The Minnesota Vikings had nothing to play for against the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day, as they were officially eliminated from playoff contention a little under two weeks ago.
But NFL players are prideful people, and the Vikes were always going to come out on Thursday and give it their all. Of course, knowing they could eliminate the Lions from playoff contention with a win at U.S. Bank Stadium certainly didn't hurt from a motivational standpoint.
And behind a stellar performance from Brian Flores' defense, which forced a season-high six turnovers, the Vikes did indeed crush the postseason hopes of their longtime rivals, taking a 23-10 victory to up their winning streak to four and improve to 8-8 for the season.