Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions: Fourth Quarter Open Thread

Trailing 17-15, the Minnesota Vikings started the second half with the football against the Detroit Lions. The return from Cordarrelle Patterson gave the Vikings the ball at their own 22-yard line to start the drive. Teddy Bridgewater found Jarius Wright for a nice 16-yard gain on their first play, and a connection from Bridgewater to Kyle Rudolph put Minnesota at midfield. A big defensive holding penalty on third down negated a sack of Bridgewater and kept the drive going for the Vikings, and Bridgewater found Stefon Diggs for a 13-yard gain to move the chains again. The drive concluded with a great pass from Bridgewater to Diggs for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Diggs had to lay out and got full extension on the pass, but he blew past Rashean Mathis like he was standing still. It was the first NFL touchdown for Diggs, and the extra point from Blair Walsh gave the Vikings their first lead of the day at 22-17.

Detroit went three-and-out on their first drive of the third quarter, and the Vikings got the ball back at the 22-yard line after a fair catch of Sam Martin's punt by Marcus Sherels. On the first play of the next drive, Adrian Peterson finally broke a long run, as he found a hole on the right side and went all the way down to the Detroit 2-yard line for a 75-yard gain. That put the ball at the Detroit 3-yard line. . .and the Vikings could get no closer, as Bridgewater was sacked again for a huge loss, and the Vikings had to call on Blair Walsh again. Walsh put it home from 35 yards out, and Minnesota increased their lead to eight at 25-17.

Detroit started their next drive at the 20 after another touchback by Walsh, and the Lions put together another three-and-out, keyed by sacks by both Eric Kendricks (on first down) and Anthony Barr/Audie Cole (on third down). The Vikings' got the ball in great position near midfield. A big connection from Bridgewater to MyCole Pruitt went for a big third down conversion, and Bridgewater then found Thielen for 30 yards down to the Detroit 2-yard line.

As we move to the fourth quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at 2nd-and-goal from the Detroit 4-yard line, holding a 25-17 lead. The Vikings have come back. . .can they hang on?