It’s not lost on the Vikings that last season the Lions walked into U.S. Bank Stadium and walked out as NFC North champions. It’s also not lost on the Vikings that a couple of weeks after that, they traveled to Ford Field and had to watch the Lions celebrate that division title.

“It doesn’t sit well with us,” receiver Justin Jefferson said. “It’s definitely something that we remember.”

That feeling persists on both sides of the ball.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” safety Josh Metellus said. “I’ve still got a bad taste in my mouth.”

As much as the Vikings are hoping to return the favor by winning the NFC North on Sunday night at Ford Field, they also know the stakes of the game provide more than enough motivation for both teams.

No matter what the Vikings or the Lions say, this is not simply another game on the schedule. Not when the winner of that matchup earns the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The loser will drop all the way to the No. 5 seed.

It’s been a couple of decades since there has been a regular-season game of this magnitude. Not since the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants in overtime on Jan. 2, 1994, has a matchup between a pair of teams in the final week determined the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

It should also be noted that the Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl about a month later.

That said, the Vikings aren’t thinking about what happened in the past, nor are they thinking about what could happen in the future.

“All that matters is this game,” quarterback Sam Darnold said. “That’s all I’m thinking about.”

It’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Not only are the Vikings going to have to overcome a talented team on the other end, they are also going to have to overcome a sold out crowd of 65,000 fans screaming for their downfall at every turn.

“It’s fun going into a loud stadium and going into a hostile environment,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “It’s our sideline versus the entire building. That makes it fun when we make a play and it quiets down a little bit. It’s our job to be able to do that.”

Though there is a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the game, the Vikings are trying to keep their focus on the Lions more than anything else. They know if they do that, the rest will take care of itself

“We know exactly what we’re signing up for,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We know they’re a damn good team and we’re going to have to play really well to go win.”

Briefly

The only player the Vikings have ruled out for the game is edge rusher Pat Jones II (knee). They are listing linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (illness) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (hip) as questionable, and running back Aaron Jones (quad) does not have an injury designation.

Related Articles

For the Vikings, going 1-0 each week isn’t a cliché, it’s a lifestyle

Vikings at Lions: NFC North, playoff bye on line Sunday night

The Loop Special Report: Vikings’ biggest regular-season games

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 18

Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson preps to play Lions for first time since tearing his ACL