Dan Campbell has already shown he knows how to throw Brian Flores off balance, and that history hangs over Minnesota’s trip back to Ford Field.
The Vikings may have finished 2024 with a 14-3 record, but the season still ended with a hollow feel. Sam Darnold, after rebuilding his career under Kevin O’Connell, left in 2025 to lead the NFC-rival Seattle Seahawks to their second-ever Super Bowl title. Minnesota’s lone season with Darnold also ended quickly in the playoffs, as the Los Angeles Rams knocked the Vikings out in the Wild Card round.
And before that postseason collapse, Detroit was the team that kept Minnesota from reaching the NFC Championship Game.
The Lions’ Week 17 win over the Vikings at Ford Field set the stage. The game was moved to Arizona for the Wild Card round because of the California wildfires, meaning Minnesota never got the chance to prove itself at home as the Lions had already beaten them and Flores’ defense.
Jared Goff threw for 231 yards despite a pair of interceptions, while Sam Darnold managed just 166. Jahmyr Gibbs was the difference, piling up 190 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns as Detroit won the game that decided the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage.
Minnesota could only answer with three field goals before the night slipped away.
Detroit eventually lost the NFC title game to the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, but that did nothing to soften the blow for the Vikings. The later decision to move on from Darnold and commit to J.J. McCarthy only added to the regret in Minnesota, especially with the possibility of another playoff meeting with the New York Giants this year.
The matchup that matters now is the one ahead, and the run game is where the Lions have already found the cracks.
Minnesota entered that Sunday night meeting with the league’s top rush defense, having allowed just 1,410 rushing yards through Week 17 - an average of 88 per game. Detroit’s ground attack had been productive all season, but the challenge in Week 18 was to hold the Lions below their 144-yard average. Gibbs did the job almost by himself, carrying 23 times and repeatedly finding space.
The damage started early. On Detroit’s second drive, Gibbs burst through the line and slipped past a diving Cam Bynum on a 25-yard touchdown run that put Minnesota in a hole right away. That play had echoes of a recent warning sign elsewhere, the kind of run that exposes a soft spot before the defense can settle in.
Taylor and his defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, appear to have identified a clear weakness in Minnesota’s interior run defense. When the backs cannot make the tackle, the Colts take the lead.
They later surrendered it and ultimately lost the game. Flores’ scheme made adjustments, limiting Taylor to just 55 more yards and the Colts’ entire offense to three more points. By the time Harrison Smith ’s interception iced the game for the Vikings, Indianapolis’ momentum had not only stalled, but it had also halted.
Still, that early burst mattered. It showed a seam in Minnesota’s front that Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard have surely studied, just as they have gone over the January 2025 tape. One play alone does not decide a game, but it can point a coach straight to the pressure point.
That is why Gibbs figures to be central again if the teams meet with Minnesota’s perfect record on the line. Campbell has already solved Flores’ designs once, and the Lions will likely lean on Gibbs early and often before testing whether Flores can stay a step ahead this time.
The larger challenge for Minnesota is whether its offense can match Detroit score for score. The Lions have been willing to give up nearly 300 passing yards this season, including 264 to Jordan Love last week, which gives Kyler Murray a clear opening to attack through Justin Jefferson. If Murray can throw an urgent touchdown or two early, Minnesota can force Detroit to adjust, open up the play-action game, speed up the clock, and let the pass rush work for turnovers.
Still, when the Vikings return to Ford Field, one thing is already certain: the Lions will be ready. Dan Campbell has derailed Minnesota before, and with 10 weeks left and plenty of room for Detroit to sharpen itself, they would love to make November 1 the turning point of their season at the Vikings’ expense.
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