It finally happened. The Detroit Lions put an end to a winless streak that has run for 364 days as they completed a memorable 29-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings in an encounter that was as dramatic as it could be.
The Lions win was clinched with a Jared Goff pass to Amon-Ra St Brown just as time was expiring, an astonishing climax to an exciting game that clearly won't have any bearing on where the Ford Field side finishes in the NFC North.
The victory for Dan Campbell's men may, though, have some impact when it comes to Detroit Lions' upcoming games odds, and perhaps they can pick up another win before the season comes to a close. Of their final four games, the best bet of a win could come at Lumen Field as they take on the Seattle Seahawks.
Campbell's remaining home-field games don't seem to be winnable with the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers traveling to Michigan in December and January, respectively.
The Lions managed just one tie and 11 games this season, prior to the game with the Vikings, and closed off last season with four straight defeats, making this a run that almost completed a full year.
The win came at an emotional time for Michigan, and the win was dedicated to the memory of those lost in the Oxford school shooting earlier in the month. As for what the Lions can achieve in the short and medium-term, well, Lions fans will have to lower their expectations if they think that the win over Minnesota will represent anything in terms of a gear change for their team.
Indeed Campbell was fairly direct when asked what he said to Jared Goff following his key touchdown pass, stating;
“That's the way to throw it when we needed it, motherf—–! That is exactly what I said,”
He went on to pay tribute to the survivors of the school shooting;
“I just wanted them to know exactly what we were going to represent today,”
“The shirts, the hats, the decals, the people that are affected. Some of our players know of someone that was affected. To me, my thought was, ‘Hey, man, if we can, for three hours, just ease their suffering a little bit, that's worth it.' So, that's kinda how I thought of this, and we did a great job; players responded and played well.”
“This game ball goes to the whole Oxford community. All those that were affected.”
The win was the first of Dan Campbell's tenure as Lions head coach, having been brought in January to help guide Detroit register a win that did at least lift the spirits of a fan base desperate for something to celebrate.
It is worth noting that the performance and win over the Viking was clearly further evidence that the Lions were moving in the right direction. In the two games prior to the win, they ran out narrow losers to the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears.
However, they were powerless to stop a mauling at the hands of the Denver Broncos, 38-20, in their first game after the Minnesota triumph.
