A costly unforced error appeared to seal the Lions' defeat against the Vikings on Sunday.
Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook turned heads against Detroit in Week 9 with his second consecutive game of at least 225 combined yards from scrimmage, in an impressive performance that included a 70-yard scamper for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The run and score gave the Vikings a 21-point lead with about 11 minutes remaining in the game, all but assuring their victory.
But as it turned out, the Lions may have made it much easier for Cook and the Vikings than necessary, having only 10 men on the field for the decisive jaunt.
There's no telling whether it would have made any difference, either on that specific play or in the outcome of the game. Cook has done plenty of damage against fully staffed defenses, and the Vikings were were up by 17 points at the outset of the final quarter.
A Matt Prater field goal early in the fourth shaved the margin to 14 points -- and that's when the Vikings and Cook answered with their haymaker.
Asked about the gaffe after the game, Lions coach Matt Patricia took the blame but stopped short of explaining the missing player.
Amazingly, it wasn't the first time the Lions appeared to have only 10 men on the field on defense this season.
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