The last time the Vikings and Lions met in September, Minnesota needed to erase a 14-point deficit in the final 8 minutes and take the lead with 45 seconds to go on Detroit’s account.
It is clear that both these teams are closer than their respective records. Sportsbooks have the Lions (5-7) as 1.5-point favorites in the Las Vegas matchup, which result, if held, would prevent Minnesota (10-2) from winning its first North Division title since 2017 Will be able to go when he is the finalist of the National Conference
Detroit, which hadn’t won at least five games in a season since 2018, has come out with a vibrant head coach in Dan Campbell and an extremely dangerous offense. The Lions have won four of their last five games thanks to an offense that is averaging more than 29 points in those four wins.
And if the story is worth anything, the points are just what they’ll need. After all, it’s fair to say that Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins has found a second home in Detroit. In five career starts at Ford Field, Cousins has 15 total touchdowns, two of them rushing, has thrown no interceptions and is averaging 124.9 rating points.
However, his last journey was not so pleasant. Although he passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns, opponent Jared Goff led a 14-play, 75-yard drive in the final 1:50 of the game, ending with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown as time expired. Happened. on the clock to give Detroit a 29–27 win, its first in the last 10 games against the Vikings.
The Lions may need another performance like this from their quarterback, and Goff seems ready. In his last five starts, he has 7 touchdown passes to one interception, has been sacked only six times and has led a comeback in the final quarter.
For Detroit, their only option is to turn Sunday’s game into a shootout as their prodigious offense is “complemented” by the worst defense in the NFL, a unit that averages 27 points per game.
Even with their 10-2 record, their nine wins in their last 10 games and their positive turnover balance of +8, drama is guaranteed every time Minnesota takes the field. Nine of his 10 wins have come by a margin of eight points or less, and he is one shy of breaking the NFL record.
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Buccaneers (6-6) at San Francisco (8-4)
After 23 seasons, seven Super Bowl rings and countless records, the rest of the NFL should know that Tom Brady should never give up. Saints made that mistake last week and paid a heavy price for it.
In what was his second fourth quarter comeback win in the last four games, Brady overcame a 13-point deficit to give the Buccaneers their third win in the last four games and put Tampa Bay atop the NFC South.
However, the next test is of much greater difficulty. Nothing more and nothing less than the San Francisco 49ers and the best defense in the NFL.
Despite the good passing momentum the Bucs are going through, their offense has been suppressed and hasn’t gone over 22 points in their last eight games. Doing so against the 49ers seems more complicated, as San Francisco hasn’t won more than 17 during its five-game winning streak.
Brady, who has only one previous start in his hometown, will face the 49ers with offensive question marks of his own. Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo – Brady’s former protégé in New England – had broken his leg last week and rookie Brock Prudey came off the bench as San Francisco took Miami.
Prudey will become the first quarterback selected in the final round of the draft to start an NFL game on Sunday and the seventh rookie to make his first league start as an opponent against Brady. Brady is 6-0 in those games, but favors the Las Vegas 49ers by 3.5 points.
Eagles at New York (11-1)-Giants-(7-4-1)
Philadelphia (11-1) is just one win away from clinching its fifth playoff berth in the last six seasons. And with Jalen Hurts and the second best offense in the NFL, it seems like it’s only a matter of time.
It’s up to the Giants (7-4-1) to keep a post-season ticket from coming their way. Seems easier said than done.
New York, which began the season with a 6–1 record, has since won only one win, two losses, and one tie, thanks in large part to a faltering defense, which averaged 24.4 points that season. span after not giving up more than 23 runs in any of the first seven games of the season.
remaining matches
Week 14 begins this Thursday night with the Raiders (5-7) traveling to Los Angeles to face the Rams (3-9), who could count on the presence of recently acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The action continues on Sunday with the following games: Jets (7-5) at Buffalo (9-3); the Browns (5–7) at Cincinnati; Texans (1-10-1) at Dallas (9-3); Ravens (8-4) at Pittsburgh (5-7); the Jaguars (4-8) at Tennessee; Chiefs (9-3) in Denver; Panthers (4-8) at Seattle (7-5); and the Dolphins (8-4) at the L.A. Chargers (6-6).
The day ends Monday with the Patriots (6-6) at Arizona (4-8) with New England looking to keep its postseason hopes alive against the Cardinals with the next-to-last defense in the league.
The Falcons (5-8), Bears (3-10), Packers (5-8), Colts (4-8), Saints (4-9) and Commanders (7-5-1) all have bye weeks.
