The Lions “gifted” the Vikings a win on Christmas Day last year in Minneapolis. When the two teams meet in Detroit on Sunday an early “present” will be welcome again if the Lions are still in a giving mood.
The Vikings won 23-10 in a game which the Lions committed six turnovers including two fumbles and three interceptions by quarterback Jared Goff. The loss knocked the defending NFC North Division champions out of playoff contention.
Goff went into Game 16 of the season having committed just six giveaways in the previous 15 games. His miscues on Christmas included two fumbles on exchanges from a substitute center and passes picked off by Byron Murphy and Harrison Smith. He was frequently pressured in the pocket and sacked five times.
The revered Vikings defense schemed by coordinator Brian Flores had its way. “Anytime he’s not able to step in the throw, it’s going to be hard for him,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said in a December 25 AP story published on NFL.com. “That’s where he’s at his best, obviously, in the pocket. If he’s not able to at least hit that back foot and step into it, it makes it pretty difficult. That defense puts a lot on you, and it was a short week, and they really did a lot. They went all out.” https://www.nfl.com/news/jared-goff-laments-turnover-laded-performance-that-ended-lions-chance-at-reaching-playoffs-it-sucks
Now comes Sunday when the two franchises have a division showdown at Ford Field. The 6-0 Vikings, already with division wins over the Packers and Bears, face a 4-2 Lions team that can move further into contention for a division title with a win.
With the Vikings featuring a struggling offense that has seen 63 of the team’s 125 points produced on field goals and extra points by Will Reichard, the defense figures to give Minnesota the best chance to win.
Goff, an 11-year veteran, knows it’s something of a chess game matching wits with Flores and the defense. He told the media yesterday he expects the Lions will offer something new and expects the same from the Vikings.
Rather than dreading the matchup, Goff is looking forward to the challenge of adjustments and execution. “You want to play the best. You want to beat the best,” Goff said Wednesday in comments published on the Lions website. “You want to have these opportunities to show what you’re made of.
“Again, they are damn good. They are the best in the league right now on paper. Certainly, present a ton of challenges. It’ll be fun to try and solve some of those challenges and do it on Sunday.” https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-detroit-lions-joseph-returns-to-practice-goff-wonnum
Part of what to watch for Sunday will not just be Goff, but also his new center, Cade Mays. He has responsibility for making pre-snap adjustments at the line of scrimmage to diagnose where blitzes are coming from and setting protection schemes.
Mays signed as a free agent in the offseason but didn’t make his starting debut until last Sunday for the Lions because of a wrist injury. He reportedly was effective on run blocking but struggled in pass protection in the game.
If Goff doesn’t play well on Sunday, it will be a different storyline than what he is writing so far this season. He is an NFL MVP candidate leading the league with a 112.5 passer rating and 298 passing yards per game while throwing 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
His play has a lot to do with why the Lions are about a three-point favorite to end the Minnesota win streak. Vikings fans are hoping for a storyline like about 10 months ago.
Worth Noting
With at least 27 pass attempts and no picks on Sunday, Goff can surpass Jason Campbell (249 pass attempts in 2008 with Washington) for the third-most pass attempts without an interception to begin a season in NFL history. He would still trail Alex Smith (287 in 2017 with Kansas City) and Bernie Kosar (286 in 1991 with Cleveland).
The Colts seem to have started a fire sale with recent trades, but AI sets the probability at 30 to 40 percent the club will part with star running back Jonathan Taylor who would be a blue-chip addition to the Viking offense.
The weather forecast for Saturday’s Minnesota-Indiana game in Bloomington is for temps in the mid-60s and minimal chance of rain. The Golden Gophers practice in the spring and fall with priority on preparation for inclement weather. “Yes, we practice with frozen footballs, wet footballs,” Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck said recently.
Minnesota native Brad Nessler will do the play-by-play for CBS on the nationally televised game.
Gopher fifth-year senior Maverick Baranowski has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top linebacker. He leads the team with 52 tackles and his 7.4 tackles per game ranks 10th in the Big Ten. He has at least six tackles in each of the last 18 games.
The Ponce Inlet, Florida native is sixth among Big Ten linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ rush defense rankings, 10th in pass rush grade (75.7) and 13th in overall grade (78.3).
Baranowski’s first name came from one of his dad’s friends and is a great fit for a tough customer who loves playing football. He is also a Fleck favorite.
“…One of the most mentally tough young people I’ve ever been around, and I’m not just talking on the field, but off the field as well. You talk about somebody with extreme discipline and extreme ownership. That’s rare in 2026.”
Fleck said his linebacker is “crushing it academically” and loves the college life of the student-athlete. Admired by teammates, Fleck believes that after playing in the NFL “people are going to work for Maverick Baranowski in this world one day.”
Fleck describes Baranowski as “one of the toughest players I’ve ever coached” and compares him with former Gopher linebacker Blake Cashman now with the Vikings.
“He’s the heartbeat of our team, the green dot (coach to player communication on the field), and everything you want on defense. And he’s a special football player. I respect him wholeheartedly.”
It was 35 years ago this week that the Twins won their last World Series defeating the Braves 1-0 in Game Seven behind the 10-inning shutout pitching of Jack Morris.
Morris is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as are former Twins mainstays and hurlers Bert Blyleven and Jim Kaat. But not in is Johan Santana who won Cy Young Awards in 2004 and 2006 for the Twins before going to the Mets where he also had success. Injuries cut short his career and stymied his election to Cooperstown.
Happy belated birthday to former Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski who turned 83 last Thursday. He celebrated with family at an area Mexican restaurant and received birthday greetings from Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry who has called the “Polish Eagle” on his birthday every year since 1998.
Tickets remain for the November 6 much anticipated men’s basketball game between the Gophers and St. Thomas at The Barn. The game may draw over 10,000 fans but is unlikely to be a 14,625-seat sellout.
The Wild, playing among the best hockey in the NHL and home tonight against the Islanders for only the fifth game this month, have one of the most passionate and knowledgeable sideline reporters Minneapolis-St. Paul has ever seen in any sport. Kevin Gorg, a former Burnsville High School goalie and prep and college coach, is that special.
Congratulations to Matt Majka, the Wild CEO and longtime franchise employee, who recently was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame for all he has done for the sport.