With the NFC North championship and the top seed in the NFC playoffs up for grabs, what are the Minnesota Vikings discussing before this week’s epic game versus the Lions in Detroit?
1. As the Lions played the 49ers on Monday Night Football, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stated Monday that the team had already begun getting ready for the Lions and that more footage would be released on Monday night.
The Vikings hope that having a day’s head start on the Lions in their preparation for Sunday night’s game in Detroit will give them a little edge. The advantage isn’t as large as it would be if Detroit were facing a more unfamiliar opponent because these two division opponents are familiar with one another.
2. Due to his ongoing recovery from an ACL tear sustained against the Lions the previous season, Detroit did not play former Lions and current Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson in the first game in Minnesota Week 7. Hockenson stated, “That’s what we play for,” referring to taking charge of their own fate in order to defeat his former squad and secure the No. 1 seed and division title. “I’m going to have a great time. It’s going to be a big game in Detroit, and you want to play in games like that. We’re excited about it. We’ve had a 1-0 mindset the entire year. We never considered what might occur or what might be. Right now, all we can think about is Detroit, where we’ll be at our feet.
In nine games since he returned from his knee injury, Hockenson has hauled in 39 passes for 446 yards (11.4 avg). “Whenever you play your previous team, you’re going to have some excitement,” he stated. “This is Detroit. Throughout my career, I have performed there a lot. It will be enjoyable because I know a lot of guys on that side of the ball. The game is going to be fantastic. I have a lot of respect for that organisation and its employees. The game will be enjoyable and of high quality.
3. Since 2022, Detroit has defeated the Vikings four times in a row. O’Connell was questioned about if the competitions had a recurring theme. He claimed that Detroit does an excellent job of exploiting the faults of other teams, citing turnovers as one factor in their recent lack of success versus the Lions. “They are a complete team,” he remarked about Detroit. “They play football in a physical way. They will compete. They have excellent coaching on all fronts, including special teams, AG (Aaron Glenn), and Ben (Johnson).
“I believe it will be difficult to win if you do anything self-inflicted against good football teams. Whether it’s our quarterback or T.J. (Hockenson), we have had opportunities to win games against those teams and haven’t always played to our best potential. It’s definitely a huge plus to be reasonably healthy at this time of year.
4. Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman understands the significance of Sunday’s game in Detroit because a victory would mean that the NFC playoffs would pass through U.S. Bank Stadium, which Minnesota has only lost once this season, to Detroit by a margin of two points. “I believe it’s significant,” he stated. “I believe that our opponents sense that when we play here. We have to focus on next week first, but if we can stay at home, we’ll have a tremendous opportunity and, in my opinion, a leg up on our opponents.”