2024 Week 7: Lions 31, Vikings 29
This was a well-played game between two of the best teams in the league, which is not a sentence anyone would have thought would be written about the 2024 Minnesota Vikings. The NFC North is stacked right now with three of the top teams in the league in DET, MIN, and Green Bay. Chicago hasn’t played any tough opponents or any divisional games yet so the verdict is still out on them.
The Lions move to (5-1) and take the lead in the NFC North over the Vikings. They have an easy/possible look-ahead game against Tennessee this week then a boxing match against the Packers in Week 9.
Minnesota finally dropped their first game falling to (5-1) and second in the North. The Vikings also just lost to LAR on TNF last night so they fall a half game back from Detroit. The Lions hangover remains tried and true even without Aidan Hutchinson playing.
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QB Report:
- Sam Darnold (22/27 for 259 yards, 1TD/1 INT; 4 rushes for 39 yards) just keeps putting up numbers this season, he’s playing better than a lot of the young QBs right now… come to think of it a lot of older QBs are outplaying their younger counterparts. Is Jameis the next great QB? We’ll find out this week.
- Jared Goff (22/25 for 280 yards, 2TD) also played a great game, both Darnold and Goff were on their A-game. Goff is playing better football than Geno, Mahomes, and Purdy right now, but no one respects him. The media never has but Goff has always been a good QB. He’s scoring in fantasy football better than Williams, Stroud, Prescott, Maye, Mahomes, Geno, Stafford… the list goes on. Goff is having a top-10 fantasy season.
RB Report:
- Aaron Jones (14-93-1, 3 catches for 23 yards) looks great, this is the best O-line he’s ever worked behind, and should continue to be a set-it and forget-it RB for the rest of the season. The Vikings did lose Christian Darrisaw last night against the Rams so I’ll need to get into that tape and see how the line looked after his injury.
WR Report:
- Jameson Williams (1-0-0/1) was suspended after this match but he’s more of a zero than a hero this year. 1.8 catches, 40.3 yards, and 0.5 TDs/game in his last 4 outings. While this has been going on Kalif Raymond (3-39-1/4) has been on the rise, with 7 catches for 112 yards and 1 TD in his last two games. It’s not great but it’s something, especially this week if the Lions get up big, early.
- I’m officially ‘out’ on Jordan Addison (3-66-0/4) after this game. His connection with Darnold hasn’t developed all season and he isn’t as talented as Jalen Nailor (4-76-0/5) who is developing with Darnold. None of this matters when TJ Hockenson returns.
image source: (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)