Lions visit eliminated Vikings on Christmas with their chance of returning to the playoffs dwindling
Detroit (8-7) at Minnesota (7-8)
Thursday, 4:30 p.m. EST, Netflix.
BetMGM NFL odds: Lions by 6.
Against the spread: Lions 7-8; Vikings 7-8.
Series record: Minnesota leads 81-45-2.
Last meeting: Vikings beat Lions 27-24 on Nov. 2 in Detroit.
Last week: Lions lost to Steelers 29-24; Vikings beat Giants 16-13.
Lions offense: overall (3), rush (12), pass (3), scoring (2).
Lions defense: overall (23), rush (16), pass (25), scoring (23).
Vikings offense: overall (28), rush (25), pass (28), scoring (26).
Vikings defense: overall (5), rush (24), pass (3), scoring (11).
Turnover differential: Lions plus-10; Vikings minus-14.
Lions player to watch
WR Jameson Williams. The Lions are leaning more on the 2022 first-round pick, who was taken 12th overall with the spot the Vikings traded out of in a draft-night swap with their division rival. Williams had five catches for 70 yards against Pittsburgh after averaging seven receptions and 125 yards over the previous three games.
Vikings player to watch
QB Max Brosmer. The undrafted rookie will get his second start, with J.J. McCarthy sidelined by a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. When McCarthy missed the game at Seattle on Nov. 30 because of a concussion, Brosmer was overwhelmed by a dominant defense while throwing four interceptions in a 26-0 loss.
Key matchup
Detroit’s running game against Minnesota’s defense. The dominant offensive line that fueled the 15-win Lions last season has regressed, with two starters from 2024 gone and multiple injuries weakening the front in 2025. The ground game has suffered as a result, with just 15 yards rushing last week for the team’s lowest total since 2016. The Lions are 0-6 this season when they finish below 100 yards rushing, including a 65-yard total against the Vikings at home on Nov. 2.
Key injuries
Lions: DB Avonte Maddox (back) didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday after getting hurt against Pittsburgh, another potential hit to a banged-up secondary that has starters Terrion Arnold, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on injured reserve. … DE Marcus Davenport (shoulder) has been limited in practice this week. The 2018 first-round draft pick by the Saints has been limited to six games this season after playing in two in 2024 for the Lions and four with the Vikings in 2023. … WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) didn’t practice on Monday and was limited on Tuesday.
Vikings: McCarthy (hand) joins C Ryan Kelly (concussion) on the sideline. … TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday. … RB Jordan Mason (ankle) left the game last week on the opening drive and was unable to practice on Monday or Tuesday. … DT Javon Hargrave (thigh) missed the game last week but practiced this week on a limited basis. … Three other starters, LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) and S Josh Metellus (shoulder), were shut down for the season last week.
Series notes
The Vikings ended a five-game losing streak to the Lions in Week 9. In the last meeting, McCarthy returned from a five-game absence because of a sprained ankle and threw two touchdown passes, ran for a score and sealed the victory by throwing a 16-yard pass to Jalen Nailor on third-and-5 from the Minnesota 28. Jared Goff was sacked a season-high five times for the Lions, and Jahmyr Gibbs was held to 25 yards rushing on nine carries and 3 yards on three receptions. … The Lions are 4-5 at U.S. Bank Stadium. With a win, they would match the Bears for the most wins by any opponent at the stadium that Minnesota opened in 2016.
Stats and stuff
To return to the playoffs, the Lions need to win at Minnesota and at Chicago in Week 18 and have Green Bay lose at home against Baltimore this week and at Minnesota in Week 18. Their playoff qualification probability is 7%, according to the NFL. … The Lions have lost two straight games for the first time since early in the 2022 season when they dropped five in a row to fall to 1-6 in coach Dan Campbell’s second year. They have not won two games in a row in more than two months and can no longer win the division they won the last two years. … Gibbs has the most touchdowns (48) scored in NFL history through a player’s first three seasons. … St. Brown had just four catches on nine targets for 54 yards last week. His pass interference penalty on the final play against Pittsburgh negated Goff’s go-ahead touchdown run off St. Brown’s lateral to prevent being tackled short of the goal line. Three plays earlier, pass interference on rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa erased St. Brown’s touchdown catch that would’ve given the Lions the lead. … Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson had two sacks last week, matching his career high with 11 1/2 sacks. … The Vikings were eliminated from contention for the playoffs two weeks ago after winning 14 games last season. They have not made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2008-09. … Vikings RB Aaron Jones had 21 carries for 85 yards last week, both season highs. … Vikings WR Justin Jefferson needs 27 yards to pass Randy Moss (8,375) for the most receiving yards in NFL history over a player’s first six seasons. Jefferson’s last touchdown catch came against the Lions in Week 9. … Vikings LB Blake Cashman has logged 10-plus tackles in eight of the 11 games he’s played in, tied for the second most in the league. … The Vikings have allowed 2.12 yards per play in the red zone, the second-best rate inside the 20-yard line this season in the NFL. … The Vikings have held opponents under 200 net passing yards in 11 of 15 games and under 100 in three of their last four games.
Fantasy tip
Goff has a touchdown pass in 21 straight games, tying Matthew Stafford’s franchise record. He has three consecutive 300-yard passing performances and four straight games without a turnover, with a career-low six giveaways this season. He’ll face a Vikings defense that has not allowed a passing touchdown in six straight games, tying the Patriots (2018-19) for the longest streak in the league over the last 25 years.
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