The NFL has no undefeated teams remaining after eight weeks of the season. Detroit defeated Minnesota 19-15 on Sunday, November 1, dropping the Vikings to 6-1 and ending the league’s last unbeaten start. The loss also snapped Minnesota’s 11-game regular-season winning streak, which stretched back to last season and had been the longest active run in the NFL.
Minnesota entered the game with an opportunity to match the franchise’s longest winning streak, set in 1969. Instead, the Vikings were left with another uneven offensive performance and a defense that struggled to contain Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs despite applying frequent pressure on quarterback Jared Goff.
A 30-yard touchdown run by Gibbs, the NFL’s touchdown leader, helped Detroit carry a 12-7 advantage into the fourth quarter. Minnesota moved ahead with 3:56 remaining when Kyler Murray connected with T.J. Hockensen for an eight-yard touchdown. A successful two-point conversion gave the Vikings a 15-12 lead.
Detroit answered with a long possession capped by Jameson Williams’ seven-yard touchdown catch, putting the Lions back in front. Minnesota failed to mount a successful response. Its next possession produced only five yards over three plays before the Vikings punted.
The offensive difficulties were familiar for Minnesota. Even with a 6-0 record entering Sunday, the Vikings ranked in the league’s bottom third in scoring average, while their average of 281 yards per game was fourth-lowest. Against Detroit, they gained 266 yards and recorded 15 first downs, nine fewer than the Lions. Coach Kevin O’Connell said he could not immediately identify one specific cause of the inconsistency. “We’re just looking for consistent,” he said.
Minnesota had leaned on an aggressive defense during its unbeaten start. Through six weeks, it blitzed on 70.8% of opportunities, a pace that would be the highest since Next Gen Stats began tracking the measure in 2016. Against Detroit, that figure climbed to 89.7%, with blitzes on 26 of Goff’s 29 dropbacks. Goff threw an interception against those pressures but also passed for 130 yards and a touchdown, as Detroit’s blockers frequently picked up the blitz.
Gibbs presented another problem for Minnesota, forcing 12 missed tackles while rushing for 153 yards. The second half also included a roughly five-minute stoppage after Lions linebacker Jack Campbell was injured making a tackle and remained motionless on the turf. He was taken off by cart and transported to a local hospital for evaluation of a neck injury, according to the team.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said there was no further information available about the linebacker’s condition. “He’s being taken care of, we don’t have any new information,” he said. “We’re thinking about him.”
