Recap: Vikings recover from Lions rally, win 19-17 with walk-off FG

The Detroit News

The Detroit Lions nearly pulled off the impossible, but yet again, their opponent pulled off the improbable. The Minnesota Vikings recovered from a last-minute touchdown by the Lions and escaped with a 19-17 walk-off win, thanks to a 54-yard field goal by Greg Joseph.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins celebrates with his teammates.

Final leaders

Passing

DET - Jared Goff: 21/35, 203 yds., INT

MIN - Kirk Cousins: 25/34, 275 yds., TD, INT

Rushing

DET - Jamaal Williams: 13 atts., 57 yds.

MIN - Alexander Mattison: 25 atts., 113 yds.

Receiving

DET - Amon-Ra St. Brown: 7 recs., 65 yds.

MIN - Justin Jefferson: 7 recs., 124 yds.

Second half

Vikings walkoff Lions with field goal

The Lions kick it deep, and it's returned by Ameer Abdullah to the 18. With 2:30 left, the Lions have one timeout and the two-minute warning at their disposal.

Alexander Mattison rushes for 2 yards on first down.

Timeout #3 Detroit (2:23 4th)

C.J. Ham is stuffed for a yard on second down. Biggest play of the game coming up next.

Two-minute warning.

The Lions wrap up Mattison for no gain on third down — or so it appears. Jalen Reeves-Maybin stripped the ball out before Mattison got to the ground, and they now have it at the Minnesota 20 with 1:56 to go.

Vikings 16, Lions 9 (1:56 4th)

D'Andre Swift rushes for 3 yards on first down. Jared Goff hits Amon-Ra St. Brown, then hands to Swift for a Detroit Lions touchdown. You simply cannot write this stuff folks.

The Lions are going for 2: And they get it! The Lions lead by 1 with 37 seconds left.

Lions 17, Vikings 16 (0:37 4th)

The Vikings will start at the 18-yard-line with 34 seconds left. They have two timeouts left. Cousins completes a big pass to Adam Thielen.

Timeout #2 Minnesota (0:27 4th)

Cousins gets his next throw to Dede Westbrook for a gain of 6.

Timeout #3 Minnesota (0:22 4th)

The next throw is to Thielen in Vikings territory, the Vikings spike it, and Greg Joseph hits a 54-yard field goal as time expires to win the game.

Lions lose.

FINAL: Vikings 19, Lions 17

Lions make it a one-score game, late in fourth

The Vikings have it first-and-10 at the Lions 34 with a 10-point lead, and that should be the beginning of the end for Detroit.

The Lions burn two of their timeouts to stop the Vikings, and that ends up in a third-and-7 that Kirk Cousins just burns. Greg Joseph's 49-yard field goal is short.

Vikings 16, Lions 6 (3:17 4th)

So the Lions will take over at their own 39.

Jared Goff hits Amon-Ra St. Brown for a pickup of 18 yards, then dumps it off to D'Andre Swift for a pickup of 21 to the Minnesota 22. All of a sudden, the Lions are in business.

Goff misses his next two passes, bringing up third-and-10.

Timeout #1 Minnesota (2:37 4th)

Goff throws into the dirt on third down.

Austin Seibert hits the 40-yard field goal, and it's a one-score game.

Vikings 16, Lions 9 (2:30 4th)

Lions' Goff sacked twice with game on line

Detroit takes over at its own 25, trailing by 10, with 4:28 to go in the game.

Jared Goff is roughed up after the play on first down, and that'll give the Lions first-and-10 at the 48 when the penalty yardage is added to an 8-yard reception by D'Andre Swift.

Goff hits Swift again for 7, then throws incomplete. KhaDarel Hodge has an 18-yard reception overturned because of a holding penalty, instead bringing up third-and-10. Goff is sacked for a loss of 2.

He's sacked for a much, much worse loss on fourth down. Turnover on downs.

