Jan. 2, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE.
The Minnesota Vikings rested up during their Week 6 bye after an outstanding 5-0 start to the season.
Now, the Vikings are getting back on the field with a home matchup against a division rival: The Detroit Lions. Ahead of that Week 7 game, here is a look at what Minnesota Vikings need to know as the matchup looms.
The Lions and Vikings kick off inside U.S. Bank Stadium at noon this Sunday, October 20th. The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be streamed via NFL+ in the NFL app as well as NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV.
The Lions/Vikings rivalry was one that used to be dominated by Minnesota, but in recent years that trend has begun to turn.
This Sunday will be the 126th meeting between the two teams, and the Vikings hold the advantage with a record of 80-43-2 in the first 125 games. However, Detroit has claimed quite a run since 2021. The Lions have won four of the past five games in this series and claimed a 30-20 win in Week 18 last season as the most recent meeting.
There is at least a decent chance that the Vikings will be without starting RB Aaron Jones this weekend as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 5 against the New York Jets. Jones was listed as a DNP on Wednesday’s injury report, and the Vikings also just traded for RB Cam Akers as insurance.
Chandler, while finishing the 2023 season strongly, has not shown much to this point in 2024. The third-year running back has recorded 42 carries for 147 yards. Without Jones in the lineup to finish Week 5, Chandler totaled 14 carries for just 30 yards.
Jones has been a steady force out of the Vikings’ backfield this season, and if he were to miss this weekend’s matchup, Minnesota will need Chandler to step up in his stead.
The Lions quietly are very beaten up on the defensive front right now. Of course, Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the season last week after breaking his leg, but it was just the latest in a long line of injuries for Detroit that includes names like Marcus Davenport, John Cominsky, and Brodrick Martin.
James Houston burst onto the scene in 2022 with eight sacks over the course of seven games, but since then, he has played just four games and recorded only a single tackle.
However, with Detroit’s needs on the defensive front for pass rush help, Houston may need to be relied upon to get after opposing quarterbacks. We’ll see if that happens against the Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.