The Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings in a week 16 NFC North meeting late in the 2018 season as the Vikings look to make moves toward the playoffs.
Last week saw the Detroit Lions‘ playoff chances officially come to an end but playoff implications are on the line when the Lions host the Minnesota Vikings in week 16. The NFC North has already been won by the Chicago Bears, but Minnesota enters Week 16 with a clinching scenario for one of the NFC’s two Wild Card berths.
The Vikings start by needing a win over the the Lions. The other game Vikings fans will want to keep an eye on is in Houston where the Texans will host the Philadelphia Eagles. A Vikings win combined with an Eagles loss or tie will have Minnesota clinch the postseason with one game still to play.
The Lions struggled to protect quarterback Matthew Stafford when the Lions and Vikings first met back in week nine. Stafford was sacked 10 times as Minnesota cruised to a 24-9 win in Minneapolis. That turned out to be one of the first nails in Detroit’s coffin. They entered that game 3-4 and looking to work themselves into position for a playoff push but they have won just twice since and have nothing but draft position at stake.
They might not have anything tangible to play for but Detroit isn’t going to be rolling over for any opponent. Despite a bad back, Stafford intends to play the season out instead of getting a jump start on recovery and the offseason.
Here is all the information you need for the week 16 meeting between the Vikings and Lions.
Date: Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018
Start time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Detroit, MI
Stadium: Ford Field
TV Info: FOX (Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston)
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go, NFL Sunday Ticket, FuboTV
The Lions will wrap up the 2018 season with a road game at the Green Bay Packers next Sunday afternoon. The Vikings’ regular season will conclude next Sunday at home against the Chicago Bears.