The 2025 season has been disappointing for the Minnesota Vikings. They have stumbled to a 3-4 record and are given no favors this Sunday when they head to Ford Field to take on the 5-2 Detroit Lions.

Ten months ago, the two teams faced off at the same stadium to determine who would not only win the division but also hold the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Now, the Vikings are looking to get back to .500 while the Lions continue to chase down the Packers for the division lead.

Here are the positions each team has an edge at in Week 9’s matchup.

What positions do the Vikings have an edge at against the Lions in Week 9?Quarterback: Lions

Perhaps one day, this one will be a discussion. But Jared Goff is playing some of the best football of any quarterback over the past three seasons, and J.J. McCarthy is making only his third career start on Sunday.

Running back: Lions

The Vikings now have a strong 1-2 punch with Aaron Jones back, but they still don’t compare to the Jahmyr Gibbs-David Montgomery combination the Lions have. They have combined for 881 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns through seven games.

Receiver: Vikings

Lions fans may argue this one due to depth, but the Vikings still come out ahead here. Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in football, and although Jameson Williams can destroy teams at any moment, Jordan Addison is one of the best WR2 options in the league.

Tight end: Lions

It’s been a frustrating season for T.J. Hockenson, who has been relied upon to do a lot of the dirty work with chipping pass rushers because of the Vikings’ injuries along the offensive line. He has 27 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown, but is being outpaced by Sam LaPorta, who has caught 29 passes for 339 yards and two scores. Josh Oliver is expected to be out Sunday as well, further hurting the Vikings’ depth.

Offensive line: Lions

Injuries have affected the Vikings’ offensive line worse than any other position in 2025. According to Next Gen Stats, the Vikings have played 12 unique offensive line combinations at least 10 snaps together. That’s three more than the next team. Vikings quarterbacks have been sacked 28 times at an 11.34% rate.

Defensive line: Lions

This one hurts because the Vikings spent over $50 million guaranteed in March to bring in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who have underperformed through seven games. The Vikings are hoping to get Andrew Van Ginkel back for the first time since Week 3, but right now, we’ll give the Lions the nod because Aiden Hutchinson (6.0) and Al-Quadin Muhammad (5.0) have consistently wreaked havoc on the edges.

Linebacker: Lions

Blake Cashman missed four games with a hamstring injury this season, and Ivan Pace, Jr. has been replaced by Eric Wilson. Cashman is ranked 46th out of 80 linebackers by PFF, and Wilson is ranked 51st.

Meanwhile, the Lions’ linebackers have been great this season. Jack Campbell is ranked 3rd among all linebackers by PFF, and Alex Anzalone is ranked 27th.

Secondary: Vikings

We’ll give the Vikings the slightest of edges here just because Detroit’s secondary has been so beat up. Five members of their secondary are currently on injured reserve, and Kerby Joseph hasn’t practiced this week with a knee injury. Cornerback Avonte Maddox has been limited with a hamstring.

The Vikings appear to be without Jeff Okudah, who is in concussion protocol. But the entire secondary has seemed to be a step slow this season.

Special teams: Lions

Will Reichard has been great this season when he isn’t hitting camera cables, but the rest of the Vikings’ special teams has been inconsistent at best. Ryan Wright is as unpredictable as punters come, showing off his power at times like the 77-yard bomb he kicked in London, but then he will shank another punt. He has pinned teams inside the 20 on only 34.5% of his punts. Lions punter Jack Fox has done so on 51.9% of his. The Vikings also seem to have a holding penalty on every other kick return.

Coaching: Lions

Detroit completes a near-clean sweep as they conclude with the edge at coaching. I still have tons of confidence in Kevin O’Connell, but the Lions have almost seamlessly transitioned from coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, who left in the offseason. They rank 8th in total offense and defense.

The Vikings, meanwhile, rank 26th in total offense and 14th in total defense. Perhaps they turn it around this week, which would speak to coaching. But going any way but Detroit here, especially since they have beaten the Vikings five straight times, would be too Homer-ish of a move even for me.