Skol Showdown: Vikings-Lions matchup to determine Kings of the North and NFC
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) runs the ball as Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (44) moves in for the tackle during the first half of an NFL football game on Oct. 20 in Minneapolis.
Bruce Kluckhohn | AP
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On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings have the chance to become the number one seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time since 1998 in a primetime game against the Detroit Lions.
Both teams are entering the game with identical 14-2 records. The top seed guarantees home-field advantage throughout the postseason and a first-round bye. The loser, despite finishing the regular season with 14 wins, would fall to the number five seed, forcing them to play on the road in the opening round due to the NFL’s playoff structure.
It’s unprecedented for two teams with records this good to meet so late in the season. To talk about the dominant NFC North Division and the highly anticipated matchup, sports contributors, Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now.
Langfellow is the founder of Minnesota Score Sports Magazine and co-host of the sports talk show 10,000 Takes. Nelson is the other host of 10,000 Takes and Minnesota Vikings NFL reporter for CBS’ Eye on Football and Sirius XM.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: On Sunday night, the Vikings have the chance to become the number one seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time since 1998. It will be a prime-time game against the Detroit Lions. Some are going as far as to say it's the greatest matchup in NFL regular season history.
SUBJECT 1: It's probably one of the craziest endings in the National Football League's history, with teams with this kind of record, with everything on the line.
SUBJECT 2: The magnitude of the game-- again, two teams with 14 wins, it's never been done before ever in the history of football. That's crazy.
SUBJECT 3: Whoever wins this game pretty much has the inside track to the Super Bowl. And as I said it, my knees kind of gave out.
NINA MOINI: No pressure anybody. So because it's such a big game, we're bringing our sports contributors in early in their old Thursday spot. Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, thanks for being flexible and being on today, guys.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, happy new year.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: No worries. Happy new year.
NINA MOINI: Happy new year to you. So a lot of Vikings fans feeling a lot of excitement. Would you set the stage here, Wally, about why this last game of the regular season is so consequential?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, as you heard in those sound bites that you played previous to our start of this segment, the difference between getting the number one seed and the number five seed, which the losing team will drop to, is just huge. It's a huge gulf. The number one seed will be the only team in the NFC with a bye and will be two home wins away from going to the Super Bowl. So they get home field until the Super Bowl.
The number five seed, on the other hand, has to go on the road in the wild card weekend and likely against Tampa Bay and then perhaps to have to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 13 and 3 in the divisional round, before a road matchup against the number one seed, which, if you're the Vikings, that would be the Lions. And if you're the Lions, that would be the Vikings.
So much more difficult for the loser of this game on Sunday to get to the Super Bowl. And again, as you heard in those sound bites, there aren't many regular season matchups ever that can compare with what we're going to see. It features the most combined wins for any regular season game in NFL history-- so 28 wins between the two. Both teams are 14 and 2.
And the winner of Sunday night's game will become just the ninth team in NFL history to finish a regular season with 15 or more wins. The loser will have the most wins of any wild card team in history. So, I mean, there's just crazy precedent that this thing is setting. And again, it's unprecedented for these two teams-- or for two teams with records this good to meet so late in the season. And the fact that they're both in the same division makes it even more interesting. The last time two teams met in the regular season finale with the number one seed on the line, 1993, when Dallas and the New York Giants met. So it's been a long time.
NINA MOINI: Wow. So let's go team by team then. Eric, what should fans be watching for with the Vikings?
ERIC NELSON: Well, I think can their defense, Minnesota's defense, slow down a Detroit offense that has scored an NFL high 533 points this season. Now, Jared Goff orchestrates this explosive unit. They've scored 30 or more points in a game nine times, put up 40 or more points in a game four times. And Detroit has erupted for 50-plus points twice this season.
The Lions have a potent one-two punch at running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who's been injured but is expected to play. And they have a top-flight receiving corps led by Amon-Ra St. Brown. So I think, in my eyes, can Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Stephon Gilmore, Harrison Smith, and company create that Minnesota mayhem that's been their trademark under defensive coordinator Brian Flores with a lot of different defensive looks.
They've confused teams this year with chaos and moving around and creating a scenario where the quarterbacks aren't sure what's going to happen. If the Vikings can do this and just slow down that Detroit offense, I think it will be huge from the Minnesota standpoint.
Also, who wins the turnover battle? Minnesota has 31 takeaways this season. That is tied for most in the NFL with Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The other thing is-- and usually, the Vikings have noise on their side. They play at US Bank Stadium. I call it the House of Noise because the decibel level is incredible. But it will be the same in Detroit at Ford Field, another dome, where the noise will be all in favor of the Lions. So can the Vikings take the crowd out of the game and quiet Ford Field on Sunday night in downtown Motown?
NINA MOINI: And so let's go back, though, to the Packers game last Sunday, because after that game, quarterback Sam Darnold was hoisted up in the air by his teammates. He's having quite a moment, Eric.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, he really is. And Sam Darnold might be the most unlikely MVP candidate in the NFL in a long time. I mean, think about it. Minnesota claimed him off the scrap heap after he was a backup last season in San Francisco. Before that, he played for Carolina and the New York Jets, two toxic organizations. And he had little success. He had little structure.
