Week 17: Winners & Losers vs Lions

The Minnesota Vikings won 23–10, eliminating the Detroit Lions from playoff contention on Christmas Day. The Vikings move to 8–8 on the season as we take a look at the winners and losers from this game.

Winners of the Game

1. Harrison Smith

Harrison Smith put on an absolute vintage performance on Christmas Day, solidifying his first-ballot Hall of Fame–worthy status with a sack, an interception, two tackles for loss, and three pass breakups. A truly amazing performance from the 36-year-old safety who has been doing this at the highest level for well over a decade now. As a fan who has had Harrison Smith on his team for the majority of his life, it was special to see him do it potentially for the last time if he decides to retire after this final game of the season coming up. If that is it, I thank him on behalf of all Vikings fans.

2. Andrew Van Ginkel

What a day for Andrew Van Ginkel. It’s hard for Gink not to be one of the fan favorites on this Vikings defense. He truly can do it all, as he finished with five tackles, one for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. Gink really stole Christmas from the Detroit Lions and ended their season, as he was one of the leaders of this historic defensive performance.

3. Brian Flores and the Entire Defense

If you weren’t convinced that Brian Flores is going to have legitimate head coaching consideration from teams this offseason, you sure should be after the clinic he put on against the Detroit Lions. This performance—from the defensive coaching to the execution—was truly amazing, and I haven’t seen a game like that as a Vikings fan in what feels like a long time. We’ve had plenty of great defensive games against good teams under Brian Flores and Mike Zimmer, but this one really felt different.

The Vikings defense generated pressure all night, getting home for five sacks and forcing four fumbles that were recovered by Andrew Van Ginkel, Byron Murphy Jr., and Jalen Redmond. The Vikings added two more turnovers through the air with interceptions from both Harrison Smith and Byron Murphy Jr. Blake Cashman also racked up 17 total tackles on the day, continuing his outstanding season.

The Detroit Lions had only turned the ball over eight times all season, and the Vikings were able to generate six in this game alone—a game that was a do-or-die scenario for the Lions to make the playoffs.

4. Kevin O'Connell

You have to give credit where credit is due. Kevin O’Connell over the last four weeks has really turned this team around, especially from a coaching standpoint. I was on here about a month ago discussing the possibility of O’Connell turning play-calling duties over to someone else for the remainder of the season. I can gladly admit that I was wrong, and our head coach was able to adjust and put this team in the best position to win throughout most of the second half of the season. The offense didn’t have a very good day, with just three net passing yards and a low 3.1 yards per carry on the ground, but he still did enough from a head-coaching standpoint to win the game.

That late 2nd-and-10 end-around run to Jordan Addison alone reassured me that Kevin O’Connell is the right play-caller for this team. It was a phenomenal play call and great execution from the team, as Addison took the ball 65 yards to the crib in a diving effort. It was an electric play and stamped the Vikings’ season sweep over the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings went into the offseason needing to find a way to beat the Detroit Lions on a consistent basis after O’Connell started 1–5 against Dan Campbell in his NFL career. Kevin O’Connell did just that, going 2–0 against them this season and ending their playoff hopes.

5. Will Reichard

It’s hard not to put Will Reichard on this list every single week. The dude has been automatic all season and should statistically be 100% on field goals this year. Reichard went 3-for-3 on field goals, including one from 40+ yards and two from 50+ yards, with a long of 56. He was also a perfect 2-for-2 on extra points. It’s so refreshing having a reliable kicker you can count on in any phase of the game.

Losers of the Game

1. Max Brosmer

I hate having to be negative after such an electric win, but Max Brosmer does not look like he belongs on an NFL roster. In his defense, the offensive line was mostly injured, but he finished with just three net passing yards and 51 total on the day. The one positive is that he didn’t turn the ball over after throwing four interceptions in his last start. Max Brosmer did enough to not lose the Vikings the game, and I guess that’s all you can really ask for from your undrafted, third-string rookie quarterback at this point in the season.

2. Offensive Line

Now for one of the main reasons Max Brosmer played so poorly: the offensive line. This unit is absolutely depleted after losing Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, and Ryan Kelly to injury. They gave up seven sacks to the Detroit Lions’ defense and paved the way for only about 3.1 yards per carry on the ground for the Vikings’ running backs. Playing against a top defensive front with three of five offensive linemen being backups is always a recipe for disaster, but with the help of a historic defensive performance, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t let it be their demise.

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