The Detroit Lions are surging and they have their eyes on a third consecutive NFC North title. The Minnesota Vikings are reeling after losing consecutive games to the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers. They are making a change at the quarterback position this week and they may not be prepared to handle their long-time rivals.
A year ago, the Lions and the Vikings met in the NFL's final regular-season game with the division title and top seed in the NFC playoff structure on the line. The Lions came through with an overwhelming 31-9 victory as the Vikings were not prepared for the intensity of the battle against their divisional opponents.
The difference between the Lions and the Vikings have grown dramatically since then and another one-sided game could be the result. J.J. McCarthy will return to the starting lineup for the first time since their Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He has been out with a high ankle sprain and backup Carson Wentz was battered and bruised during his absence.
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Wentz led the team to a 2-3 record during McCarthy's absence, and now it's time for the 2024 first-round draft pick to show that he is ready to lead the Vikings offense. It couldn't come against a tougher opponent.
Jared Goff will throw for 250-plus yards and 2 TDs
McCarthy is going to have to come out firing because the Lions regularly start with their offense functioning at full speed. Jared Goff is one of the best signal callers in the league and he is off to an excellent start this year.
Goff excels at reading the defense and adjusting into plays that give the Lions a significant advantage. He was able to get the best of the Vikings defense last season, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores is having a tougher time with his unit this year.
Goff has completed 152 of 203 passes for a razor sharp 74.3 completion percentage. He has thrown for 1,631 yards with a 15-3 TD to interception ratio.
Unlike most teams, head coach Dan Campbell likes his team to take possession on the opening kickoff and attack from the start. There is no holding back with the Lions offense and Goff has three excellent receiving weapons in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and tight end Sam LaPorta.
St. Brown is often inspired in competing against Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been considered the best at his position in the league. St. Brown doesn't say “look at me” with his words, but he does with his play. The Vikings defense is likely to pay the price.
Lions 1-2 punch at RB will result in 150-plus yards and 2 TDs
As flashy and effective as the Lions passing game is, Dan Campbell is all about playing physical football and punishing opponents with a relentless ground attack.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery — known by nicknames Sonic and Knuckles — give the Lions one of the best 1-2 punches at the running back slot in the NFL. The explosive Gibbs has rushed for 526 yards and an impressive 5.1 yards per carry average along with 6 rushing TDs.
Montgomery is the power back and he has gained 355 yards while average 4.6 yards per attempt. He has scored 4 touchdowns and neither running back has lost a fumble.
The Vikings have been quite vulnerable in that area in 2025 as they are allowing 130.4 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranks 24th in the league. Unless the Vikings pick up their play dramatically, Gibbs and Montgomery will have a brilliant day against this defense.
Lions defense will sack McCarthy 4 times
The Lions were able to dominate a sharp and efficient Vikings offense last year in the season's most important game. The Vikings don't have any of the consistency that they did a year ago and they are putting McCarthy back in the lineup to face one of the most aggressive defenses in the league.
Unlike last year, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is leading the pass rush for the Lions. He is healthy again and has a team-leading 6.0 sacks and 1 pass batted down to go with his 16 tackles. He is joined by linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, who is also a solid pass rusher with 5.0 sacks .
Linebacker Jack Campbell is likely to cause havoc for the Vikings. He is Detroit's leading tackler with 64 stops to go with 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
Dominant Lions are prepared for huge effort
The Lions are not likely to let an opportunity against a division rival slip through their grasp. It would be one thing if Vikings were at home and playing at peak efficiency. That is not the case as they are just hoping for respectability when they go to Ford Field and try to keep the Lions in check.
That will not be the case in Week 9 as the Lions will jump on the Vikings early and pull away for at least three quarters in order to put the game in the victory column.
