DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs was the game-breaking player the Detroit Lions needed to get their high-powered offense in gear — and give them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title.
“Everybody’s got to come through here, baby!” Detroit defensive end Za’Darius Smith said to the roaring crowd after the game.
The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) could meet again in two weeks.
Banged-up Detroit will have a much-needed week off, while Minnesota plays at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night.
In the NFL’s final game before the playoffs, two teams played in the regular season with a combined 28 victories for the first time. A No. 1 seed was determined in a regular-season finale for the third time in three-plus decades.
Dallas wrapped up the 1993 regular season against the New York Giants with a 16-13 overtime win to give the Cowboys top seeding they used to their advantage as they advanced to and won the Super Bowl. The Giants, meanwhile, beat Minnesota in the wild-card round and were routed at San Francisco the following week.
Detroit desperately hopes history repeats itself. The Lions are seeking their first Super Bowl appearance and hoping to end an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957. They are a No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.
“It’s not the cherry on top,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “Not yet.”
Game No. 272 of the regular season was expected to be a shootout with Pro Bowl quarterbacks leading high-scoring offenses, but Goff and Sam Darnold were not at their best.
Gibbs picked up the slack for his team.
“He’s as explosive as any player in the league,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and another score.
“He was special, and we needed him to be,” Goff said.
Goff threw two interceptions after getting picked off only once in the previous seven games and Minnesota made field goals after the turnovers in the second and third quarters.
After Vikings rookie Will Reichard connected on his third kick to cut the deficit to 10-9 early in the third, Goff directed a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:25 and was capped by a slick pass to Gibbs for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2.
Goff was 8 of 8 on that possession and finished 27 of 33 for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Darnold completed fewer than half his passes in the first half, missing opportunities to pick up first downs and score touchdowns. The Vikings were 0 of 3 in the red zone through two quarters to let the Lions lead 10-6 at halftime and failed to score a touchdown when they were inside the 20 for a fourth time in the second half.
The Vikings went for it on fourth down from the Lions 3 in the second quarter and Darnold, under pressure, overthrew an open Justin Jefferson in the end zone.
Darnold threw another incomplete pass on fourth down from the Detroit 2 early in the third.
“Kicking field goals isn’t going to get it done against that team,” Darnold said. “I have to hit those throws.”
O’Connell opted to attempt a 51-yard field goal late in the third, trailing by eight, and Reichard missed wide right.
Darnold was 18 of 41, a season-low 44% completion rate, and connected with Jefferson just three times on nine targets for 54 yards.
“We didn’t do a lot of the things we did well this season,” O’Connell said. “Sam has hit a lot of those plays all year and I have every bit of confidence that he will hit it the next time.”
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