There is a lot on the line in Week 18 when the Minnesota Vikings travel to Detroit to take on the Lions in Week 18. Not only is the division crown on the line but the winner gets the top NFC seed in the playoffs.
That top seed would give the Vikings a bye during Wild Card weekend and home-field advantage in the divisional and conference rounds. For that reason, Minnesota must be on top of their game against Detroit.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones reveals if he will play vs. Lions in Week 18
Running back Aaron Jones got a bit dinged up against the Green Bay Packers last week, but there is hope Minnesota's dynamic backfield weapon can suit up for the important game on Sunday Night Football.
ESPN Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert gave an update on Jones' status for Week 18 on X. Despite the tweak to his quadriceps, the Vikings starting rusher says he will be ready to go when Minnesota faces Detroit.
Aaron Jones, who missed the end of last Sunday’s game vs Packers (quad) said he has no doubt he’s playing Sunday in Detroit. “I’ll be ready.”
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) January 1, 2025
Aaron Jones is having a great season in Minnesota. In 16 games, he has accumulated 1,093 yards and five touchdowns on 245 rushing attempts and added 46 receptions for 378 yards and two additional scores.
The former Pro Bowl rusher has been a big part of Minnesota's success this season, giving the Vikings' passing attack a credible ground threat to force defenses not to completely sell out against the pass.
Minnesota is entering the final game of the season mostly healthy. Meanwhile, the Lions are dealing with multiple injuries to key players entering what will likely be on the most important and most watched games of the season.
Having Aaron Jones on the field on Sunday night would be huge for the Vikings since the Detroit offense is one of the most explosive, dynamic, and creative units in the league. Keeping up with them on the scoreboard could be a huge challenge.
Through 16 games, the Lions have scored 533 points, good for the most in the league at 33.3 points per game. On the other hand, the Vikings have scored 423 points, averaging out to 26.4 points per contest.
Aaron Jones being ready to go against the Lions is a great sign for the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit are the favorites for Sunday night's game, but mostly because the teams with identical records are playing the game at Ford Field.