Vikings and Lions a battle of NFL’s stingiest defence vs. high-scoring offence in NFC North showdown

The Minnesota Vikings are the NFL’s only unbeaten team thanks to their stingy defence and stellar special teams.

If their low-scoring offence 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 offence beat New England’s stout defence and handed the Patriots their first loss that season.

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray said his confidence in the the team’s offence 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 offence 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.”

Matchup to watch

Detroit’s balanced offence against Minnesota’s blitz-heavy defence. The Lions were 4-0 against the Vikings, averaging 30.5 points a game, in Brian Flores’s 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 ranks first in the NFL with a 12.5 passer rating, 298 yards passing per game and 14.67 passing first downs a game.