Lions started strong against the gloomy Minnesota Vikings, jumping out to a 21-0 lead and taking a 21-7 lead into the second quarter.
The scoring started on the Lions first play on defense when Cliff Avril got to Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder and forced a fumble. The ball dropped to the ground in the end zone and linebacker Stephen Tulloch fell on it for the touchdown.
Three plays later, Ponder turned it over again, throwing a bad interception to Alphonso Smith around midfield. It took the Lions three plays to score again, Matthew Stafford hitting Titus Young in stride for a 57 yard touchdown.
The Lions held the Vikings to three-and-out on the next possession, the Vikings' longest possession of the game to that point, and the Lions scored again on five plays -- a 12 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew.
The Lions had three touchdowns before the Vikings picked up their second first down. But the Vikings answered finally on their fourth possession of the first quarter, stringing together a 10 play scoring drive. Christian Ponder hit Visanthe Shiancoe for a seven yard touchdown to cut the score to 21-7.
Stafford was 9-of-11 for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. Stafford now has 30 touchdowns on the season, joining Scott Mitchell as the only Lions to throw as many in a season.
The Lions will have it first down in Minnesota territory when the second quarter begins.