Vikings Week Six Divisional Matchup Preview
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings will face off in what seems like one of the more definitive NFC North matchups in recent history. Two of the top teams in not only the NFC North Division but also the entire league playing for the division lead. The Lions walk into U.S Bank Stadium with a stellar record of 4-1 and have been on a roll both offensively and defensively as of late, as they have outscored their opponents by 51 points over their last two games. One of those games was a dominating win over the Dallas Cowboys last week. On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings have an undefeated record and lead the entire league in point differential. One way or another, something has to give on Sunday, and NFL fans will have a game-of-the-year candidate on their hands come 1:00 pm EST.
The Vikings are coming off of their bye week, so it will be interesting to see if there is any rust on either side of the ball. The bye week did give Minnesota the time needed for running back Aaron Jones to rest and get healthy after suffering a hip injury in their last game against the Jets. Jones is a huge part of this offense, and they will definitely be leaning heavily on his pass-catching ability on Sunday. Luckily, injuries are minimal for both teams heading into the weekend, so we should be seeing both Minnesota and Detroit very close to 100% strength.
I expect this game to be a very pass-heavy affair. With that being said, I would say at this current moment, the Lions have the advantage as far as passing offense goes. However, the Lions’ pass defense has been shaky throughout the early part of this season, while the Minnesota pass defense has been able to shut down some of the best quarterbacks. I expect Justin Jefferson to tear up the Lions’ secondary like he has so many times in the past, he currently averages 7.8 receptions per game and 134.1 receiving yards per game against Detroit. I think these two teams split their series this season, and I think the Vikings will remain undefeated after Sunday. Minnesota will be the more rested team, and the combination of the home crowd of U.S Bank Stadium and the tricky Brian Flores-led defense will be too much for Jared Goff and the Lions offense to overcome. I predict a 35-27 victory for the Minnesota Vikings, which will solidify their lead in the NFC North for the time being.
