Lions vs. Vikings in Week 18 will decide NFC North and 1 seed

The only task left for the Detroit Lions is to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

After the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-25 on Sunday in Week 17 of the NFL season, the Lions must beat the Vikings in Week 18 at Ford Field to clinch the top seed in the NFC, a bye in the first round and home field advantage until the Super Bowl.

The Vikings got off to a great start, holding a 17-point lead with less than four minutes to play, but Jordan Love and the Packers made them sweat with two late goals. However, the Vikings picked up two first downs on their final drive to secure their 14th win of the season.

Here’s what you need to know about the Lions, the battle for the NFC North and the NFC’s No. 1 spot.

The Lions were at or near the top of the NFC all year, but the Vikings were a major thorn in their side, winning most of the year.

The Lions defeated the Vikings 31-29 on the road in Week 7 on a Jake Bates field goal and took the lead from that point on. They got even more help when the Vikings lost again to the Los Angeles Rams just days after their loss to the Lions on Thursday Night Football. After that, the Vikings got red hot again.

The Vikings have won nine straight games and improved to 14-2 after beating the Packers on Sunday.

The Lions, who enter Monday with a 13-2 record, face the Vikings in Week 18 at Ford Field. All of their regular-season goals are on the line, whether or not they take care of business on Monday at Levi’s Stadium, where they lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship last season and missed the chance to get theirs to reach the first Super Bowl.

The NFC’s other big player this year, the Philadelphia Eagles, was eliminated from the race for the No. 1 seed with the Vikings’ win. Whoever emerges victorious between the Lions and Vikings will take home the top seed, while the loser will play away in the wild card round on January 11th and 13th as the No. 5 seed against the winner of the NFC South or West.

MAIN DETAILS:The Lions don’t give their regular players any rest, no matter how the Vikings fare: “Go out to play and win”

The Lions hold a 3½-point lead over the 49ers in the MNF showdown in Santa Clara, Calif., and will enter the game looking for serious revenge after blowing a 24-7 halftime lead over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last year had.

Although the result doesn’t mean much on paper, coach Dan Campbell already said that the Lions will play their starters and definitely try to win against the 49ers.

Detroit Lions game time against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18

While we don’t have a crystal ball, we can make a pretty educated guess as to when the Lions will play the Vikings in Week 18.

The NFL doesn’t officially announce Week 18 schedules until Sunday night, but typical big division battles like the Lions-Vikings game were shown in the Sunday Night Football spot on NBC.

The Lions played in this game a few years ago when they faced the Green Bay Packers in January 2023 after being eliminated that day earlier, but ended the Packers’ playoff hopes at Lambeau Field.

Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep) and LinkedIn and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).

Stay connected and stay informed. Become a subscriber.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

Lions vs. Vikings in Week 18 will decide NFC North and 1 seed

Leave a Reply Cancel reply