Grades: Lions Create Christmas Memories With Thrilling Win

Grades from Detroit's win over Minnesota.

Clinching the NFC North was never going to be an easy task for the Detroit Lions. 

After waiting 30 years to get on the precipice of this achievement, the fan base endured 60 anxiety-riddled minutes of action as the Lions and Minnesota Vikings went back and forth. 

A two-score Lions lead nearly evaporated in the final minute before Ifeatu Melifonwu sealed the win by intercepting Nick Mullens' pass near the end zone. As the clock finally hit triple zeroes, the Lions emerged with a 30-24 victory for their first NFC North division title in team history. 

Here are grades for each position group based on performance in Sunday's win. 

Quarterback: B+

Jared Goff picked up where he left off in last week's superb performance with another mistake-free showing on Sunday. The veteran was sharp and composed within Ben Johnson's offense, making key throws in critical situations.

Among those were two strong third-down throws, one to Amon-Ra St. Brown on the first possession and another to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the fourth quarter. 

Goff was phenomenal against Minnesota's blitzes. Per NFL's Next Gen Stats, he was 22-of-28 for 183 yards and a touchdown when facing pressure from the Vikings' defense. 

The veteran also rushed two yards on a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth-down in the first half. He also dodged trouble when the ball was knocked loose from him on what was called an incomplete pass. 

Ultimately, he finished 30-for-40 for 257 yards, finishing with a quarterback rating of 99.7. 

Running back: A-

Jahmyr Gibbs lost a fumble on his first catch of the game, but he was able to bounce back in a big way. The rookie totaled 100 all-purpose yards and scored two big touchdowns. 

His trademark short-area quickness was on full display, as he routinely made defenders miss at the point of attack.

With his 80 yards on the ground, Gibbs is now up to 872 rushing yards. With David Montgomery now at 910, the Lions have a very good chance at having two 1,000-yard rushers in 2023. 

Montgomery finished with 55 yards on 17 carries. He was utilized little in the third quarter and took a big hit in the second, but returned to the game in the fourth quarter when the Lions were looking to bleed the clock. 

Wide receivers: A

Amon-Ra St. Brown had his eighth 100-yard game of the season Sunday and surpassed 1,200 receiving yards. In just his third NFL season, he now has over 3,300 yards to his name. 

He caught Goff's lone touchdown pass of the game, a 1-yard pitch-and-catch in the third quarter. He also had a key third down conversion, and eight of his 12 catches went for first downs including the touchdown.

Jameson Williams once again notched a career-high in receptions with five and showcased some wiggle on a short catch that he turned into a first down. Peoples-Jones had a key third-down conversion, and Kalif Raymond added two catches for 29 yards.

It was a quieter day for Josh Reynolds, who had just one catch for 16 yards on four targets. He was flagged for a false start, while Raymond was whistled for offsides. 

Tight ends: B+

Sam LaPorta was limited to just three catches for 18 yards, as the Vikings devoted plenty of attention to the talented rookie pass-catcher. 

With Brock Wright sidelined with a hip injury, the Lions leaned more on James Mitchell. The second-year tight end didn't get a target, nor did practice squad call-up Anthony Firkser. 

Offensive line: A-

The Lions averaged over four yards a carry excluding Goff's game-ending kneel-downs against one of the NFL's best run defenses. The achievement is worth praising, as Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 135 yards on the ground. 

Penei Sewell had a big block on Gibbs' second touchdown run, knocking linebacker Jordan Hicks out of the play. Taylor Decker had an all-around solid day, performing well in pass protection as well as fulfilling his run assignments. 

Jonah Jackson was beaten for Detroit's only sack of the afternoon, and the Lions avoided disaster when Pat Jones' hit on Goff was ruled incomplete after initially being called a fumble that Cam Bynum returned for a score. 

Updated NFC Playoff Race: Where Lions Stand

Defensive line: B+

The Lions did an exceptional job of silencing Minnesota's run game, allowing just 17 yards on the ground. There was also 11 quarterback hits on Nick Mullens, including four from Aidan Hutchinson. 

Romeo Okwara nearly had the game-clinching sack, but John Cominsky couldn't fall on the fumble on Minnesota's final drive. Benito Jones and Levi Onwuzurike each recorded a quarterback hit. 

Jones also had a tackle for loss, while Hutchinson batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. 

Linebackers: B

Alex Anzalone got to Mullens for a sack in the first half, but the play was nullified by a penalty on Kindle Vildor. He had four tackles and a quarterback hit, while Jack Campbell had three stops. 

Without Derrick Barnes, the Lions deployed Malcolm Rodriguez more in a defensive role. The second-year backer finished with three tackles. Rookie Trevor Nowaske also logged a stop on special teams. 

Secondary: B

It was truly an up-and-down day for Detroit's secondary. Kerby Joseph had two interceptions, and the unit had four as a whole. The second-year safety made an impressive play on the ball on his first pick, while the second came on an overthrow.

Both he and Branch had rough first series, as Joseph was too deep in his zones while Branch was called for defensive holding then dropped an interception in the end zone. 

Branch would make up for his mistake, though, when he picked off Mullens on a fourth down attempt on Minnesota's second series. 

Ifeatu Melifonwu had another big game, finishing with two sacks, two pass breakups and the game-clinching interception. 

However, Justin Jefferson proved to be a problem and Nick Mullens threw for 411 yards. Cam Sutton struggled to contain Jefferson, who is among the league's best receivers. 

K.J. Osborn also beat Khalil Dorsey for a 47-yard gain to set up Minnesota's go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. 

The opportunistic turnovers were much-needed, but the Lions' secondary issues were on display throughout the game. 

Special teams: B

The Lions had an extra point blocked for the first time this season after taking the lead in the third quarter. Michael Badgley did make his first field goal attempt of the season from 37 yards out. 

Jack Fox had a strong day punting, pinning the Vikings deep with two punts inside the 20-yard line. His best punt of the day came late in the game, though it was negated by an illegal formation penalty. 

Coaching: B+

The Lions achieved Dan Campbell's biggest goal this season by ending the organization's 30-year drought without a division championship. The road there wasn't easy, nor was winning the clinching game. 

There were pre-snap issues throughout with the offense, as they were whistled for multiple delay of games and avoided two others with late timeouts. However, Ben Johnson showcased some creative looks and had the offense playing well. 

Defensively, Aaron Glenn continued to scheme unique ways to put pressure on Mullens. The safety blitzes worked wonders once again. However, yielding 411 passing yards is cause for concern. 

Ultimately, it was the culmination of a season-long goal that Campbell made good on. For that, the performance of the staff deserves praise as the team looks to play its way up the playoff standings in the coming weeks.