By George B. Eichorn
They came. They played. They conquered. The Detroit Lions are once again the leaders of the NFC North.
Following an absolute thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys one week earlier the Lions faced another tough road game; this one against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. The Lions came away with a Black and Blue Division win, 31-29, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Rookie placekicker Jake Bates – a kicking sensation with the UFL Michigan Panthers earlier 2024 – delivered a game-winning field goal from 44 yards out to lift the Lions to the win; giving Detroit a 5-1 record. The Vikings fell to 5-1. The tiebreaker is head-to-head competition therefore Detroit is in first place.
Without injured Pro Bowl pass rusher and captain Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions pressure on Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was off its mark. Even so, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s group had 4 sacks and 4 tackles for loss.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff was again star material with 22-for-25 passes, 280 yards, 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He added another feat to his Monday night football 18-for-18 mark against Seattle in Week 4 at Ford Field. This time he became the first NFL passer since 1933 to complete 85% of his aerials with two TD’s versus a team 5-0 or better.
ESPN reported that Goff has a 83.5% completion percentage which set a NFL record for the highest completion percentage over any four-game span in league history with a minimum of 9o attempts. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels of Washington was at 82.1% earlier this season. QB Peyton Manning also achieved the feat.
Goff has so many weapons on offense and it showed in a hard-fought win in Minneapolis. Despite going 12-for-12 in the first half the Lions trailed the Vikings 10-0. Did Goff and the Ben Johnson-coached offense hold a pity party? Hardly!
The Lions had a 100-plus yard rusher once again this season. Jahmyr totaled 116 yards on 15 carries with 2 TD’s. His 45-yard rush from scrimmage was highlight reel material! Despite being banged up a portion of the game David Montgomery had 9 carries for 31 yards. It looks impossible for teams to control BOTH Gibbs and Montgomery in the same game.
Coach Dan Campbell and his staff had the usual two-prong offense. Receivers were seven in number led by Pro Bowl wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown who again passed the 100-yard plateau on 8 receptions for 112 yards and one TD. Kalif Raymond had a TD on 3 catches for 39 yards, Gibbs was 4 for 44, Montgomery 3 for 39, Sam LaPorta 1 for 25, Tim Patrick 2 for 25 and Jameson Williams just 1 for minus 4.
Again it was special teams that came through when needed. Punter Jack Fox boomed a 73-yarder among his 4 punts. Bates was the hero of the day with his game-winning field goal. He is a perfect 10-for-10 in six games. He missed one extra point in Detroit’s road win at Arizona.
Next up for the Lions is a Sunday home game, Oct. 27, hosting the Tennessee Titans at 1 p.m. in front of an expected loud and sold-out crowd at Ford Field and a FOX audience.
Reach George Eichorn at [email protected] or @Sandgsports99 on X (formerly Twitter). Order his book:
Detroit’s Sports Broadcasters: On the Air: Eichorn, George B, Introduction Harwell, Ernie.
