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.

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

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.

The winner of the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings game Sunday night will be the 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Follow score updates from Ford Field.

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

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 Detroit Lions had one of their most impressive defensive performances of the season, which led to four empty red-zone trips for the Vikings.

The Vikings should have gotten two points and the ball. Instead, they had to settle with a "Ball don't lie" moment as Ivan Pace Jr. snagged an interception not long after. If not for that interception, the no-call could have been even more egregious.

Detroit dominated in the most important game of the regular season, and the difference was a quarterback who looks ready for the challenges ahead.

Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.