3 Vikings most to blame for putting playoff hopes on life support with Lions loss

2. Brian Flores, DC

Coming into Sunday's game, Lions quarterback Jared Goff had never notched a win against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. In fact, many in the Twin Cities would've gone as far as to say that Minnesota's DC owned the former No. 1 overall pick on the field. That couldn't have been farther from the truth in Week 16, though.

It truly felt like the Lions offense could do just about whatever they wanted in this game and, in truth, they may well have been able to if they could've gotten out of their own way at times. Even with that, Detroit still moved the ball consistently on the ground and through the air alike.

Goff finished the game going 30-of-40 for 257 yards with a touchdown while taking just one sack on the day. While rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs did cough up a fumble, he rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Veteran David Montgomery added 55 yards and another touchdown of his own as the Lions rushed for 143 yards in total.

Yes, injuries played a factor on the defensive side of the ball even if not as much as on the offensive side of the ball. At the same time, though, it's impossible to blame just one player, backup or not, for the effort. Flores' job is to put these players in the absolute best position to succeed, which may have been even easier against a player and offense he's had solid success against in his career. He failed to do so on Sunday, though, something that may ultimately come back to haunt the Vikings if they indeed fall short of the postseason.