Studs and Duds: Jahmyr Gibbs Dominates, Jared Goff Struggles

Who stood out in Lions' win over Minnesota Vikings?

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26). / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions got a standout performance from running back Jahmyr Gibbs en route to a 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Gibbs scored four touchdowns in Sunday's game, three on the ground and one as a receiver, and fueled the Lions to clinching the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Here are studs and duds from the Lions' Week 18 win over the Vikings.

STUD: RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Gibbs had a phenomenal showing on Sunday, truly cementing himself as a star in front of a national audience. The second-year running back score all four touchdowns for the Lions' offense, three of which were runs and the fourth being a reception.

He opened the scoring with a 25-yard dash just one play after the Lions converted a fourth down. It was the lone touchdown of the first half. After the Vikings cut Detroit's lead to 10-9, Gibbs scored on three consecutive possessions to put the game away.

The first of the three was a 10-yard reception, which was a well-executed play against a Vikings blitz on a fourth down. He scored twice in the fourth quarter from 13 and four yards respectively, and finished with 139 rushing yards.

The Alabama product set a new franchise record for total touchdowns with 20, including 16 rushing and four receiving. He also cracked the top-10 of the team's single season rushing leaders, as he finishes the regular season with 1,412 yards on the ground.

STUD: CB Amik Robertson

With the Vikings boasting one of the NFL's best wide receivers in Justin Jefferson, the Lions' secondary had a tough task on Sunday. Jefferson has tormented Detroit throughout his career, but thanks to an overall solid game plan the Lions were able to limit his impact.

With Robertson working against him for most of the night, Jefferson was held to three catches for 54 yards. The defensive back particularly did a good job against the LSU product in the red zone, where the Vikings were held to just six points on four total trips inside the 20-yard line.

Robertson has asserted himself with his physicality despite being undersized for the position. He fits the Lions' defensive style perfectly, as he uses his strength to challenge opposing receivers.

The Louisiana Tech product also nearly hauled in a pick in the end zone but was unable to corral it.

DUD: QB Jared Goff

Goff had some big moments on Sunday, but left more to be desired in Sunday's win. He finished 27-of-33, but two of his incompletions were interceptions at crucial times.

The veteran quarterback's first interception was a screen pass that got tipped at the line by Vikings safety Josh Metellus, with Ivan Pace making the interception. His second came on a deep ball to Jameson Williams on a deep ball, with the ball being too far out and getting snagged by Harrison Smith.

On a brighter note, the passer did finish off what has been an overall exceptional season. He set an NFL record with his ninth game with a commpletion percentage over 75 percent, and became the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 4,500 yards while completing at least 72 percent of his passes.

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STUD: LB Alex Anzalone

After a six-week absence, Anzalone made his way back into the lineup for the regular season finale. Though reports indicated before the game that he would have his snap count monitored, he wound up playing 64 snaps in his return.

The veteran linebacker did exactly what he's done so many times for the Lions throughout his tenure. He led the unit with seven tackles and added a quarterback hit and a pass defensed.

Additionally, he returned invigorated the defense as several players said following the game. Having a key piece of the defense back in the mix after so many injuries to the group was a welcome sight for the defense, and will benefit the group as they begin their playoff push.

STUD: TE Sam LaPorta

Goff's main target on Sunday was LaPorta, who finished with a team-high seven catches to continue his recent hot streak. It took time for the connection to click over the course of the season, but LaPorta has hit his stride over the last several weeks.

LaPorta finihsed with 63 yards on his seven grabs, and he often came up clutch on his opportunities. Three of his catches went for first downs, and he had another that went for 17 yards on a second-and-20 that helped set up a conversion.

Over his last four games, LaPorta has notched 24 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He's healthy ahead of the playoff run and could be a major difference-maker moving forward.

STUD: DE Za'Darius Smith

With the pass facing some scrutiny throughout the week, Smith made a huge early play to help build some early momentum. On the Vikings' second drive, Smith sacked Sam Darnold for a 17-yard loss. That sack was Smith's ninth of the season and fourth since arriving in Detroit.

The veteran has been quiet in spurts since being acquired by the Lions, but was exactly what the Lions needed him to be against the Vikings. He finished with three tackles, two for loss and a pass defensed in what was a solid all-around effort.