Recap: Vikings come back late to beat Lions, 28-24

If the Lions really want to shed the "same old Lions" label, they are going to have to stop losing winnable games like this one. Mistake after mistake cost them in a game where they were the better team all throughout.

Concerns about Dan Campbell's ability to manage a game are justified. He chose to kick a long field goal with 1:09 left on 4th and 4 when he had been going for it all game. Austin Seibert missed the kick, the Lions defense allowed the Vikings to score, and...well, you know the rest.

Again, this was an extremely winnable game. They led by 10 in the 4th quarter, and the offense couldn't add to the lead. The defense was leaky all game, but with the right coaching decisions, the Lions could have left with their first road victory in two seasons.

Instead, they fall to 1-2 on the season.

Final: Vikings 28, Lions 24

-Q4 0:09: Goff throws a game-ending INT. Game over/

-Q4 0:23: Lions at midfield with 23 seconds left.

Vikings retake the lead

-Q4 0:45: Touchdown Vikings. Cousins to K.J. Osborn. Lions are really blowing this one.

-Q4 1:09: Seibert misses a 54-yarder.

Two-minute warning

-Q4 2:20: Big holding penalty on the Vikings to give Lions a first down, but Vikings D-line is living in the backfield right now.

Lions force turnover on downs

-Q4 2:32: Lions get off the field on fourth down. Huge stop.

-Q4 3:30: They can't convert. Vikings take over.

-Q4 3:35: Big 4th and 1 coming up for the Lions.

Vikings trim lead to 3

-Q4 7:50: Poor tackling and penalties lead to a Vikings TD. That was an awful drive for the defense. It's 24-21 now.

-Q4 10:47: Lions have to punt. Went deep on 3rd and 1 and couldn't get it.

-Q4 13:38: Lions force a three-and-out thanks in large part to a sack on 2nd down by Alex Anzalone.

End third quarter: Lions lead 24-14

Not what the Lions had in mind: their first three-and-out of the game. Surprised they got away from the run.

Vikings fumble

-Q3 0:48: Dalvin Cook fumbles, and the Lions recover. Huge turnover.

Williams runs for second TD

-Q3 2:08: Big touchdown for the Lions. Williams gets his second TD from 13 yards out. Lions up 24-14.

Vikings miss another field goal

-Q3 4:46: Joseph misses another field goal for Minnesota. Huge opportunity for the Lions to increase their lead.

Seibert gives Lions the lead

-Q3 8:36: Austin Seibert makes this one. 40-yarder and the Lions retakes the lead, 17-14.

-Q3 11:14: Lions drive stalls at midfield again. But they convert another fourth down. 4 of 5 today in those situations.

-Q3 14:10: Lions force a three-and-out to start the half. That's big.

Second half underway

Vikings get the ball to start the second half.

First half stats:

Goff: 17-24, 179 yards, TD

Williams: 5 rushes, 25 yards, TD

St. Brown: 4 catches, 56 yards

Chark: 3 catches, 46 yards

Josh Reynolds: 3 catches, 29 yards

Hockenson: 3 catches, 18 yards, TD

Halftime: Lions and Vikings tied at 14

-Q2 0:41: Lions have to punt. Momentum is clearly on Minnesota's side now. They get the ball to start the second half as well.

Vikings tie it up

-Q2 1:12: Dalvin Cook bounces it outside and scores the TD. Lions defense is struggling mightily. We're all tied up at 14.

-Q2 3:24: Vikings convert a 4th and 6. They're driving.

-Q2 4:58: Lions can't convert on fourth down for the first time today. Vikings take over at midfield.

-It sounds like St. Brown is going back into the game.

-Q2 6:54: Amon-Ra St. Brown came up limping after a first-down reception. He's currently trying to walk it off on the sideline.

Vikings get on the board

-Q2 8:50: Lions run defense has not been good. Dalvin Cook has been running all over them. Aided by a pass interference penalty in the end zone, Minnesota punches it in. 14-7.

Lions score again

-Q2 13:38: Touchdown Lions. Goff to T.J. Hockenson on a little bootleg play. Lions up 14-0.

-Q2 14:53: Lions convert another 4th down. Goff finds Josh Reynolds for 16 yards.

End of 1st quarter: Lions 7, Vikings 0

Lions have another 4th and short coming up.

-Q1 1:49: Jamaal Williams picks up the first down.

-Play is overturned. 4th and short upcoming.

-Q1 1:28: Minnesota is challenging the spot after D'Andre Swift was ruled to have picked up a first down in Vikings territory.

-Q1 4:18: Lions able to get off the field on 3rd and 5 by forcing Kirk Cousins to throw the ball away.

Lions strike first

-Q1 6:44: Jamaal Williams scores from a yard out to give the Lions a 7-0 lead.

-Q1 7:04: The Sun God with a big catch-and-run on fourth down to get the Lions to the one-yard line.

Vikings miss field goal as well

-Q1 9:21: Vikings also have to settle for three, and Greg Joseph isn't even close. Both teams miss field goals to start out.

Seibert misses field goal

-Q1 11:03: Lions have to settle for three, but Austin Seibert doinks the 48-yard attempt. Still scoreless.

Kickoff

Vikings win the toss and defer. Lions offense up first.

Pregame

Active/Inactive

ACTIVE: RB D'Andre Swift, C Frank Ragnow, TE T.J. Hockenson, DE Aiden Hutchinson

INACTIVE: G Jonah Jackson, DL John Cominsky, DL Demetrius Taylor, G Drew Forbes, CB Chase Lucas, S Ifeatu Melifonwu, TE James Mitchell

The Detroit Lions are taking their show on the road.

After opening the season splitting a pair of home games, the Lions head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings on Sunday.

The Lions and Vikings each enter the game with a 1-1 record, matching everyone else in the NFC North.

Detroit is off to a strong start offensively, tied for second in the NFL averaging 30.5 points per game and fourth in total offense, averaging 405.5 yards per game.

Defensively, there appears there's work still to be done, as the Lions rank in the bottom three in points (32.5) and yards (425.5) allowed per game.

Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Matthew Scheidel.

Lions at Vikings

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

▶ TV/radio: Fox/97.1

▶ Records: Lions 1-1, Vikings 1-1

▶ Line: Vikings by 6

▶ Series: Vikings lead 79-40-2 (Last game: Dec. 5, 2021 — (at) Lions 29, Vikings 27)