Vikings-related thoughts coming out of the bye week

The NFC North went crazy on Sunday, setting up for a huge Vikings-Lions game this week

© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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By Matthew Coller

While the Minnesota Vikings were on the bye week, there was a lot of action around the NFL relevant to them so let’s dive into some Week 6 and Vikings takeaways coming out of the bye….

Hello Detroit

Had the Detroit Lions lost in Dallas, the shine of the Vikings-Lions matchup at US Bank Stadium might have been scuffed a bit. Instead the Lions tossed gasoline and lighter fluid on the battle for the top of the NFC North next Sunday when the demolished the Cowboys 47-9.

Detroit’s offense had already started to catch fire last week when they ran the Seahawks off the field but Ben Johnson’s side of the football went into full berserk mode with 492 yards and Jared Goff finished the game with a perfect passer rating.

The matchup between the Lions offense and the Vikings defense is a battle of the best two units in the NFL. Brian Flores’s group has already slowed down top-notch quarterbacks Brock Purdy and CJ Stroud at home and now has a chance to put together a signature performance this week. Likewise, the Lions have an opportunity to put up points against the NFL’s top defense and show that they are truly a Super Bowl favorite.

Oh, this one is juicy. There might be an argument that this is the biggest game the Vikings and Lions have played…ever? It might be too early in the season to say that but how many times have the Vikings and Lions both made arguments for the No. 1 spot in the entire NFL? The Vikings are the surprise 5-0 team, the Lions are the club carrying the highest expectations in the conference. Both have great coaching, star players all over the field and the atmosphere at US Bank Stadium will be at 10/10.

It’s been a while since a team with this much hype was coming to town and the Vikings had the better record. Soak up the build up to this one, friends.

Aidan Hutchinson hurt

The only down side to Detroit winning over Dallas was that superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson left the game with a leg injury. He had surgery and will not play against the Vikings and it’s likely that he won’t be on the field this season. While nobody wants to see a gruesome injury and everyone hopes for a full Hutchinson recovery, we can’t ignore how relevant his absence is to the game. The former No. 2 overall pick was running away with the lead for most QB pressures in the NFL this year and making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year. Now the Vikings, who have protected well overall for Sam Darnold, will have a much easier time containing Detroit’s pass rush. It could also put a ceiling on how good the Lions defense can be this season. They are vastly improved but it’s a tougher road without Hutchinson.

Caleb Williams is getting it

I am fully prepared for Vikings fans to respond to Caleb Williams looking fantastic in London with: “But it was against the Jaguars!” And you are right. There is no more sorry franchise right now than the Jaguars. At the same time, Williams did so many things right that it can’t be ignored. He made plays on time, he made plays out of structure, he found open receivers, he dropped dimes into tight coverage, he scrambled for big plays. The final result was his second completely dominant performance in a row. Williams’s final stat line: 23-of-29, 226 yards, four touchdowns.

Not to mention the Bears defense continues to stifle opponents. They have only allowed more than 20 points one time this season and that was 21 against the Colts.

The Vikings face off with the Bears on November 24 at Solider Field. Chicago has Washington, Arizona, New England and Green Bay before then, so it’s reasonable that they could be looking at a 6-4 record with playoff hopes on the line when they first see Minnesota.

It will be very interesting to see where Williams stands at that point. If he continues to grow, we could be talking about a player who isn’t exactly a rookie anymore when he plays the Vikings. Or he could have some rookie moments in between and the buzz might be tempered.

One thing we can say pretty clearly: If you were hoping the No. 1 overall pick was going to fall flat on his face and the Vikings would cruise over Chicago this year, that possibility seems pretty well out the window.

Jags trade targets?

The Vikings had to have been watching Chicago crush the spirits of the Jacksonville Jaguars with an eye on potential trade targets after the Jags dropped to 1-5. Their right guard Brandon Schreff had only allowed five QB pressures all year prior to Sunday and still seems to have enough in the tank to be a huge upgrade. Running back Travis Etienne has been strangely phased out of the offense and might be looking for a fresh start (though he did leave Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury).

Jordan Love is back

Remember that Jordan Love from the second half of last season? He was back on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Love threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 victory at Lambeau Field. Green Bay tacked on another 179 yards rushing to go along with their dynamic passing game.

The Packers now have back-to-back wins following their loss to the Vikings but they have a tough couple games ahead with Houston, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco making up four of their next five opponents. Where they stand after the next month will determine whether they are fighting for the top of the division with the Vikings and Lions or for a wild card spot.

One thing is clear from 2023: If Love catches fire, the Packers are a major threat.

A wild stat circulated the interwebs on Sunday night: The four NFC North teams have the four best point differentials in the NFC. In other years, a 5-0 Vikings team would only need to compete with maybe one other NFC North team for the crown but not this time around. This might be a photo finish.

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