Minnesota
Vikings
1-0
20
FINAL
35
Detroit
Lions
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Detroit Lions topped the Minnesota Vikings with a final score of 35-20, securing their spot in the next round of the playoffs. Both teams came in with high hopes, but it was the Lions who emerged victorious, demonstrating their offensive prowess.
Leading the way for Detroit was quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to make big plays when it mattered most. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, also known as Megatron, was a key target, racking up 93 receiving yards and contributing significantly to the Lions' passing attack. On the ground, the Vikings' Demond Claiborne had an impressive performance with 110 rushing yards, but ultimately, it wasn't enough to keep pace with Detroit's scoring.
The Lions' defense played a crucial role in the outcome, with Jack Campbell leading the team with 10 total tackles, helping to stifle the Vikings' offensive efforts. The game's turning point came midway through the second quarter when Mendoza connected with Johnson for a touchdown, extending the lead to two scores and shifting momentum firmly in Detroit's favor. Despite a valiant effort from Minnesota, it was the Lions who would advance, riding their strong offensive and defensive performances into the next round.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 32 | 25 | 328 | 3 | 0 | 140.6 |
| Randall Cunningham | QB | 37 | 23 | 185 | 1 | 0 | 83.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 14 | 110 | 7.9 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 9 | 68 | 7.6 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Tom Springs | MIKE | 10 | 52 | 5.2 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Chris Castillo | TE | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Randall Cunningham | QB | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Calvin Johnson Megatron | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Seth Goodman | LG | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Clayton Barnett | LT | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coleman | FS | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 4 | -1 | -0.3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Johnson Megatron | WR | 8 | 93 | 11.6 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 3 | 88 | 29.3 | 1 | 49 | 0 |
| Chris Castillo | TE | 5 | 66 | 13.2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 6 | 58 | 9.7 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Clayton Barnett | LT | 7 | 53 | 7.6 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Mike Wallace | WR | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jalen Coleman | FS | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Ben Newman | LEDG | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Juan Santiago | FS | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tom Springs | MIKE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Brink | LEDG | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carlos Diaz | LT | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Cohen | TE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Franklin | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Adonis Boulware | WR | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Martinez | TE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. Reed | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Cromartie | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brett Jennings | RT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dudley Starks | TE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamaal Blair | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Moore | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Len Barney | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Newsome | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Landry Dudley | HB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Thompkins | TE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyler Gill-Howard | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Rolder | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrian Looman | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gregory Turner | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 39 |
| Brent Freeman | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

