Vikings at Lions: Highlights, score and recap

In a crucial NFC North matchup, the Minnesota Vikings hit the road to take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day inside Ford Field.

One of the biggest traditions when it comes to football on Thanksgiving Day is seeing the Detroit Lions play a home game. On Thursday, the Lions welcomed division rival Minnesota to town, and the Vikings were certainly ready to play. Case Keenum led the Vikings on a touchdown drive on their first possession of the game, but Kai Forbath’s extra point was blocked, giving the Vikings a 6-0 lead.

Detroit got possession back after the touchdown, and quickly proceeded to give the ball back to Minnesota. Matthew Stafford’s handoff to Ameer Abdullah was fumbled, and the Vikings punched another one into the end zone. Detroit responded with a field goal to cut the lead to 13-3, but the Vikings struck again. Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for his second touchdown of the first half, as Minnesota went up 20-3, but luckily for the Lions, they were able to score a touchdown right before the half to go down 10 as the teams went into the locker room for halftime.

After the break, Minnesota wasted no time getting back into the end zone, as it only took four plays for them to drive the length of the field. The drive was capped off by a Latavius Murray touchdown run, putting the Vikings up 27-10. Detroit would kick two field goals throughout the rest of the third quarter, setting the stage for some classic fourth quarter fireworks on Thanksgiving Day.

On their first possession of the fourth quarter, Detroit got right to work, as Stafford hit Marvin Jones Jr. for his second touchdown of the game. Despite being down five, the Lions decided to go for one, instead of a two-point try that would have pulled them to within a field goal. The Vikings would hang on from there, as they tacked on a field goal, and ended the game with a 30-23 victory.

With the win, the Vikings have now won seven straight games, and have a three-game lead in the NFC North with five weeks to go.

Highlights

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Betting Odds

The Vikings actually came into this game as road favorites, as they were giving the Lions three points. They ended up covering easily, winning by seven points. The over/under was set at 44.5, and these offenses definitely went over in this one. All odds were available throughout the week on OddsShark.com.

Three Stars

1. Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings

Keenum has held tight to the starting quarterback job in Minnesota, and has now led his team to a 9-2 record with five games to play. On Thursday, Keenum made two huge touchdown throws, both to Kyle Rudolph, and really showed his grit in the pocket. He has become the leader of this Vikings team, and with the way he can make plays with his arm, and his feet, the Vikings are in good shape moving forward.

2. Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

The star wide receiver for the Detroit Lions had a monster of a game on Thursday, which include a highlight reel touchdown in the second half. Jones shook off double coverage to score a huge touchdown late, and finished with two scores in the game. In total, Jones caught six balls for a game-high 109 yards, but his effort was not enough to pull off the victory.

3. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

Coming into the season, many believed Stefon Diggs would be the leader of the receiving corps in Minnesota. However, after a breakout season in 2016, Adam Thielen has picked up where he left off, and he had another solid game on Thursday. Thielen led all receivers with eight catches, as he continues to make big plays to help his team win.

Next: NFL quarterback rankings, Week 12: Dak Prescott struggling

Next Week

Since they played on Thursday, these two teams will get a nice mini break before their next matchup, which will take place next Sunday for both teams. The Minnesota Vikings will stay on the road, traveling to Atlanta to take on the red-hot Falcons. The Lions will hit the road as well, as they travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.