There is no reason to believe otherwise.
Big game this week! Very important divisional game too! Got to get the wins at home. The Vikings are fortunate that Aiden Hutchinson will not be playing (we wish him well in his recovery). The Lions dominated the time of possession in the two games last which is something they might try to do again. But the starting QB was Nick Mullens in those two games. I always think it is going to be close but the Vikings have jumped out on teams this year before letting them get closer at the end. Who ya got?
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Minnesota Vikings News and Links
NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Ravens hit top three, while Lions drop following Aidan Hutchinson injury
Rank 1
Minnesota Vikings
5-0
Life is pretty good. The Vikings rolled into the bye at a perfect 5-0 and were able to enjoy some downtime. Head coach Kevin O’Connell rang a big bell prior to a Dodgers-Padres playoff game, while quarterback Sam Darnold led his USC Trojans out of the tunnel for their bout with Penn State. The Vikes had earned the off-week rest and rewards, as it was a pretty wild first third of the season, with trips to New York, London and even upper Wisconsin. Now the stakes are raised. Four of the next six contests are on the road, and they kick off this next spate of games with a big showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium, hosting a Lions team that just put up 47 points in Dallas but lost Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. The Vikings need to clean up the offensive turnovers and special teams mistakes to keep the perfect run going.
Good early news for Aaron Jones as Vikings begin preparations for Lions
Vikings running back Aaron Jones (hip) participated in the team’s first practice of the week on Monday, which is a good early sign regarding his potential availability for Sunday’s marquee game against the Lions. Nonetheless, his status this week remains up in the air, and it’ll be important to monitor his practice participation from Wednesday through Friday as the Vikings ramp up the intensity.
CBS Sports insider talks big Vikings-Lions matchup this weekend
4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Vikings’ Week 7 Matchup vs Lions
Vikings top 100 rushing yards without Aaron Jones
Justin Jefferson breaks out for 200-yard game
Vikings force Jared Goff to commit three turnovers
Minnesota Vikings become first team to hold Detroit Lions under 100 rushing yards
NFL picks, predictions for Week 7: Lions hand Vikings first loss, Chiefs stay unbeaten vs. 49ers
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-2)
Hutchinson had 7.5 sacks this season, which matched the total for the rest of the team. The good news? Jared Goff is dealing. Goff is 36-of-43 for 607 yards, five TDs, and no interceptions the past two weeks. Minnesota had a bye week after its trip to London. The Vikings have an opportunity to pull ahead in the NFC North with a victory here, especially if they keep Sam Darnold clean. The Lions broke a five-game losing streak at Minnesota last season, and they start a new streak with a late TD here.
Pick: Lions 31, Vikings 28
Someone is not up to date on current events.
Dalton Risner Grateful for Return to Vikings Practice, Reps at Right Guard
No wonder Dalton Risner quickly became a Vikings fan favorite. His positive demeanor is unshakeable.
“My motivation level is through the roof,” the sixth-year guard declared loudly following Monday’s practice. “My motivation level is always going to be through the roof. … I have a lot I want to prove.”
“[Practice] is something you take for granted when you get to do it for a long time,” shared Risner, who has started 73 of 77 NFL games. “You get it taken away from you for a little bit, and it makes you miss it.”
Risner’s recovery took longer than he would have preferred, he said, but he feels 100 percent and is excited to help the 5-0 Vikings however he can – even if it means switching sides of the offensive line and handling a different assignment.
“I’m comfortable at right and left, whatever guard position it is, truly whatever position they want me to play, I’m ready to go,” Risner said. “You guys know I just want to play football – you know what I mean? I’m so grateful to be a Viking. Grateful to put the pads back on and go out there and move around today.”
In the summer, Risner began training on the right side to be more valuable to the Vikings. Now that he’s healthy enough to practice, he’ll compete with Ed Ingram for ownership of responsibilities at right guard.
“I feel like competition is always healthy,” Ingram said, noting his relationship with Risner is great. “It pushes everybody to go harder so you don’t get complacent and get comfortable. I kind of like that.”
