Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams speaks on his lack of catches
Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams said he spoke with OC John Morton and added that he wasn’t concerned about his lack of catches on the season.
Fast facts: 1 p.m. ET; Sunday, Nov. 2; Ford Field, Detroit; Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Line: Lions by 8½.
The coaches: Lions — Dan Campbell (49-37-1 overall, 44-30-1 with Lions); Vikings — (37-21 overall, all with Vikings).
Last meeting: Jan. 5, 2025, Lions won 31-9.
Key matchups
Aidan Hutchinson vs J.J. McCarthy
With Carson Wentz now on injured reserve, the quarterbacking situation in Minnesota has landed on former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy, whether he’s ready to start or not. For what it’s worth, Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was very complimentary of McCarthy in his Thursday news conference.
“He’s a physical quarterback. I don’t believe he gets enough credit for that,” he said. “I believe he’s a tremendous running threat. That’s something that we have to be prepared for. And then he has the moxie, I see it.”
What Sheppard sees may be different than what the numbers suggest, however. McCarthy’s 67.2 passer rating would rank him below all qualified starters this season if he played enough — even below quarterbacks who entered the season as backups such as Cincinnati’s Jake Browning (70.5) and Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel (78.4). Outside of the fourth-quarter comeback in his team’s opening game against the Chicago Bears, McCarthy has played poorly, leading many NFL experts to wonder whether his absence from games was less of an injury precaution and more of a benching.
But the Lions really don’t want to be the team against whom McCarthy has a breakout, so Sheppard will likely employ what he calls his “secret sauce” — McCarthy’s former Michigan teammate Aidan Hutchinson, who’s in a good position to chase McCarthy all around the backfield on Sunday.
Justin Jefferson vs Lions secondary
How good is Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson? The two-time All Pro is marking a career low in receiving yards per game (86) and has zero touchdown catches in his last six games … but still is fifth in the league in receiving yards (602).
He would be a challenge for a healthy Lions secondary, much less a secondary still missing starting cornerback D.J. Reed and starting safety Kerby Joseph. At least the Lions will return safety Brian Branch from his one-game suspension and get a healing Terrion Arnold back — though many Lions fans would probably wonder if that’s an upgrade over “The Legion of Whom.”
Oh yeah — that’s Sheppard’s nickname for players like Arthur Maulet, Erick Hallett and Nick Whiteside, defensive backs who broke out in the Lions best defensive game of the year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expect to see more of them against the Vikings on Sunday, especially if Arnold doesn’t look 100% and the Lions pass rush can annoy McCarthy enough.
Scouting report
Lions offense vs Vikings defense
The Vikings had the second-best rush defense in 2024 allowing 93.4 yards per game, a big reason why they were fifth in the NFL in points per game allowed (19.2).
This year, however, the Vikings are allowing 130.4 rushing yards per game, ninth-worst in the league — giving Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs an opportunity for a second-straight monster game.
“He’s a freak, man,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said on Thursday. “We’re getting a lot of explosive plays from him just getting the ball … he’s very impressive, and the more he does it the better he’s going to get.”
Gibbs is averaging 75.1 rushing yards per game, good for eighth in the league, while also adding another 27.7 receiving yards per game. Expect the Lions to feed him the ball through up-the-middle handoffs and checkdown passes in the flat, taking the heat off the offensive line with left tackle Taylor Decker still playing through a shoulder injury.
Lions defense vs Vikings offense
This Vikings offense gives up a lot of sacks — four per game, to be exact, second most in the NFL.
The Lions, meanwhile, sack the quarterback a lot — 3.3 times per game, third most in the NFL. It probably doesn’t take a math wizard to figure out what the Lions defensive strategy against the Vikings will be.
That’s not to say newly-extended edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is going to get a handful of free shots against his former Michigan teammate J.J. McCarthy, but it does mean the best way the Lions can protect their secondary from getting burned by Jefferson is by making sure McCarthy never has enough time to find him in the first place.
The Vikings might be able to disrupt the Lions defense with an effective running attack, but at 93.9 yards-per-game rushing (seventh-worst in the NFL), they might need to rely on a McCarthy breakout and a classic Jefferson showcase to have a chance against the Lions. But don’t bet on it — there’s a reason Detroit is favored by more than a touchdown, after all.
Lions vs Vikings prediction, pick
Very few teams would feel comfortable facing a well-rested Lions team, and the last-place Vikings are probably not on that list. Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs will have another 100-yard rushing game, wide receiver Jameson Williams will get his third touchdown catch of the year and the Lions will cruise at home for one of their easiest wins of the season. The pick: Lions 31, Vikings 17.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com
