The final game of the 2024 regular season was a heavyweight bonanza, pitting the expectedly dominant Detroit Lions against the shockingly resurgent Minnesota Vikings with everything on the line: division, conference top seed, and first-round bye.Jared Goff and company were always expected to be contenders, but Sam Darnold had an anomaly of a campaign. Finally surrounded by mostrously prolific weapons like Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson for the first time in his career, he had his best record a starter, setting the record for most games by a quarterback in his first season with a new team.Minnestota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions box scoreTeams1Q2Q3Q4QTotalMinnesota Vikings0 6309Detroit Lions73 71431Minnesota Vikings player statsPassingPlayerCompletions/AttemptsYardsTouchdownsInterceptionsRatingSam Darnold18/411660055.5Rushing and receivingPlayerCarriesYardsTouchdownsReceptionsYardsTouchdownsAaron Jones104505300Cam Akers6650240Sam Darnold2110000Justin Jefferson0003540Jalen Nailor0003530Josh Oliver0002160T.J. Hockenson000290Jordan Addison000100DefensePlayerTotal tacklesSolo tacklesSacksTackles for LossInterceptionsIvan Pace Jr.105011Blake Cashman85000Camryn Bynum77010Byron Murphy Jr.75010Andrew Van Ginkel74010Jonathan Greenard54120Josh Metellus53000Harrison Phillips51000Harrison Smith43001Theo Jackson32000Jonathan Bullard31110Stephon Gilmore22000Shaquill Griffin22000Jihad Ward20000Trent Sherfield Sr.11000C.J. Ham11000Dallas Turner11000Jalen Redmond10000Jay Ward10000KickingPlayerField GoalsExtra pointsWill Reichard3/40/0PuntingPlayerPuntsYardsInside 20LongestRyan Wright3155057Detroit Lions player statsPassingPlayerCompletions/AttemptsYardsTouchdownsInterceptionsRatingJared Goff27/332311280.7Rushing and receivingPlayerCarriesYardsTouchdownsReceptionsYardsTouchdownsJahmyr Gibbs2313935311Craig Reynolds8390000Amon-Ra St. Brown0006770Sam LaPorta0007630Jameson Williams0006340Tim Patrick0002150Kalif Raymond0001110DefensePlayerTotal tacklesSolo tacklesSacksTackles for LossAlex Anzalone7300Kerby Joseph6400Brian Branch6300Jack Campbell6200Amik Robertson5400Za'Darius Smith3311Levi Onwuzurike3200DJ Reader3100Ifeatu Melifonwu2200Al-Quadin Muhammad2111Hogan Hatten2100Terrion Arnold2100Kindle Vildor2000Jalen Reeves-Maybin1100Jameson Williams1100Mitchell Agude1100Jared Goff1000Craig Reynolds1000Josh Paschal0000Chris Smith0000KickingPlayerField GoalsExtra pointsJake Bates1/14/4PuntingPlayerPuntsYardsInside 20LongestJack Fox2102156Minnestota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions game summaryThe game began with both teams exchanging punts on the first two drives. Eventually, the Detroit Lions struck first via Jahmyr Gibbs charging for six.Another exchange of punts ensued, lasting into the second quarter. The Minnesota Vikings then managed to get inside the opposing three, only to fail on fourth down and lose possession.However, they recovered by intercepting Jared Goff and turning it into a field goal. And then they forced a turnover on downs on the next drive and turned it into another field goal, which the Lions answered with one fo their own to end the first half.The second half began with disaster, as the Vikings failed to convert on fourth down while inside the opposing two and lost possession. However, they managed to recover by intercepting Goff again on the very first play of the next drive and scoring their third field goal of the night.But at last, the Lions found an aerial breakthrough: Gibbs catching this touchdown down an unguarded middle on fourth down:Then he did it again to begin the fourth quarter, rushing to the end zone. After the Lions forced a punt, he punished it with another rushing touchdown.In a desperate attempt to catch up, the Vikings committed a turnover on downs, seedling the game.