Minnesota
Vikings
10-4
27
FINAL
24
Detroit
Lions
1-13
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 16 matchup, the Minnesota Vikings narrowly defeated the Detroit Lions 27-24, solidifying their playoff aspirations as the season nears its conclusion. With both teams vying for crucial positioning, this victory was pivotal for Minnesota, who seeks a strong finish to the 2027 season.
Trevor Lawrence led the Vikings' offense with an impressive 305 passing yards, while legendary receiver Randy Moss showcased his timeless talent with 131 receiving yards. On the other side, Arch Manning of the Lions threw for three touchdowns, keeping Detroit competitive until the final whistle. Chase Brown added a solid ground attack with 65 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to secure the win for the home team.
Defensively, the game was marked by strong performances, particularly from Sauce Gardner, who registered nine tackles for the Lions. However, it was a critical interception by Christian Gonzalez in the fourth quarter that shifted momentum back to the Vikings, allowing them to maintain their lead. This play marked the turning point, as Minnesota capitalized on the opportunity to seal their hard-fought victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | 40 | 28 | 70% | 305 | 1 | 1 | 90.1 |
| Arch Manning | QB | 42 | 22 | 52% | 287 | 3 | 1 | 88.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 12 | 65 | 5.4 | 26 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 10 | 40 | 4.0 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Arch Manning | QB | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Tyler Allgeier | HB | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 6 | 19 | 3.2 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Julius Chestnut | FB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odell Beckham Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CALVIN JOHNSON | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Tipton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANDY MOSS | WR | 10 | 131 | 13.1 | 23 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Odell Beckham Jr | WR | 7 | 127 | 18.1 | 77 | 1 | 71 | 1 |
| CALVIN JOHNSON | WR | 8 | 123 | 15.4 | 66 | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 10 | 106 | 10.6 | 33 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Mason Tipton | WR | 1 | 34 | 34.0 | 10 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Tory Horton | WR | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Theo Johnson | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tyler Allgeier | HB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | -2 | -1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauce Gardner | CB | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tremaine Edmunds | MIKE | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kelly Jones | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| NIGHT TRAIN LANE | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jevon Holland | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcelino McCrary-Ball | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyrice Knight | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ANTOINE WINFIELD | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cor'Dale Flott | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Domonique Orange | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | FS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Travon Walker | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Burns | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Colbert | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Javon Bullard | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raylen Wilson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Bailey | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Johnson | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will McDonald IV | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Bass | K | 4 | 4 | 1 | 50 |
| Bryce Baringer | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 35 |

