Vikings dominate Lions despite woeful passing game

MINNEAPOLIS — Modern NFL teams almost never win the way the Minnesota Vikings did Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings became the third team in the past 40 seasons to finish with fewer than 10 net passing yards in a victory, riding a stellar performance from their defense and place-kicker Will Reichard in a 23-10 decision over the Detroit Lions.

With rookie quarterback Max Brosmer making his second career start and three starting offensive linemen sidelined by injury, the Vikings managed 3 net passing yards. Their total stood at minus-7 net passing yards until Brosmer and wide receiver Justin Jefferson connected for 10 yards on the Vikings’ final throw of the night.

“It wasn’t our standard in the pass game,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said. “But sometimes, it depends on how your team plays collectively as a group. I’ve learned a lot as a head coach of [doing] whatever it takes to win each and every opportunity that you get.”

The only other teams that have won games with fewer than 10 net passing yards over the past 40 years are the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals (4 yards) and the 2006 Houston Texans (minus-5 yards). It’s even rarer to win by a double-digit margin, with the last victory for a team by at least 10 points with less than 5 net passing yards coming in 1974.

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

The Lions have not had one of the NFL’s better pass defenses this season, entering the game ranked No. 18 in defensive pass EPA (expected points added) per play. But they largely flummoxed Brosmer, who was starting in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy, sacking Brosmer seven times and hitting him on five other occasions. The Vikings scored one of their two touchdowns after a drive that began when they recovered a fumble at the Lions’ 16-yard line, and the other came on a 65-yard run from wideout Jordan Addison.

Reichard completed the scoring by going 3-of-3 on field goal attempts with a long of 56 yards.

Brosmer threw four interceptions in his first NFL start, a 26-0 loss at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, and O’Connell said the team was determined to “protect the football” against the Lions. Brosmer’s performance reflected a young quarterback who wanted to avoid a turnover at all costs. He almost never looked downfield, attempting only three passes that traveled more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage, and finished with nine completions in 16 attempts for 51 yards.

He has started two games this season and played parts of four other games, managing 271 total passing yards in those appearances.

“Lots of learning,” Brosmer said of his rookie season. “NFL football is hard, and people say it a lot. NFL football is fun too, and that’s not me saying I don’t enjoy this. My favorite part is the process.”

The Vikings have won four consecutive games to pull their record to 8-8, but their primary goal since they were eliminated from playoff contention — getting a full evaluation of McCarthy — remains incomplete. McCarthy was inactive Thursday after he was diagnosed with what O’Connell said earlier in the week was a “very, very small hairline fracture” in his right throwing hand.

Although the Vikings claimed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien to ensure they had three available passers Thursday alongside Brosmer and John Wolford, Minnesota has not ruled out getting McCarthy back for its Week 18 home game against the Green Bay Packers.

“He’s doing well,” O’Connell said. “With the extra time until next week, we’ll see. It’s all going to come down to just grip strength and his ability to grip the football and throw it. And I would obviously love to have him get one more opportunity for this year.

“I look forward to seeing how J.J. progresses here early in the week, and we’ll see if we can have him.”