Vikings vs. Lions: Epic NFC North Crown Battle in Detroit

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00:00It is game 272.

00:03It is as good as you could ever hope or dream for in a regular season finale because of

00:10what is on the line between the Lions and the Vikings in the Motor City on Sunday night.

00:17Joe, the winner of this game between Detroit and Minnesota will claim the NFC North divisional

00:23crown.

00:24The winner of this game between Detroit and Minnesota will be the number one seed in the

00:29NFC.

00:30It is the first time in more than 30 years that the final game of the NFL regular season

00:37will determine a one seed in a conference.

00:39You got to go all the way back to the 1993 NFL campaign to find a game with similar stakes.

00:46It is the first time in NFL history we will see two teams that each have 14 wins face

00:53off against one another in a regular season affair.

00:57Yes, it is a longer regular season now than ever in the history of the NFL, but still

01:03a historic matchup with so much at stake on Sunday night in Detroit.

01:09So now let's talk the actual game itself in the numbers, a two and a half point spread

01:14in favor of the Lions at home.

01:16Maybe the highest total we will see in the NFL in the last four or five seasons at 56

01:23and a half.

01:24Let's go to you, begin your breakdown for Sunday night in the Motor City.

01:28Well it's interesting, Ben, when you look at this Detroit team, right?

01:32Or let's say Minnesota, who's won what, nine straight games.

01:36They've covered their last four, they're 14 and two on the season, but they last lost

01:42to the Lions in week seven.

01:45And then they followed that up with a loss to the Rams a week later.

01:48So they, you can make the argument, Ben, that they lost the Lions game twice.

01:54But it's been all wins since then.

01:56And the Lions, ironically enough, the only two losses they have this year, Ben, came

02:01at home.

02:03And they too find themselves 14 and two on the season.

02:05They haven't lost since Buffalo came to town and beat them, what, three weeks ago here.

02:12But they have overcome the injuries.

02:15They love playing at home.

02:17Dan Campbell is going to roll the dice and I think Stiles make fights here.

02:21This is an absurd total of 56 and a half.

02:25And it's finally started to come down, Ben, because it was up over 57 a couple of days

02:30ago.

02:31But finally, people are starting to realize how unbelievably ridiculous a number that

02:35is even for these two teams here.

02:39This is going to be a playoff game.

02:41Make no mistake about it, neither of these two teams want to be the five seed.

02:45Neither of these two teams like each other.

02:47There's revenge to factor in here.

02:50Ultimately, I think this is going to come down, well, crazy enough, right?

02:56With a 56 and a half total, Ben, it's going to be about the defense here.

03:00I don't know that Brian Flores is best served blitzing the world at Jared Goff because of

03:06the weapons Jared Goff has access to.

03:08And quite honestly, his numbers against the Blitz are actually over the top good.

03:14So I do think there are going to be some wrinkles thrown in this game.

03:17I don't think the offenses are just going to be scoring at will here.

03:21Even for a decimated Lions defense, they know they've got to come up with some stops and

03:27they know this team better than anybody.

03:30To me, it's only under in this game, 56 and a half.

03:34I am not expecting a wild shootout.

03:36This is going to be a playoff game atmosphere, one in which I guess first one to 24 will

03:42win, Ben.

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