Here are five takeaways from the Vikings’ 31-29 loss to the Lions

It was a slugfest between the Vikings and the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Though the Vikings walked away with a loss for the first time this season, there were enough positives for them to feel good about themselves moving forward. The frustrating part for the Vikings, however, is there were enough negatives for them to feel like there was some meat left on the bone.

If a few plays went differently, the Vikings might be talking about their perfect 6-0 record. Instead, the Vikings need to bounce back with a quick turnaround coming this week when they travel to play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

Here are five takeaways from the Vikings’ 31-29 loss to the Lions:

1. The defense struggled mightily for most of the game

After taking a 10-point lead in the early stages of the game, it looked like the Vikings were well on their way to playing from ahead once again.

The only issue? The counterpunch from the Lions hit like a ton of bricks.

The defense for the Vikings wound up surrendering 391 yards of total offense with no answers for what was being thrown their way. A group that has prided itself on its playmaking this season was unable to string together stops and struggled to force turnovers.

As a result, the Lions seemed to have their way whenever they dropped back to pass. In the end, quarterback Jared Goff completing 22 of 25 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns, running back Jahmyr Gibbs finished with 15 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Not good enough from the Vikings on defense.

2. Sam Darnold was solid with a costly interception

The stat line for quarterback Sam Darnold was actually pretty impressive. He completed 22 of 27 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown while leading the Vikings to 383 yards of total offense.

Some of the highlights for Darnold included a 25-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson and a 51-yard deep pass to Jordan Addison.

Unfortunately for Darnold, his performance was overshadowed by a mistake he made shortly before halftime. On the play, Darnold tried to layer a ball to Addison near the sideline, and he failed to see safety Brian Branch disguising the coverage to near perfection.

The result was a costly interception that cost the Vikings a chance for points and allowed the Lions to extend their lead.

3. Aaron Jones made his presence felt while less than 100 percent

It was unclear if running back Aaron Jones was going to play for the Vikings as he battled through a hamstring injury. He ended up making enough progress to suit up, and while he was less than 100 percent, he immediately made his presence felt.

On his first touch of the game, Jones bounced outside, found green turf and raced 34 yards for a touchdown. It was the type of splash play the Vikings have come to expect out of Jones since he signed as a free agent.

The final stat line for Jones featured 14 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown to go along with three catches for 23 yards. It’s safe to assume the Vikings will need similar production from Jones when the Vikings play the Rams.

4. Will Reichard continues to impress early in his career

The fact that rookie kicker Will Reichard still hasn’t missed a kick of any sort is nothing short of incredible. He is now 12 for 12 on field-goal attempts and 18 for 18 on extra-point attempts.

His most impressive game with the Vikings came against the Lions as he converted from 57 yards, 42 yards and 48 yards. None of them were chip shots for Reichard by any means. No matter. He trotted onto the field and knocked them through the uprights like it was nothing.

How much confidence does head coach Kevin O’Connell have in Reichard? If the Vikings didn’t get called for an illegal formation in the final seconds of the game, O’Connell was going to let Reichard attempt a game-winner from 68 yards.

5. Dan Campbell is a certified madman with tremendous confidence

Never mind that the Lions were facing a fourth down from their own 33-yard line on their opening possession. That didn’t stop head coach Dan Campbell from dialing up a fake punt.

Instead of having punter Jack Fox kick it deep, Campbell opted to snap the ball to linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. The aggressive play call from the Lions immediately backfired as the Vikings sniffed it out and tackled Reeves-Maybin short of the first down.

Though the Vikings were able to capitalize on the good field position, the Lions got the last laugh walking away with the win.