Week 8 Preview: Begin the Gauntlet

The Minnesota Vikings head to Ford Field this week for a pivotal NFC North matchup against the 4-2 Detroit Lions. A win could put the Vikings in an early stranglehold on the NFL’s best division, especially since they d get two of their three division wins on the road. A loss would give skeptics more fodder to call the Vikings “frauds” for another week. They’d also be buoyed by the fact that the Vikings’ next three opponents have a combined 15-5 record. Yeah, this is a big one. VIKINGS ON OFFENSE I vented about this earlier this week, so there is no need to rehash the grievances. For the fourth straight week, the Vikings offense will face another statistically awful defense – albeit one that is getting healthier. Safety Brian Branch returned last week against the Packers, and Kerby Joseph’s 21-day practice window after returning from the PUP list has apparently opened, too. He may still be a week or two away from game action, however. Regardless, this Lions defense is anything but