Risner’s potential insertion on the right side demands an emphasis on repetitions – to re-train his habits.
“Everything’s flip-flopped,” Risner expressed. “You’re doing the same things (from communicating pre-snap reads to footwork and hand placement techniques), but it’s completely the opposite way.”
“It’s a different vibe, and I’m grooving with it,” he added. “I think it could be a better position for me.”
Teammate Blake Brandel, who elevated to full-time starter this season and has held the fort down at left guard, comes to Risner’s mind when he thinks of guys who have played numerous spots along the line.
“I respect that so much because switching to the right side, I feel soreness in different areas,” said Risner, reiterating his focus is on stepping up wherever the club needs him. “That interior rotation is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s cool I’ve kind of made that switch and can play on the right side.”
Risner doesn’t think his updated status automatically qualifies him to assume a significant role.
“Those guys have played so great, and I’ve been out since training camp, so I have no right to say anything or do anything. My job is to go out there and just get these boys right – and practice. That’s all I’m gonna do,” Risner commented on the internal o-line competition. “I don’t think that’s really in the equation right now just because I have been out for so long, so I’ve just gotta take it one day at a time.”
During his recovery, Risner gelled with teammates in meetings. He peeked through windows to try to catch a glimpse of on-field workouts. He admitted he had a tough time sitting.
Now, he’s excited to help the Vikings keep flourishing.
“We have this chip on our shoulder,” he said, expanding on the team’s contagious culture. “I think it’s a lot of guys that have a lot to prove. And from the top down, from the very beginning, it’s just been a group of guys that haven’t listened to the outside noise. Ownership down, bringing in the right groups of guys, the right types of coaches. I think we all just mesh well in that respect. We’re alike in the fact that we want to go out there and play football. We want to do it together and we want to do it the right way.
“I’m ready to roll,” Risner asserted. “Whenever my name is called, I’m ready to roll.”
Justin Jefferson is that guy. Jordan Addison was that guy in college, and is flashing potential to dominate games in the NFL, as well. Even Jalen Nailor stepped up early this season as that guy for the 5-0 Vikings.
The play is a testament to the leadership and insight issued by wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic spotlighted McCardell on Tuesday as an unheralded figure in the club’s undefeated start. His wealth of knowledge from a 17-year playing career is key to the offense’s success.
Lewis shared McCardell’s overarching rule for his players: Be open. Wide open. Every play. I don’t care. Just be open.
Failure to do so irritates McCardell’s pet peeve.
This pet peeve is worth mentioning now for a reason. Before the Vikings bye week, they played the New York Jets. Minnesota entered the game with the fourth-highest average separation in the NFL. But on that Sunday in London, the Jets limited the Vikings to their lowest average amount of separation in a game all season, according to Next Gen Stats. Taking things a step further, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson’s average separation was his lowest in a game since 2022.
From the outside, this seems like impressive work from the Jets. They’re the types of metrics that make you say, ‘Fortunately for Minnesota, Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed won’t be lurking each weekend.’
But internally? McCardell will be doing what he always does after performances like this one: exhausting the pet peeve, stressing accountability. It’s the correct strategy for a receivers coach, especially with a game approaching against a Detroit Lions defense that is aggressive and similarly willing to play man coverage. It’s also an approach that could fall on deaf ears if not for the trust McCardell has garnered from these players.
Browns and Vikings predicted to make a big trade at the deadline
If the Browns decide to move on from Cooper at the deadline, Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon believes the Minnesota Vikings could be a destination for him.
The conversation is not a hypothetical. Considering how badly the Cleveland Browns have played so far in 2024, Amari Cooper is very much a candidate to be dealt in October.
To the surprise of everyone, the Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 behind a resurgent Sam Darnold. The safest path is sticking with the existing roster and seeing how long it can overachieve. The receiving corps is a little thin, but Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor are quality complements to superstar Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota doesn’t need Cooper and is extremely thin on 2025 draft capital. It’d be nice to have Cooper, nevertheless, and the NFC is underwhelming this season. Hey, perhaps a franchise that has never won a Super Bowl would consider attacking an unexpected window of contention.
Just dumb.
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