Vikings 16, Lions 6 (3:39 4th)

Lions fall behind 16-6 on long field goal

The Vikings take over at their own 20, leading by 7 with 9:39 left in the half.

C.J. Ham picks up 14, Justin Jefferson gets 9, Alexander Mattison 7, and the Vikings have it first-and-10 at the 50.

A penalty brings up first-and-20 at the 40. Kirk Cousins gets most of it back with a 16-yard completion to Tyler Conklin. Mattison picks up 3, then 2, to move the chains.

Cousins is sacked for a loss of 6 on first down by Charles Harris from the left-side edge. That's his fourth straight game with a sack. Cousins is forced to throw it away on second down, bringing up third-and-16: K.J. Osborn catches an 8-yard pass.

Greg Joseph's 55-yard field goal is good, and we've got a two-score game.

Vikings 16, Lions 6 (4:28 4th)

Lions punt from Vikings territory in fourth quarter

Detroit takes over at its own 21, trailing by 7, 12:01 to go in the game.

A first-down pass draws pass interference on the Vikings, and that'l make it first-and-10 at the 35.

Goff hits KhaDarel Hodge over the middle for a gain of 17 yards that gets the Lions into Minnesota territory at the 48.

D'Andre Swift rushes for 4 on first down and Jared Goff hits Amon-Ra St. Brown for a gain of only 2 after a second-down incompletion.

Detroit takes a delay of game penalty to give Jack Fox some room.

Fox's punt goes for a touchback, anyway.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (9:39 4th)

Lions defense gets another second-half stop

The Vikings take over at their own 27, leading 13-6, in the fourth quarter. Nobody has scored in the second half so far.

Alexander Mattison gets 4, then 3. The Vikings try a direct snap to Mattison on third down, but it's snuffed out for a loss.

Kalif Raymond waives for a fair catch on the punt at Detroit's 21.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (12:01 4th)

Lions fail to capitalize on defensive stop again

After a run for no gain, D'Andre Swift hauls in a 5-yard pass to bring the third quarter to a close.

END 3RD: Vikings 13, Lions 7

Swift's third-down reception only gets 2 yards.

Jack Fox's punt is returned to the Minnesota 27.

Vikings 13, Lions 7 (14:06 4th)

Lions get first takeaway of game on Cousins interception

The Vikings take over at their own 5, leading 13-6, with 4:29 to go in the third quarter.

Justin Jefferson gets the Vikings out of trouble with an 11-yard reception on first down. 

Alexander Mattison rushes for 5 yards on second down. Adam Thielen drops an easy second-down target that would have moved the chains. Kirk Cousins completes to Dede Westbrook for 6 yards to keep the drive alive.

The dam is beginning to burst: Mattison breaks free up the middle for a 48-yard gain to the Detroit 25.

Tracy Walker wraps up Ameer Abdullah for a 2-yard gain on first down. Alex Anzalone comes up with an interception off a tipped ball, and the Lions finally have the turnover they were looking for.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (1:12 3rd)

Lions let Goff sell another drive short

The Lions take over at the 14 after forcing a punt.

Jamaal Williams rushes for 9, then gets stuffed for no gain, then moves the chains with a 3-yard run on third down.

D'Andre Swift rushes for 3 on the next play. Goff winds up and chucks a poorly thrown ball into double coverage on the next play, and it's almost picked off. The third-down pass is also incomplete.

Jack Fox's punt is downed at the 5.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (4:29 3rd)

Lions defense forces 3-and-out with help from third-down penalty on Vikings

The Vikings take over at their own 37 after the interception, leading 13-6.

Injury update: Lions WR (shoulder) has been downgraded to OUT.

Alexander Mattison rushes for no gain on first down; Ty Conklin hauls in a 9-yard pass on second down. A crackback block on third-and-1 backs the Vikings up to third-and-16. The Lions stuff the third-down screen and force a punt.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (7:17 3rd)

Lions' Goff throws interception with chance to tie game

The Lions take over at their own 37 after the punt, trailing 13-6, early in the third quarter.

