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    • Lions take a hit and swing back powerfully to knock down the Vikings
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    Lions take a hit and swing back powerfully to knock down the Vikings

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Minneapolis — The pressure was overwhelming throughout the day. Pressure on Jared Goff, pressure on the Lions defense and finally pressure on the kicker.

    The Lions kept answering it. If a team wanted to fail, this was the time and the right place. In a divisional showdown against undefeated Minnesota at boisterous US Bank Stadium, the Lions confirmed what we all suspected – their offense doesn't stop for anyone.

    In a spectacular thriller between age-old rivals on Sunday, the Lions earned a 31-29 victory on a 44-yard field goal by Jake Bates with 15 seconds left. The Lions withstood the Vikings' relentless attacks, overcame a crucial mistake that would have brought many teams to their knees and survived their first game without injured defensive star Aidan Hutchinson.

    The Lions, along with the Vikings, climbed to first place in the NFC North with a 5-1 record and retained their status as Super Bowl favorites. Against a ferocious opponent in a hostile environment, the Lions continued their winning streak, starting 5-1 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1934.

    Yes, they keep shooting past those first-time markers and Goff keeps throwing with the precision of a star rising even higher. Against the Vikings' teeming, opportunistic defense, Goff turned in another outstanding performance: 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

    But as we learned under Dan Campbell, the Lions are anything but a one-man show. They had to show their prowess on defense as Hutchinson lost in the regular season. They had to prove it multiple times and in many ways on Sunday as they were ambushed early, gave up a little and then recovered.

    They trailed 10-0 and didn't get their first first down until the last play of the first quarter. Campbell tried to get things going with a fake punt on the Lions' first possession, and the Vikings sniffed it out, scoring two plays later on Aaron Jones' 34-yard run. No, we're not interested in revisiting Campbell's ventures, but this one could have been debilitating, a failed first strike before the Vikings' first strike.

    “We knew they were off to a good start early in the game,” Goff said. “They come out with their hair on fire. They hit us in the teeth a bit early there and we had to react. That's what we do. That’s what we were created for – to respond.”

    The Lions have done this so many times now that it's no longer a surprise. The only surprise is how they do it.

    Jahmyr Gibbs showed impressive moves on a 45-yard touchdown and later burst through the middle for an 8-yard score. Then, just for fun, he made the game-winning block to free Kalif Raymond for a 21-yard touchdown reception. That gave the Lions a 28-17 lead, capping off their fourth straight touchdown drive.

    It was tremendous efficiency against a Minnesota defense that ranked second in the NFL in run stopping, first in interceptions and second in blitz rate. That doesn't leave many open paths to the end zone. The Lions, who lead the league in points and are second in passing yards, are going their own way.

    They do this with their outstanding offensive line, with Penei Sewell practically escorting runners down the field. Goff was sacked four times when the Vikings' offense was overwhelming, but he had a clean pocket often enough. And in a clean pocket, Goff is the most accurate quarterback in the league, with truly ridiculous numbers.

    He set a record with an 18-for-18 passing percentage against Seattle, and in his last four games he went 76-for-91, a decent completion percentage of 83.5. When Campbell runs out of ways to describe Goff's value, he settles for a succinct formulation.

    “He’s a stud,” Campbell said. “The guy has arm talent, no question about it. But it's what he has here and what he has here (Campbell placed a hand on his head and his heart). That's what makes him a dangerous player and that really makes him one of those guys that you can build around because he's a winner, man. He doesn't let himself be disturbed. He's tough. He is competitive. And he is simply reliable.”

    “Stay calm, stay relaxed”

    With so many talented players in Ben Johnson's open offense, sometimes reliability is all that's needed. The Lions needed more in this game. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was almost as sharp as Goff and particularly adept at the scramble. Justin Jefferson is always deadly, scoring on a 25-yard reception.

    Late in the game, Gibbs (116 yards rushing and 44 receiving yards) took over and the Lions were ahead when David Montgomery made a rare mistake. Vikings safety Josh Metellus knocked the ball loose and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. scooped it up and rumbled 36 yards for a touchdown.

    That put Minnesota on top 29-28, but the Lions' defense got the ball back again with 2:32 left and Goff and Gibbs didn't let it go. Just as the Lions were recovering from that early hole, they shook off the fumble and raced toward Bates' game-winning goal.

    “They're a hectic defense, a hectic effort, so it was all about composure,” Goff said. “They do a lot of things. They flash. They want to apply pressure. … For us it was a matter of staying calm, staying relaxed. We have the fumble where they score, but stay calm, stay relaxed.”

    And a warm welcome to the newest member of the Stay Calm Stay Relaxed Club. Bates took a winding path to get exactly where he needed to be. The Lions signed him from the UFL's Michigan Panthers, but before that he completed training as a brick salesman in Houston. That was then, 18 months ago, and that was now, when Bates held a ball in his hand and smiled so broadly that his eyes squinted.

    Bates is 10 of 10 on the Lions' field goal attempts, but this was his first game-winner. Here he trotted onto the field in a noisy atmosphere and calmly propelled the Lions to first place.

    “I thought football was over and I had to move on with my life and do something else,” Bates said. “Fortunately, the Lord had something else in mind. I couldn't have even dreamed of that. So cool.”

    I don't suppose you miss the job of selling bricks?

    “I think I have the best job in the world,” he said, grinning and covering his eyes again.

    He did his job at the last critical moment, but he wasn't the only one, and it wasn't the only critical moment. In defense, the large gap left by Hutchinson's absence was partially filled. Josh Paschal recorded a sack. Brian Branch continued to shine at safety with an interception and two pass breakups. The Lions are not afraid of the new challenge either on offense or defense.

    “Coach (Campbell) gave a great speech before the week,” safety Kerby Joseph said. “He said everyone needs to lighten up. We love Hutch. Hutch is down, but that doesn't mean we lose all hope. That’s what this team is made for.”

    It's not based on Bates' kicks, although every stone counts. The Lions are built tough and built to handle a lot, and so far they are built to survive anything that comes their way.

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    Kathleen William
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