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To call this a massive matchup would be an understatement. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings play in Week 18 for all the marbles in the NFC. Both teams come into this matchup at 14-2 and both teams are locked into the playoffs, but there are massive implications on the line as far as playoff seeding is concerned. This Lions-Vikings game is going to be intense.
The winner is the NFC's No. 1 seed and they'll get to enjoy a first round bye. Meanwhile, almost inexplicably, the loser will be a 14-3 fifth seed and will have to play a game on the road in the Wild Card round.
No matter what, each team will have its own challenges trying to win a Super Bowl. Keep in mind, neither team has ever won a Super Bowl and the Lions have never even been in the game. They each have a ton of history going against them that they'll have to overcome in these playoffs as well as certain problems here in the 2024-25 season.
For the Lions, it's a bevy of injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball. For the Vikings, it's arguably the lack of playoff experience. Head coach Kevin O'Connell led the Vikings to the playoffs in his first season with the team but they lost in the Wild Card round. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Sam Darnold has never played in the playoffs as a starter.
As such, the opportunity to have home field advantage and a bye over Wild Card weekend is a huge advantage for both teams, so there's so much on the line in this game. The winner will inevitably be the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
As we continue to preview this game, here are the four players (two on each side) who will be most important to the outcome.
Will the legend of Sam Darnold's turnaround continue to grow?
This deep into the season it's almost hard to remember that Darnold was brought into the Vikings' organization to be a veteran presence for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy — who the Vikings selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. To this point in his career, Darnold has been labeled as draft bust for the New York Jets — who selected him with the third overall pick in 2018 — and he wasn't able to take advantage of his second chance with the Carolina Panthers.
Darnold spent 2023 as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers and he was expected to be a career backup from then on out, but he seized the opportunity in Minnesota when McCarthy was lost for the season in the preseason and he hasn't looked back. In fact, he's arguably an MVP candidate thanks to his 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns (compared to 12 interceptions) thrown this season.
Darnold has been incredible in 2014. He threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in Minnesota's massive win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. He's the straw that stirs the drink for the Vikings' offense, and he has a chance to add another chapter to his growing legend in Minnesota by beating Detroit in this one.
Will Jared Goff's legend continue to grow with the Lions?
There's an interesting parallel between Jared Goff's career and Darnold's. Goff was seen as almost a throwaway piece in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford from Detroit to the Los Angeles Rams. He's since fully embraced Detroit's underdog spirit, though, and he's quickly become a legend in his own right amongst Lions fans. Tune in to any Lions game (or any game in Detroit for that matter) and you'll hear the chants of Ja-red Goff. They love him in Detroit, and he's done more than enough to earn that love.
Goff is an MVP candidate himself with 4,398 yards and 36 touchdowns to his name compared to just 10 interceptions. Only Joe Burrow has thrown for more yards this season and only Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson have thrown more touchdowns. When it comes to passer rating, only Jackson's (121.6) is better than Goff's 113.6.
He's amongst the top quarterbacks in the league this season and beating Minnesota in this big spot on Sunday Night Football could seal an MVP vote or two for Goff, especially considering all the history he's been fighting against for the Lions.
Kerby Joseph has become a game changer for the Lions
There are some big defensive names in the NFC playoffs. Xavier McKinney has been the catalyst for a tremendous turnaround for the Green Bay Packers' secondary as a free agent pickup and there are two players on the Vikings' roster — Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard —who have over 10 sacks on the season.
None have had the impact that Kerby Joseph has had for the Lions, though. He's been an absolute game-wrecker for them in the secondary. On a team that has lost several key players on the defensive side of the ball, he's been a consistent presence, and he's helped Detroit win several games.
Joseph leads the NFL in interceptions with nine. He picked off Brock Purdy twice on Monday Night Football in Week 17 and he's absolutely going to have to be a player Darnold keys in on for every snap in this huge Week 18 matchup.
Justin Jefferson can put the Vikings over the top
Justin Jefferson is again one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, and he's absolutely Minnesota's top offensive weapon. He's caught 100 passes this season for 1,479 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 14.8 yards per reception. Detroit's biggest weakness right now is its inability to stop anybody on defense — the Lions are giving up 347.4 yards per game on defense — and Jefferson can absolutely be the Vikings' trump card in this one of it ends up being a high-flying affair.
He's one of the best route runners in the league but he's also devastating with the ball in his hands when it comes to yards after the catch. If the Vikings focus on feeding Jefferson in this one, there's almost no way the Lions will be able to keep up with them.
