It’s been a heavyweight battle between NFC North foes in Detroit through 30 minutes, with the Vikings clinging to a 7-6 lead at halftime.
Detroit has gotten two field goals from Jake Bates, one from 25 yards and another from 37 yards late in the second quarter to narrow Minnesota’s lead to one point.
Justin Jefferson caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray early in the second quarter for Minnesota’s only points.
The Vikings had a chance to score more, but Will Reichard missed a 57-yard field goal wide right in the first quarter.
While Jefferson leads the Vikings with eight targets, he’s only been able to catch four passes for 25 yards with a TD. Murray is 7-of-15 for 86 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He also leads the Vikings with 26 yards on three carries.
On the other side, Jared Goff tossed his first interception of the season when Jameson Williams fell down on a route. The quarterback is 11-of-16 for 110 yards against Minnesota’s vaunted defense so far on Sunday.
Jahmyr Gibbs has 37 yards on 11 carries.
Lions edge rusher DJ Wonnum and defensive back Brian Branch are both being evaluated for concussions after colliding while trying to tackle Jefferson in the second quarter.
After scoring late in the second quarter, the Lions will have a chance to double up as they will receive the second-half kickoff.
Lions Clips
Two Lions collided late in the second quarter and both had to be taken off the field.
Edge rusher DJ Wonnum was carted off after he and defensive back Brian Branch hit each other helmet-to-helmet while trying to bring down receiver Justin Jefferson on a catch.
Branch was able to walk off the field, but went to the locker room for further examination.
The Lions have a couple of other injury issues from the game against the Vikings so far. Center Cade Mays is questionable to return with an ankle injury. Running back Jacob Saylors is also questionable to return with a neck injury.
The Vikings lead the Lions 7-3 with two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Justin Jefferson has made it to the end zone.
Kyler Murray hit Jefferson for a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, giving the Vikings a 7-3 advantage.
Jefferson was matched up one-on-one on the left side, and was able to tip the fade pass to himself, diving to secure the catch.
It was Jefferson’s fourth touchdown of the season and his first reception of the contest.
Murray has now started the game 4-of-9 for 62 yards with a TD.
The Vikings could’ve scored in the first quarter, but Will Reichard missed a 57-yard field goal wide right.
Additionally, Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had to be checked in the locker room after going down on what was eventually ruled an incomplete pass in the end zone. But he was back on the sideline and on the field for the next possession.
In 1969, the Vikings lost their first game of the regular season, at the Giants. The Vikings later lost their last game of the regular season, at the Falcons. In between, Minnesota won 12 games in a row with Joe Kapp at the helm.
It still stands as the longest winning streak in franchise history. And they could tie it today.
The Vikings won five in a row to end the 2025 season. They’re now 6-0. A win today would be No. 12.
It won’t be easy. The Vikings return to Detroit, where two seasons ago Minnesota was one victory away from winning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And the Lions, after being swept by the Vikings in 2025 (including an embarrassing loss on Christmas Day that ended Detroit’s playoff chances), will be looking for a measure of revenge.
Much of it comes down to whether quarterback Jared Goff can crack the code on the Brian Flores defense. Last year, the Vikings consistently got to Goff with their unpredictable pressures before Goff could find the holes in the defense. On December 25, the Vikings sacked Goff five times and forced a pair of interceptions.
The far bigger question for the Vikings will be whether they can gain yards, chew the clock, and ultimately score points. Although the Vikings rank first in the league in points allowed (12.3 per game) and second in yards allowed (252.8 per game), the Lions offense ranks second in points scored (30.7 per game) and yards per game (397.3).
Detroit will get their yards and score their points. The pressure will be on Minnesota’s offense to deliver, primarily in the passing game.
The rushing attack is on notice, too. Rumors and reports linger that the Vikings could trade for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. That should provide an extra kick to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason on Sunday.
Wide receiver George Pickens has touchdown catches in two of his last three games and he’ll have a chance to make it three of four against the Cardinals on Sunday.
