10 quick thoughts on the Vikings loss to the Lions in Week 14

We learned why the Minnesota Vikings were underdogs in Week 14 as they suffered a loss to Detroit Lions on Sunday.

We knew that the Minnesota Vikings probably weren’t going to win all of their remaining five games this season. However, the hope was that the Vikings would still be able to get the job done in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions.

Instead, the Lions proved that they’re no longer the Lions of old, and they left Ford Field on Sunday with a victory over Minnesota. With a 10-3 record now, the Vikings still have a tight grip on their lead in the NFC North, but they let an opportunity to clinch the division title slip through their hands this weekend.

We’ll have a more detailed look at everything that took place in Detroit on Sunday in the near future, but what are some of the initial takeaways from the Vikings‘ third loss of the 2022 season?

Quick thoughts on the Vikings loss to the Lions

Defense deserves most of the blame for this loss: Heading into Sunday, Minnesota did have an impressive 10-2 record, but they were surprisingly the underdog to the 5-7 Lions. The Vikings’ defense proved why many still have doubts about this team this season.

Minnesota’s defense had no answer for the Detroit offense on Sunday. The Lions finished with 34 points and 464 yards, which means that the Vikings have allowed at least 400 total yards to their opponent in their last five games. That is abysmal, and something needs to be fixed fast.

Jefferson still came to play: For as much as Minnesota’s defense deserves the blame for Sunday’s result, Justin Jefferson deserves zero percent of the blame for the loss to the Lions.

Jefferson had himself a career performance, hauling in 11 passes for 223 yards against Detroit. His 223 receiving yards are the most ever in by a Vikings player in a single regular-season game.