The Detroit Lions have enjoyed a happy bye week, because let’s face it: Any team that wins going into a bye week has a much more enjoyable time than any team that loses before their week off. So, the Lions had some time to bask in the glow of their 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, October 19, and now, it’s back to work.
The Detroit Lions enter their Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings with a record of 5-2, while the Vikings are 3-4. The last time these two played each other, the Vikings were under quarterback Sam Darnold, and the Lions came out of the game with a definitive 31-9 victory on January 5 of this year. That win also made the Detroit Lions clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
This time around, the Vikings have been dealing with troubling quarterback issues. They started the season with their 2024 draft pick, J.J. McCarthy, as their starting quarterback, following a year of McCarthy being benched due to an injury. But, McCarthy was injured again this season during a game against the Atlanta Falcons on September 14, and he’s been out ever since. But, that’s about to change.
Good News for the Detroit Lions
First of all, the Minnesota Vikings’ injuries are piling up, which will only help the Lions in this weekend’s game. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Vikings tight end Josh Oliver and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard were not at the team’s practice on Monday, October 27. Now, maybe the Vikings are just resting Oliver and Greenard, but when players skip practice, it more than often means that those players are injured.
Oliver has notched five catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns over his first seven games, according to Pro Football Focus. Greenard, meanwhile, has recorded 30 pressures and two sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Vikings Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is Back
According to NFL analyst and commentator Ian Rapoport, the Minnesota Vikings will start McCarthy against the Lions. Rapoport adds that the Vikings were waiting until now because they wanted to make sure that McCarthy was totally healthy before putting him back on the field.
There’s also the reality that they don’t really have a choice. Minnesota has been playing quarterback Carson Wentz, who has been playing through a dislocated shoulder, and he also just suffered a season-ending injury. “Wentz will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder injury he originally suffered Oct. 5 while playing in place of injured starter J.J. McCarthy,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports in a Monday, October 27 feature.
So, with Wentz out, the Vikings’ only other quarterback on their roster right now besides McCarthy is undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, and they’re not going to want to start him. Nothing against Brosmer, but he’s not a starting quarterback yet.
As Candace Pedraza of SideLion Report points out in a story on Monday, October 27, “Minnesota clearly has a ton of faith in their young quarterback, but it’s going to be tough to imagine that he bounces back right away against a defense like the Lions.”
So, McCarthy will be pitted against the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill and an A-list crew. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ pass block win rate is 59%, which is 22nd in the NFL, according to team research. Do the math, and it’s looking good for the Detroit Lions.
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