The Minnesota Vikings downgraded tight end TJ Hockenson to out for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

TJ Hockenson has not played for the Vikings, since Dec. 24, 2023 against the Lions. He started the season on injured reserve and was hoping to make his return to play against the team that he got hurt playing against last year. When Hockenson does return to the field, he will be a good weapon for Sam Darnold to have. It would make the Vikings offense even more dangerous than it already is with players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones in the fold.

Luckily, things are looking good for Jones to play after he suffered an injury against the New York Jets a few weeks ago. The bye week allowed Jones to recover in time to potentially play in a huge matchup against the Lions. We saw the Vikings' offense stall out a bit against the Jets after Jones left the game.

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Vikings look to take stranglehold on NFC North with win over Lions

The Vikings have been the surprise story of the season so far, as they are 5-0 coming into this matchup. Despite that, the NFC North has been the best division in the league this season, and with the Lions sitting at 4-1, this is a game for first place in the division. A win by the Vikings would create some breathing room in the division, especially with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears sitting at 4-2 coming into the weekend as well.

Minnesota on paper should be able to move the ball on Detroit's defense. However, Ben Johnson's Lions offense going up against Brian Flores' Vikings defense should be one of the most intriguing this weekend. The winner of that chess match could decide the game.