Vikings could have a problem with their Week 3 opponent

Getting a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 3 now looks a lot tougher than it did for the Minnesota Vikings not too long ago.

Since the arrival of Kirk Cousins in 2018, the Minnesota Vikings have been able to leave the field with a victory in seven of their last eight matchups with the Detroit Lions.

That one loss for the Vikings though, came during the last meeting between these two NFC North teams when the Lions pulled off a 29-27 upset.

Since that contest, Detroit has won four of their last eight games, which seems like a sign that the franchise is heading in the right direction under head coach Dan Campbell.

Beating the Detroit Lions will not be easy for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3

What might have seemed like an easy win on their schedule a few months ago, Minnesota’s matchup against the Lions next weekend has the potential to be a classic NFC North battle.

Detroit is coming off a 36-27 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The Lions had control of the game from the start and they wound up scoring at least 35 points for the second week in a row.

Much of Detroit’s success on offense this season has been due to the performances of running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Swift has already found the end zone twice this year, he’s averaging a whopping 10.5 yards per touch in addition to averaging 131 total yards per game. St. Brown has picked up right where he left off at the end of the 2021 season as he’s already hauled in a total of 17 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions’ top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been everything the team could have hoped for. Hutchinson’s nine pressures this season are second among Detroit defenders according to PFF and he’s coming off a game against the Commanders where he racked up an impressive three sacks.

These don’t appear to be the cellar-dwelling Lions that we’ve become used to during the last few years. The Vikings will still be expected to win next weekend, but unlike last season, if Detroit finds a way to leave the U.S. Bank Stadium with a victory, it won’t come as a complete shock.