With just one week to go in the campaign, the Lions have already won 11 games and have wrapped up the NFC North division title.
It’s been a nice change of pace for an organization that prior to this season, hadn’t won its division since 1993.
In its regular season finale on Sunday, Detroit will take on the Minnesota Vikings, the team that Dan Campbell’s squad beat just two weeks ago to clinch the NFC North division crown.
The Lions enter the Week 18 matchup – which will kick off at 1 p.m. at Ford Field – as 5.5-point favorites, per SI Sportsbook.
The Vikings (7-9) head into this week as losers of three in a row, and are coming off their worst loss of 2023.
On New Year’s Eve, they suffered a 33-10 defeat at home to the Green Bay Packers. It marked the first double-digit loss for Minnesota this season.
Although Minnesota sits two games below .500 entering the final week of the regular season, it still possesses an outside shot at making the playoffs. In fact, Kevin O’Connell’s team has a three percent chance at claiming a wild card spot, according to The New York Times.
In the first meeting between the Vikings and the Lions in ‘23, Campbell & Co. won by just six points, 30-24.
And, going into the fourth quarter of the Week 16 contest, Detroit led by just two, 23-21. The Lions got to 30 points on a Jahmyr Gibbs rushing touchdown early in the final quarter.
In the aforementioned Christmas Eve affair, Detroit notably won the time of possession, 38:22 to 21:38. It also impressively sacked Minnesota quarterback Nick Mullens four times, and limited the Vikings to just 17 total rushing yards. Mullens also threw four interceptions in the divisional matchup.
However, Hall — a product of BYU — wasn’t very impressive against the Packers (was five-for-10 and threw an interception), and was benched after two quarters. Mullens entered in relief of Hall, and didn’t fare much better. He completed 13-of-22 passes for just 113 yards, and finished the primetime tilt with a measly 13.7 QBR.
Headed into Week 18, O’Connell has yet to determine who will make the start under center.
Regardless, though, the Lions have a great opportunity to close out the season with their 12th win.
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