D'Andre Swift rushes for 4 yards to open the drive. Jared Goff moves the Lions into Vikings territory with a 14-yard completion to T.J. Hockenson. It's first-and-10 at the Minnesota 45.

Jamaal Williams finds nice hole to push ahead for 13 yards on first down. He then gets 4 yards to bring up second-and-6 at the 28 of Minnesota.

Goff's next throw is into high traffic, and it's picked off by Eric Kendricks and returned to the 37 of Minnesota.

Vikings 13, Lions 7 (9:58 3rd)

Lions defense gets stop to open second half

The Vikings take over at the 25 to start the half, leading by 7.

After Kirk Cousins is sacked for a loss of 5 on first down, the Vikings struggle to get right and only complete a 4-yard pass on third-and-12. 

Kalif Raymond returns the punt 17 yards to the Detroit 37.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (12:58 3rd)

First half

First half leaders

Passing

DET - Jared Goff: 11/17, 99 yds.

MIN - Kirk Cousins: 11/15, 140 yds., TD

Rushing

DET - D'Andre Swift: 5 atts., 30 yds.

MIN - Alexander Mattison: 13 atts., 45 yds.

Receiving

DET - Quintez Cephus: 3 recs., 38 yds.

MIN - Justin Jefferson: 5 recs., 104 yds.

Lions cut deficit to 7 before halftime

The Lions take over at the 25, trailing by 10, with 2:20 to go in the half.

Jared Goff throws complete for 4 yards on first down.

Two-minute warning.

Amon-Ra St. Brown hauls in a 6-yard throw on second down.

Goff's first-down throw is plainly dropped over the middle. D'Andre Swift rushes for 2.

Timeout #1 Minnesota (1:06 2nd)

Quintez Cephus makes a nice catch, beats Patrick Peterson after hauling it in, and cuts up the sideline for a gain of 21 yards to the Vikings 42.

Goff's next throw down the sideline goes out of bounds, and his second-down throw goes into the turf. St. Brown hauls in the third-down throw, and that'll allow Austin Seibert to try a 52-yard field goal that's through the uprights and good.

Vikings 13, Lions 6 (0:41 2nd)

The Vikings run until the clock runs out.

END 2ND: Vikings 13, Lions 6

Vikings take two-score lead before halftime

The Vikings take over at the 12, leading 6-3, with 6:36 to go in the half.

Alexander Mattison rushes for 11, then 3, as Kirk Cousins comes up firing to Justin Jefferson on the next play for a gain of 14 to the Minnesota 40. Jefferson hauls in the next throw, and he continue to torch the Lions for big gains, this one for 22 to the Detroit 32.

A roughing-the-passer penalty on the next play gives Minnesota first-and-10 at the 15. Mattison catches the second-down pass, bounces off three tacklers, and gets into the end zone for a 15-yard score.

Vikings 13, Lions 3 (2:20 2nd)

Lions punt near midfield 

The Lions take over at the 25, trailing 6-3, with 9:50 to go in the first half.

D'Andre Swift rushes for 4 and Amon-Ra St. Brown picks up 8 on the second-down reception. 

Jamaal Williams rushes for 3, then 1. Quintez Cephus hauls in the third-down throw, but it's only for 4 yards.

Jack Fox's punt is fair caught at the 12.

Vikings 6, Lions 3 (6:44 2nd)

Vikings take first lead of game off Goff turnover

Minnesota takes over at its own 35 after the fumble.

Alexander Mattison rushes for 9 and Kirk Cousins rushes for 4 to bring the first quarter to a close.

END 1ST: Lions 3, Vikings 3

Alexander Mattison is stopped for no gain, and Kirk Cousins nearly throws an interception on the next play. It's third-and-10, and Cousins again goes to Jefferson yet again for a pickup of 17 yards to the Detroit 35.

