The Minnesota Vikings may have been eliminated from playoff contention on Thursday when the Rams failed to beat the Cardinals, but they can still have a major impact on the playoff picture. The 9-4 Detroit Lions will host Minnesota on Sunday, and a win in that game would go a long way toward helping them get their second playoff birth in 15 years. Their only season since the turn of the century to make the playoffs was 2011, when the New Orleans Saints made short work of them in the Wild Card round.
Oct 12, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata (44) is tackled by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) and linebacker Tahir Whitehead (59) during the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Lions defeated the Vikings 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
For the Vikings to play spoilers, they will need to bring their best game. Detroit has an astounding 6-1 record at home this season, with their only loss coming at the hands of Buffalo Bills in a thrilling game that came down to the wire. In fact, the Lions have outscored their opponents 146 to 111 in those games, showing that home field advantage is important to Detroit. Sadly, Minnesota hasn’t fared too well on the road this year. They are 2-4 on the road, being outscored by 18 total points in those games.
Detroit will want this game to go their way very badly. They are still in a chase for the division crown with the Green Bay Packers and could use as many total wins and division wins as possible. And even if the Lions don’t win the division, they could still grab a wild card spot, where beating a conference opponent would come in handy in a huge way.
On the surface, this seems like a meaningless game for Minnesota and a game that Detroit must win. But don’t tell that to Vikings first year head coach Mike Zimmer. In a recent article on Fox Sports website, Zimmer talked about just how much each win means to Minnesota’s football team.
"“I know how hard it is to get wins in this league. But I am trying to develop a mentality here of a championship football team and I want our performances to be good and strong each and every week.”"
While some fans are already talking about tanking for a draft pick, the Vikings just want to establish a winning culture in Minnesota. With so many young players, new coaches, and fresh schemes, getting this Vikings team prepared for the future is much more important than having a better draft pick. And Minnesota can show just how important it is when they play the Lions in Detroit.
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