The Detroit Lions couldn’t have asked for a better bye week. Riding high after their dominant 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 19 at Ford Field, the team got to enjoy their time off in good spirits. But with the rest behind them, their focus now shifts to their Week 9 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.
Detroit enters the matchup at 5-2, while the Vikings sit at 3-4. The last time these two teams met, Sam Darnold was under center for Minnesota, and the Lions cruised to a 31-9 victory on January 5, a win that secured the NFC’s top playoff seed for Detroit.
This time, however, Minnesota is in a far different situation — especially at quarterback. The team began the 2025 season with J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick, returning from injury to reclaim the starting role. Unfortunately, McCarthy went down again during a September 14 game against the Atlanta Falcons and has been sidelined ever since. Now, reports indicate that he’s finally ready to return.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, McCarthy is set to start against Detroit. The Vikings were cautious with his recovery, waiting until he was fully cleared before sending him back into action. That said, the decision isn’t just strategic — it’s out of necessity.
Carson Wentz, who had been filling in, has been battling a dislocated shoulder since early October and recently sustained another injury that requires season-ending surgery, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. That leaves undrafted rookie Max Brosmer as the only other healthy quarterback on the roster — a player Minnesota isn’t likely to start in such a critical game.
Adding to the Vikings’ woes, several key players are nursing injuries. Tight end Josh Oliver and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard were both absent from practice on October 27, which raises concerns about their availability. Oliver has contributed 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns this year, while Greenard has produced 30 pressures and two sacks, per Pro Football Focus.
As SideLion Report’s Candace Pedraza notes, the Vikings’ faith in McCarthy is admirable — but throwing him back into the fire against Detroit’s fierce defense led by Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill could be risky. With Minnesota’s pass block win rate sitting at just 59%, ranking 22nd in the NFL, the odds certainly favor the Lions heading into this divisional battle.
In short, while the Lions are healthy, rested, and confident, their rivals in Minnesota are limping into the matchup — making Detroit’s path to another victory look even clearer.
