DOWN X DOWN › week 15 › Lions at Vikings

Updated Nov 3, 7:02 AM ET

2026

Week 15 · Sunday 8:20 PM ET · U.S. Bank Stadium

Vikings offensevsLions defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Vikings, 7 for Lions. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

DET offense MIN offense

Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads

Biggest edge

Tight ends feast

Lions give up 98 yards a game to tight ends (32nd), against a league average of 55. Vikings' tight ends produce 61 (13th).

Opportunity

Deep right is open

Lions are worst against deep right throws, allowing +1.32 EPA per attempt. Vikings send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

Watch out

Pressure problem

Vikings take a sack on 10% of dropbacks (29th). Lions get home on 8% (7th). League average is 7%.

Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Vikings gain 4.9 yards per play (24th). Lions give up 5.6 (21st), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

Lions

Jared GoffQB · 168/248 · 1964 yds · 15 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.27 · 6th

Jahmyr GibbsRB · 157 car · 773 yds · 10 TD · 34 recEPA per touch -0.01 · 24th

Amon-Ra St. BrownWR · 53 rec · 571 yds · 5 TD · 76 tgtEPA per target +0.31

Sam LaPortaTE · 31 rec · 367 yds · 3 TD · 44 tgtEPA per target +0.74 · 2ndAidan HutchinsonLeft Defensive End · 20 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD5 sacks · T-12th in the NFLDerrick BarnesWeakside Linebacker · 34 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD3 sacks

Vikings

Kyler MurrayQB · 100/154 · 1022 yds · 5 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.06 · 26th

Jordan MasonRB · 38 car · 147 yds · 1 TD · 0 recEPA per touch -0.26

Justin JeffersonWR · 28 rec · 335 yds · 4 TD · 40 tgtEPA per target +0.54 · 16th

T.J. HockensonTE · 31 rec · 295 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target +0.67 · 3rdAndrew Van GinkelWeakside Linebacker · 21 tackles · 6.5 sacks · 1 INT · 1 PD6.5 sacks · T-5th in the NFLBlake CashmanRight Inside Linebacker · 62 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 5 PD4.5 sacks · T-17th in the NFL

The series · Lions and Vikings since 1999, and this season's records55 meetings

The Vikings lead the series 36–19 since 1999. Nov 1, 2026, at Ford Field: the Lions won 19–15. Jared Goff started at quarterback for the Lions and Kyler Murray for the Vikings; Dan Campbell and Kevin O'Connell coached.

Lions at home13–15the Lions' record

In Minnesota6–21the Lions' record

Most pointsLions 36 · Vikings 422002 · 2007

Biggest winLions by 22 · Vikings by 322024 · 2007

The last 5

2026 · Wk 8	MIN 15 at DET 19
2025 · Wk 17	DET 10 at MIN 23
2025 · Wk 9	MIN 27 at DET 24
2024 · Wk 18	MIN 9 at DET 31
2024 · Wk 7	DET 31 at MIN 29

2026 records

	Lions	Vikings
Overall	5–2	6–1
Division	2–0	2–1
Conference	4–1	4–1
Other conference	1–1	2–0
Home	4–0	3–0
Away	1–2	3–1
Last 5	WLWWW	WWWWL
Streak	Won 3	Lost 1
Points a game	29.0 – 25.7	20.0 – 13.3

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Lions' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Vikings offense against the Lions defenseDepth charts

Lions defense · 4-3 DVikings offense · 3WR 1TE71Darrisaw60Huber64Brandel76Fries75O'Neill87Hockenson 1Murray 27Mason 18Jefferson 14Jennings 3Addison93Lacy91Williams54McNeill97Hutchinson55Barnes46Campbell44Rodriguez2Rakestraw4Reed21McCreary32Branch36Clark

Vikings offense · 3WR 1TE

QBKyler Murray#1 · 100/154 · 1022 yds · 5 TD · 3 INT
RBJordan Mason#27 · 38 car · 147 yds · 1 TD · 0 rec
WRJustin Jefferson#18 · 28 rec · 335 yds · 4 TD · 40 tgt
WRJordan Addison#3 · 16 rec · 249 yds · 1 TD · 33 tgt
WRJauan Jennings#14 · 6 rec · 54 yds · 0 TD · 10 tgt
TET.J. Hockenson#87 · 31 rec · 295 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgt
LTChristian Darrisaw#71
LGJoe Huber#60
CBlake Brandel#64
RGWill Fries#76
RTBrian O'Neill#75

Lions defense · Base 4-3 D

RDETyler Lacy#93 · 6 tackles
RDTTyleik Williams#91 · 16 tackles
LDTAlim McNeill#54 · 14 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 1 PD
LDEAidan Hutchinson#97 · 20 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD
WLBDerrick Barnes#55 · 34 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD
MLBJack Campbell#46 · 58 tackles
SLBMalcolm Rodriguez#44 · 18 tackles · 0.5 sacks
RCBEnnis Rakestraw Jr.#2 · 10 tackles · 2 PD
LCBD.J. Reed#4 · 41 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
NBRoger McCreary#21 · 26 tackles · 1 sack · 7 PD
SSBrian Branch#32 · 7 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
FSChuck Clark#36 · 43 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · MIN offense against DET defense

Stat	MIN off	DET def allows	NFL avg
Overall
EPA per play	-0.10#28	+0.11#30	+0.00
Success rate	37%#31	45%#25	44%
Yards per play	4.9#24	5.6#21	5.4
Explosive play rate	9%#15	11%#30	9%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback	-0.08#24	+0.18#29	+0.03
Sack rate	10%#29	8%#7	7%
Running
Run EPA per carry	-0.21#28	-0.09#13	-0.08
Yards per carry	3.8#21	3.9#16	4.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion	39%#20	46%#27	41%
Red zone TD rate	59%#16	74%#28	61%
Targets by position
WR yards per game	105#30	177#27	147
TE yards per game	61#13	98#32	55
TE targets per game	7.6#14	11.4#32	7.6
RB receiving yards per game	19#28	23#8	32

Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Vikings: EPA per throw

Left

Middle

Right

Deep

+0.3111% of throws

+0.783% of throws

+0.307% of throws

Short

-0.3132% of throws

+0.3716% of throws

+0.1431% of throws

Lions: EPA allowed per throw

Left

Middle

Right

Deep

+0.0318 throws

+1.2918 throws

+1.3224 throws