The Detroit Lions are used to playing on Thanksgiving Day. Now, for just the third time ever, they’re playing on Christmas Day, too. The Lions hope to keep its slim postseason chances alive when they visit the Minnesota Vikings as the second game of a Christmas triple-header.
The Lions (8-7) need to win out and have the Green Bay Packers lose out in order to make the playoffs, and the first order of business will be avenging a Week 9 upset 27-24 loss to Minnesota. In that game, Jared Goff threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns but also took five sacks against the Vikings’ blitz-happy defense. Detroit also mustered just 65 yards on the ground in the loss, with Pro-Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs recording just 28 yards from scrimmage, a season low.
The Vikings (7-8) have been eliminated from the playoffs, but they’ve also won three straight, with J.J. McCarthy showing signs of growth before suffering a hairline fracture in his hand in a Week 16 win over the New York Giants. As such, the Vikings will turn to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, who threw four interceptions in his lone NFL start, last month against the Seattle Seahawks. Still, with plenty of offensive playmakers and a defense that is playing well of late, Minnesota would love to play spoiler against its divisional rival.
Where to watch Vikings vs. LionsDate: Thursday, Dec. 25 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ETLocation: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)Stream: NetflixFollow: CBS Sports AppOdds: Lions -7.5, O/U 43.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook
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