Detroit is home once again to host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. It's a great opportunity for a classic NFC North battle between two teams just seeking to keep pace with the Green Bay Packers in the division, and a game with future postseason implications for both squads.
J.J. McCarthy's return has been the biggest storyline headed into this game, but it's also worth mentioning that Aidan Hutchinson now has 180 million reasons to celebrate this Sunday against McCarthy. Minnesota has a strong offensive line in place, so we'll see how that battle goes.
There are three players on the Lions' side that could break this game wide open, though. Their contributions could make this an easy one for Detroit as they look ahead to a tough Week 10 and 11 against the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles on the road.
3 Lions who can help lead team to huge win vs. Vikings in Week 9
Jahmyr Gibbs
Heading into this game, Gibbs is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, has wracked up 526 total rushing yards, and has six touchdowns under his belt. At this rate, he's set to reach over 1,200 rushing yards for the second season in a row, firmly cementing himself as another weapon Detroit must lock in long-term with an extension.
Gibbs is also averaging 5.5 yards per carry against Minnesota in his three year career, showing that he can be dominant on a big stage such as the one always formed against NFC North opponents. If he can touch somewhere around the 80 yard mark in this contest against a tough-nosed Minnesota defense, that helps Detroit to breathe a little in other aspects of their offense.
Aidan Hutchinson
We have to obviously list Hutchinson ahead of this game, his first since signing a four year, $180 million extension with the Lions. Hutchinson has three total sacks against the Vikings in his career, and he'll be facing a bit of a discombobulated Vikings offensive line that's winning just 58 percent of its pass blocking attempts this year.
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Hutchinson has also been a punch out machine, having already forced four fumbles this season through seven games. McCarthy is going to have to place a major emphasis on protecting the football, which could prove to be hard if his O-line doesn't hold up in pass protection.
Taylor Decker
Decker's health is paramount to the Lions' success on Sunday. That's because the Vikings' pass rush has been one of the best in the league this year, and their run stopping has been even better. Andrew Van Ginkel, their hard nosed linebacker who has only suited up for two contests this year, is also set to make his return to the field against the Lions.
That means that the pass protection and run blocking provided by Decker and Penei Sewell can really make or break the kind of game that Jared Goff and Gibbs piece together in this one. Van Ginkel is a disruptive force for Minnesota at the line of scrimmage, and he can also pose a threat in coverage against short yardage receivers like Amon-Ra St. Brown. Again, Decker's ability to hold him to a limited impact will be key.