12 Quick Reactions to Vikings at Lions
The Minnesota Vikings scored their largest upset in 15 years per point spread, shocking the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Week 9 by a score of 27-24. Consider these snap reactions to the event.
The Minnesota Vikings turned their season around on Sunday, taking on the division rival Detroit Lions at Ford Field with J.J. McCarthy back.
Minnesota hadn’t won a game in Detroit in five years. That drought is kaput.
Snap Reactions | Vikings at Lions
The club needs a dub, and it found one.
1. It’s a new day in Minnesota. The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy precisely for moments like Sunday’s — and he delivered. His dagger pass to Jalen Nailor on the game’s final drive was the stuff of dreams, and it cannot be overstated how clutch that touch pass was in a pressure-cooked moment. McCarthy delivered.
2. The Vikings need a spark of some kind — any kind — to salvage the 2025 season, and that arrived courtesy of McCarthy. Week 9 was his moment. In addition to his moment in Week 1 at the Chicago Bears.
3. Minnesota’s linebackers, mainly Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson, had unbelievable games, flying all over the place and looking completely different from the first seven games of 2025. The defense, in general, came up big, but Cashman and Wilson brought the special sauce.
4. It turns out that having a healthy QB1, two healthy offensive tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, and a healthy Andrew Van Ginkel really, really mattered. Whoodathunkit. Previously, if you mentioned that Minnesota was missing QB1, LT1, RT1, and OLB2, you were told to “stop with the excuses.” In the end, those players actually make a difference.
5. Will Reichard continues to be a gem. You won’t find many occasions in Vikings history — especially over the last 30 years — when you don’t have to seethe with kicker anxiety. When Minnesota fired up the gaffe that turned a 34-yard field goal into a 50-yard field goal, it just didn’t matter because Reichard can hit from anywhere. Invaluable.
6. Detroit was 5-17 on 3rd Down. Usually, a Dan Campbell-led team doesn’t perform that poorly, particularly at home, and that was the difference-maker in Week 9. The Vikings still let the opposition off the hook on some crucial long 3rd Downs, but 5 for 17 overall saved the day.
7. Justin Jefferson’s catch, as determined by on-the-field officials, was overturned after replay review, representing the fourth straight time the purple team has been jobbed by a catch on the field by review. There is no consistency, and fans just have to hope the streak turns around at some point.
8. The field goal block, accompanied by Isaiah Rodgers’ big return — how did he not score a touchdown? — might have been the most significant play of the game. It’s wild that a kicker caught Rodgers, who has 4.28 speed; the guy evidently had the angle.
9. All eyes will turn to Aaron Jones Injury Watch, a familiar circumstance. Jones had the juice of an RB1 on Sunday, but his afternoon ended prematurely. Here’s to hoping that he doesn’t have yet another lingering injury.
10. Minnesota’s season has rebirth. Rejuvenation. The team can be 5-4 by bedtime on November 9th, and that just didn’t seem possible within the last week. Again, the injection from McCarthy is just what the doctor ordered. He fired up some mistakes, but those are destined to occur for a 22-year-old. The guy truly has the grit for this job title.
11. Tip of the cap to Javon Hargrave for a breakout performance per 2025 standards. Hargrave had struggled or at least underwhelmed through eight weeks. On Sunday, he logged 2 tackles for loss and a sack. That’s the Hargrave that General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed in March.
12. The Green Bay Packers also lost — to the Carolina Panthers, of all teams — so this weekend turned out pretty fantastic. The Vikings are back, and the Packers are reeling.
You must be logged in to post a comment.