MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings celebrated their second home victory of the year at midfield at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, mobbing Greg Joseph after his 54-yard field goal saved them from a loss to the winless Lions.
The 19-17 win improved their record to 2-3, in a game where they blew a 10-point lead in the final five minutes. Players blasted DJ Kahled's "All I Do is Win" from the locker room after a victory that kept the Vikings from their fourth defeat by seven points or less this season.
Their celebration might have been borne of relief as much as anything.
Facing a winless Lions team that was missing two former first-round picks on its offensive line, the Vikings escaped their own mistakes that could have led to a costly defeat. Joseph missed from 49 yards out with 4:28 to go, and after Jalen Reeves-Maybin stripped the ball from Alexander Mattison's hands with two minutes left, the Lions took the lead when D'Andre Swift strolled into the end zone and Jared Goff hit KhaDarel Hodge for a two-point conversion.
Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen — who'd been held without a catch in the game's first 59 minutes — for two completions, setting up Joseph's game-saving kick.
The Vikings allowed only 288 yards and stopped two Detroit drives with turnovers in Vikings territory: a strip sack that Everson Griffen shared with Danielle Hunter, and an Eric Kendricks interception when Jared Goff tried to force a pass between four defenders.
But the game remained close as the Vikings' offense was periodically met with boos, for things ranging from conservative play-calling to penalties on the offensive line and cautious throws from quarterback Kirk Cousins.
After getting the ball back with 42 seconds left in the first half, the Vikings opted to run the ball twice and end the half instead of pushing the ball downfield, despite the fact Justin Jefferson had already gained 104 yards on five receptions. Fans jeered the decision as the Vikings went to the locker room, and voiced their displeasure again when Rashod Hill — who'd been trading series with rookie Christian Darrisaw at left tackle — was bowled over on a Trey Flowers sack. The Vikings ran Alexander Mattison on second-and-15 (one of four times they opted to run on second-and-10 or longer); they punted two plays later.
First-year Lions coach Dan Campbell — who worked with Mike Zimmer on Bill Parcells' staff in Dallas and interviewed with Zimmer for the Vikings' offensive coordinator job in 2018 — was even more conservative with his decision-making than the Vikings were in theirs.
The Vikings got the ball back at the end of the first half after Campbell opted for a field goal from the Minnesota 34 rather than going for it on fourth-and-2. Then, after the Lions had driven to the Vikings' 42 while trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, Campbell sent the punt team out on fourth-and-4, taking a delay of game before Jack Fox punted the ball into the end zone for a touchback.
Mattison, starting place of the injured Dalvin Cook, finished with 113 yards on 25 carries, and caught another seven passes for 40 yards, registering his second game of the season with more than 30 touches. Jefferson caught seven passes for 124 yards.