Pickens was listed as questionable on the Cowboys’ final injury report due to shoulder and hamstring issues, but he avoided the inactive list ahead of kickoff in Dallas. Pickens has 37 catches for 485 yards overall this season.
Defensive tackle Kenny Clark was also listed as questionable for the Cowboys due to a back injury. He joins Pickens in the lineup for Week 8.
Cardinals at Cowboys
Cardinals: QB Carson Beck, CB Starling Thomas, RB Evan Hull, LB Eku Leota, OL Jon Gaines, OL Albert Reese, DL Walter Nolen
Cowboys: WR KaVontae Turpin, CB Shavon Revel, LB Dee Winters, LB Tyrus Wheat, OL Drew Shelton, TE Luke Schoonmaker
Raiders at Jets
Raiders: WR Dont’e Thornton, QB Aidan O’Connell, WR Malik Benson, S Tristin McCollum, S Dalton Johnson, OL Bryce Cabeldue, DT JJ Pegues
Jets: RB Breece Hall, WR Tim Patrick, OL Max Mitchell, OL Kohl Levao, LB David Bailey, LB Joseph Ossai, CB Nahshon Wright
Falcons at Buccaneers
Falcons: QB Andy Dalton, QB Jack Strand, LB Divine Deablo, RB Brian Robinson, DB Billy Bowman, CB Robert Longerbeam, DE Drake Jackson
Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Ayden Garnes, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart
Ravens at Bills
Ravens: WR Elijah Sarratt, S Jaylinn Hawkins, CB Chandler Rivers, OL Emery Jones, G Vega Ioane, DL Aeneas Peebles, QB Joe Fagnano
Bills: OT Spencer Brown, OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams, DL Greg Gaines, WR Skyler Bell, LB Mike Danna, CB Dee Alford, S Jalon Kilgore
Browns at Steelers
Browns: QB Dillon Gabriel, QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, CB Noah Igbinoghene, RB Audric Estime, C Parker Brailsford
Steelers: WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Brandin Echols, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Doneiko Slaughter
Colts at Jaguars
Colts: LB Bryce Boetticher, TE Pharaoh Brown, DT Kevin Givens, WR Anthony Gould, OL Charlie Heck, QB Riley Leonard, CB Justin Walley
Jaguars: S Antonio Johnson, WR CJ Williams, CB Alijah Huzzie, LB Jamal Hill, DE Wesley Williams, DT Albert Regis
Vikings at Lions
Vikings: S Jakobe Thomas, CB Charles Demmings, RB Demond Claiborne, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams, QB Max Brosmer
Lions: TE Jackson Meeks, C Seth McLaughlin, DL Mekhi Wingo, DE Ahmed Hassanein, S Bishop Fitzgerald
Titans at Bengals
Titans: RB Tyjae Spears, WR Carnell Tate, P Tommy Townsend, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DL Jackie Marshall, DB Jaylon Jones
Bengals: S Kyle Dugger, C Connor Lew, OL Myles Hinton, WR Mitchell Tinsley, DT Landon Robinson
The fine imposed on Giants running back Cam Skattebo for illegal use of the helmet was not a rarity. The flag thrown in real time for it was.
Of eight fines levied by the NFL for use-of-helmet violations in Week 7, only Skattebo’s came with a flag.
The league fined Skattebo $7,073. The seven players fined but not flagged were: Bears cornerback Clark Phillips ($11,550); Broncos safety Brandon Jones ($23,882); Broncos Alex Singleton ($47,662); Lions safety Brian Branch ($23,882); Colts cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt ($7,791); Steelers receiver Brandon Smith ($4,916); and 49ers running back Jordan James ($6,194).
The fines increase as the violations repeat. For Singleton, who was fined $23,882 for illegal use of the helmet, it was the second straight week he was fined.
The officials, for whatever reason, don’t often call penalties for illegal use of the helmet. That’s what made the penalty called on Skattebo so unusual.
