Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is sacked by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 24-9. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings turned their defensive line loose on Matthew Stafford in a dominant performance that would have made the old Purple People Eaters proud.

This unstoppable pass rush was led, predictably, by Danielle Hunter.

Hunter had 3 1/2 of Minnesota’s franchise-record 10 sacks plus a fourth-quarter fumble return for a touchdown , tormenting Stafford and the Detroit Lions all afternoon in a 24-9 victory by the Vikings on Sunday.

“We knew he liked to throw the ball down the field, so that’s something that really helped us a lot because he held on to the ball,” said Hunter, who moved into the NFL lead with 11 1/2 sacks for the season. “So as long as we executed the rush plan, we knew we’d be able to get back there.”

Hunter also was credited with nine tackles and four quarterback hits. The Vikings (5-3-1) limited the Lions (3-5) to a season-low 214 total yards, and their pressure on Stafford was so intense he literally had pieces of rubber pellets from the artificial turf flushed out of his left eye in the second quarter. The Lions had a streak of 25 consecutive games with at least 14 points come to a crashing halt.

“The fault is on everybody,” said Stafford, who was sacked a total of 13 times over the first seven games. “I have to get the ball out faster.”

After Dalvin Cook dropped a pitch from Kirk Cousins and A’Shawn Robinson recovered at the Detroit 28 with Minnesota leading 17-6, the Lions converted a fake punt to keep that drive alive. Two plays later, Stafford ran right on the short side of the field and tried an option-style flip that Kerryon Johnson was unable to secure, and Hunter scooped it up on his way to the easy score.

“I don’t know why he pitched it. He could’ve just run,” Hunter said. “I thought it was a pass all the way, but I guess he didn’t want to get hit or something.”

That happened a lot, including a total of three times in the second quarter on two separate possessions inside the Minnesota 20 that forced the Lions to settle for field goals by Matt Prater.

After a throw by Cousins to Adam Thielen near midfield was intercepted by Darius Slay, the Lions made it as far as the 12-yard line. Hunter sacked Stafford on consecutive snaps, sharing the first one with Everson Griffen.

“He’s a freak of nature. He looks like a superhero,” Griffen said of the fourth-year defensive end. “I expected that from him.”

Nine of the 10 sacks by the Vikings came from their front four, including 2 1/2 by backup defensive tackle Tom Johnson. During the heyday of the Purple People Eaters, the Vikings had nine sacks in a game in 1968, 1969 and 1970. They also did it in 1993. But this was the record-setter, thanks to a well-timed mix of blitzes called by coach Mike Zimmer and the relentless rush by Hunter and his friends up front.

“We know if we give them time, they’ll get there,” safety Harrison Smith said. “It’s fun to be a part of.”