With their playoff lives on the line, the Detroit Lions produced an absolute dud, turning the ball over six times, forcing zero turnovers and falling to the Minnesota Vikings 23-10. That makes it a Merry Christmas for the Green Bay Packers, who clinch a playoff berth with Detroit's loss.

If the Vikings weren’t going to be able to compete for a Super Bowl, they wanted to make sure neither were the Detroit Lions. That mindset served as motivation for the Vikings on Thursday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium en route to a 23-10 win that officially eliminated the Lions from the playoffs.

Vikings' fans gave Harrison Smith a standing ovation after a huge game in Thursday's 23-10 win over the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Smith got a game ball, and got emotional in the locker room after the win.

Following its loss at Minnesota, Jared Goff and Dan Campbell were tabbed as two of USA TODAY Sports' Christmas Day NFL "losers."

With a win, the Ravens would have an identical 8-8 record to the Lions. If the two teams finish with the same record, the Lions would likely be awarded the higher draft pick based on strength of schedule, which is the aggregate winning percentage of a team’s opponents.

The Detroit Lions have gifted the division rival Green Bay Packers a spot in the playoffs. With six turnovers in a 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, Detroit was eliminated from postseason contention.

Despite a furious comeback attempt by the Detroit Lions, the Pittsburgh Steelers recorded a 29-24 win in a wild game that literally came down to the wire.

The Detroit Lions' regression after losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators was expected, but this level of regression sure wasn't.