Detroit Lions Survive Giant Day from WR Jefferson, Outduel Minnesota Vikings

The Detroit Lions will not go quietly in the AFC North. Despite a gigantic day from superstar Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Lions topped their division rival 34-23 in a Week 14 aerial assault.

Not in our house.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/269gMiMIsk
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 11, 2022

The Lions and Vikings both put their fates in the hands of their quarterbacks, and the result was nonstop fireworks. Lions quarterback Jared Goff controlled the game with 330 net passing yards and three touchdowns, and Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins chased him all afternoon, ending the day with a colossal 399 net passing yards on 44 dropbacks.

After the quarterbacks, no player was as impressive as Jefferson. He continued his ascent to the upper echelons to the NFL's greatest wide receivers with today's game. His season-high 223 yards on the day put him up to 1500 receiving yards through 13 games this season, giving him an outside chance of breaking Hall of Fame Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson's record of 1964 yards in a season. Short of perhaps the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill, no wide receiver is on Jefferson's level right now.

At 6-7, the Lions don't have a very realistic chance of unseating the 10-3 Vikings for the division crown. But the Lions are thinking long-term. They acquired Goff and multiple first-round picks from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford to build for the future. Now, Goff looks like a quarterback worth committing to, and one of those first-round picks appears poised to become a top-five pick. The future is very bright in Detroit.