National Football League

Week 12 game review: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What were the good, bad, and interesting things from the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions week 12 Thanksgiving matchup on November 24, 2016?

With the NFC North division lead on the line and Thanksgiving dinner on the tables of many Minnesota Vikings fans around the world, the team took on the Detroit Lions in a big week 12 matchup.

The matchup between the first two teams needed overtime to determine a winner. Sadly, the Vikings game out on the losing end of that battle due to an amazing field goal to force the overtime and Golden Tate making players miss.

Sadly, the game went down to the final moments once again between these two teams, and the Detroit Lions came out on top again. With a final score of 16-13, the Lions took sole possession of the NFC North and the Vikings fell to 6-5 on the season.

But what were the good, bad, and interesting parts of the game between the Lions and Vikings? And was the overall impression of the game a good one? Let’s discuss all of that starting with the good things!

Nov 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) gets pushed out of bounds by Detroit Lions cornerback Quandre Diggs (hidden) during the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Good Stuff

Next: The Bad Things

Nov 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) pressures Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) during the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad Things

Next: The Interesting Occurrences

Nov 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions fans react during the game on Thanksgiving against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Interesting Occurrences

Next: Overall impression

Nov 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) runs the ball during the first quarter of a NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Overall impression

If not for some help from the officials on some debatable calls to extend the first drive of the game by the Vikings, it seemed as though Minnesota wanted nothing to do with getting anywhere near the end zone.

More from The Viking Age

This was a deflating performance for a couple reasons. Not only did the Vikings lose to a division rival above them in the standings, but the offense was quick and efficient but still couldn’t put together drives that resulted in touchdowns.

At least there were some positives to take away from the game. The Minnesota Vikings did run the ball better than usual and get one run to end in the end zone. Also, the defense was able to contain the Detroit offense and hold them to only one score as well.

But now Minnesota will have to deal with more injuries while others hopefully heal in a big way. If they want to have hopes of a postseason berth this year, they will need to put together a string of wins the next few weeks.

Next week, the Minnesota Vikings will have the Dallas Cowboys come to town. This will be the biggest test of the year for Minnesota, as the squad from Texas can attack a team in many different ways. Watch for it on Thursday Night Football!

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