Playing twice per year for every year since 1961 — with the exception of the 1982 strike-shortened season, when they faced each other just once — the Vikings and Lions have met 126 times. Their 127th meeting will be the biggest one yet.
The NFL has announced that, next Sunday night, the 2024 regular season will conclude with the 14-2 Vikings visiting the 14-2 or 13-3 Lions for all the NFC marbles. The winner will be the No. 1 seed. The loser will be the No. 5 seed.
Earlier this year, Detroit won in Minnesota, 31-29. After the Vikings failed to convert a third-and-four that would have iced the game, the Lions drove for the game-winning field goal.
Even if Detroit loses to the 49ers on Monday night, a victory over the Vikings will forge a 14-3 tie, with the Lions winning the tiebreaker via the head-to-head sweep.
The Lions have opened as 2.5-point favorites.
It will be the first time in NFL history that two teams with 13 or more wins have met in the regular season. The outcome will give the winner a bye, and home-field advantage if/when there’s a postseason rematch.
If that happens, it’ll be the first time the Vikings and Lions have ever met in the postseason.
It all gets started next Sunday night in Detroit, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
