Game day guide: Everything you need to know and what to watch as Lions vs. Vikings vie for NFC's No. 1 seed
● What: Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings, winner earns the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round playoff bye.
● When: Sunday, Jan. 5, 8:20 p.m.
● Where: Ford Field, Detroit
● How to watch: NBC (Mike Tirico/Cris Collinsworth/Melissa Stark
● How to listen: 97.1-FM The Ticket in Metro Detroit or any number of network affiliates around the state.
● Line: -2.5
● Injury report: The Lions ruled out running David Montgomery (knee) and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. The latter was placed on the non-football illness list on Saturday.
Additionally, the team listed linebacker Alex Anzalone (forearm), wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot), and running back Craig Reynolds (back) as questionable. Anzalone and Raymond were activated off injured reserve on Saturday. That doesn't guarantee they suit up and the team could opt to hold the linebacker out of action for another week.
Reynolds was a late-week addition to the injury report, but the Lions' decision to not elevate Jermar Jefferson off the practice squad hints at Reynolds being available for the contest.
● Officiating assignment: Brad Rogers’ crew. Promoted to referee in 2019, Rogers has been a regular for the Lions, officiating five of the team’s games the past three years, including a Week 3 matchup against Arizona this season.
Rogers’ crew can get a little flag-happy, throwing at least 16 in four of the past five games.
● Last meeting: In Week 7, the Lions knocked off the undefeated Vikings, 31-29, behind a game-winning field goal by Jake Bates with 15 seconds remaining. The Lions jumped out to an 11-point lead at the half, and survived a costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown. QB Jared Goff was sensational in the victory, completing 22-of-25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Coverage from the week
● Every possible Detroit Lions playoff scenario through the NFC championship explained
● Anatomy of a snub: How does a legitimate DPOY candidate get left off a Pro Bowl roster?
● After sluggish start, Lions' LaPorta rediscovered groove during highly productive December
Three things worth watching
● As part of Jameson Williams’ breakout season, the third-year receiver is becoming increasingly less susceptible to dud performances.
Over the past seven games, Williams has had at least five receptions or a touchdown, averaging nearly seven grabs for 79 yards during the stretch, while finding the end zone four times.
Williams’ last no-show outing — outside two literal no-shows because of a midseason suspension — came when the Lions traveled to Minnesota in October. Despite running 24 routes in the game, he was targeted just once, catching the pass but losing 4 yards.
That’s right: One catch, -4 yards.
Needless to say, Williams is due for a rebound against the Vikings and what better time? With 34 receiving yards he’ll top 1,000 on the year.
● Against one of the better play-action quarterbacks in the NFL, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, the Lions' defense had some real struggles protecting the middle of the field after play fakes.
It won’t get any easier this week. Minnesota’s Sam Darnold has had a monster year out of play-action, posting a 135.0 passer rating with those snaps. And while they don’t use it as frequently as Detroit, Darnold is faking a handoff on 29.3% of his dropbacks.
Part of the issue for Detroit has been linebackers over-committing, taking themselves out of position to properly defend the pass by getting drawn too far toward the line of scrimmage by the threat of the run.
The re-addition of Anzalone to the lineup would provide a considerable boost. He’s steadily improved in coverage since jumping to Detroit in 2021. Even with some rust accumulated during his six-week stint on IR, he’d be an upgrade to the backups of backups who have been playing the past month.
● Amik Robertson and Justin Jefferson battled in high school, summer recruiting camps, and college, when Robertson was at Louisiana Tech and Jefferson at LSU.
Robertson’s path has been harder. He’s always been the scrappy underdog contrasted against Jefferson’s seemingly limitless talent. But the cornerback can’t wait for the head-to-head opportunities on Sunday because, in his mind, it’s not David vs. Goliath, it’s Goliath vs. Goliath.
Robertson has admittedly been playing well since the Lions moved him outside to replace Carlton Davis III. He might only be 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, but he’s always been more comfortable playing on an island. Targeted a combined nine times by the Bears and 49ers, Robertson has allowed four catches for 63 yards while knocking away a trio of throws.
But Jefferson is a different animal, one who has proven capable of feasting on Lions. In nine games against Detroit, he’s racked up a whopping 1,154 receiving yards.
In Week 7, the Lions managed to hold Jefferson in check — seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. As the slot corner that day, Robertson didn’t see much of the Minnesota standout, although Jefferson did haul in a 25-yard touchdown over Robertson that afternoon.
Jefferson has averaged almost 13 targets in the past three games, and you can count on him being a significant part of the Vikings’ game plan on Sunday. Robertson would have it any other way.
I hope the Lions do not get obsessed with stopping Jefferson and letting guys like Nailor and Hamm make big plays. Kind of like what happened with Buffalo and Johnson.