Mattison hauls in a 6-yard pass on first=and-10 from the Detroit 35, then rushes for 5 to move the chains again. First down, Vikings, at the 24.

Adam Thielen makes his first catch of the game and gets inside the Detroit 5, but it's called back for holding. It'll be first-and-20 instead.

Mattison catches a dump-off for 3 yards.

Timeout #1 Detroit (11:16 2nd)

After a 5-yard run, Cousins throws for 6 yards to Mattison, and that'll bring out the field-goal unit.

Vikings 6, Lions 3 (9:50 2nd)

Lions' Goff strip-sacked in Vikings territory

It's first-and-10 at the 25 for the Lions.

Jared Goff's first-down pass to Jamaal Williams is caught for 4, and his second-down handoff to D'Andre Swift goes for 1. T.J. Hockenson can't hang onto the third-down throw, but a penalty on the Vikings (illegal use of hands) will set up first-and-10 at the 35.

Swift takes off on the next play for a gain of 11.

Williams rushes for 4, then 9, to give Detroit a first down in Vikings territory at the 41.

Goff, under pressure, throws the ball away on first down. Williams rushes for 5 yards on the next play to bring up third-and-5. Amon-Ra St. Brown catches a bubble screen and gets good blocking from Quintez Cephus and T.J. Hockenson, going to the Minnesota 23 for a gain of 13.

Penei Sewell gets beat clean by Danielle Hunter, and the Vikings edge rusher brings down Goff for a loss of 8. The pocket collapses again on second down, and this time the ball is stripped by Minnesota and recovered at the Vikings 35.

Lions 3, Vikings 3 (0:54 1st)

Vikings tie game at 3 with field goal on first series

Vikings take over at the 25, trailing 3-0 early in the first quarter.

After a first-down incompletion, Alexander Mattison rushes for 4. Kirk Cousins looks for Justin Jefferson over the top on third down, it's defended well, and Jefferson just makes a big-league catch over Amani Oruwariye that's good for 37 yards to the Detroit 34.

Cousins' next pass goes off the hands of his receiver and falls incomplete. Mattison is dropped for a loss of 2 on second down. Cousins goes back to Jefferson on third-and-12, and the throw is once again on the money for a 14-yard pickup. First-and-10 at the 22.

Mattison again takes a 2-yard loss, then catches a pass out of the backfield that goes for a gain of 4 to bring up third-and-8. Cousins' third-down pass to the end zone skips off the ground and into the hands of his receiver, incomplete.

Greg Joseph makes a 38-yard field goal to tie the game.

Lions 3, Vikings 3 (6:30 1st)

Lions take 3-0 lead on opening drive

The Lions will start with the ball, taking over at the 25.

After a 2-yard run by Jamaal Williams, Jared Goff hits D'Andre Swift for a gain of 10 to the 37.

T.J. Hockenson hauls in a 8-yard pass on the next play. Williams moves the chains with a 3-yard carry to the Detroit 48, bringing up first-and-10.

D'Andre Swift cuts through the field for a 12-yard pickup into Vikings territory.

Goff's next throw is into the dirt, but there's an illegal contact penalty on the Vikings, so it'll be first-and-10 at the 35.

Goff hits Quintez Cephus near the sideline, and he finds a way to stay in-bounds and cut upfield for a pickup of 13 yards. The Lions offense is moving.

A throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown is caught out of bounds, and that'll be Goff's first incompletion on the day. A 1-yard run by Williams brings up third-and-9: A third-down throw to the sideline is knocked away by Patrick Peterson.

Austin Seibert puts home the 39-yard field goal.

Lions 3, Vikings 0 (10:34 1st)

Pregame

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

LIONS-VIKINGS SCOUTING REPORT

DETROIT NEWS STAFF PREDICTIONS

Lions at Vikings

► Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

► TV/radio: Fox/97.1

► Records: Lions 0-4, Vikings 1-3

► Line: Vikings by 10.5