Vikings and Lions match up NFL's stingiest defense vs. high-scoring offense in NFC North showdown

DETROIT (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings are the NFL's only unbeaten team thanks to their stingy defense and stellar special teams.

If their low-scoring offense doesn't get in gear in the Motor City on Sunday, it might be tough for the NFC North leaders to keep up with the high-octane Detroit Lions .

Minnesota (6-0) is allowing a league-low 12.3 points per game and Detroit (4-2) is averaging 30.7 points, ranking behind only Buffalo, and something has got to give at Ford Field.

“You want to play the best, you want to beat the best,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. "You want to have these opportunities to show what you’re made of.

“I think they’re the best in the league right now on paper and certainly present a ton of challenges and it’ll be fun to try to solve those challenges.”

The last time the NFL had a matchup of teams giving up 13 or fewer points and scoring 30-plus points a game in Week 8 or later was in 2019 when Baltimore's high-scoring offense beat New England's stout defense and handed the Patriots their first loss that season.

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray said his confidence in the the team's offense will never waver, knowing the players around him, and believes a breakout performance is coming.

“We’ve just got to end the drive with touchdowns instead of kicking field goals,” Murray said.

That has happened lately.

Minnesota's offense has scored just four touchdowns over the last five games and is averaging just 1 1/2 offensive touchdowns per game, the second-lowest average in the NFL.

The Lions, meanwhile, are rolling with Goff playing as well as any NFL quarterback with one of the league's best running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) and pair of receivers (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams) along with standout tight end Sam LaPorta and a solid offensive line.

The Lions, coming off a win over Green Bay in their first division game of the season, are well aware that the game against Minnesota is potentially pivotal in the NFC North race.

“If you can’t get fired up for this and for the competition of it and in the division, I mean, I don’t know what you can get excited for,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. "This is as good as it gets.”

Minnesota (6-0) at Detroit (4-2)

When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.

Latest odds: Lions by 3.

Against the spread: Vikings 4-2; Lions 1-4-1.

Last week: Vikings beat Colts 16-10; Lions beat Packers 20-17.

Last meeting: Vikings beat Lions 23-10 on Dec. 25, 2025, in Minneapolis.

Series record: Lions lead 82-45-2.

Detroit's balanced offense against Minnesota's blitz-heavy defense. The Lions were 4-0 against the Vikings, averaging 30.5 points a game, in Brian Flores' first two years as their defensive coordinator. In Minnesota's two wins last year, Detroit averaged just 17 points and the Lions had six turnovers in the last meeting. This season, the Vikings have become the third team in two decades to give up 13 or fewer points and 224 or fewer yards in three straight games in a season. Goff has thrown 223 passes without getting picked off, ranking sixth among NFL quarterbacks with the most pass attempts without an interception to start a season. He has 14 touchdown passes without an interception, matching Russell Wilson's run in 2019 for the most touchdown passes without a pick through the first six games of a season. Goff ranks first in the NFL with a 12.5 passer rating, 298 yards passing per game and 14.67 passing first downs a game.

— Minnesota, off to its best start since 2009, has a chance to be 7-0 for the first time since 2000.

— The Vikings have won four straight NFC North games and nine of their last 12 in the division.

— Minnesota is an NFL-best plus-7 in turnovers and its seven interceptions rank among the league leaders.

— Detroit has won two straight for the first time this season.

— Gibbs is the only NFL player to run for at least 40 first downs and catch passes for 10-plus first downs through the first six games of a season since the NFL began tracking the data in 1981.

— Detroit’s improving defense allowed an average of 19 points during its two-game winning streak.

AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed.

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