ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions sacked Teddy Bridgewater eight times Sunday as the defense carried the to a 17-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium.

From start to finish, the Lions applied pressure to Bridgewater with four sacks in each half and four other quarterback hits, and the group forced three interceptions, including the first two of linebacker Tahir Whitehead’s career.

“Every time he dropped back, somebody had to get a hand on him, push him, knock him down,” defensive tackle Nick Fairley said. “If it’s even just a pressure, let him know that we’re here.”

The eight sacks were the most for the Lions since Nov. 23, 1997. Second-year defensive end Ziggy Ansah led the team with a career-high 2.5 sacks despite coming off the field multiple times due to injury.

“Incredible performance,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “You saw when he was walking he was limping, but when the whistle was blown the ball was snapped, he was full speed and he really did a nice job. He applied pressure on that pocket all day long.”

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had two sacks, setting a new franchise record for defensive tackles with 30.5 in his career. Seven different players had at least a half-sack as the Lions took advantage after making the Vikings one-dimensional, holding them to 69 rushing yards.

The Lions offense struggled much of the game, gaining just 255 yards compared to Minnesota’s abominable 212, and had just one play longer than 15 yards. Matt Prater made just one of three field-goal attempts in his Lions debut after signing to be the third kicker of the season.

But the Lions defense was the star of the day and now ranks No. 1 in yardage and points allowed in the NFL. Still, some players think the defense can improve.

“We’re not there yet,” Fairley said.

INJURY REPORT: WR Calvin Johnson (ankle) reportedly could be held out until after the team’s Week 9 bye week. … RB Reggie Bush said he’ll “for sure” play next week against the Saints. … RB Theo Riddick missed the second half after aggravating a hamstring injury.

REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS

PASSING OFFENSE: D — Matthew Stafford struggled again with his efficiency, completing 19 of 33 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, but he also faced pressure all day. The Lions allowed four more sacks and have given up 21 already this season. Even when Calvin Johnson returns, the line issues seem to be something that will linger.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B-plus — The Lions had their second-best rushing performance of the season despite Reggie Bush being out. Joique Bell led the way with 18 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown, and the Lions finished with 100 yards on 28 carries. Theo Riddick also had five catches for 75 yards, most of which came on a 41-yard screen.

PASS DEFENSE: A — Three interceptions and eight sacks is tough to beat, and the Lions were less than 6 minutes away from a shutout. If defensive end Ezekiel Ansah plays close to that level the rest of the season, this front will continue to scare opposing quarterbacks.

RUSH DEFENSE: A — The Lions held the Vikings to 69 rushing yards and shut down the rushing attack early. Apparently, the Lions’ stingy run defense convinced Minnesota to keep Matt Asiata on the sideline, showing that Detroit might have been in the Vikings’ heads.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D+ — Matt Prater struggled in his Lions debut, hitting just 1 of 3 field-goal attempts, but that’s actually an improvement over last week’s performance by Alex Henery. Sam Martin continued to punt well, averaging 48.7 yards gross and 40.6 yards net.

COACHING: B+ — Teryl Austin’s defensive play calling continued to be a marvel, but offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has yet to find a rhythm as the Lions went just 1-for-13 on third downs. Coach Jim Caldwell also made a couple questionable decisions on when to kick field goals.