After a disappointing year, the Minnesota Vikings’ Christmas victory over the Detroit Lions presented all of the evidence you need that this team could rebound in 2026.
Minnesota's defense suffocated the Lions, forcing six turnovers. Jordan Addison scored on a 65-yard touchdown run that effectively put the game away in the fourth quarter. Harrison Smith, Andrew Van Ginkel, and other defenders ripped into tomahawk steaks like they were served roast beast, and everybody dressed in white went home happy.
Of course, there was still the elephant in the room. What were the Vikings going to do at quarterback?
Thursday’s win was another reminder of what the Vikings could have done with sufficient quarterback play this season, and it was enough to make Dianna Russini grin like the Grinch. While the victory makes it tempting to run it back and hope J.J. McCarthy beats out a “house of cards” in training camp and makes a substantial leap, the Vikings may have gotten an unexpected Christmas gift when they saw the Lions on the opposite sideline.
It’s been well-documented that these two teams were in a different spot one year ago. Going into Week 18 with matching 14-2 records, the Vikings and Lions met in a game that determined the NFC North and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Vikings fans know what happened from there. Sam Darnold saw ghosts, the offensive line was run over by the Lions and the Los Angeles Rams, and everyone was eager to usher in the McCarthy era. Darnold left for Seattle, but the Vikings tried to improve their team with the money left over, spending an NFL-high $243 million in free agency to gear up for a Super Bowl run.
Many of those moves didn’t work out, but at least the effort was there. Armed with a younger nucleus, the Lions banked on Aidan Hutchinson’s return from a broken leg and didn’t make a major move outside of signing cornerback D.J. Reed in free agency. Kevin Zeitler also left when the league year began, and the Lions replaced him with rookie Tate Ratledge, who had an uneven first season in the NFL.
Still, the Lions looked like a juggernaut on paper until the injury bug made its appearance. Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, and Terrion Arnold were just some of the players to suffer major injuries this year. Others, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, played through them. Facing a team with just as many obstacles in front of them, the Lions folded, and their season will end in the same disappointing way the Vikings are facing now.
It speaks to where the Vikings are headed as they head into the offseason. After next week’s season finale against the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings could look at their roster and decide to run it back. But that would ignore the same problems the Lions had.
Many would say that Minnesota’s injury luck could go back into their favor next season, but the Lions thought the same thing after 13 starters ended last season on injured reserve. While the Vikings' best seasons have been when the roster is unscathed, the injury bug rarely takes a year off, and depth becomes important.
The Lions found that out when they had to plug Kayode Awosika, Trystan Colon, and others into the starting lineup. Minnesota felt the same thing with Justin Skule and Blake Brandel. Even developmental prospects aren’t dependable. The Lions had their own Michael Jurgens and Walter Rouse in Giovanni Manu.
Minnesota also needs to examine what happened with its offensive playcalling. Max Brosmer’s Terminator-like processing ability had the Vikings in the red for passing yards for most of the afternoon. Still, O’Connell’s demands for his young quarterbacks to run an offense that didn’t suit their strengths are a big reason why they missed the playoffs this season.
But, of course, this all comes back to the quarterback position. It’s impossible to know what names will become available in the next few months. The Vikings would be fools not at least kick the tires. Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson feel like pipe dreams, but even if they took a more aggressive route like trading for Mac Jones or Kyler Murray, it would be a measure that wasn’t taken a year ago when the Vikings traded for Sam Howell and signed Carson Wentz.
No front office kicks their feet up in December thinking they have the perfect plan for the next season. But the Vikings can look at what the Lions did and use that as motivation to take an extra step next season. While it may not be fair, it’s what they need to do to ensure a performance like the one they had on Christmas doesn’t go to waste next season.
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