With the pressure at its peak and the stakes as high as possible, the Detroit Lions rose to the occasion, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in a winner-take-all showdown.

Detroit’s defense delivered an exceptional performance under immense pressure. Meanwhile, Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs starred by scoring four touchdowns and surpassing 100 rushing yards for the third consecutive game in a dominant 31-9 victory.

Dan Campbell expressed that his team was destined for this moment and meant to be together, and his belief proved prophetic. Aaron Glenn’s defense deserves significant praise for pressuring Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, resulting in multiple goal-line stands and drives ending in field goals.

With the win, the Lions have clinched the NFC North for the second year in a row, securing the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 seed. This means the NFC playoffs will run through Detroit, with the Lions earning a bye and home-field advantage.

This marks the first time the franchise has repeated as division champions during the Super Bowl era, with the previous back-to-back titles coming in 1952-1954.

Minnesota will face the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford in the wild-card round.

The Vikings had three chances inside the 10-yard line in the first 35 minutes of the game but turned it over on downs twice, coming away with just 3 points on those trips. This trend continued in the second half as the Vikings failed to score a pivotal touchdown before the game slipped away.

After the Vikings missed a field goal late in the third quarter, the Lions seized the opportunity, with Gibbs’ third touchdown extending the lead to 24-9.

Gibbs added a fourth score, his NFL-leading 20th of the year, after another defensive stop to seal the game late in the fourth quarter.

The Lions now have a week off and will host every playoff game they play, with a potential Super Bowl appearance in their sights.

Other notable observations from the game:

— The Lions finished the season with 68 touchdowns, the second-most in NFL history, only behind Peyton Manning’s 2013 Denver Broncos.

— This Lions-Vikings game marked the first regular-season finale where the No. 1 seed was awarded to the winning team since the Cowboys-Giants game in 1993. It also had the most combined wins (28) in an NFL regular-season game. Minnesota becomes the first 14-win team to enter the playoffs as a wild-card.

— Alex Anzalone and Kalif Raymond were active for the game. Anzalone, who had been out since breaking his forearm in Week 11, played a key role in covering T.J. Hockenson. Raymond, out since a foot injury in November, also made his return.

— First-round rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold limped off the field early in the third quarter with a foot injury and was carted off, not returning. Veteran defensive lineman Pat O’Connor also left with a calf injury.

— Jameson Williams needed 33 yards to hit 1,000 receiving yards and barely made it, finishing the regular season with 1,001 yards. This marks the Lions’ first season with two 1,000-yard receivers (alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown) since Golden Tate and Marvin Jones did it in 2017.

— Jared Goff, with a 77% completion rate and a 90.9 QBR against Brian Flores’ Vikings defense in their three matchups, finished the game with 26 completions on 32 attempts, 227 yards, and a touchdown, despite two interceptions.

— Dan Campbell now holds a 5-1 record against Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and a 6-2 record against Minnesota overall since taking over in 2021. His first win as Lions head coach came against the Vikings, and he has dominated the divisional rivalry since then.

— The Vikings maintained their streak of forcing at least one turnover in every game this season. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. intercepted a tipped pass from Goff in the second quarter, replicating his touchdown return from the first meeting of the season.

— Star receiver Justin Jefferson was limited to just 54 yards on three catches from eight targets. The Lions relied on Amik Robertson and relentless pressure on Darnold to contain the dangerous passing attack.

— Derrick Barnes and Aidan Hutchinson were seen on the sidelines before the game. Barnes had previously mentioned wanting to watch the game from the sideline, while Hutchinson was spotted talking to the team’s ownership without crutches.

— Teams looking for head coaches can begin interviewing Lions assistants virtually starting Wednesday, with both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn expected to be among the most sought-after candidates.