There is no argument that the Detroit Lions are a good football team. They have assembled a roster that will compete with the Minnesota Vikings for many years, but there are still some areas where the purple and gold rise above the Honolulu blue.
Detroit beat the Vikings twice last season, becoming one of only two teams to do so in the regular season and postseason. Hopefully, Kevin O'Connell's group will take at least one game from Detroit in 2025.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver duo snubbed by analysts
One place where there is apparently a debate is about which wide receiver duo in the NFC North is better. There are a lot of talented pass-catchers in the division, but it's hard to top the combination of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
However, the folks from Good Morning Football recently tried ranking the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, and some of the lists are a bit head-scratching from a Minnesota Vikings fan perspective.
Jamie Erdahl has Minnesota's duo ranked third behind the Lions and Eagles, while former Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham had Detroit at No. 2 and the Vikings outside of his top five during his rankings.
The two other hosts had Minnesota in their top three and ahead of Detroit, but choosing Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams over Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is an interesting choice for sure.
Last season, the wide receiver duo of Jefferson and Addison combined for 2,408 yards and 19 touchdowns. For Detroit, St. Brown and Williams racked up 2,264 yards and 19 scores, which is comparable, but still less.
There is nothing wrong with being high on the receivers for Jared Goff, but they aren't quite where Minnesota's pass-catchers are at the moment. It will be interesting to see if the numbers are similar in 2025 since the Lions will have a new offensive coordinator and the Vikings will have a new starting quarterback, but expectations should remain high for both units.
If nothing, these rankings should show how powerful the NFC North can be and how dangerous their weapons are for the upcoming season. Opposing defenses should be scared to face explosive teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, as fans can expect great things from both teams during the 2025 NFL season, as well as a highly competitive race for the division crown..