The Detroit Lions gave it their all on Monday, December 30, against the San Francisco 49ers, in a game that didn’t really matter when it came to the road to the Super Bowl, so imagine how much they’ll be hyped against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Detroit Lions take on the Vikings on Sunday, January 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, and this game matters in a big way. The winner will take the top seed in the NFC plus the NFC North. They’ll also score the first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage leading up to the Super Bowl. For the team that falls, they’ll be fifth seed and play on the road for the wild-card round. So, this game has become one of the most significant of the season for both teams.
While the Vikings have been relying on quarterback Sam Darnold throughout this season, since quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been out for the season with an injury. But, now they have another quarterback option, and they could unleash him on the Lions.
Minnesota Vikings’ Quarterback Situation Against the Detroit Lions
During the season, the Vikings signed former New York Giants franchise quarterback Daniel Jones, who became a free agent during the season. Jones has been on the team’s practice squad, but it seems likely that won’t last too much longer.
“There isn’t much question as to whether or not the Vikings will sign quarterback Daniel Jones from their practice squad to their active roster this week,” noted NFL expert and analyst Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated in a December 31 feature. “It’s essentially a no-brainer, as Jones being on the 53-man roster would allow him to factor into the compensatory pick formula if he departs in free agency this offseason.”
Ragatz added that it totally makes “sense to have him take Brett Rypien’s roster spot as Minnesota’s” third quarterback, even if that just means he’s on call if both Darnold and Nick Mullens can’t play.
Ragatz also said that one of the reasons the Vikings inked Jones is because they might have him back next season to be a backup to McCarthy or “bridge option.” Jones could also jet from the Vikings if Darnold stays with the team.
Vikings Coach Says New QB is ‘Putting in Some Phenomenal Work’
When asked about the chance of singing Jones to the active roster ahead of the Vikings’ game against the Lions, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell had nothing but good things to say about Jones and where he’s at in his development with the team. While he didn’t fully commit to bringing Jones onto the active roster, he certainly made it sound possible.
“We’re gonna have some dialogue about that as far as the timing of it,” O’Connell said on Monday, December 30. “Daniel’s been quietly, behind the scenes, putting in some phenomenal work.”
He added that he’s “probably more excited, as I told him the other day, more excited now than even as excited as I was to get him in here day one, just by what he’s shown us already. So, that’s definitely something we’re gonna talk about.”
Comments
Lions May Face New, ‘Phenomenal’ Vikings Quarterback