DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions are rested coming off a bye week, relatively healthy and ready to roll for a 10-game stretch to improve their positioning in the NFC.
Detroit (5-2) is a half-game behind Green Bay in the NFC North and a game ahead of Chicago in the division, and in a logjam in the race for the conference's best record with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle and San Francisco.
Lions coach Dan Campbell shared the outlook in the conference with his team this week, saying the next month will be pivotal.
“You’re going to start seeing the risers and fallers," Campbell said. “And, a lot of these teams are playing each other.”
Minnesota (3-4), meanwhile, seems to have its season slipping away after losses in two straight and three of its last four games.
The Vikings will visit the Lions on Sunday with much different stakes than their last matchup at Ford Field.
Detroit beat Minnesota 31-9 in the 2024 regular-season finale, earning the NFC North championship and top seeding in the NFC playoffs and sending the Vikings on the road as a wild card. Both went 0-1 in the playoffs.
The Lions have been impressive enough this season to trail only Kansas City in the odds to win the Super Bowl, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“We’re not where we need to be yet,” Campbell said. “We’ve got so much room to grow, and I’m sure they feel the same way.”
McCarthy returns
J.J. McCarthy is back this week as Minnesota’s starting quarterback after a five-game absence while he recovered from a high ankle sprain. Carson Wentz, who had a season-ending shoulder injury, went 2-3 in his place.
McCarthy, who went 63-3 as a starter in high school and college, led Michigan to the 2023 national championship.
“He's a winner,” Campbell said.
Now, McCarthy is returning to Michigan for the first time to play in an NFL game with a 1-1 record in the league and so much to prove after a knee injury knocked him out of his rookie year.
“I think it’s all just about the process and me being focused on that," he said. "The outcomes really don’t mean anything. It’s just about getting better.”
Pay day
McCarthy's teammate at Michigan, Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, may be picking up tabs the next time they're together on campus.
Hutchinson signed a four-year, $180 million deal that includes $141 million in guarantees — the most for an NFL player who doesn’t play quarterback — that keeps him under contract through the 2030 season.
McCarthy would prefer to limit his contact with Hutchinson on Sunday to a postgame handshake, but it’s inevitable that he’ll make his presence felt off the edge.
“You’ve got to give him that credit,” McCarthy said. “He is that good.”
Gashed on the ground
The Vikings have been repeatedly run over this year after finishing last season with the second-fewest rushing yards allowed in the league. The Los Angeles Chargers became the second team to top the 200-yard rushing mark against them in last week's 37-10 rout.
That's not a good sign heading into a matchup with speedy running back Jahmyr Gibbs and the powerful David Montgomery leading a top-10 rushing team.
The Vikings traded nose tackle Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets right before the regular season to make way for veteran interior pass-rushing specialists Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave along with some up-and-coming young players. Linebacker Blake Cashman’s four-game absence was costly, and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel has missed five of seven games due to a neck injury.
“We can’t rush the passer if we can’t stop the run," Van Ginkel said. “When teams are able to run the ball, it’s kind of tough to play defense because then they have play action and they have deep shots.”
Inside job
The Lions entered the season with a lot of questions about the interior of their offensive line after four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow retired.
To make up for the loss, they moved veteran Graham Glasgow from guard to center and gave second-round pick Tate Ratledge and second-year pro Christian Mahogany a chance.
After a rough start in the season-opening flop in Green Bay, the trio has improved each week to help Detroit field one of the NFL's best offenses.
“There was a lot of noise and we canceled that noise,” said Mahogany, a sixth-round pick in 2024.
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