The Vikings lose to the Lions in a thriller and suffer their first defeat of the season

The Vikings are no longer perfect.

With 15 seconds left, Jake Bates delivered the game-winning field goal for the Detroit Lions, who lost an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter but escaped with a 31-29 win at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday. That sends them up 5-1, placing them atop the NFC.

The Vikings fell behind in a brutal second quarter, rallied late and took the lead on a fumble return touchdown by Ivan Pace Jr. and had a chance to tie the game by one point after their defense made another stop got. But they made a three-pointer and then allowed the Lions to get into field goal range to retake the lead. The Vikings miss the two-point conversion after Pace’s touchdown plays a big role in the final result.

Minnesota is now 5-1 and in second place in the NFC North. The Vikings battled, but a stretch in which the Lions scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions proved too much to overcome. After a few key stops by their defense in the fourth quarter, they failed to make another attack on the series that led to Bates’ field goal that decided the game.

This was announced as the game of the week and it worked. The Vikings led 10-0, then trailed by several points, then took the lead on Pace’s touchdown, but ultimately failed to take the lead in a thrilling game in Minneapolis.

Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones scored touchdowns for the Vikings’ offense. Sam Darnold was mostly solid except for a first-half interception that led to one of the Lions’ scores, but he couldn’t keep up with Jefferson on a crucial third down late in the game.

The afternoon started beautifully for the Vikings, which has been a theme of their season. A defensive stop on the first possession turned into great field position when Dan Campbell bizarrely executed a fake punt and the Vikings deflected it with ease. Two plays later, Jones took a handoff and threw a 34-yard touchdown. After another stop, a 57-yard field goal by Will Reichard gave Minnesota a 10-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game.

But the Lions refused to tip over. They recovered and dominated the entire second quarter, hitting the Vikings harder than they had been hit all year. Detroit scored three touchdowns in the quarter, all capping long, block-filled drives in which the Vikings offered very little resistance. On the other side of the ball, Minnesota punted twice and turned the ball over after a rough interception by Darnold.

Trailing 21-10 at halftime, the Vikings faced major adversity for the first time this season. They came out and responded well on offense, with Darnold hitting Jefferson for a 25-yard touchdown to cap an 80-yard drive, but the defense continued to struggle. The Lions marched 70 yards for the fourth straight game and extended their lead back to several points midway through the third quarter.

That’s when things got really good. The Vikings kicked a pair of field goals to get within five. Pace’s touchdown sent the crowd into a frenzy. But the three-pointer on the Vikings’ last full offensive possession meant they needed one final stop that the defense couldn’t get.

Minnesota will look to bounce back after a short week when it takes on the Los Angeles Rams Thursday Night Football.