When Darnold was selected in 2018 by the Jets, third pick in round one, he was supposed to be New York's new messiah, the next Joe Namath. But it did not turn out that way. However, Darnold has come to Minnesota, and he's thrived. He's been coached up by Kevin O'Connell and the offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, his quarterbacks coach, Josh McCown.
He's thrown for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. And he's instantly connected with his teammates, who recognize how much adversity he has overcome. And let's face it. When you're throwing the football to guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Aaron Rodgers, you have a good chance for success and a very good offensive line. Let me throw that in there too.
NINA MOINI: So when someone is being talked about in this amazing way, Wally, what does that mean for his future with the team? I'm sure it's going to be competitive.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, yeah, there's no question. He's on a one-year deal. So at the end of this season, he becomes a free agent. So it's up to the Minnesota Vikings to decide whether they want to try and continue to have him as part of their roster going forward. And right now, one-- what they call a franchise tag on him.
Now, if they do that, the cost is going to be steep. It's going to cost in the neighborhood-- and these are just estimates that I have been hearing-- anywhere from $30 to $40 million on the salary cap. They're going to take a big salary cap hit if they choose to franchise tag him. Now, they could let him go. They could try to negotiate with him prior to that. Probably going to wait and see how this thing all turns out before they get into any negotiations.
I've been saying for weeks they probably should just lock this guy up, because they haven't had a consistent quarterback situation. Yeah, Kirk Cousins was here. But did they win any playoff games? They won one playoff game in six years with Kirk Cousins. So it's going to be an interesting few weeks coming up here, particularly once the season is over, to see what they decide to do with Sam Darnold. But he has been-- as Eric said, he's been as good as it gets. MVP caliber.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, it seems like they're in a good place culturally too. And people are getting along. They're doing their end zone dances. That's kind of all over social media. But I'm curious. Fans of the Vikings, I do know this. There's been a lot of ups and downs. So people are getting excited. There's Super Bowl chatter. Wally, do you think that the Vikings are looking like a Super Bowl team right now?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Absolutely. I mean, they are among the favorites. Right now, they have the best record, along with Detroit, in the NFC. Let's not forget. Detroit has 13 defensive players right now on the injured list. That's a huge number. They've been giving up points by the boatloads. Yeah, they've been scoring. They gave up 34 points to the Lions last week, 17 to the lowly Bears the week before, 48 to the Bills the week before that, 31 to the Packers. So, yes, they can score. But they're also giving up a bunch.
So, yeah, as far as the Vikings go, I think that the Vikings are right there. I don't think there's any question about it. And look, take advantage when you're there. They have the opportunity now to make a run to the Super Bowl.
NINA MOINI: Sure.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: This may be the year.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, you got to meet the moment. You got to meet the moment. Well, we'll chat about it next week. I hope you both have a great weekend. We'll see what happens.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, Nina.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Thanks.
ERIC NELSON: Have a good one.
NINA MOINI: Bye-bye. Thanks again to Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.
SUBJECT 1: It's probably one of the craziest endings in the National Football League's history, with teams with this kind of record, with everything on the line.
SUBJECT 2: The magnitude of the game-- again, two teams with 14 wins, it's never been done before ever in the history of football. That's crazy.
SUBJECT 3: Whoever wins this game pretty much has the inside track to the Super Bowl. And as I said it, my knees kind of gave out.
NINA MOINI: No pressure anybody. So because it's such a big game, we're bringing our sports contributors in early in their old Thursday spot. Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson, thanks for being flexible and being on today, guys.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, happy new year.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: No worries. Happy new year.
NINA MOINI: Happy new year to you. So a lot of Vikings fans feeling a lot of excitement. Would you set the stage here, Wally, about why this last game of the regular season is so consequential?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, as you heard in those sound bites that you played previous to our start of this segment, the difference between getting the number one seed and the number five seed, which the losing team will drop to, is just huge. It's a huge gulf. The number one seed will be the only team in the NFC with a bye and will be two home wins away from going to the Super Bowl. So they get home field until the Super Bowl.
The number five seed, on the other hand, has to go on the road in the wild card weekend and likely against Tampa Bay and then perhaps to have to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 13 and 3 in the divisional round, before a road matchup against the number one seed, which, if you're the Vikings, that would be the Lions. And if you're the Lions, that would be the Vikings.
So much more difficult for the loser of this game on Sunday to get to the Super Bowl. And again, as you heard in those sound bites, there aren't many regular season matchups ever that can compare with what we're going to see. It features the most combined wins for any regular season game in NFL history-- so 28 wins between the two. Both teams are 14 and 2.
And the winner of Sunday night's game will become just the ninth team in NFL history to finish a regular season with 15 or more wins. The loser will have the most wins of any wild card team in history. So, I mean, there's just crazy precedent that this thing is setting. And again, it's unprecedented for these two teams-- or for two teams with records this good to meet so late in the season. And the fact that they're both in the same division makes it even more interesting. The last time two teams met in the regular season finale with the number one seed on the line, 1993, when Dallas and the New York Giants met. So it's been a long time.
