Game story
In Week 15 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-12-14, the Detroit Lions took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings, pulling away with a 16–14 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 17 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
T. Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings) paced the passing game, with -2.84 total EPA, and +5.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, K. Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +4.11 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-28.5% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Vikings changed the game: (:01) 3-B.Walsh 68 yard field goal is No Good, Short, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 K. Rudolph · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +4.11 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.59 EPA/play
- 2 M. Asiata · Minnesota Vikings · Rushing · +2.78 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.25 EPA/play
- 3 C. Johnson · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +2.34 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play
- 4 J. Wright · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +2.25 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play
- 5 J. Bell · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.28 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.21 EPA/play
- 6 R. Ellison · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +0.90 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.45 EPA/play
- 7 G. Tate · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +0.82 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.12 EPA/play
- 8 M. Asiata · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +0.66 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.09 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
K. Rudolph — MIN · Receiving
K. Rudolph posted the highest total EPA (+4.11) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Minnesota Vikings's efficiency. Across 7 counted snaps, they averaged +0.59 EPA per play.
The signature play (-6.49 EPA) came from Minnesota Vikings: (4:40) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right intended for 12-Ch.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 27-G.Quin at DET 33. 27-G.Quin to MIN 11 for 56 yards (44-M.Asiata).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Minnesota Vikings — M. Asiata
- Minnesota Vikings — G. Jennings (T. Bridgewater pass)
- Detroit Lions — G. Tate (M. Stafford pass)
Field goals
- Detroit Lions — M. Prater
- Detroit Lions — M. Prater
- Detroit Lions — M. Prater
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 7–0. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the DET 2 (Q1 45:20) — (:20) 44-M.Asiata left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the DET 2 (Q1 45:16) — 3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke..
The second quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 10–7. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the DET 8 (Q2 40:11) — (10:11) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right to 15-G.Jennings for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the DET 2 (Q2 40:05) — 3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the MIN 7 (Q2 33:48) — (3:48) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short left to 15-G.Tate for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the MIN 2 (Q2 33:42) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 11 (Q2 30:04) — (:04) 5-M.Prater 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin..
The third quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 3–0. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 12 (Q3 18:50) — (3:50) 5-M.Prater 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin..
The fourth quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 3–0. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the MIN 15 (Q4 3:43) — (3:43) 5-M.Prater 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 0:01) — (:01) 3-B.Walsh 68 yard field goal is No Good, Short, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 2:01) — (2:01) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass incomplete short left to 84-C.Patterson.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 7:47) — (7:47) 3-B.Walsh 26 yard field goal is BLOCKED (91-J.Jones), Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.
- Detroit Lions (Q4 0:52) — (:52) 6-S.Martin punts 27 yards to MIN 23, Center-48-D.Muhlbach. 35-M.Sherels pushed ob at MIN 25 for 2 yards (59-T.Whitehead). PENALTY on DET-Unidentified, Illegal Formation, 5 yards, enforced at MIN
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 11:51) — (11:51) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater scrambles right end ran ob at DET 18 for 16 yards (23-D.Slay).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 34:40) — (4:40) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right intended for 12-Ch.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 27-G.Quin at DET 33. 27-G.Quin to MIN 11 for 56 yards (44-M.Asiata).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 7:47) — (7:47) 3-B.Walsh 26 yard field goal is BLOCKED (91-J.Jones), Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 56:30) — (11:30) 3-B.Walsh 53 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 33:06) — (3:06) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right intended for 15-G.Jennings INTERCEPTED by 23-D.Slay at MIN 34. 23-D.Slay to MIN 32 for 2 yards (15-G.Jennings). The Replay Official challenged the incomplete pa
Quarterback report card
T.Bridgewater led all passers in efficiency for Minnesota Vikings, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- T.Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings) · 48 dropbacks · 64.6% completion · +5.7% CPOE · -0.06 EPA/play · -2.84 total EPA
- M.Stafford (Detroit Lions) · 30 dropbacks · 56.7% completion · -8.1% CPOE · -0.16 EPA/play · -4.74 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Minnesota Vikings | Detroit Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.145 | -0.173 |
| Offensive success rate | 43.9% | 36.4% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.059 | -0.158 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.034 | -0.158 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.173 | +0.145 |
| Defensive success rate | 63.6% | 56.1% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Minnesota Vikings -0.14, Detroit Lions -0.17) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Detroit Lions: 11 drives, -11.39 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Minnesota Vikings: 10 drives, -11.86 total EPA, 2 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.
- K. Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- T. Bridgewater (MIN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- M. Stafford (DET) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q1 45:20 · DET 2 · Score 6-0
(:20) 44-M.Asiata left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q1 45:16 · DET 2 · Score 7-0
3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke. - Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q2 40:11 · DET 8 · Score 13-0
(10:11) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right to 15-G.Jennings for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q2 40:05 · DET 2 · Score 14-0
3-B.Walsh extra point is GOOD, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-18-J.Locke. - Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q2 33:48 · MIN 7 · Score 14-6
(3:48) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short left to 15-G.Tate for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q2 33:42 · MIN 2 · Score 14-7
5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q2 30:04 · MIN 11 · Score 14-10
(:04) 5-M.Prater 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q3 18:50 · MIN 12 · Score 14-13
(3:50) 5-M.Prater 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q4 3:43 · MIN 15 · Score 14-16
(3:43) 5-M.Prater 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-14 in Week 15, 2014 on 2014-12-14.
What was the final score of Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
The final score was Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 16 (MIN 14-16 DET) in Week 15, 2014 on 2014-12-14.
What was the score by quarter in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
Q1: Minnesota Vikings 7, Detroit Lions 0; Q2: Minnesota Vikings 7, Detroit Lions 10; Q3: Minnesota Vikings 0, Detroit Lions 3; Q4: Minnesota Vikings 0, Detroit Lions 3; Final: Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 16.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
Minnesota Vikings touchdown — M. Asiata (Q1 45:20) Minnesota Vikings touchdown — G. Jennings (T. Bridgewater pass) (Q2 40:11) Detroit Lions touchdown — G. Tate (M. Stafford pass) (Q2 33:48) Detroit Lions field goal — M. Prater (Q2 30:04, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — M. Prater (Q3 18:50, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — M. Prater (Q4 3:43, 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?
T. Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings), 64.6% completion, +5.7% CPOE, -0.06 EPA per dropback, -2.84 total passing EPA. M. Stafford (Detroit Lions), 56.7% completion, -8.1% CPOE, -0.16 EPA per dropback, -4.74 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions?
K. Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) led the game in total EPA with +4.11 on receiving plays. across 7 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-6.49 EPA): (4:40) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short right intended for 12-Ch.Johnson INTERCEPTED by 27-G.Quin at DET 33. 27-G.Quin to MIN 11 for 56 yards (44-M.Asiata).. The biggest win-probability swing was -28.5%.
Was Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions a close game?
Yes — the margin was 2 points. Detroit Lions won 16-14 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Minnesota Vikings
Entered 6-7 Now 6-8 L
Detroit Lions
Entered 9-4 Now 10-4 W
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