The Lions made plays in their 27-10 loss at Minnesota, which may have been the most difficult part about the loss. Though Detroit was considered an underdog against the 7-1 NFC North leaders, the Lions kept themselves in the game for the first three quarters.
They recovered two Minnesota fumbles – both by running back Adrian Peterson – and made stops against quarterback Brett Favre and the talented Vikings’ offense.
By the end of the first half, Detroit was only down one score looking to get the ball back to start the second half.
“We were hanging in and we were putting bad plays behind us and finding a way to make a play,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz of the defense. “We continue to be plagued by the giant play, the big play. Even the one play that 
Buchanon’s play was one that kept Detroit in the game. Peterson had broken tackles and was making his way to the endzone when the veteran cornerback chased him down and punched the ball out. The ball reached the endzone and was recovered by linebacker
After the touchback, Detroit was able to put together a nearly perfect two-minute drive that ended with a field goal.
“We tried to do a good job of calling some quick passes and getting the ball out,” said quarterback
Minnesota has what many consider the best defensive line in the league. With Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Jared Allen and Ray Edwards, there is constant pressure coming from all angles.
While Schwartz gave credit where credit is due – “Let’s tip our hats where it warrants,” he said – he was disappointed with the lack of protection Stafford had throughout the game. Stafford was sacked three times, but there were also 13 quarterback hurries – many of which resulted in broken plays for Detroit.
“It’s about this team and we didn’t handle their pressure very well, we didn’t handle their four-man pass rush very well and that was a significant, significant part in this game,” said Schwartz. “It’s a tough place to play, the crowd’s loud, they’re getting off on the ball (and) there’s no snap count, but that’s no excuse. We played poorly in protecting our quarterback.”
Though it appeared Favre and the Vikings’ offense sealed the game for Minnesota, Detroit’s struggles producing offensively left many opportunities on the field.
Detroit came away with just three points despite two turnovers in the first half. Then, down by just one score to begin the second half, the Lions fumbled the ball on the opening play of the drive, which was quickly turned into a Vikings’ touchdown.
“(The fumble) was big, but we’ve still got to come out and make plays,” said Stafford. “We have to take it one play at a time. (If) we pick up the third down on that next drive, maybe we go down and score and it doesn’t really hurt us too bad. If we make mistakes like that, we’ve got to be able to pick each other up and try to get it going the right way.”
There were times the offense was efficient – most notably in the drive following Minnesota’s first touchdown of the second half.
Stafford spread the ball around to four different receivers that included five passes of 10 yards or more. Wide receiver
“He made some good catches today,” said Stafford. “That guy’s a tough guy and we tried to give him the ball a little bit more today, they tried to take him away again. It’s just what they’re going to do. When you’ve got a guy that talented, teams are going to try and take him away and we’ve just got to keep working.”
Looking at this loss to Minnesota, the bottom line in all phases was the Lions beating themselves with mistakes.
There were plenty of plays Detroit made on Sunday that were quality plays to keep them in the game and move them towards a win. It was the mistakes that ultimately stood in the Lions’ way of beating a talented team like Minnesota.
“As a coaching staff, when you look at a game and you look at a game plan, you say, ‘Did you get guys in the right position?’” said Schwartz. “At that point, players need to play. Coaches coach and players play and they need to be able to execute those plays.“
