Jordan Addison took a jet sweep handoff 65 yards for the game-sealing touchdown with 3:43 left as the Minnesota Vikings forced six turnovers and eliminated the Detroit Lions from playoff contention with a 23-10 victory on Christmas Day.
Harrison Smith, the 14th-year veteran safety, had one of the two interceptions and one of the five sacks of Jared Goff as the Vikings (8-8) won their fourth straight game. Goff was charged with three lost fumbles, once on a sack and twice on errant snaps by backup center Kingsley Eguakun.
With the third straight loss for the Lions (8-8), the Green Bay Packers clinched at least a wild-card spot and could still catch the Chicago Bears for the NFC North title that went to Detroit the past two seasons and Minnesota the year before that.
The Lions and Vikings combined for 29 wins last season, making this an attractive matchup for the NFL's three-game Christmas Day showcase before injuries and other assorted setbacks took them out of the race.
Stats leaders:
Lions
Vikings
Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer started for the injured J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and - with the Vikings missing starters at both tackle spots, center and tight end - took seven sacks while going just nine for 16 for 51 yards against a relentless pass rush.
The Vikings had only 75 net yards before Addison took the ball and burst around the right end untouched for his longest career score, capping it with a dive at the pylon to make sure the ball got in as he was pushed out of bounds.
But Brosmer protected the ball the way Goff usually does, helping set up Will Reichard for three field goals and making sure the remarkable effort by the defense didn't get wasted.
Goff went 18 for 29 for 197 yards and a touchdown pass to Isaac TeSlaa late in the second quarter to cap a 19-play, 80-yard drive that took 10:08 off the clock. That was the first passing touchdown allowed by the Vikings in seven games.
Dak Prescott threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns as the Dallas Cowboys beat Washington 30-23 on Thursday after reaching the end zone in each of their first three possessions.
Both teams were previously eliminated from playoff contention, which severely lessened the significance of this matchup between longtime NFC East rivals. But you couldn't tell that to the Cowboys (7-8-1), who raced to a 21-3 lead.
The Commanders (4-12) cut the gap to a touchdown on three different occasions. But they couldn't complete the comeback and absorbed their 10th loss in 11 games.
Prescott completed 19 of 37 passes and helped Dallas convert all six of its fourth-down tries. His two touchdown passes gave him 30, tying Tony Romo's franchise record of four seasons with at least 30 touchdown throws.
Stats leaders:
Cowboys
Commanders
Playing without injured quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota (quad, hand), Washington turned to 39-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson. Making his 10th career start and first since 2021, Johnson went 15 for 23 for 198 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored on runs of 10 and 72 yards for Washington. The latter touchdown got the Commanders to 24-17 in the third quarter, but Dallas restored its double-digit lead with a 52-yard field by Brandon Aubrey.
Aubrey added a 51-yarder to make it 30-20 with 3:59 remaining.
After Prescott threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ferguson on the game's opening drive, Johnson went three for three for 68 yards to get Washington to 7-3. The key play was a 41-yard completion to Deebo Samuel, Johnson's longest since 2018. Samuel finished by running into Donovan Wilson, knocking the safety's helmet off.
On their second possession, the Cowboys converted three fourth downs on a 17-play march that ended with a touchdown run by Javonte Williams. Prescott then made it three TDs in three drives with an 86-yard scoring pass to KaVontae Turpin.
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