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Ranking Lions vs Vikings position-by-position in Week 18 showdown for NFC 1 seed
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- Ranking Lions vs Vikings position-by-position in Week 18 showdown for NFC 1 seed
It all comes down to this for the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings .
The 1-seed in the NFC playoffs and NFC North Division championship is on the line Sunday in Week 18 (8:20 p.m., NBC) in the final regular-season game of the 2024 NFL season.
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The Lions (14-2) are coming off a win against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night , while the Vikings (14-2) beat the Green Bay Packers one day earlier to set up the monumental battle.
The stakes couldn't be higher for a regular-season matchup. The winner will secure a first-round bye and homefield advantage until Super Bowl 59 as the victor of one of the most competitive division races in NFL history. The loser will be the top wild card in the NFC, the 5-seed, and will be on the road for at least the first round against the 4-seed (at Tampa Bay, Atlanta or Los Angeles Rams ).
Kevin O'Connell, right, and Dan Campbell meet after the Lions defeated the Vikings, 31-29, at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 20, 2024 in Minneapolis.
Detroit won the first matchup over Minnesota, 31-29 in Week 7 , in dramatic fashion on the road on the first of three game-winning field goals for kicker Jake Bates this season to hand the Vikings their first loss.
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This is the first regular-season matchup between teams with 14 wins apiece in NFL history and the stakes couldn't be higher for their quests to secure an elusive Super Bowl victory .
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Here is a quick position-by-position breakdown of Lions vs. Vikings entering the biggest regular-season matchup in franchise history. The Lions are small 2½-point favorites due to being home.
* All Lions stats are from prior to the game against the 49ers.
Lions vs Vikings QB
Lions: Jared Goff .
Vikings: Sam Darnold .
The MVP has become a two-horse race between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson , but Goff and Darnold are both in the conversation for bronze. Goff has been at the helm of the league's highest-scoring offense, while Darnold has had a breakout season in his first year with Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a top-10 offense. Goff through 15 games completed 71.4% of his passes with 33 TDs and 10 interceptions. Darnold has 4,153 yards while completing 68.1% of his passes for 35 TDs and 12 interceptions while pulling off a career resurrection similar to that of Goff in Detroit. Darnold is coming off two of the best performances of his career, against Green Bay and Seattle . Edge:Tie.
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Lions vs Vikings RBs
Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs , Craig Reynolds .
Vikings: Aaron Jones , Cam Akers .
Jones left the Vikings' win over the Packers early with a quad injury, but head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Jones is expected to play on Sunday night. Akers made the key third-down catch to seal Sunday's victory. The Lions won't have David Montgomery as he continues to nurse his knee injury, but Gibbs has proven capable of handling the load in the backfield. Edge: Lions.
Lions vs Vikings WRs and TEs
Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown , Jameson Williams , Tim Patrick , Sam LaPorta , Brock Wright .
Vikings: Justin Jefferson , Jordan Addison , Jalen Nailor , T.J. Hockenson , Josh Oliver .
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The Lions have a chance to have a pair of two 1,000-yard receivers in St. Brown and Williams if Williams has 110 yards in the final two games . The Vikings are close to the feat as well if Addison gets 125 yards or more against Detroit. Jefferson is on his way to another All-Pro season with 100 receptions for 1,479 yards and 10 touchdowns. Hockenson, the former Lions tight end traded to the Vikings in 2022 , has returned in the second half from an ACL injury to record 39 catches for 446 yards in nine games while second-year Lions counterpart Sam LaPorta has 47 catches for 599 yards after a historic rookie year. Both teams have a solid third receiving option in the Lions' Patrick and Vikings' Nailor (Michigan State). Edge: Vikings.
Lions vs Vikings OL
Lions: Taylor Decker , Graham Glasgow , Frank Ragnow , Kevin Zeitler , Penei Sewell .
Vikings: Cam Robinson , Blake Brandel , Garrett Bradbury , Ed Ingram , Brian O'Neill.
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The Lions rank sixth in the NFL in rushing (143.9 yards per game) and tied for sixth in sacks allowed (29) behind a strong, veteran-laden offensive line headlined by All-Pros in Sewell and Ragnow. The Vikings had to replace left tackle Christian Darrisaw at the trade deadline with Robinson, but still have an efficient running attack (108.4 yards per game) with 47 sacks allowed. Edge:Lions.
Lions vs Vikings DL
Lions: Josh Paschal , D.J. Reader, Za'Darius Smith, Levi Onwuzurike , Pat O'Conner.
Vikings:Jeff Tillery, Harrison Phillips , Jonathan Bullard , Dallas Turner , Jonathan Greenard , Andrew Van Ginkel .
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The Lions' defensive line has been ravaged by injury, most notably to Adrian Hutchinson and Alim McNeill . The Lions rank near the bottom in sack rate but are fourth in rushing yards allowed. The Vikings rank second in rushing defense and fourth in sacks with plenty of depth, especially at the outside linebacker rush positions. Edge:Vikings.
Lions vs Vikings LBs
Lions: Jack Campbell , Trevor Nowaske , Ben Niemann , Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
Vikings:Ivan Pace Jr., Brian Cashman, Josh Metellus .
The Lions may look to activate middle linebacker Alex Anzalone (broken wrist) from injured reserve for this game. Pace just came back from injury, Cashman has been one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and Metellus (Michigan) is a versatile weapon in the slot or box. Edge: Vikings.
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Lions vs Vikings CBs
Lions: Terrion Arnold , Amik Robertson , Kindle Vildor.
Vikings: Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore , Shaq Griffin.
Both teams shuffle personnel here. Arnold will be the Lions' main outside corner, with Robertson (who had been the starting nickel) and Vildor rotating in the other position since the injury of Carlton Davis III. The Lions can also use Brian Branch or Ifeatu Melifonwu in the nickel role. Gilmore and Murphy have been the primary corners for Minnesota, which leads the league in interceptions. Edge:Vikings.
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Lions vs Vikings safeties
Lions: Kerby Joseph , Brian Branch, Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Vikings: Camryn Bynum , Harrison Smith .
The Lions have gotten consistently great play from Branch and Joseph , both in man and zone coverage. Melifonwu rejoined the fold in Week 16 after injuries and adds pop as a blitzer. Bynum and Smith have been great for Minnesota and a key part of their turnover-heavy defense. Edge: Lions.
Lions vs Vikings special teams
Lions:Jake Bates, Jack Fox , Hogan Hatten .
Vikings: Will Reichard , Ryan Wright , Andrew DePaola .
Bates has made 23 of 26 field goals with a long of 58. Reichard is 21 of 26 on field goals also with a long of 58. He missed a 57-yarder off the crossbar in the win Sunday over Green Bay. The Lions and Fox lead the NFL in net yards per punt (45.8) while the Vikings rank 27th (39.6). Edge: Lions.
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Lions vs Vikings coaching
Kevin O'Connell (Vikings) and Dan Campbell (Lions) are 1-2 as favorites for the Coach of the Year award. Both have Assistant Coach of the Year award candidates, Brian Flores for Minnesota and Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn for Detroit, on staff helping the surge. O'Connell has helped Darnold resurrect his career by maintaining a top-10 offense; Campbell continues to get the most out of his players despite heightened expectations and a boatload of injuries . In the first matchup, Johnson's offense got the edge on Flores' defense. Edge:Lions.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press . Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions vs Vikings position-by-position rankings in NFL Week 18
