DETROIT – Tight end T.J. Hockenson heard boos from Lions fans at Ford Field after his 8-yard catch on the Vikings’ opening drive.
It was all downhill from there for Hockenson and the Vikings offense during a 31-9 loss to the Lions. By the end of the game, Lions fans were mocking the “Skol” chant with their own overhead claps.
Hockenson caught only two of eight targets for 9 yards while quarterback Sam Darnold struggled with accuracy and timing while throwing to the big tight end. Also in the first half, Darnold sailed two third-down passes over Hockenson’s helmet; on the first, Hockenson got his fingertips on the ball, but he couldn’t get anywhere near the second pass that soared over the middle of the field.
Hockenson also did not benefit from referee Brad Rogers and his crew deciding to swallow most whistles. The Lions drew eight accepted flags for 49 yards (two for illegal contact in coverage), while the Vikings had six flags for 30 yards.
Despite the Lions entering Sunday night tied with an NFL-high 18 defensive pass interference penalties, officials did not flag Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone when he appeared to hit Hockenson’s right arm before a third-down target arrived in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Hockenson saw a pass thrown behind him get deflected by Lions safety Brian Branch. Hockenson also had a 5-yard grab taken away by a Lions challenge that successfully argued the pass hit the Ford Field turf before the catch.
Hockenson is now 0-3 against his former team since being traded from Detroit to Minnesota in the middle of the 2022 season. He missed the previous two Vikings-Lions meetings because of last year’s hit by Lions safety Kerby Joseph that tore two ligaments in Hockenson’s knee.
Vikings play takeaway
The Vikings defense finished the regular season with a league-leading 24 interceptions and as the only defense in the NFL with one takeaway in every game.