Vikings...20 Lions...16
- Share via
DETROIT — Tarvaris Jackson threw a go-ahead touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Vikings held on for a 20-16 victory over the winless Detroit Lions.
The Vikings (8-5) lost starting quarterback Gus Frerotte to a back injury, but Jackson filled in well and kept them atop the NFC North.
At this point, Detroit (0-13) is expected to finish the season as the first 0-16 team in league history, with games remaining at Indianapolis, against New Orleans and at Green Bay. The Lions are the fourth team to start 0-13 or worse since 1976, when Tampa Bay infamously finished 0-14 as an expansion team.
Quoteworthy: “In your mind you don’t want to be the team to lose to a winless team this late in the year.” -- Jared Allen, Vikings defensive end
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
