Minnesota
Vikings
6-1
30
FINAL
7
Detroit
Lions
2-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Minnesota Vikings topped the Detroit Lions with a commanding 30-7 victory in Week 8 of the 2028 season. This win keeps the Vikings firmly in the playoff hunt, while the Lions face a critical moment in their season as they struggle to find consistency.
Jack Hettsfield led the charge for Minnesota, throwing for 319 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to connect deep downfield. Luther Burden III emerged as his favorite target, racking up 115 receiving yards, which proved crucial in the Vikings' offensive strategy. Despite a solid effort from Detroit’s James Cook III, who gained 52 rushing yards, the Lions struggled to keep pace.
Defensively, the Vikings were dominant, with Sonny Styles leading the charge with nine total tackles and Taron Johnson snagging an interception to halt any momentum from the Lions. The turning point came in the second quarter when Johnson's interception set up a quick touchdown drive for the Vikings, extending their lead to 20-0 and effectively sealing the game. The Lions couldn't recover from that momentum shift, as Minnesota's defense suffocated their offensive attempts throughout the contest.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Hettsfield | QB | 43 | 26 | 60% | 319 | 2 | 0 | 98.8 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 38 | 15 | 39% | 141 | 0 | 1 | 39.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 18 | 52 | 2.9 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 12 | 46 | 3.8 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Nick Chubb | HB | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 20 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Tommy Wheatley | HB | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jack Hettsfield | QB | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Tyrell Moss | WR | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Benjamin Yahu Jr. | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Kairo Voss | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Joly | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luther Burden III | WR | 6 | 115 | 19.2 | 78 | 2 | 69 | 0 |
| Benjamin Yahu Jr. | WR | 7 | 88 | 12.6 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| Kairo Voss | WR | 6 | 72 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| Colton Hayes | TE | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Justin Joly | TE | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Tyrell Moss | WR | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Josh Whyle | TE | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Fernando Torres | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| James Cook III | HB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Malachi Lawrence | LEDG | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Mukuba | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trent McDuffie | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Emmanwori | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Phil Bernard Jr. | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rich Richard | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon Fitzsimmons | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jailin Walker | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mason Graham | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peyton Jenkins | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jim Douglas | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean Taylor | SS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Loren Strickland | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden McFarlin | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thurman Logan | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Daniel Carlson | K | 3 | 4 | 3 | 46 |

