Dominated all game, Minnesota blew the victory under the noses of their NFC North rivals in the last minute.
Vikings (2-1) – Lions (1-2): 28 – 24
Outraged Kirk, martyred Kirk, but decisive Kirk. Struggling all game against dominating Lions, Kirk Cousins (24/41, 260 yards, 2 TDs) found the solution on his last drive to deliver the winning touchdown to KJ Osborn.
With 37 seconds to play and no downtime, Jared Goff (25/41, 277 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) tried everything but Josh Metellus intercepted his Hail Mary. A cruel outcome for the Lions and their quarterback who had shown many qualities before making a mistake in the last minutes.
Kirk Cousins for KJ Osborn and Minnesota takes control 45 seconds from the end! 😱#DETvsMIN #SKOL
🎥 @NFLpic.twitter.com/f6vkpaVwjb
— DNA of Sports.com – NFL News 🏈 (@DNA of Sports) September 25, 2022
Dominating is not winning
Detroit will have to learn to lead. The Lions had the advantage for much of the game on Sunday, taking a two touchdown lead in the first half, then ten points in the second half before being overtaken each time and passed on the thread. However, everything had started well for the visitors. After a failed field goal exchange, Dan Campbell’s men took advantage of a good starting position to open the scoring with a run from Jamaal Williams (0-7) before doubling the bet by TJ Hockenson on the next drive ( 0-14).
Struggling, the Vikings returned to the ground game. 15 yards for Alexander Mattison (7 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD), 21 for Dalvin Cook (17 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD), and Adam Thielen was able to close for his fiftieth NFL touchdown. Cook was responsible for equalizing himself on a run from 4 yards before the break (14-14).
Dalvin Cook injured
The second half will have been a copy of the first, with another field goal missed on each side in particular, except that the feverishness of Detroit was even more obvious and that Cousins put on the side of the savior at the premises. In front of ten points thanks to a field goal and the double of Williams (14-24), the Lions completely lost their football. A failed fourth attempt in the ideal field goal position, a much too short Jared Goff on several important throws (3/16 on the third attempt), an avalanche of penalties in defense (5 in all for Amani Oruwariye alone), and a field missed goal from 54 yards within two minutes, reduced Detroit’s lead to three small points with one minute and thirty remaining despite overall domination (416 yards against 373).
The moment chosen by Kirk Cousins to come out of his box. Until then feverish and not helped by his line, “Captain Kirk” twice found KJ Osborn for 28 yards, the two biggest gains of the day for the Vikings, and the second for the decisive touchdown. Year after year, the Vikings are therefore 2-1 and have two division victories, even if the table is blackened by the exit for a shoulder injury to Dalvin Cook. For the Lions, the future continues to brighten, but the road will be long.
