Minnesota’s upcoming schedule ranks easier than the Lions, Bears, and Packers, keeping the door open for a late-season push.

Week 9 saw a huge NFC North matchup between the Lions and the Vikings, while the Packers faced the Carolina Panthers, and the Bears took on the Cincinnati Bengals. Minnesota entered the game 3-4 and was on the road, taking on Detroit. The Vikings were clicking on all cylinders and came away with a huge 27-24 win.

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy took a hit from Lions linebacker Jack Campbell that could be subject to an NFL fine.

The Detroit Lions were stunned by J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 9 NFC North showdown at Ford Field. Here are the highlights.

Tim Twentyman takes a look at where all four teams in the NFC North stand heading into Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season.

Two turnovers and a likely season-ending injury to tight end Tucker Kraft stunted the Packers to allow the Panthers to sneak out with the win. Despite falling to 5-2-1, the Packers still hold the division lead headed into a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau next Monday night.

Why, you ask? Well, the Minnesota Vikings are now firmly in the mix. The club went into Ford Field and took down the Detroit Lions, 27-24. On top of simply notching a divisional win, the key development in this game and what makes the victory hold bigger ramifications for the second half was the return of J.J. McCarthy.