NINA MOINI: Wow. So let's go team by team then. Eric, what should fans be watching for with the Vikings?
ERIC NELSON: Well, I think can their defense, Minnesota's defense, slow down a Detroit offense that has scored an NFL high 533 points this season. Now, Jared Goff orchestrates this explosive unit. They've scored 30 or more points in a game nine times, put up 40 or more points in a game four times. And Detroit has erupted for 50-plus points twice this season.
The Lions have a potent one-two punch at running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who's been injured but is expected to play. And they have a top-flight receiving corps led by Amon-Ra St. Brown. So I think, in my eyes, can Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Stephon Gilmore, Harrison Smith, and company create that Minnesota mayhem that's been their trademark under defensive coordinator Brian Flores with a lot of different defensive looks.
They've confused teams this year with chaos and moving around and creating a scenario where the quarterbacks aren't sure what's going to happen. If the Vikings can do this and just slow down that Detroit offense, I think it will be huge from the Minnesota standpoint.
Also, who wins the turnover battle? Minnesota has 31 takeaways this season. That is tied for most in the NFL with Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The other thing is-- and usually, the Vikings have noise on their side. They play at US Bank Stadium. I call it the House of Noise because the decibel level is incredible. But it will be the same in Detroit at Ford Field, another dome, where the noise will be all in favor of the Lions. So can the Vikings take the crowd out of the game and quiet Ford Field on Sunday night in downtown Motown?
NINA MOINI: And so let's go back, though, to the Packers game last Sunday, because after that game, quarterback Sam Darnold was hoisted up in the air by his teammates. He's having quite a moment, Eric.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, he really is. And Sam Darnold might be the most unlikely MVP candidate in the NFL in a long time. I mean, think about it. Minnesota claimed him off the scrap heap after he was a backup last season in San Francisco. Before that, he played for Carolina and the New York Jets, two toxic organizations. And he had little success. He had little structure.
When Darnold was selected in 2018 by the Jets, third pick in round one, he was supposed to be New York's new messiah, the next Joe Namath. But it did not turn out that way. However, Darnold has come to Minnesota, and he's thrived. He's been coached up by Kevin O'Connell and the offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, his quarterbacks coach, Josh McCown.
He's thrown for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. And he's instantly connected with his teammates, who recognize how much adversity he has overcome. And let's face it. When you're throwing the football to guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Aaron Rodgers, you have a good chance for success and a very good offensive line. Let me throw that in there too.
NINA MOINI: So when someone is being talked about in this amazing way, Wally, what does that mean for his future with the team? I'm sure it's going to be competitive.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, yeah, there's no question. He's on a one-year deal. So at the end of this season, he becomes a free agent. So it's up to the Minnesota Vikings to decide whether they want to try and continue to have him as part of their roster going forward. And right now, one-- what they call a franchise tag on him.
Now, if they do that, the cost is going to be steep. It's going to cost in the neighborhood-- and these are just estimates that I have been hearing-- anywhere from $30 to $40 million on the salary cap. They're going to take a big salary cap hit if they choose to franchise tag him. Now, they could let him go. They could try to negotiate with him prior to that. Probably going to wait and see how this thing all turns out before they get into any negotiations.
I've been saying for weeks they probably should just lock this guy up, because they haven't had a consistent quarterback situation. Yeah, Kirk Cousins was here. But did they win any playoff games? They won one playoff game in six years with Kirk Cousins. So it's going to be an interesting few weeks coming up here, particularly once the season is over, to see what they decide to do with Sam Darnold. But he has been-- as Eric said, he's been as good as it gets. MVP caliber.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, it seems like they're in a good place culturally too. And people are getting along. They're doing their end zone dances. That's kind of all over social media. But I'm curious. Fans of the Vikings, I do know this. There's been a lot of ups and downs. So people are getting excited. There's Super Bowl chatter. Wally, do you think that the Vikings are looking like a Super Bowl team right now?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Absolutely. I mean, they are among the favorites. Right now, they have the best record, along with Detroit, in the NFC. Let's not forget. Detroit has 13 defensive players right now on the injured list. That's a huge number. They've been giving up points by the boatloads. Yeah, they've been scoring. They gave up 34 points to the Lions last week, 17 to the lowly Bears the week before, 48 to the Bills the week before that, 31 to the Packers. So, yes, they can score. But they're also giving up a bunch.
So, yeah, as far as the Vikings go, I think that the Vikings are right there. I don't think there's any question about it. And look, take advantage when you're there. They have the opportunity now to make a run to the Super Bowl.
NINA MOINI: Sure.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: This may be the year.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, you got to meet the moment. You got to meet the moment. Well, we'll chat about it next week. I hope you both have a great weekend. We'll see what happens.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, Nina.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Thanks.
ERIC NELSON: Have a good one.
NINA MOINI: Bye-bye. Thanks again to Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.
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