The running back ran 33 yards for a touchdown, going untouched from the left side of the line to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead after they deflected a fake punt to start the drive with a short field. Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels spoke this week about being prepared for the Lions’ frequent punt fakes. Brian Asamoah stopped Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the handoff after the Lions decided to do so in the fourth and seventh.

The Vikings had put Detroit in dire straits with a sack by Andrew Van Ginkel that followed a Lions penalty, and the Lions gained 19 yards on third-and-26, but coach Dan Campbell opted for the fake punt, though the Lions needed to pick up 7 yards. It turned into early momentum for the Vikings when Jones jumped into the stands at U.S. Bank Stadium (a Bank Vault rather than a Lambeau jump) after building another lead for a team rare this season had fallen behind. — BEN GÖSSLING

La Velle E. Neal III wrote that the two-games-in-five-day stretch was a chance for the Vikings to distinguish themselves as a true NFC power.

The Vikings are back at US Bank Stadium for the first time since September 22nd and will once again face a team that made the playoffs in 2023. This time they’re doing so with big stakes in the NFC North. There are two teams in the NFC that have suffered fewer than two losses in six weeks: the 5-0 Vikings and the 4-1 Lions, who are one game behind Minnesota in the division. The Vikings and Lions are fighting not only for the lead in what is currently the toughest league in the NFL, but also for first place in the NFC. The Vikings have lost four of their last five games against the Lions. — BEN GÖSSLING

The Vikings have three players available – running back Aaron Jones, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and edge rusher Patrick Jones II – who have been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Lions.