4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Vikings’ Week 7 Matchup vs Lions

Let’s hope Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings feel rested after their bye week because they have a monster matchup on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. After an undefeated start, the Vikings have the NFL’s best point differential at +63.

Who has the second-best point differential in the NFL? You already know, it’s the Vikings’ Week 7 opponent, the Lions, at +60. You can bet Dan Campbell will have his team playing through the whistle against a divisional opponent.

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That’s just what Detroit does, under the fourth-year head coach. It’s the reason for the organizational turnaround. Now they are off to a 4-1 start. But this will be the Lions’ first NFC North matchup of the 2024 season, and things could get a bit wacky. Knowing that the Lions are one of the toughest tests the Vikings will face this season, let’s get into some bold predictions for Week 7.

Vikings top 100 rushing yards without Aaron Jones

As of now, it looks like the Vikings may not have their star running back, Aaron Jones, in the lineup on Sunday due to injury. Early indications are that his absence puts Coach O’Connell’s offense in shackles, as it cannot rely on Ty Chandler or Myles Gaskin thus far.

But if there’s one thing KOC learned early on, it’s that he can’t completely abandon the running game if he hopes to have an effective offense. So don’t be surprised to see him and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips dial up some unique rushing plays to get others involved. This could even include a rushing attempt or two for C.J. Ham or reverses for speedster receivers like Jalen Nailor or Brandon Powell, among others.

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Somehow, in some way, look for the Vikings to hit the Lions in the mouth, smashing past 100 rushing yards in a hard-fought NFC North rivalry game. It may take a little bit of extra electricity from Chandler, Gaskin, and the random ballcarriers mentioned above, but the Vikings will find a way to get the job done, as they have all season.

Justin Jefferson breaks out for 200-yard game

It feels like it’s time for a big game from Justin Jefferson, doesn’t it? What better time than against a division opponent that thinks they’re better than the Vikings?

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We know employee No. 18 will have a little extra juice for this one thanks to his competitive personality, but he only gets two times per year to show that the Vikings are the ones who should have crowns on their heads. The Lions may feel like they hold the bragging rights after winning the division last season, especially after beating the Vikings twice. Yet, one look at the current NFL standings reveals who’s really in first place.

As for Jefferson? It may feel like he’s had a slow start in his first-ever full season without Kirk Cousins, but that’s not true. He actually comes out of the bye ranking sixth in receiving yards, and he’s one of two players in the top ten who’s missed a game (due to the bye).

• Justin Jefferson stats: 26 receptions, 450 receiving yards, 4 TD catches

He may be sneaking by under the radar, but Jefferson has quietly been racking up the yardage. Yet, he only has one game with more than 100 yards this season. We could see that changing on Sunday when the NFL’s greatest receiver goes off for what will be just the second 200-yard day of this future Hall of Famer’s career.

Considering three of his five biggest career yardage totals, including his 223-yard day, have come against the Lions, this bold prediction may not be that far-fetched, even if it seems ridiculous.

Vikings force Jared Goff to commit three turnovers

The Vikings’ defense has beaten some good to great quarterbacks this season. They’ve disposed of Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, and Aaron Rodgers. One of those will end up in the Hall of Fame; one is coming off a Super Bowl appearance, and another is poised to become an annual MVP candidate.

Yet, the Vikings haven’t been able to defeat Jared Goff in any of their past three matchups. Of course, the past doesn’t matter because this is a new team, and Coach Flores wasn’t even around when that streak started in 2022.

One way the Vikings may be able to get back into the winning column is by getting in Goff’s face. He grades as the eighth-worst QB under pressure this season, so finding a way to make him uncomfortable could lead to winning plays. Not to mention, Goff has a tendency to crank up his turnover rate.

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Goff had three games with three or more turnovers last season, and they all came within a four-week span. (Weeks 10-13). The Lions lost two of those matchups. If the Vikings can find a way to get Goff to throw two interceptions and possibly lose a fumble, their chances of getting a win will increase exponentially.

However, the Lions quarterback has only one multi-turnover game this season and has yet to lose a fumble. This only means he’s due for a few extra turnovers on Sunday. Considering the Vikings force the second-most turnovers in the NFL, a trip to U.S. Bank Stadium could be Goff’s toughest test yet. Let’s hope he fails.

Minnesota Vikings become first team to hold Detroit Lions under 100 rushing yards

For those who had a chance to witness the Lions demolish the Cowboys like a kid eating candy on Halloween, they saw a team that looks like one of the NFL’s best. This is a Lions team that scored 42 points in a Week 4 primetime matchup against the Seahawks, took a bye week, then came back and put up 47 more points against the Cowboys. That’s an incredible scoring display.

One of the biggest keys to Detroit leading the NFL in points per game has been thanks to boasting the league’s fourth-best rushing attack. They’ve let to record fewer than 116 rushing yards in a single game this season. In fact, they’ve had three games with 163 or more rushing yards this season. This is to be expected when you have one of the NFL’s best offensive lines (ranked 2nd by PFF).

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As good as the Lions have been at running the ball, they’ve yet to match wits with a Vikings defense led by Brian Flores. This is a unit that’s allowed the third-fewest yards per rush attempt this season, and no one has allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than the Vikings’ defense.

So don’t be shocked when the Lions suddenly run into a buzzsaw and fail to top 100 rushing yards for the first time this season. If the offense can’t pick up easy first downs, it will only put more pressure on Goff, which could lead to yet another Vikings win.

• Vikings vs Lions prediction: Vikings 24, Lions 17

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