DETROIT — For the second time in three weeks, the Vikings got more than 390 passing yards from quarterback Nick Mullens against the Lions. For the second time in that span, they gave up 30 points to Detroit and lost.
Their 30-20 defeat at Ford Field on Sunday meant they ended their season with a 7-10 record, having lost six of their final seven games to fall out of the NFC playoff race. They were eliminated from the wild-card hunt before the final whistle, thanks to wins from Tampa Bay and New Orleans, but even if those teams had lost, the Vikings would have been out because of their loss to Detroit.