The Vikings and Lions played a remarkably even football game on Sunday

The final stats from this one were very similar, which tells you how close these two teams are.

Will Ragatz | Oct 20, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell shakes hands after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings and Lions' battle for the NFC's top seed lived up to the hype on Sunday. That was a highly entertaining, rollercoaster football game between two of the best teams in the league. There were three lead changes, including one with 15 seconds left, and all kinds of plays that could've made the difference for the Vikings in a 31-29 loss, their first of the season.

Looking at the final statistics, it's pretty remarkable how even the game was. Total yards were 391-383 in the Lions' favor, with the rushing and passing totals separated by five yards or fewer. Both teams were 4 of 10 on third down. Both teams had eight penalties and one turnover. The Lions ran four more plays and had three more first downs. Even the time of possession was quite close, with the Vikings having the ball for nearly 31 minutes of the 60.

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The stats really emphasize how closely-contested this game was, and how evenly-matched these two teams appear to be. There's a lot of football left to play this season, but the Vikings and Lions look like they might be the two best teams in the NFC. There's a chance the rematch in Detroit in Week 18 could have very high stakes.

So although this was undoubtedly a frustrating loss for the Vikings because it was at home and it winnable if even one play here or there goes differently, it's not one that should be too discouraging. They went blow for blow with a legitimate Super Bowl contender for 60 minutes and just narrowly emerged with a loss. The Vikings will look at the tape and try to clean things up quickly on a short week, but they're clearly good enough to hang with the best teams in the league. They proved that in wins over the 49ers, Texans, and Packers, and they proved it again in a hard-fought defeat on Sunday.

They're no longer perfect, but the future still appears to be quite bright for the Vikings if they keep playing at a high level and fix some of their issues.