2021 NFL Week 5: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings

After losing three of their first four games in various frustrating manners, the Minnesota Vikings will conclude their three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon with their first divisional game of the year, as the Detroit Lions make their way to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first of their two annual matchups.

The Lions are one of the few teams that have a worse record than the Vikings at this point, as they come into this one at 0-4 and at the bottom of the NFC North. They lost one game courtesy of an NFL-record 66-yard field goal by Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens and have also lost to San Francisco, Green Bay, and Chicago thus far. They’re facing some significant injury issues heading into this one, as pass rusher Romeo Okwara has been placed on IR with a torn Achilles and center Frank Ragnow was placed on injured reserve as well.

The Vikings have lost three games by a combined total of 11 points, including last week’s 14-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns in which the Vikings scored on the opening possession and did very little on offense the rest of the way. They were largely saved by the fact that Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield played a terrible game and missed a bunch of wide-open targets. Hopefully this week they can start getting things corrected on both sides of the football.

This one will kick off at noon Central time on Sunday afternoon on FOX, with Chris Myers and Daryl Johnston on the call.