Over the weekend, the Detroit Lions shed an unfavorable NFL distinction by removing themselves from the list of teams never to secure the No. 1 seed in their conference.
The Lions accomplished this with a dominant 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, capturing the NFC North, clinching the conference’s top seed, and setting a franchise record for season victories.
Star running back Jahmyr Gibbs continued his phenomenal form alongside David Montgomery, amassing 170 yards and four touchdowns. He also set a Lions single-season record with 20 touchdowns.
“We’re having a great season, but people still doubt us. It feels good to prove them wrong,” Gibbs said postgame. Meanwhile, quarterback Jared Goff made history of his own.
Goff became the only NFL quarterback to complete at least 72% of his passes while surpassing 4,500 yards. On Wednesday, the Lions announced Goff also broke Tom Brady’s record for most games completing at least 75% of passes in a season, with nine.
After winning the division, earning the No. 1 seed, and a first-round playoff bye, Goff emphasized the team’s higher ambitions.
“This isn’t the cherry on top,” he said after the game. “Not yet.” The Lions will rest this weekend before discovering their divisional-round opponent.
