DETROIT – The Vikings took a big step toward their first playoff berth in four years – barely and with late help from the Lions.

Detroit botched an extra-point kick with 8 seconds left that would’ve tied the game, allowing Minnesota to seal a 28-27 win Sunday.

The Lions went 80 yards in 1:29 to pull within a point on Joey Harrington’s second touchdown pass to Roy Williams. Then, Don Muhlbach’s snap bounced to holder Nick Harris, who was tackled before he could get the football spotted for kicker Jason Hanson.

Randy Moss recovered the onside kick for the Vikings (8-6).

Despite losing five of their previous seven games, Minnesota can win the NFC North with a victory Friday at home over Green Bay and at Washington.

In the awful NFC, Minnesota could even be a wild-card team without another win.

The Lions (5-9) officially fell out of the postseason race with their seventh loss in eight games, a heartbreaker they’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Daunte Culpepper, who was 25-of-35 for 404 yards, threw three touchdown passes and Moe Williams scored the go-ahead TD on an 11-yard run with 1:37 left.

Nate Burleson, who had five receptions for 134 yards, caught a career-high two TDs. Moss and Culpepper hooked up for the longest play of their careers, an 84-yard TD, and Moss finished with four catches for 102 yards.

Harrington was 25-of-44 for a career-high 361 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Williams, in and out of the game with a hip injury, had seven receptions for 104 yards and scored for the first time in almost two months. Kevin Jones was held to 79 yards and a TD after running for more than 150 yards the previous two games.

AP-ES-12-19-04 1636EST