The willingness to spend gave the Vikings a noticeable contingent of purple and gold in the stands behind the visitors bench.

The next time Minnesota stopped the Lions came with 27 seconds to play. Darnold took a knee, ending the game and sending the Vikings to face old rival Matthew Stafford on Monday night. They are the NFL’s first 14-win wild-card team.

PM ET on NBC, sportsbooks have issued player props on Sam Darnold. NFC North rivals meet in Week 18 when Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

The Lions running back had 139 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go along with 31 yards receiving and another score in the air.

The Lions will be rewarded with a first-round bye, while the Vikings wind up with the No. 5 seed and will face the Los Angeles Rams.

We’ve seen this. Add Sam’s Swoon to the list that starts with Drew Pearson’s push-off, runs through Gary Anderson’s miss, stumbles at 41-donut and stretches to a flop at Philadelphia.

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs steamrolled the Vikings defense for four touchdowns while Minnesota QB Sam Darnold couldn't connect with Justin Jefferson, especially in the red zone.

The Los Angeles Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in the opening round of the 2025 NFL playoffs. The Rams earned the No. 4 seed in the NFC as the champions of the NFC West while the Minnesota Vikings qualified for the postseason as a wild card and the No.

The Minnesota Vikings will face the Detroit Lions in week 18 of the NFL season at Ford Field on Sunday Night Football, January 5th. WATCH: Vikings vs Lions Live

In their biggest test, the Lions had one of their most impressive defensive performances by constantly getting in the face of Vikings QB Sam Darnold.