The 5-7 Lions’ favorites over the 10-2 Vikings might, and perhaps should, have been a driving force for Minnesota. Maybe that was it. But it didn’t matter.
Detroit clinched 464 yards on offense for a 34-23 win that should clear up any confusion regarding this week’s betting odds. The Lions deserve that kind of trust — they’re just the better football team.
Detroit’s offense started the season averaging 35 points per game, but defense was so abysmal that the team was down to a 1-3 record. With injuries thrown in and the offense hit the wall in subsequent losses, it seemed like the Lions would have to wait until next year to take the next step.
But Dan Campbell and Co. had other plans. The rebound started in Week 8 with a game once morest the Dolphins. While the game ended in another loss, dropping the Lions to a 1-6 record, the Lions’ ability to match Miami’s superior offense in a 31-27 win obviously boded well for the future.
Since then, Detroit has won five of its last six games, with its only loss being a 28-25 loss to the Bills. Offense was key, of course, with an incredibly well thought out plan that made the best of a superb group of playmakers and one of the best offensive lines in the league. Returning explosive rookie Jameson Williams, who opened the scoring with a 41-yard touchdown on his first NFL catch.
Sunday’s headlines state that the Lions see Jared Goff as a long-term quarterback, may have unsettled you a bit, but the veteran quarterback plays the best football of his career as Detroit’s playmaker. Goff was near-perfect once morest the Vikings, throwing for 330 yards and three touchdowns and going without an interception in his fifth straight game.
With the defense taking some small steps in the right direction lately, the chance for favorable outcomes is much higher. They may only be 6-7, but nobody is as hot as the Lions these days.
Defeating the Vikings for the NFC North title would be next to impossible because not only would Detroit have to win every game, but Minnesota would also have to lose every remaining game. However, a wild card place is definitely possible. The Lions go just one win behind the Commanders, Giants and Seahawks in the final four games in the race for sixth and seventh places in the NFC Playoffs.
If the Lions can sneak into the playoffs as the last wildcard team, they would likely face the NFC No. 2. As of this writing, that might easily come down to the Vikings. And the way Minnesota’s defense is playing, you can bet she doesn’t want anything to do with the Lions’ offense.