The Minnesota Vikings played spoiler on Christmas Day as they defeated the Detroit Lions 23-10 to eliminate them from the playoffs.

The Minnesota Vikings made history on Christmas Day, beating the Detroit Lions 23-10 with just 3 net passing yards.

Justin Jefferson made history during the Minnesota Vikings' 23-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday. Jefferson reached 8,379 career receiving yards during the contest, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout Randy Moss for the most by any NFL player through their first six seasons.

That was a unique one. In their 23-10 win over the Lions on Christmas Day, the Vikings won the turnover battle 6-0 and managed just 3 net passing yards. To put those numbers (and some others) into context, we dug up a handful of interesting statistical notes from this strange victory.

Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012, first at the Pioneer Press and ESPN before becoming the Minnesota Star Tribune's lead Vikings reporter in 2017. He was named one of the top NFL beat writers by the Pro Football Writers of America in 2024, after honors in the AP Sports Editors and National Headliner Awards contests in 2023.

Throughout the last century, the Vikings have been depicted in so many inaccurate ways. They were male-dominated, brutal, homogenous, and, of course, they wore the infamous horned helmet. In reality, things were much less dramatic and, well, horned helmets might have been worn, but they weren't worn by the Vikings.

The Viking Age, spanning roughly from the late 8th century to the mid-11th century, was marked by exploration, conquest, and cultural exchange. Yet, despite their vast influence, the Vikings seemingly disappeared from history as abruptly as they had stormed onto it. Why?

The 2025 Vikings join the 1983 and 2014 teams as the only ones without a Pro Bowl selection when the initial rosters were announced.

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off three straight wins since being eliminated from the playoffs, but now they will be without J.J. McCarthy for the first time during this win streak. The team will likely be using Max Brosmer on Christmas Day against a Detroit Lions team that will be playing with a chip on their shoulders.