Lions (3-4)
W...SanFrancisco ...24-16 T at Green Bay 29-29 (OT) L ........... Buffalo ........... 27-6 L ..... at L.A. Rams ..... 38-31 W .. at Philadelphia .. 23-21 W ......... Arizona ......... 27-17 W ..... at N.Y. Jets ..... 37-17 L ..... New Orleans ..... 30-20 Nov.4 ......... Detroit ......... 1 Nov. 11 ............. Bye ............. Nov. 18 ..... at Chicago ..... 1 Nov.25 ..GreenBay ..8:20 Dec. 2 at New England 4:25 Dec. 10 ... at Seattle ... 8:15 Dec. 16 ......... Miami ......... 1 Dec. 23 ...... at Detroit ...... 1 Dec. 30 ...... Chicago ....... 1
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: Fox
Danny by 6
Lions’ keys to victory: You hate to call a game in the middle of the season a must win for Detroit, but the Lions need an upset of the Vikings to keep their division title hopes alive. One key for Detroit will be to slow down Minnesota’s biggest weakness — the run. Detroit allowed 105 rushing yards to Seahawks RB Chris Carson in Week 7, and if the Vikings have that type of day, it likely means an easy Minnesota win.
Vikings’ keys to victory: Force Lions QB Matthew Stafford into bad decisions. Stafford is an upand-down quarterback. He makes some throws that make him seem like a Pro Bowl-caliber player and others that make you think his job is in jeopardy. If the Vikings pass rush, led by DEs Everson Griffen (who played in his first 2018 game against New Orleans) and Danielle Hunter, can force Stafford into bad throws, CB Xavier Rhodes and S Harrison Smith should be able to take advantage.
Matchup to watch: Lions RB Kerryon Johnson vs. Vikings front seven. The Lions will try to get some semblance of a running game going against the Vikings, but it’s not something Detroit has done a great job of lately. Johnson is the lead back, but the 2018 second-round pick had just 22 yards on eight carries last week. Johnson has two 100-yard games this season, and it’s no surprise the Lions are 2-0 in those games.
Who wins? The Vikings are the more talented team, but it’s been that way in the past, too, and the Lions have upset Minnesota. So what changes here? QB Kirk Cousins will have a big game.
Vikings, 23-17 Sheridan’s line: Vikings