Jameson Williams bummed Lions are playing on the road on Christmas
Jameson Williams on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, discusses the Detroit Lions’ upcoming game on Christmas at the Minnesota Vikings.
MINNEAPOLIS – Playing an undrafted rookie quarterback making his second career start and an offense that could barely move the ball, the Detroit Lions had to do one thing above all else Thursday to beat the Minnesota Vikings and keep their slim playoff hopes alive – take care of the ball.
With their season on the line, they couldn’t do that.
The Lions committed a season-high six turnovers and allowed five sacks, losing in sloppy fashion to the Vikings on Christmas Day at U.S Bank Stadium, 23-10.
The loss eliminates the Lions, who had an NFL-low eight turnovers in 15 games entering Thursday, from playoff contention with one game to play and drops them into last place in the NFC North with an 8-8 record.
The Vikings also are 8-8, but swept the season series from the Lions one year after the Lions beat them twice to go 15-2 and claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Jared Goff threw two interceptions and lost three fumbles – two came on bad quarterback-center exchanges – and Jahmyr Gibbs had a fumble as the Lions finished with a season-low 231 yards of offense.
The Vikings, starting third-stringer Max Brosmer at quarterback, had 75 yards of offense before Jordan Addison scored on a 65-yard jet sweep with 3:43 to play. They finished with 161 net yards.
Here are three thoughts on the game:
Franchise moving in wrong direction
The Lions started the season with so much hope coming off two of the best seasons in franchise history but will head into the offseason with major questions about how big of a retool they need to be contenders again in 2026.
The Lions have lost three straight with one game left next week against the Chicago Bears, and their once-potent offense has fallen on hard times. They’ve scored 10 or fewer points twice in the past six weeks and their run game has been nonexistent for more than a month.
Injuries to Sam LaPorta, Taylor Decker (he didn’t play Thursday because of an illness) and others have taken a toll, but that hardly explains the steep decline. The offensive line needs a reboot. Dan Campbell probably needs to hire an offensive coordinator. And Goff played one of his worst games of the season in a must-win situation Thursday.
As has been the case the past three weeks, Goff is the least of the Lions’ problems on offense. But at some point, teams have to turn games over to their star quarterback and Goff did not deliver in key moments Thursday.
His first interception was a third-and-long heave to Isaac TeSlaa, but his second was a timing play that was just off the mark to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Vikings scored 16 points off Lions turnovers and had little else working on the day, and Goff and the Lions weren’t able to capitalize.
It was a hugely disappointing effort.
All the King’s men
Kingsley Eguakun earned the start Thursday at center and given the way he played in last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and where the Lions were in the season – not to mention Graham Glasgow’s health and inconsistent play this year. But Eguakun had an ugly game against a tricky Vikings defense and I’m not sure what the Lions do next.
Eguakun muffed a center-quarterback exchange with Goff that led the Vikings’ first-half touchdown, was called for a (questionable) false-start penalty that forced the Lions to punt on a fourth-and-short they intended to go for, allowed a sack on the final play of the first half and had another bad snap that led to a fumble in the final minutes of the game.
On the first fumbled exchange, Eguakun appeared to simply snap the ball before Goff was ready. And his fourth-down penalty was one of two the Lions had on fourth-and-short – tight end Giovanni Ricci had the other – that led to punts.
Eguakun told me last week his goal was to “continue to show coaches that I know what I’m doing so they can trust me to the highest level, hopefully, one day how they trusted Frank (Ragnow).”
The Lions will be looking for a Ragnow replacement this offseason and I imagine Eguakun will be in the mix. I wouldn’t judge his readiness for a bigger role off how he played in his second career start, against a good defense
But he also hasn’t done enough to warrant the Lions de-prioritizing their need at that position this offseason. It’s probably the smart move to give Eguakun another game as starter and let him grow on the past two weeks. But if Glasgow is healthy, he gives the Lions the best chance to win.
Fox and friends
It didn’t matter in the end, but Jack Fox was nearly the Lions’ MVP Thursday.
Fox banged a perfect 70-yard punt midway through the fourth quarter that right-turned out of bounds at the 1-yard line and gave the Lions a chance at victory.
Fox, who led the NFL in gross punting in his All-Pro season a year ago, hit the punt with 9 minutes to play, the Lions backed up at their own 29-yard line and both teams struggling to move the ball.
The Vikings, starting at their own 1, couldn’t pick up a first down on the ensuing possession and kicked the ball back to the Lions near midfield.
David Montgomery picked up a first down on a screen pass from Goff, then ran for another two plays later before the Lions had to settle for a 48-yard Jake Bates field goal. Goff had two passes batted at the line of scrimmage on unsuccessful third- and fourth-down plays, but on a day where the Lions offense was pitiful and the defense gave up a crushing run in the final minutes, Fox showed why he’s one of the best punters in the NFL.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.