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.
Vikings Clips
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 NFL’s injury report places no obligation on teams to disclose that a player will be a healthy scratch. The world finds out if a player who is able to play otherwise won’t be playing roughly 90 minutes before kickoff, when the team supplies its list of inactive players.
For the Colts, there’s a decision to be made later this morning. Will running back Jonathan Taylor play at Jacksonville, as they continue to engage in talks aimed at trading him? (The Giants are definitely making a play to get him, and others presumably are, too.)
By all indications, Taylor will play. But if the phone rings before 11:30 a.m. ET and the Colts get an offer they choose not to refuse, the plan could quickly change. (And since the Giants don’t have a game this weekend, they can focus their efforts exclusively on trying to get it done, even if it takes a call from coach John Harbaugh to owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon.)
Three weeks ago, the Cardinals knew on Friday that they’d be trading receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after Sunday’s game. Harrison didn’t play. It’s possible that one of the teams interested in Taylor will put the right terms on the table in order to persuade the Colts to put Taylor in bubble wrap for Sunday pending a post-game announcement that Taylor will be changing teams.
Without a deal in place imminently, the Colts will be taking a calculated risk if Taylor is active. If he gets injured, the trade market will evaporate.
Like it did on Friday for the Commanders and defensive tackle Daron Payne. There were trade talks regarding Payne, until he suffered a season-ending foot injury in practice.
So even though the trade deadline doesn’t arrive until November 10, there are various other deadlines that could drive a trade decision. For the Colts, the most immediate deadline arrives very soon, when they have to decide whether to let Taylor play and risk an injury that would necessarily close the door on a potential trade.
There are two ways to handle the trade of a cornerstone player. One, talk quietly to a minimal number of teams. Like the Titans did with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Two, throw the doors open and try to get the best possible package of draft picks and/or players in return. Like the Colts are now doing with running back Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis has officially declared that Taylor is available, via a selective and strategic leak to ESPNFL. Trade talks are “active and ongoing,” per the report.
The teams that have “expressed at least some level of interest” are the Broncos, Packers, Vikings, Giants, and Seahawks.
Last weekend’s Sunday Splash! report that operated as the “everything must go” sign for the Colts pegged the Broncos, Packers, Vikings, and Seahawks as potentially interested teams in Taylor. The Giants (who are believed, we’re told by multiple sources, to have been pursuing Simmons) are a new arrival. Which would possibly be bad news for second-year running back Cam Skattebo, who emerged from the doghouse last week with 124 rushing yards. (It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Giants offered Skattebo to the Colts as part of the trade package, frankly.)
To the extent that tying four teams to the trade talks doesn’t get the Colts maximum compensation, the new report notes that the Colts “would prefer” that Taylor stick around for their “rebuild.”
If they really wanted Taylor, they wouldn’t be fielding trade offers fo him.
The Colts reportedly are looking for a package similar to what the 49ers sent to the Panthers in 2022 for running back Christian McCaffrey: a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft.
The next question is whether Taylor will play on Sunday. It’s possible, in our view, the Colts will hold Taylor out of action on Sunday at Jacksonville, like the Cardinals did three weeks ago when they had a deal in place to trade receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Texans. Even without a deal, keeping Taylor out of the game would ensure that he won’t get injured.
If that happens, rookie Seth McGowan would be the likely starter in Week 8. Last Sunday, the seventh-rounder who played for Kentucky last year had 11 carries for 48 yards in a 16-10 loss to the Vikings.
And the Vikings continue to make the most sense for Taylor. Especially since they had the best possible opportunity to scout him six days ago, when he had 18 carries for 95 yards and an Adrian Peterson-style 38-yard touchdown run.
If the Vikings add Taylor in the coming days, he’d likely make his debut as soon as next Monday night, when the Vikings host the Bills. And when they put Peterson in the team’s Ring of Honor.
Vikings running back Aaron Jones took a step in the right direction at practice on Thursday.
Jones missed practice on Wednesday after aggravating a knee injury during last Sunday’s win over the Colts. He was able to get on the field on Thursday and was listed as a limited participant as the team continued preparing to face the Lions.
