North cellar this season.

Minnesota’s Christmas day win stole Detroit’s minuscule playoff hopes in Grinch-like fashion, even though the Vikings’ injury list was as long as a five-year-old’s wish list to Santa Claus.

With J.J. McCarthy out and backup UDFA Max Brosmer starting his second game of the season, the Purple and Gold would need a miracle on 401st Ave. to leave their fans with a taste as sweet as cookies and milk in their mouth.

Surprisingly, the Vikings would strike first, scoring a touchdown on a pass to Aaron Jones after a fumble recovery by Andrew Van Ginkel on a third-down play following a successful challenge.

The Lions finally answered back late in the second quarter, tying the game on fourth down on a spectacular grab by Isaac TeSlaa, capping off a 10-minute, 19-play drive.

Minnesota’s defense took the ball away multiple times in the second half and got great field position. They took a 13-7 lead going into the fourth after two 50-plus-yard field goals from Will Reichard.

Despite Minnesota’s ability to generate turnovers, they had just a three-point lead with four minutes left, with an offense that had under 100 total yards on the day.

Jordan Addison would end the game on a 65-yard jet sweep that seal the victory. It was his first touch, making it a 20-10 game, giving the Vikings a miracle win after Van Ginkel recovered a fumble at the end of the game, and knocking the Lions out of the playoffs.

Here are five numbers that tell the story of the game.

5

The Vikings had their second game this year with five or more turnovers forced. One of the biggest issues this defense has had from last season to this one is the lack of turnovers it has forced. And rarely have they gotten multiple turnovers in a game.

This week, in the first half alone, they recovered two fumbles from the Lions.

The first turnover came after Kevin O’Connell‘s successful challenge turned what would have been a first-and-10 for the Lions into a third-and-one. On the next play, Lions center Graham Glasgow fumbled on the exchange with Jared Goff, leading to Van Ginkel falling on the ball and giving the offense the ball deep in Lions territory.

The offense and Brosmer clearly improved from the Seattle Seahawks game. The offense this time made the short field count, putting seven on the board.

On the next drive, it looked like the Lions finally had some momentum on offense, until Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman combined to strip Jahmyr Gibbs of the ball and gave the offense the ball back.

Byron Murphy recorded his second takeaway of the game and his second interception of the season when Goff launched a ball on a third-down blitz that found the arms of No. 7. They recorded another interception with Harrison Smith jumping a slant route intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

That wouldn’t be the end of it. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Ginkel and Dallas Turner met at the quarterback and forced another fumble from Goff.

Van Ginkel, who already had a massive day, iced the game. He recovered a backwards pass, giving the Vikings their sixth turnover of the game, and his second fumble recovery on the day.

380:28

The Vikings allowed their first passing touchdown since the Baltimore Ravens game on November 9, 380:28 minutes of game time ago. Minnesota’s secondary has been lights-out at keeping teams from scoring through the air.

The secondary has been one of the most scrutinized units on this team, and while they struggled in the middle part of the season, they have since been perhaps the team’s best unit.

On the touchdown drive, the Lions took up every play they could, taking up 10 minutes of the clock and 19 plays and requiring massive conversions on three third-and-longs and two fourth downs to get into the end zone. It took an incredible grab by the rookie TeSlaa, who went up over two defenders to secure an incredible catch to tie the game.

While the passing defense put themselves in a tough position by allowing all the conversions when they had the chance to get off the field, they made the Lions earn their points.

Now more than ever, the Vikings must find a way to bring back Brian Flores, who is at the end of his contract, for another season as he continues to develop a defense as stingy as Ebenezer Scrooge.

2

With his sack in the first half, Harrison Smith became just the second player in the NFL to record at least 31 interceptions and 21.5 sacks. Ronde Barber is the other. The sack was also Smith’s 50th career tackle for a loss, making him the 10th defensive back to reach that number.

Smith would add to his day, jumping a slant route and getting what could be the final interception of his illustrious career. He also batted a pass on a crucial third down.

Smith also became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 50 TFLs and 100 passes defended while playing 200-plus games, joining Brian Dawkins, Charles Woodson, and Ronde Barber. Smith has had a Hall of Fame career, and while we are a lot closer to the end of it, it is still incredible to look at just how legendary he has been.

Even at his age, you can see the amount of fear he instills in quarterbacks when he drops to the line of scrimmage. Looking at Goff at the line this week, the first player he looks for when lining up is Harrison Smith, and he diagnoses where he is.

This is most likely the last season for Smith, and his career will end in a way he wouldn’t have expected. Still, it’s so impressive to see how high a level he is playing at and just how important he has been to this team over the years.

While he might not have the name recognition or the Super Bowl ring that a player like Troy Polamalu, he is just as, if not more, deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame.

65

Jordan Addison recorded Minnesota’s longest run of the season, running one in from 65 yards. Addison put the burners, like one of Santa’s Reindeer, on for his first touch of the game on a jet sweep going 20.79 miles an hour.

Minnesota’s offense was anemic in the first 55 minutes of the game, only mustering 71 yards and a whopping minus-six passing yards. It looked like the Vikings’ defense, despite their elite play for most of the game, was about to suffer an incredible letdown.

Even Justin Jefferson, a player who has been nothing but a leader and consummate professional all season, showed some frustration on the sideline.

O’Connell dialed up the perfect play at the perfect time, having Addison move in motion and get the ball, and from there he out-raced everyone and dove into the end zone to all but seal the game.

While the offense was very poor throughout the game, this playcall showcased some great crunch-time playcalling from O’Connell, who had to work within meaningful constraints. It is also a testament to Addison, a player who has had a rough season both on and off the field, and his ability to stay in the game.

2006

The Minnesota Vikings have become the first team to win with three or fewer net pass yards since the Houston Texans in Week 16 of 2006.

The Vikings have lost no games in December in the last two seasons. Most fans before this game likely would have preferred a loss to boost draft position. It’s a bit frustrating to see this team pull off four consecutive wins with the playoffs no longer a possibility. However, aside from that, it’s been so impressive to see this team’s resilience.

The defense has continued to show just how good a unit they are, shutting down Detroit’s offense, the most explosive in the NFL, in both of their matchups this year. They also made Gibbs, one of the premier playmakers in the NFL, a non-factor in both of games.

This performance again showed just how important Brian Flores is as a defensive coordinator and how desperately this unit needs him back.

Despite struggling all game, the offense came up big when the team needed them, doing just enough to win.

There will be a good chunk of fans still upset about the loss of draft position, but there are so many other important factors to come from this win. Fans can see the development of players like Jalen Redmond and Dallas Turner, and how dominant they have become, before their very eyes.

More than anything, this can be a massive culture-building win. Think back to Detroit’s victory over the Packers in a game when they already knew they were eliminated. Remember just how much that organization was able to build afterwards. A win like this can catalyze this team next season.