The Minnesota Vikings spent two months undefeated and entered Week 8 as the NFL’s last unbeaten team. However, one afternoon at Ford Field was enough for the internet to decide the record was never real.
The Detroit Lions beat Kevin O’Connell’s team 19-15 on Sunday. In replies to the NFL’s post about the result, fans’ reactions were immediate and blunt given that the Lions won it while losing players.
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Linebacker Jack Campbell, an All-Pro last season, was strapped to a backboard and carted off early in the fourth quarter after his head struck T.J. Hockenson on a tackle; he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for a neck injury.
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Safety Brian Branch and edge rusher DJ Wonnum were ruled out with concussions after colliding while trying to bring down Justin Jefferson, and center Cade Mays (ankle), return man Jacob Saylors (neck), linebacker Jimmy Rolder (hamstring) and cornerback D.J. Reed (hip) also left the game. Fans mocked the Vikings brutally.
One fan said, “Minnesota is a bunch of frauds.”
Another fan wrote, “Vikings aren’t making the playoffs I’m just gonna let everyone know now.”
One X user tweeted, “Vikings finally played a real team.”
“Shocker most overrated team in the nfl lost,” tweeted another.
One fan said, “Vikings actually played a good team”
“The refs couldn’t save them,” commented another.
The Vikings are still 6-1 and still on top of the NFC North, with the Lions at 5-2 after their third straight win.
Vikings lose first game of the season against resilient Lions
Detroit ran for 230 yards, 164 of them in the second half, against a Minnesota defense that had been giving up fewer than 100 per game. Jahmyr Gibbs carried 23 times for 153 yards and forced 12 missed tackles, per Next Gen Stats, including a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put Detroit up 12-7.
O’Connell, whose defense had carried the team all season, punted on fourth-and-5 from his own 33 after the Vikings’ next possession stalled.
“We still had all three timeouts and we have total trust and confidence in our defense,” he said. “We thought we could get a stop and get the ball back.”
Detroit never gave it back, picking up three first downs to run out the clock. The skepticism is not really about one loss. It is about an offense that has lagged since September. Minnesota went into Sunday in the bottom third of the league in scoring, and its 281 yards per game ranked fourth-fewest.
“This is the first adversity we’ve faced in terms of results, and it didn’t happen until Nov. 1,” O’Connell said. “We have some things to work on, so I’m glad we have an extra day before a very tough game against the Buffalo Bills.”
Against Detroit, the offense managed 266 yards, 15 first downs and 81 on the ground. Murray finished 17 of 29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and Justin Jefferson caught five of nine targets for 33 yards.
The loss ended an 11-game regular-season winning streak dating to last season and left Minnesota one short of the franchise record set in 1969; a win would have tied it. Buffalo visits on Monday, November 9.
Edited by Prasen
