The Detroit Lions clinched the No. 1 seed and the NFC North after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday Night Football. It first appeared in NFL This is the all-time record between two teams that won 14 games in the regular season.
We could see a rematch between the two teams in the second round of the NFL playoffs in two weeks, and Lions coach Dan Campbell believes that will happen.
Dan Campbell told Kevin O’Connell that they would meet again in two weeks.
After the Lions knocked off the Vikings on Sunday night, Campbell approached Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell for a postgame handshake and then picked him up on air and said, “I’ll see you back in two weeks.”
If Minnesota wins its first playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings will travel to Detroit in two weeks to face the Lions for the third time this season.
“See you in two weeks,” Dan Campbell told Kevin O’Connell after the game.
— Ari Mayloff (@MySportsUpdate) January 6, 2025
With the win, the Lions improved to 15-2 and swept the season series with the Vikings. Detroit now has the NFC’s top seed and a first-round bye, while the Vikings become the No. 5 seed. Minnesota is scheduled to face the Rams in the wild-card round on Monday night in Los Angeles.
This is only the second time in franchise history that the Lions received a first-round bye. The last time was in 1991.
Both the Lions and Kansas City Chiefs finished with records of 15-2. The Chiefs earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AFC.
On Sunday night, Detroit got a boost from running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) and totaled 170 yards (139 rushing, 31 receiving). Gibbs finished the season with 20 touchdowns, leading the NFL and breaking Detroit’s franchise record.
A bye is desperately needed for the Lions, who have so many players needing rest due to nagging injuries. The Lions had two defensive players go down with injuries Sunday night: Terrion Arnold (foot) and Pat O’Conner (calf).
The Lions are already missing Carlton Davis. So if Arnold isn’t available in the second round, that means Detroit will be without both starting cornerbacks.
Nonetheless, PFN’s playoff predictor is a huge fan of the Lions, ranking Detroit with the NFL’s best offense and 11th-best defense, giving them a 30.1% chance of winning the Super Bowl. This is double the odds of the next highest team.
Minnesota was a surprise team this season. Coming into the year, sportsbooks set the over/under for the Vikings at 6.5 wins, with their 14 wins exceeding all expectations. Sam Darnold is the player most likely to win Comeback Player of the Year honors.
