A lot to talk about: Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after Thursday's 23-10 loss to Minnesota that he and general manager Brad Holmes have a lot to discuss when the season is over after Thursday's loss eliminated the Lions from playoff contention. Despite their young and talented core returning from a 15-2 season, Campbell said it doesn't take much for a season to come off the tracks like Detroit's did. Campbell and Holmes will be looking hard into the reasons why after the season.
Mr. Consistency: Amon-Ra St. Brown earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl nod this week as he's become one of the most consistently productive wide receivers year-in and year-out in this league.
St. Brown entered an exclusive club Thursday joining Davante Adams (2020-22), Antonio Brown (2014-16) and Marvin Harrison (1999-2002) as the only players in league history to record at least 100 receptions and 10-plus touchdowns in three straight seasons after an eight-catch, 68-yard performance on Christmas.
Not according to plan: Campbell laid out Detroit's path to a win Thursday as running the football, not turning the ball over and hitting on two shot plays.
Detroit rushed for just 63 yards with a 2.3-yard average, turned the ball over a season-high six times and Detroit's longest play was just a 28-yard completion to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the second quarter. Next longest was a 22-yard catch by wide receiver Jameson Williams.
Sack benchmark: Aidan Hutchinson’s sack of Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer in the first quarter on a 3rd & 9 play gave Hutchinson 12.5 sacks on the season, a new career high. His previous career high of 11.5 was set in his second season in 2023. Hutchinson finished the day with 2.0 sacks giving him 13.5 sacks this year, tied with Billy Gay (1983) for the third-most sacks a Lion has had in a season.
Pass defense: Playing against Brosmer, Detroit's defense allowed only three net passing yards, their fewest allowed in a game since the Bears had minus-20 net passing yards against them on Nov. 22, 1981.
Punt return record: Mel Gray last wore a Lions jersey in 1992, and his record of 1,427 punt return yards stood as the franchise mark for more than 30 years until Thursday. Kalif Raymond is now the franchise record holder for punt returns yards establishing a new mark of 1,452.
Turnovers: Detroit came into Thursday tied with Houston and Las Vegas for the second fewest fumbles on the season with just three. Only Kansas City had fewer with one. Detroit ended up losing four fumbles Thursday – three by quarterback Jared Goff and one by running back Jahmyr Gibbs – as Detroit lost more fumbles against the Vikings Thursday than they had in their previous 15 games combined. Detroit had just eight turnovers all season and had six Thursday.
"The story of that game was six turnovers," Campbell said. "Can't turn the ball over six times and win in this league."
Long drive: What a second quarter drive Goff orchestrated to get the Lions back in the football game right before the half. Trailing 7-0 at the time, Goff led Detroit on a 19-play, 80-yard drive that took up over 10 minutes of the clock and saw the Lions convert 3rd & 16, 3rd & 9, 3rd & 15, 4th & 1 and 4th-and-goal (from 4) which was the final play of the drive for a TeSlaa 4-yard touchdown grab.
Quarterback exchange: Kingsley Eguakun started in place of Graham Glasgow. Campbell said after the game Glasgow's knee injury he's been dealing with allowed him to only have a reserve role on a short week. Two of Goff's three fumbles were on the center/quarterback exchange, one on a miscommunication when Kingsley snapped the ball early and another on a bad shotgun snap.
O-line play: Detroit's offensive line play has taken a step back this year. Regaining the physicality and domination at the line of scrimmage should be a priority this offseason. Detroit has scored 10 or fewer points twice in last six weeks and their run game has struggled.
