Following Week 17, the Lions and Vikings will play in the season finale on Sunday at Ford Field with something to gain and everything to lose.
If Detroit wins and Dallas and Philadelphia lose, they will secure the No. 2 seed; Minnesota’s chances of making the playoffs depend on a number of other circumstances. These include the Bears defeating the Packers, the Cardinals defeating the Seahawks, the Vikings triumphing in Detroit, the Falcons defeating the Saints, and the Panthers defeating the Buccaneers.
Last time out: With 23 seconds remaining, the Lions converted a two-point play to take a 21-20 lead. However, the referees declared Taylor Decker an ineligible receiver, which allowed Dallas to win 20-19. That was as close as the Lions could get to victory. Sixteen of the 19 points scored by Ben Johnson’s offense came in the second half. Jared Goff, the quarterback, was not at his best; he threw for 271 yards, one score, and two interceptions.
Aidan Hutchinson, a defensive lineman, kept the game close with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits. The defense produced a number of negative plays as a unit, including eight tackles for loss and a safety, Ifeatu Melifonwu, interception.
The Vikings lost their Sunday night football matchup with the Packers 33-10 in a hard-fought contest. Jaren Hall received the start as Minnesota made yet another alteration at quarterback. Nick Mullens benched Hall at halftime after he completed only five of his ten throws for 67 yards and threw an interception. With Mullens, the Vikings had better success in the second half, but as a unit, they managed just 211 yards.
After running for a fourth touchdown and passing for three, Jordan Love tore up the Minnesota defense. Green Bay amassed 470 offensive yards, consisting of 293 passing and 177 running. The Vikings did not register a sack and only had one tackle for loss.
In their most recent encounter, Detroit defeated Minnesota 30-24 to secure the NFC North title just a few weeks prior. The game-changing play came from the Lions’ four interceptions.
Matchups: Will the Lions be able to equalize their four points gained in Week 16? With 43 sacks allowed, Minnesota’s offensive line is among the lowest in the league. With Hutchinson coming off a three-sack performance and Alim McNeill probably returning to the interior, the Lions defensive line—which has struggled to create sacks—will be looking to force Mullens into some of the same errors.
Matchup odds: According to ESPN Analytics, Detroit has a 70.4 percent probability of winning, making them a clear favorite.
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