The Vikings will practice again on Friday and they’ll also issue injury reports for the NFC North matchup.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) moved from limited to full participation while guard Joe Huber (knee) went from not participating to a full practice. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew (ankle) was added to the report after he missed practice.
The Lions got running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown back on the practice field Thursday.
Gibbs sat out on Wednesday with a shoulder injury and St. Brown has an ankle injury, but both of them were able to fully participate in their return to practice. That bodes well for both of them being in the lineup against the Vikings this weekend.
Defensive lineman Tyliek Williams also returned as a full participant after missing Wednesday with an illness. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, left tackle Penei Sewell, and defensive end DJ Wonnum all returned to work after resting Wednesday.
Safety Kerby Joseph (knee) and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (ankle) were listed as limited for the second straight day. Running back Jacob Saylors (neck) moved from limited to full participation.
Justin Jefferson is catching fewer passes and picking up fewer yards on a per-game basis than at any other point in his career, but he’s not complaining about how the 2026 season has played out thus far.
The reason why Jefferson is taking his relatively limited production in stride can be explained by a glance at the standings. The Vikings are the NFL’s only undefeated team and Jefferson said on Wednesday that he’s had years with big numbers and few wins in the past, so he’s comfortable saying that he “definitely would love winning games over having that production.”
Ideally, though, there’d be a balance that allows him a taste of both.
“That’s something you kinda have to be in the middle,” Jefferson said. “Obviously you want to have high production. Obviously you want to be in the top category in all categories, but you have to look at the bigger picture and understand that we’re 6-0 and winning games. What we’re doing right now is working. Obviously there’s things to do better and things to fix on the offensive side of things, but all in all, it’s coming together and we’re doing things to win games.”
The Vikings’ defense-first approach has served them well to this point, but the schedule will be thorny in the coming weeks with the Lions, Bills, Packers, 49ers and Falcons on tap in November. They’re likely going to need the offense to pull a little more weight at some point in that run and finding the right way to spring Jefferson loose would be a strong step in that direction.
Reports were that Vikings running back Aaron Jones avoided a serious injury last Sunday, but his practice work is still being managed this week.
The Vikings’ first injury report of the week shows that Jones did not practice on Wednesday. Jones aggravated a knee injury in the second half of Minnesota’s win over the Colts and word is that he is considered day-to-day heading into Sunday’s game against the Lions.
Jordan Mason led the team in rushing against the Colts and would be in line for an even bigger role if Jones isn’t able to play this week.
Guard Joe Huber (knee) was also out of practice for the Vikings. Right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) was a limited participant.
The Lions kicked off the practice week without two of their biggest offensive weapons.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown were both listed as non-participants on Wednesday’s injury report. Gibbs is listed with a shoulder injury while head coach Dan Campbell said St. Brown would likely miss Wednesday after hurting his ankle in last Sunday’s win over the Packers.
There’s been no indication that the Lions expect to be without either player against the Vikings this week and the rest of the week’s practices should provide more information on their condition.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (ankle), safety Kerby Joseph (knee), and running back Jacob Saylors (neck) were limited participants. Defensive tackle Tyliek Williams missed practice with an illness while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, left tackle Penei Sewell, and defensive end DJ Wonnum took rest days.
The Colts are open for business, as evidenced by the Tuesday trades that sent offensive lineman Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers. The next question, with 13 days left in the 2026 trading window, is whether anyone else will be traded.
Running back Jonathan Taylor has emerged as an obvious candidate. His wife has posted no fewer than three videos on the subject in recent days, and Taylor has acknowledged the existence of trade rumors.
Here’s the question that will become more pressing as the week unfolds. If the Colts have decided to take the best offer they get for Taylor — and if they’ve yet to get an offer they like — the process could linger beyond the coming weekend. That will force the Colts to decide whether to play Taylor or whether to hold him out of action.
On Monday night, the opportunity for the Eagles to trade running back Saquon Barkley became complicated by the aggravation of his hamstring injury, followed by a back injury. For all anyone knows, seeing Barkley get injured may have prompted the Colts to move Nelson and Buckner before they suffered an injury, too.
Taylor plays a position that is conducive to injury. If the Colts make him a healthy scratch on Sunday, it will be the most obvious indication that a trade is coming. Unless it happens before then.
