The Lions will face the Vikings in their final game of the season. A division title is the prize

Two games versus Minnesota in the last three weeks should demonstrate just how much these on-the-rise Lions have progressed.

Despite having a three-game lead over the Vikings in the NFC North with three games remaining, the franchise’s first division title in 30 years is far from certain. The Lions (10-4) will face their toughest test of the season on Sunday at Minnesota, where they haven’t won in six years.

“The more you win, the more pressure there is,” remarked coach Dan Campbell. “When we’re at our best is when you have people gunning for you.”

The fact that the Vikings (7-7) are still in position to defend their NFC North title after losing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon over two months ago and relying on three other starters since is a credit to coaching and camaraderie. Nick Mullens is now in charge, with a finally healthy Justin Jefferson leading his receivers after a severe hamstring strain kept him out for five games and most of a sixth.

“It all comes down to beating the Lions.” “The playoffs are great, but if you don’t win, the playoffs don’t matter,” Mullens said after passing for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and two costly interceptions in last week’s OT defeat to Cincinnati.

The Lions only need one more win to win the division and host their first home playoff game at Ford Field since it debuted in 2002. However, sandwiched between the two Minnesota games is a tough Dec. 30 game at Dallas (10-4), which is battling to win its own division. In between games against the Lions, the Vikings (6-8) host Green Bay (6-8).

The pass rush will almost certainly determine the outcome. Brian Flores, the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, has a range of surprising pressure packages to give to quarterback Jared Goff.

“I am very confident that we will succeed, but they will succeed on offense,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “They do it every week, but could you just make it a little more difficult for them?” Can you make it a less comfortable day so they can get it humming in both the run and pass phases?”

Flores led the New England defense to a stunning Super Bowl 53 victory over Goff and the Los Angeles Rams. According to Sportradar data, Goff has thrown five interceptions against the blitz this season, the second-most in the NFL.

“We don’t bear the burden of the last 30 years here.” No, we don’t. “We’re the 2023 Lions, and we’re not like last year’s team, or the year before, or the year before that, or the year before that,” Goff explained. “So we’re trying to make our mark this year, and we have a chance to do it this week.”

The Lions’ recovery has been aided by general manager Brad Holmes’ draft-day deals this year, which brought them running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta with the 12th and 34th overall picks, respectively.

“They’re two of the best rookies I’ve ever been around,” said Goff, who is in his seventh season in the NFL. “They’re as good as it gets and you see the results out here on the game day, but the work they put in, and how professional they both are, it’s really impressive.”

In last week’s thrashing of Denver, LaPorta had a season-high three touchdown catches, and Gibbs scored both rushing and receiving. This made Detroit the third team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966 to have five or more touchdowns scored by rookies in a game. Linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Brian Branch are also important players on defense.

With Alexander Mattison out with a sprained ankle, the Vikings gave Ty Chandler the full backfield burden last week against Cincinnati, and he performed admirably. Chandler had 23 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown, both career highs. The fifth-round pick in 2022 also had three catches for 25 yards.

“Ty is exactly where we want him to be in his progression, and I think the role he is ascending to is something that we had our minds on when we brought him here,” he said. “We’ll continue to try everything to get him valuable touches and make him a big part of our offense.”

Last week against the Broncos, Lions center Frank Ragnow, a Minnesota native who attended Chanhassen High School approximately 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis, returned to the lineup after missing only one game while recovering from knee surgery for a meniscus problem.

“His mind controls his body, which we talk about all the time,” Campbell said. “The good ones can do that.”

Jordan Hicks, a Vikings linebacker, returned to practice this week with the goal of playing against the Lions, four weeks after a badly bruised shin sent him to the ER for surgery to cure a deadly condition known as compartment syndrome.

Hicks, who is still third on the team with 87 tackles after missing three games or more, was finally coming to terms with the severity of his injuries.

“Man, things could’ve really, really, really gone bad,” Hicks went on to say. “I haven’t let myself feel that.” It’s always been about getting back on the field and changing my thinking.”