Game story
In Week 6 of the 1999 NFL season on 1999-10-17, the Detroit Lions took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings, pulling away with a 25–23 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 15 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
G. Frerotte (Detroit Lions) paced the passing game, with +1.60 total EPA.
On the individual side, J. George (Minnesota Vikings) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +11.78 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+53.1% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Detroit Lions changed the game: M.Berger kicks 65 yards from MIN 30 to DET 5. T.Fair to DET 21 for 16 yards (C.Walsh). PENALTY on DET-S.Kowalkowski, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at DET 21.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 0 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 23 |
| Detroit Lions | 10 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 25 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. George · Minnesota Vikings · Passing · +11.78 total EPA · 15 snaps · +0.79 EPA/play
- 2 R. Moss · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +7.50 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.58 EPA/play
- 3 J. Reed · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +5.42 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.81 EPA/play
- 4 J. Morton · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +5.06 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.46 EPA/play
- 5 A. Glover · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +1.91 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.64 EPA/play
- 6 G. Frerotte · Detroit Lions · Passing · +1.60 total EPA · 23 snaps · +0.07 EPA/play
- 7 D. Sloan · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.24 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.21 EPA/play
- 8 J. Mills · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +1.01 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.01 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. George — MIN · Passing
J. George posted the highest total EPA (+11.78) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Minnesota Vikings's efficiency. Across 15 counted snaps, they averaged +0.79 EPA per play.
The signature play (-7.41 EPA) came from Minnesota Vikings: (9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Minnesota Vikings — unlisted player
- Minnesota Vikings — unlisted player
- Minnesota Vikings — unlisted player
Field goals
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
- Minnesota Vikings — unlisted player
- Detroit Lions — unlisted player
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 10–0. Detroit Lions found the end zone from the DET 64 (Q1 54:47) — (9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the MIN 2 (Q1 52:17) — J.Hanson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 3 (Q1 48:55) — (3:55) J.Hanson 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett..
The second quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 9–0. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 31 (Q2 43:03) — (13:03) J.Hanson 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 10 (Q2 38:37) — (8:37) J.Hanson 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 11 (Q2 30:29) — (:29) J.Hanson 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett..
The third quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 14–0. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the DET 17 (Q3 29:50) — (14:50) J.George pass to C.Carter for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the DET 2 (Q3 27:04) — G.Anderson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger.; Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the DET 36 (Q3 24:23) — (9:23) J.George pass to R.Moss for 36 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the DET 2 (Q3 24:16) — G.Anderson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger..
The fourth quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 9–6. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the DET 2 (Q4 14:23) — (14:23) L.Hoard right tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 28 (Q4 13:30) — (13:30) J.Hanson 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.; Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the DET 8 (Q4 1:43) — (1:43) G.Anderson 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 30 (Q4 0:13) — (:13) J.Hanson 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Detroit Lions (Q1 60:00) — M.Berger kicks 65 yards from MIN 30 to DET 5. T.Fair to DET 21 for 16 yards (C.Walsh). PENALTY on DET-S.Kowalkowski, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at DET 21.
- Detroit Lions (Q4 0:13) — (:13) J.Hanson 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 4:18) — (4:18) J.George pass to J.Reed to DET 15 for 38 yards (J.Brown).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 0:05) — (:05) J.George pass INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at DET 26. T.Fair to DET 28 for 2 yards.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 54:47) — (9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 54:47) — (9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 39:55) — (9:55) R.Cunningham sacked at MIN 27 for -8 yards (T.Scroggins). FUMBLES (T.Scroggins), touched at MIN 27, RECOVERED by DET-J.Jones at MIN 12.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q3 26:13) — (11:13) J.George sacked at DET 14 for -9 yards. FUMBLES, RECOVERED by DET-T.Kirschke at DET 14. T.Kirschke to DET 14 for no gain (J.George).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) L.Hoard up the middle to DET 42 for 1 yard (J.Jones). FUMBLES (J.Jones), RECOVERED by DET-R.Rice at DET 42.
