Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

Lions vs. Vikings

▶ Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Ford Field, Detroit

▶ TV/radio: FOX/97.1 FM

▶ Line: Lions by 8½

▶ Records: Vikings 3-4; Lions 5-2

▶ Series: Vikings lead 80-45-2 (Last meeting: Jan. 5, 2025 — (at) Lions 31, Vikings 9)

Richard Silva of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Key matchup

DETROIT’S JARED GOFF VS. MINNESOTA’S BRIAN FLORES

By the numbers, Minnesota’s defense isn’t performing to the standard we’ve come to expect. The Vikings rank 14th in yards (318.4) and 19th in points (23.1) allowed per game, the latter notably down from where they were last season (19.5, fifth). Injuries haven’t helped — linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman have missed time — but the offense’s struggles have hurt, too. The Vikings, asking more from their defense in 2025 than in years past, rank 23rd in time of possession.

But it’s still a unit led by third-year coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings pace the NFL in blitz rate (42%), and they’ve pressured opposing quarterbacks on 29.7% of their dropbacks, trailing only the Denver Broncos (30.6%) and Dallas Cowboys (30.1%).

“They cause havoc up front,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said of what Flores’ defenses do well. “A lot of moving parts up front. Coverages, different types of coverages. … But, really, it starts up front. They’re trying to create, trying to get guys through, even in the run game and everything like that. It’s kind of calmed down a little bit this year, I think, based on some of the injuries that they’ve had. But everybody plays us differently, so we have to expect the unexpected with him. That’s the biggest thing.”

Lions quarterback Jared Goff has found success others haven’t against Flores. In his last four meetings with Flores, Goff has completed 78.5% of his 130 passes for 1,088 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s good for a passer rating of 110.5.

Vikings to watch

▶ J.J. McCarthy, quarterback: McCarthy, in his second season, is primed to make his third career start Sunday, returning from the ankle injury he suffered in Week 2’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The former Michigan standout has only played 103 offensive snaps in his professional career. There’s an opportunity for Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to take advantage of McCarthy’s inexperience.

▶ Justin Jefferson, receiver: Put them in whatever order you’d like, but Jefferson remains among the NFL’s top receivers, and it’s difficult to argue he’s anything but the first or second best. Jefferson, despite inconsistent quarterback play, has averaged 86 receiving yards per game (fourth), and he’s 17th in yards per reception (14.7) among eligible receivers. An interesting matchup will be Jefferson versus Detroit’s Amik Robertson. The two go back to their youth, and their last meeting resulted in one of Robertson’s most memorable performances.

▶ Andrew Van Ginkel, outside linebacker: Van Ginkel hasn’t played since Week 3, but he returned to practice this week, and he’s trending toward returning against the Lions. He does a little bit of everything as one of the league’s most underrated players. He posted 50 and 53 pressures in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and his passer rating when targeted in coverage over the last three seasons (86.4) is respectable.

Facts and figures

▶ The Vikings are one of the NFL’s best teams during end-of-half or end-of-game scenarios, with a plus-17 point differential in the last two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. That’s fourth in the league, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (plus-26), New England Patriots (plus-23) and San Francisco 49ers (plus-18). There are six teams in the NFL who’ve held opponents to three points or fewer during the last two minutes of games. Minnesota is one of them.

▶ Minnesota’s defense has forced opponents into a three-and-out on 26% of their possessions this season, the fourth-best rate in the NFL behind the New York Jets (31%), Houston Texans (30.3%) and Broncos (30%).

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