Christmas Eve was a momentous day for the Detroit Lions, as the franchise clinched its first divisional title since 1993. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of the Minnesota Vikings, who suffered a devastating, turnover and injury-ridden 30-24 loss in U.S. Bank Stadium.

They fall out of the NFC playoff picture with just two games left in the regular season, both of which come against NFC North foes (Green Bay Packers in Week 17 and then the Lions in the finale). Climbing their way back into one of the last two wild card slots will be an even more grueling task following all the battle scars they suffered on Sunday.

The latest update on one of the Vikings' key defensive players will further dampen fans' spirits. “OLB D.J. Wonnum, in the midst of a career year with 62 tackles and 8 sacks, suffered a partially torn quad, source said, an indication he's played his last down this season,” NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Christmas morning. “Coach Kevin O'Connell said it was serious, adding: ‘You can see what D.J. means to our team.”‘

Losing the 26-year-old outside linebacker for the rest of the season would obviously put the team in a deeply unfavorable position for the final two weeks of the 2023-24 campaign. He is a major part of Minnesota's much-improved defensive attack, so others must step up going into a New Year's Eve showdown with the Packers.

In addition to D.J. Wonnum, Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson and rookie standout Jordan Addison also sustained injuries versus Detroit. ClutchPoints will update you on their status as more information come out.