Minnesota30
Detroit20
Minnesota
Detroit
| Minnesota 30 | Detroit 20 |
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| December 10, 2006 | Ford Field-Attendance: 60,861 (65,000) | Time: 3:08 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| FIRST QUARTER | MIN | DET |
| MIN | TD | 8:01 | Artose Pinner rush to the left for 3 yards for a touchdown. | 6 | 0 |
| MIN | PAT | 8:01 | Ryan Longwell extra point attempt is good. | 7 | 0 |
| MIN | TD | 2:32 | Artose Pinner rush to the left for 4 yards for a touchdown. | 13 | 0 |
| MIN | PAT | 2:32 | Ryan Longwell extra point attempt is good. | 14 | 0 |
| SECOND QUARTER | MIN | DET |
| MIN | TD | 13:41 | Brad Johnson rush to the right for 3 yards for a touchdown. | 20 | 0 |
| MIN | 2PT | 13:41 | Brad Johnson 2-pt conversion pass attempt failed. | 20 | 0 |
| DET | TD | 8:04 | Brad Johnson pass to the right intercepted by Jamar Fletcher and returned 88 yards for a touchdown. | 20 | 6 |
| DET | PAT | 8:04 | Jason Hanson extra point attempt is good. | 20 | 7 |
| DET | FG | 1:30 | Jason Hanson 53 yard field goal attempt is good. | 20 | 10 |
| THIRD QUARTER | MIN | DET |
| MIN | FG | 12:33 | Ryan Longwell 30 yard field goal attempt is good. | 23 | 10 |
| DET | FG | 7:27 | Jason Hanson 45 yard field goal attempt is good. | 23 | 13 |
| FOURTH QUARTER | MIN | DET |
| MIN | TD | 13:46 | Artose Pinner rush to the left for 1 yard for a touchdown. | 29 | 13 |
| MIN | PAT | 13:46 | Ryan Longwell extra point attempt is good. | 30 | 13 |
| DET | TD | 10:48 | Jon Kitna pass completion to the middle to Kevin Jones for 23 yards for a touchdown. | 30 | 19 |
| DET | PAT | 10:48 | Jason Hanson extra point attempt is good. | 30 | 20 |
| Statistics |
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| Team Stat Comparison |
| MIN | DET | |
| 1st Downs | 21 | 20 |
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| 3rd down efficiency | 7-13 | 4-10 |
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| 4th down efficiency | 1-1 | 1-2 |
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| Total Yards | 328 | 280 |
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| Passing | 156 | 283 |
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| Comp-Att | 14-22 | 28-41 |
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| Yards per pass | 6.8 | 6.4 |
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| Rushing | 172 | -3 |
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| Rushing Attempts | 44 | 10 |
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| Yards per rush | 3.9 | -0.3 |
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| Penalties | 7-50 | 6-50 |
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| Sacks against | 1-3 | 3-11 |
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| Turnovers | 2 | 6 |
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| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 3-3 |
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| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 3 |
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| Possession | 35:31 | 24:29 |
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But he insisted it was more gratifying to help the Minnesota Vikings stay in the playoff picture.
Pinner had career highs with 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns Sunday to lift Minnesota to a 30-20 win over the Detroit Lions.
''It was more important that it gives us a chance to stay in the playoff race,'' he said.
Despite losing five of their previous six games and being under .500, the Vikings (6-7) still have a shot at playing in January.
''It's kind of like NCAA tournament time and we're still in it,'' Minnesota safety Darren Sharper said. ''If we win our next three, I believe we'll definitely be in.''
The Lions (2-11), meanwhile, have lost five straight and the only consolation for the hapless franchise is it can't break the record for the most losses in a six-season span. Detroit, an NFL-worst 23-70 since 2001, would fall one setback short of the 74 losses Tampa Bay had from 1983-88 if its closes the season without a win.
Offensive tackle Jeff Backus has started every game during the miserable stretch, and the past two weeks he had to congratulate former Michigan teammates: Tom Brady in New England and Steve Hutchinson of the Vikings.
''I'm jealous of those guys,'' Backus said. ''They've been able to have success and enjoy their careers. What fun is there in losing every week?''
One home game after Miami's Joey Harrington threw three TDs in a win against Detroit, which drafted him third overall in 2002, another former Lion had a big day at Ford Field.
Pinner, among Detroit's final cuts before the season, replaced injured Chester Taylor (ribs) and played ahead of backups expected to take a larger role.
''We had to introduce ourselves,'' Minnesota Brad Johnson joked.
Pinner ran for TDs on Minnesota's first two drives to double his previous career high in scoring. By the middle of the second quarter, he surpassed his previous career high of 68 yards rushing set in 2004, a year after Detroit drafted him in the fourth round.
His best game this season was 29 yards rushing at San Francisco, a performance that was followed by one without a carry and three inactive games.
''I was able to touch the ball over 20 times and make plays,'' said Pinner, who had 29 carries - six more than his previous career high. ''That's all I ever asked for and to have the opportunity to do it here makes it that much sweeter.''
Detroit had five of its six turnovers after three quarters, but trailed by just 10 because Minnesota had two turnovers of its own - one of which was returned for a score.
''We left a lot of points out there, but the defense did a great job,'' Pinner said.
