Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings face off in Week 9 in a big NFC North showdown. The 5-2 Lions are looking to stay near the top of the NFC race and hope to eventually catch the division-leading Green Bay Packers, who currently hold a 5-1-1 record through seven games. The Vikings, on the other hand, are hoping not to fall out of contention completely before December hits. Currently at 3-4 and in the bottom spot in the NFC North, the Vikings need wins and they need them fast.
They’re hoping the return of second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy can kickstart their offense, which currently ranks 18th in the NFL in points per game (22.1). He’s expected to have both starting tackles in this game, which should be a big help for an offensive line that has struggled so far. The Vikings defense has not been itself either, allowing 23.1 points per game (19th). That side of the ball, too, is getting key players back. Most notably, edge defender Andrew Van Ginkel is expected to be back for the first time since Week 3.
But the Lions are pretty healthy themselves. They’re also playing very good weekly football, and they’re coming off a bye week where they’ve been able to self-scout, adjust their schemes, and prepare for this big matchups against the Vikings.
This post will serve as a live-updating post that will provide the latest news and happenings in the Lions vs. Vikings game. That will include score updates, drive-by-drive analysis, highlights and injury news. When the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, just stay right here on the page and occasionally refresh the page for the latest updates.
See you at 1 p.m. ET!