Quarterback report card
G.Frerotte led all passers in efficiency for Detroit Lions, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- G.Frerotte (Detroit Lions) · 23 dropbacks · 65.2% completion · +0.07 EPA/play · +1.60 total EPA
- C.Batch (Detroit Lions) · 19 dropbacks · 47.4% completion · -0.09 EPA/play · -1.62 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.087 | -0.079 |
| Offensive success rate | 39.5% | 42.2% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.049 | -0.023 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.301 | -0.262 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.079 | +0.087 |
| Defensive success rate | 57.8% | 60.5% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Minnesota Vikings -0.09, Detroit Lions -0.08) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Detroit Lions: 11 drives, -7.07 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
- Minnesota Vikings: 12 drives, -6.64 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Detroit Lions leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- J. George (Minnesota Vikings) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q1 54:47 · DET 64 · Score 0-6
(9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q1 52:17 · MIN 2 · Score 0-7
J.Hanson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q1 48:55 · MIN 3 · Score 0-10
(3:55) J.Hanson 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q2 43:03 · MIN 31 · Score 0-13
(13:03) J.Hanson 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q2 38:37 · MIN 10 · Score 0-16
(8:37) J.Hanson 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q2 30:29 · MIN 11 · Score 0-19
(:29) J.Hanson 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q3 29:50 · DET 17 · Score 6-19
(14:50) J.George pass to C.Carter for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q3 27:04 · DET 2 · Score 7-19
G.Anderson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger. - Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q3 24:23 · DET 36 · Score 13-19
(9:23) J.George pass to R.Moss for 36 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q3 24:16 · DET 2 · Score 14-19
G.Anderson extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger. - Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q4 14:23 · DET 2 · Score 20-19
(14:23) L.Hoard right tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q4 13:30 · MIN 28 · Score 20-22
(13:30) J.Hanson 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett. - Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q4 1:43 · DET 8 · Score 23-22
(1:43) G.Anderson 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Morris, Holder-M.Berger. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q4 0:13 · MIN 30 · Score 23-25
(:13) J.Hanson 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Compton, Holder-J.Jett.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 25-23 in Week 6, 1999 on 1999-10-17.
What was the final score of Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
The final score was Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 25 (MIN 23-25 DET) in Week 6, 1999 on 1999-10-17.
What was the score by quarter in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
Q1: Minnesota Vikings 0, Detroit Lions 10; Q2: Minnesota Vikings 0, Detroit Lions 9; Q3: Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 0; Q4: Minnesota Vikings 9, Detroit Lions 6; Final: Minnesota Vikings 23, Detroit Lions 25.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
Detroit Lions touchdown — unlisted player (Q1 54:47) Minnesota Vikings touchdown — unlisted player (Q3 29:50) Minnesota Vikings touchdown — unlisted player (Q3 24:23) Minnesota Vikings touchdown — unlisted player (Q4 14:23) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q1 48:55, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q2 43:03, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q2 38:37, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q2 30:29, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q4 13:30, 3 pts) Minnesota Vikings field goal — unlisted player (Q4 1:43, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — unlisted player (Q4 0:13, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
G. Frerotte (Detroit Lions), 65.2% completion, +0.07 EPA per dropback, +1.60 total passing EPA. C. Batch (Detroit Lions), 47.4% completion, -0.09 EPA per dropback, -1.62 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
J. George (Minnesota Vikings) led the game in total EPA with +11.78 on passing plays. across 15 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-7.41 EPA): (9:47) R.Cunningham pass intended for C.Carter INTERCEPTED by T.Fair at MIN 41. T.Fair for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was +53.1%.
Was Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions a close game?
Yes — the margin was 2 points. Detroit Lions won 25-23 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Minnesota Vikings
Entered 2-3 Now 2-4 L
Detroit Lions
Entered 2-2 Now 3-2 W
Fantasy · fantasyhq.co
