DETROIT -- Oh, so this is what the Minnesota Vikings' offense is supposed to look like.

With as balanced an attack as they've had all season, the Vikings racked up 425 yards -- their most since Teddy Bridgewater's first start in Week 4 last year -- on their way to a 28-19 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Vikings didn't have Adrian Peterson at his very best but complemented Peterson's 98 yards with 36 from Jerick McKinnon. Teddy Bridgewater also took advantage of favorable matchups as the Lions keyed on Peterson. Bridgewater finished with 316 yards, one shy of his career high, and found big plays when the Lions were keying on Peterson.

For the day, the Vikings threw 35 times and ran it 34; Bridgewater hit 11 receivers and was one of five Vikings to carry the ball on a run. The Vikings have carefully rebuilt their skill position personnel in the past two years, and those efforts were obvious Sunday -- especially when rookie receiver Stefon Diggs hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass with a catch you're likely to see on SportsCenter several times.

What it means: The Vikings are 4-2, and they have their first road win in the NFC North since they beat the Lions here in 2012. The game wasn't without its warts -- the Vikings gave up 14 points in the first 12 minutes -- but taking care of business on the road is a key step toward where the Vikings want to be. If they can win next week at Soldier Field for the first time since 2007, they'll be 5-2.

One reason to get excited: Diggs has generated quite the buzz in Minnesota after catching 13 passes for 216 yards in his first two games. But it might be the leaping catch on his 37-yard touchdown that vaults him to another level. He shook Rashean Mathis in man coverage and elevated to haul in a pass from Bridgewater that would have gone as an overthrown incompletion without Diggs' effort. The receiver also had a 9-yard gain on a jet sweep -- didn't those used to be Cordarrelle Patterson's plays? -- and was the main downfield blocker on Zach Line's 49-yard catch-and-run. It's hard to see him leaving the Vikings' lineup from this point on.

One reason to panic: The Vikings once again were unable to put an inferior opponent away and wound up with a couple of short field goals after driving inside the Lions' 10-yard line in the second half. Their defense gave the Lions fits after the first quarter, finishing with seven sacks, as the Lions failed to come up with an answer for Mike Zimmer's blitz packages, but the Vikings' victory could have been much more comfortable than it was.

What were they thinking? The Vikings once again had Xavier Rhodes shadowing Calvin Johnson for much of the day. But as they've done in the past, the Vikings decided not to put Rhodes on Johnson when he went into the slot. Johnson's 46-yard reception in the first quarter came when he was matched up with Captain Munnerlyn in the slot; Johnson ran free down the middle of the field before hauling a long pass from Matthew Stafford.

Fantasy watch: Peterson finished the day with 98 yards on 19 carries, most of it coming on his 75-yard run in the third quarter. Peterson got caught by Ziggy Ansah on the play and might not have had the same top-end speed he's shown in the past, but he got extra yardage out of a fierce stiff-arm on the play. Peterson also caught all three passes Bridgewater threw his way, for a total of 12 yards.

Ouch: Peterson started the game after being listed as questionable with an illness; the running back, who is allergic to shellfish, said he had some shrimp yesterday, and while he took his EpiPen after eating it, he thought it contributed to him feeling sick on Saturday. Wide receiver Jarius Wright was evaluated for a concussion after appearing to hit his head on the turf following a dropped pass in the third quarter. Wide receiver Adam Thielen also was injured on the safety Jeff Locke took while running out the back of the end zone in the game's final minute.

Kendricks shines: The rookie linebacker didn't have much experience as a pass-rusher before joining the Vikings, but linebackers have to be able to blitz in Mike Zimmer's defense, and Kendricks appears to be a quick study. He had a pair of sacks Sunday, giving him four for the season, and he stopped Joique Bell on a screen pass for a 1-yard loss in the third quarter. On a day where the Vikings' blitzes gave the Lions fits, Kendricks' speed was a big part of the reason why they were so successful.