The Detroit Lions just pulled off their biggest win of the season in their biggest game of the season. They went into a divisional matchup against an undefeated Minnesota Vikings team and walked out with a 19-15 victory.

The Vikings’ defense had been compared to the 1985 Bears all week. I thought that was a little much, considering Minnesota hadn’t played much of anyone. The Vikings still played a strong defensive game, but the Lions were the better team. Now Detroit gets the Miami Dolphins, while Minnesota has to face a 6-1 Buffalo Bills team that looks like the AFC’s Super Bowl favorite. The Lions also have the easiest remaining schedule in the division. It’s a long season, but at 5-2, things are pointing up.

Winners

Jahmyr Gibbs

In the first half, Gibbs had four carries for negative yards, and the Vikings’ defense looked like it was living up to its reputation. Then the second half started and Gibbs went off. He finished with 153 rushing yards. My halftime joke was that he drank some of Michael’s Secret Stuff (the original Space Jam, not the LeBron one). Everybody is talking about Jared Goff for MVP, and they should, but Gibbs is building a real case. No running back has won it since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Sione Vaki

Vaki has been quiet this year. In this game, he ran for 65 yards on 11 carries, a 5.9-yard average. Detroit also threw him the ball, and his pass protection was good. We know he’s great on special teams. Now he might be an offensive weapon, too. When I asked his agent what Sonic character Vaki would want to be, he told me Shadow. So Sonic and Shadow it is.

D.J. Reed

Consider how bad things were before this run. Through his first stretch, Reed allowed a 125.6 passer rating on 20 targets, plus 261 yards and two touchdowns. Over the last three weeks, he has allowed a 41.3 passer rating on 14 targets, with six catches for 41 yards and no touchdowns. Against Minnesota, he was targeted five times, allowed one catch for 11 yards, and added an interception and a pass breakup.

His early struggles lined up with Detroit trying a lot of zone and new looks that don’t suit this defense. Reed is a born man-coverage corner. Put him there and he shows up. The question is whether the Lions find him a partner. Roger McCreary played 41 snaps and allowed six catches on eight targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. Keith Abney was good at safety, and Rock Ya-Sin was OK on 24 snaps. I still think Detroit gets involved in the trade market.

Jimmy Rolder

Even wearing my Spartans shirt, I have to give the Wolverine his due. Rolder had a sack and a tackle for loss on 17 snaps before leaving with a hamstring injury. Detroit has cycled through Trevor Nowaske, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Devin White at Will linebacker without anyone locking it down. If Rolder keeps this up, he could become what Alex Anzalone was for this team, and maybe more.

The offensive line

Goff was sacked four times, but only one sack was credited to an offensive lineman, an early one on Blake Miller. Tyler Conklin and Sam LaPorta were tagged with one each, and the other was credited to Goff himself. The team allowed six pressures all game against the league’s supposed best defense. Miller allowed two, Christian Mahogany allowed one, and Juice Scruggs, Cade Mays, and Penei Sewell didn’t allow any. Pro Football Focus has graded this unit as the NFL’s top offensive line over the last two to three weeks.

Losers

Brian Branch

Look, this is going to be unpopular. Branch has to stop leading with his helmet. He was fined $23,000 on Saturday for a hit on Tucker Kraft where he led with the helmet, and he’s been fined for this plenty of times. This time, he hit his own teammate and took himself and D.J. Wonnum out of the game. Both were evaluated under the concussion protocol and ruled out for the second half, and Wonnum was carted off. It’s not good for Branch or the team. We’ll see if either is available against Miami.

Cade Mays

Mays was rusty against the Packers but played well Sunday before suffering an ankle injury. Scruggs came in and the offense didn’t miss a beat. It may have played better. That creates a good problem with real consequences. One of them is on a three-year, $25 million deal, and the other is set to hit free agency this offseason. Do you pay Scruggs and shop Mays, or let Scruggs walk? I’m glad that decision isn’t mine.

The NFL

I understand why taunting penalties exist. But Amon-Ra St. Brown talking to a guy on the ground is normal competitive stuff, and Jameson Williams got flagged for spinning the ball. Every player does that, and Williams did it again later in front of the Vikings’ bench without a flag. Before Packers fans bring it up, Matthew Golden getting flagged and fined for flexing was silly too. Save the flags for the obviously over-the-line stuff and let players compete.

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