DETROIT >> A highly anticipated game that was supposed to be a battle for the ages turned out to be anything but.

After failing to capitalize on their opportunities in the early stages of the game, the Vikings wound up getting thoroughly dominated in a 31-9 loss to the Lions on Sunday night at Ford Field in Detroit.

Now, instead of the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, a first-round bye and homefield advantage, the Vikings will have to travel next weekend for a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Let’s just say the most recent performance from the Vikings doesn’t inspire much confidence heading into the playoffs.

Here are five takeaways from the Vikings’ 31-9 loss to the Lions.

‘D’ is for disaster

There’s no way around it: In the biggest game of his career, Sam Darnold was completely consumed by the moment. The quarterback seemed rattled from the first time he touched the ball and only completed 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards.

The biggest issue for Darnold was his lack of accuracy in the red zone. On multiple occasions, Darnold had a teammate running wide open in space, and he missed the mark on a potential touchdown.

That explains why the Vikings finished 0 for 4 in the red zone and did not score a touchdown.

As good as Darnold has been this season, if he lays another egg in the playoffs next weekend, his future with the Vikings might be called into question.

Flores had a plan

The final score might not indicate the Vikings played well on defense, but defensive coordinator Brian Flores deserves a ton of credit for the game plan he put together.

If the Vikings had shown any sort of pulse on offense, especially in the red zone, they would have been in position to win because of how well the defense played for prolonged stretches.

Whether it was linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. recording an interception, the unit stepping up for a turnover on downs, or safety Harrison Smith recording an interception, the Vikings held their own against the Lions for most of the game.

That’s something the Vikings can build on heading into a matchup with the Rams.

Where was Jefferson?

Shockingly, Justin Jefferson had a minimal impact for the Vikings, aside from a 31-yard reception that ended up having no bearing on the outcome.

It should’ve been a big game for Jefferson considering he was mostly shadowed by undersized cornerback Amik Robertson. Instead, Jefferson struggled to find a way to break free, finishing with three catches for 54 yards.

Though the lack of production was partially due to Darnold’s inconsistent play, Jefferson certainly didn’t go above and beyond to do him any favors.

As for other Vikings pass catchers, Jordan Addison was basically invisible, and tight end T.J. Hockenson failed to make his presence felt against his former team.

Is Reichard OK?

There was a time earlier this season when rookie Will Reichard seemed incapable of missing a kick of any kind. It felt like every time the ball left his foot. it was destined to split the uprights.

That’s no longer the case.

There has been a noticeable inconsistency from Reichard since he returned from injured reserve. He suffered a quad injury that forced him to miss a month, and while he claims to be back to 100 percent, he hasn’t been nearly as accurate over the past month or so.

In total, Reichard is 24 of 30 on field goals, which is a much lower percentage than would’ve been projected earlier this season. His most recent hiccup was a missed 51-yarder that hurt the Vikings — not to mention an out-of-bounds kickoff that set up a Lions field goal at the end of the first half.

The Gibbs problem

To say the Vikings had no answer for running back Jahmyr Gibbs is an understatement. He led the way for the Lions, finishing with 23 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns, plus five catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.

There’s a second gear that Gibbs possesses that is hard to prepare for; that was on display throughout as the Vikings often appeared to be in position to make the tackle only to have Gibbs accelerate past a host of defenders in the open field for a big gain.