The Minnesota Vikings could be playing for their playoff lives on Sunday.
With two games remaining against the division-leading Detroit Lions, the NFC North almost seems out of reach, but a wild-card spot in the postseason is still very much possible.
After a brutal loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Saturday, the Vikings now sit tied with four other teams in the NFC playoff picture at 7-7.
Even though Minnesota currently holds the tiebreaker and sits with the No. 6 seed in the NFC, they very well could be knocked out of the playoff contention with even just one loss in their next three games.
Last season, The Vikings split their annual series with the Lions, where both home teams were victorious.
Minnesota hopes to repeat their home-field performance from 2022 against Detroit on Sunday to help immensely increase their playoff odds.
Let's look at a few reasons why the Vikings have what it takes to get a huge win over the Lions this weekend.
1. The Minnesota Vikings defense will pressure Jared Goff all game long
Lions quarterback Jared Goff is known to struggle under consistent defensive pressure.
He excels when he has a clean pocket, but he becomes one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL when his rhythm is disrupted.
Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores needs to pressure Goff throughout the game on Sunday.
This shouldn't be hard though, since the Vikings' defense currently ranks first in the NFL in blitz percentage during their first year with Flores calling the plays.
Minnesota's defense also excels at preventing explosive plays, so if Detroit's offense doesn't have time to take shots downfield, then Minnesota should have the upper hand.
The Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears have shown how to play defense successfully against the Lions and how to affect Goff's performance earlier this season.
Expect Flores to use some of these successful strategies during Sunday's game.