The Vikings seemed to put the game away early in the fourth quarter with Pinner's third TD - matching his total from any previous season - that put them ahead 30-13.
But the Lions stayed in the game as Kevin Jones scored on the ensuing possession to pull within 10 and they drove to the Minnesota 2 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
With a chance to make it a one-possession game with a field goal, Detroit went for it on fourth down and Jon Kitna was sacked.
''It was tough to get down there against that defense,'' Lions coach Rod Marinelli insisted. ''We wanted to get it in, get a three and out and go from there.''
Kitna was 28-of-41 for 294 yards with a TD, three interceptions and a fumble. Kitna entered the game tied for the NFL lead with 22 turnovers and added four to that woeful total, but Marinelli said he will not make a quarterback change.
''It's not all one guy,'' Marinelli said.
The Vikings stuck with Johnson at quarterback, instead of taking a chance on rookie Tarvaris Jackson, and he was 14-of-22 for 159 yards with an interception and a rushing TD that made it 20-0 on their third possession. Coach Brad Childress said Johnson did enough to keep his job.
Minnesota, the NFL's best team against the run, held Detroit to minus-3 yards rushing and Jones left with a left foot injury after being stopped on a second-and-goal at the 1 before Kitna was sacked late in the game.
Detroit's Roy Williams and Mike Furrey combined for 15 catches and 157 yards, but both fumbled.
Notes: Lions president Matt Millen had an informal chat before the game with a small group of reporters, but declined to comment on his job status - with four years left on his contract - or about anything involving the franchise he has led since 2001. ... The Vikings tied a franchise record with four rushing TDs and beat Detroit for the 10th straight time.
What more can I say without repeating myself week after week? This sad excuse for a franchise continues to find ways to embarrass themselves week in and week out! I should have known better than to waste another afternoon watching the honolulu blue and silver put on another turnover clinic! Sorry, but this wasn't a good team they were playing - it was a team that was also in disarray like the Lions! Minnesota was without their #1 running back - Chester Taylor. It was so fitting to see them start Artose Pinner, who the Lions cut during the last week of the pre-season. Pinner had a career day against his former team (haven't we heard that before) as he rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions decided to keep rookie Brian Calhoun - who has been on the injured reserve list now for weeks and Arlin Harris, who couldn't pick up more than a yard if his life depended on it. Once again, Mr. 23-70 made another awful decision on letting Pinner go for nothing. As for the game, it is what it is. The Defense cannot stop any running back, the Offense cannot stop turning the ball over and the crowd becomes more apathetic as each games goes on. At the start of of today's game, Ford Field was not even 1/2 full! Like on Thanksgiving, the only time I raised my voice was to chant Fire Millen! After Kitna committed the Offenses sixth turnover, I left along with just about everyone else. I never thought it could get any worse than last year, but this 2-11 team continues to reach new depths with each and every loss. But, as I keep on saying, the Fords could care less - they are making money on the Lions and that is all they care about. Mr. 23-70 will continue to build onto his loss column as more and more devoted Lions fans finally give up with this team. I know plenty of people that already have and I have reached the point I only watch the games so I can provide my analysis on my website.
Offense: --- F. Six turnovers - are you kidding me? Just when you think the Offense cannot shoot themselves in the foot as much as last weeks game, they have a repeat performance. John Kitna continues to regress as the weeks go on and I must now say, he was not a good free agent signing - yet another rotten decision by Mr. 23-70. The Offensive Line is just awful. With the Lions down 10 late in the game, they were only a few yards away from pulling within 3. Nothing like getting stuffed three straight times! That pretty much summed up the game and the season.
Defense: --- D-. Giving up 125 yards and three touchodwns to a good RB is bad enough, but to ARTOSE PINNER???? Does the Defense specialize in letting ex-Lions burn them??? Tackling was pathetic and the gave Minneosota's inept Offense a huge lift in the first half. Their only bright spot was an interception return for a touchdown when the Vikings were about to go up by four touchdowns. All in all, another pitiful performance by the Defense.
Special Teams: --- B-. Hanson continues to be the Lions only consisten player year in and year out. He made two more long field goals and has not lost a beat. Coverage was not that good and Eddie Drummond had only one good run back the entire game. He has definitely lost a step.
Coaching: --- F. With each loss, i'm starting to wonder if Marinelli is in over his head - it sure does appear to seem like that. Once again he made the wrong decision, just like last week that buried any chance of the Lions coming back in the game. Down 10 with less than 5 minutes left you kick the field goal on 4th and 2 given the Vikings are one of the best teams in the league against the run and the Lions had just lost Kevin Jones to yet another injury. Marinelli's decision to go for it blew up in his face as is his team!
Overall: --- F-. Its scary to think how much uglier it could get with the three remaining games. Next week is the guarantee lock of the centry - the Lions will lose - etch that in stone. Like they are going to win their first game in Green Bay since 1991??? Yeah right! After that they have the two best teams in the NFC - Chicago and at Dallas. If either team has anything to play for the Lions will finish the season at 2-14. Even if Chicago or Dallas play their backups, the Lions will still have a hard time winning. I cannot wait for this season to get over with! But, what is there to look forward to? Mr. 23-70 will probably be back, the Lions will blow the fist pick overall in the draft and continue to sign the wrong free agents as they have done every single year under Mr. 23-70!
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