The fact that the hit flattened Texans safety M.J. Stewart likely was a factor in the decision to penalize Skattebo. Still, the fact that only one of eight instances resulted in a foul being called underscores the fact that, when it comes to the rule against lowering the helmet and initiating forcible contact against an opponent, it’s something that costs players money far more routinely than it costs their teams field position.
The Lions added cornerback Roger McCreary to their injury report Friday. They list him as questionable to play with a foot injury.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (shoulder) and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) both had another full practice Friday and do not have an injury designation. Gibbs and St. Brown missed Wednesday’s session.
The only other player besides McCreary with a status is safety Kerby Joseph, who won’t play again this week.
The All-Pro player has not played since Week 6 of last season because of a knee injury. He is in his 21-day return-to-practice window.
“Just being back out there felt nostalgic,” Joseph said Friday, via Tim Twentyman of the team website. “I haven’t practiced in a long time, so this week felt pretty good. I’m still him. I hope you all ain’t forget. I’m still him.”
Joseph has taken only individual reps thus far but could get “real practice” next week, coach Dan Campbell said.
“That’ll be the plan,” he said.
After Sunday’s loss to the Lions, Packers safety Xavier McKinney had some things to say about the officiating. And he knew he was inviting a fine.
After Thursday night’s win over the Panthers, McKinney confirmed that he was fined.
Via Rob Demovsky of ESPN, McKinney didn’t disclose the specific amount. He did say it wasn’t less than the minimum of $25,000.
“I make enough money so I’ll be OK,” McKinney said.
McKinney said it was worth it to support the team.
Meanwhile, it’s unknown whether Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was fined for his criticism of the officials during that same game.
Through it all, the NFL essentially has conceded that referee Alex Moore’s crew didn’t meet the standard, by flexing Moore’s crew out of Sunday night’s game between the Eagles and Commanders.
Panthers owner David Tepper had big expectations for his team in 2026. With a 3-4 record after seven games, the team is making some big changes.
The Panthers have announced the terminations of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley.
Moving forward, defensive line coach Todd Wash will serve as defensive coordinator and call the defensive plays.
Outside linebackers coach/run game specialist AC Carter will also coach the defensive line, and secondary coach Renaldo Hill will continue to oversee the defensive backs.
Evero, 45, had worked for the Panthers since 2023, arriving as a member of Frank Reich’s staff. Evero remained in place after the hiring of Dave Canales in 2024.
In 2022, Evero was the defensive coordinator of the Broncos. His first job as an NFL position coach came in 2017, when Rams coach Sean McVay hired Evero to serve as safeties coach on McVay’s initial staff. Evero was secondary coach and passing game coordinator for the Rams in 2021, which resulted in a Super Bowl win.
Through it all, the Panthers remain tied for first place with the Falcons in the NFC South.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell has earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most aggressive coaches on fourth downs, a reputation that he bolstered on Sunday with a surprising fourth down attempt at his own 24-yard line late in the fourth quarter against the Packers. But it’s one of Campbell’s former assistants who is going for it on fourth down more than any other coach in the NFL.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has had his team go for it on fourth down 17 times this season, the most in the NFL. Campbell’s Lions, on the other hand, have gone for it on fourth down 13 times, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.
The Lions have punted twice more than the Bears have, while the Bears have attempted five more field goals than the Lions have. The two teams are similar in all three categories of decisions a coach can make on fourth down, but it’s noteworthy that it’s Johnson who has gone for it the most in the league so far this season.
Before Campbell’s surprising decision on Sunday against the Packers, the most controversial fourth down decision of this NFL season may have been the first fourth down decision Johnson made this season, when the Bears went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 21-yard line against the Panthers in Week 1. Caleb Williams was stopped for no gain, but the Bears still won the game, and afterward Johnson said the call was part of his overall aggressive approach to trying to field the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.
Confidence in their offense is one thing Campbell and Johnson have in common. They’d rather have the game in the hands of their playmakers than on the feet of their kickers.
