Hosting the biggest game in the 20-plus years, fans inside Ford Field have a chance to make the stadium the toughest place to play in the NFL in a must-win game.
The season comes down to this. While it’s not a playoff game yet, it’s a playoff-type game for the Detroit Lions . They take on the Minnesota Vikings on “Sunday Night Football“ in a battle for the NFC North crown and the top seed in the NFC that comes with a much-needed bye week. After this game, no matter if the Lions win or lose, it will be a win-or-go-home situation for them, and this is the best warm-up game for Detroit to get ready for the postseason.
The last time these two teams played, the Vikings were undefeated at 5-0, and the Lions had to go on the road to Minnesota and pull off the upset. They did so, winning 31-29 and taking control of the division. Here we are, 11 weeks later, and now the Vikings are coming to Detroit to try and take the division back from Detroit and clinch the one seed. Can the Vikings come into Ford Field and do what the Lions did to them back in October?
Out of all of the home games this season, this one has to be the one where Ford Field shows up the most. Despite being loud and helpful, Detroit is just 6-2 at home this season, while going 8-0 on the road.
Here’s why I think the crowd will have the biggest impact on the game on Sunday.
Fans must do their part
If you go to the game on Sunday in Detroit, you have a job to do like the players do. You want to stand up the entire game, get your food and drinks at halftime or before kickoff, be loud when the Vikings are on the field, and be quiet when the Lions offense is at work. I don’t want to tell you how to be a fan and how to act at games, but maybe this is the first Lions game you have ever been to. For the crowd to impact the game, they have to be loud and make the opponent’s job as tough as possible.
The crowd this season at Ford Field has been pretty good, loud, supportive, and most importantly, showing up to support their team. One thing that can’t happen is an invasion of Vikings fans who try and take over Ford Field. If you have tickets but can’t make the game, know who you are selling your tickets to. Making money is great, but if you are giving the ticket to a Vikings fan, even upselling it more than what it’s worth, you’re hurting your team in the end.
Vikings Ford Field struggles
Minnesota’s only road loss this year was to the Los Angeles Rams . But Ford Field is different. In the past three seasons, the Vikings haven’t been able to get a win in Detroit, starting with the first win in the Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell era. Minnesota is the only NFC North team that hasn’t beaten the Lions at Ford Field since Campbell took over.
It’s not just under the Campbell era that Minnesota has struggled to get wins in Detroit. Since 2014, the Vikings are 5-5 in Ford Field, the worst record against any divisional team on the road. The Vikings already struggle to play in Detroit, so if the crowd can give Detroit even a small advantage by being disruptive and having Minnesota struggle to communicate, they are doing their job. Minnesota has an uphill battle entering Sunday, playing against a team they haven’t beaten since 2022, in a place they haven’t won in when there were no fans in 2020.
Postseason-like performance
This could very well be the last home game for the Lions in 2024 depending on how the game plays out. If the Lions don’t win on Sunday, there is a strong chance that every playoff game they play is on the road. This game is a dress rehearsal for the Lions, and fans, for the postseason.
Last postseason, the fans showed up against the Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . It was incredible to see how much they made life hell for both opponents. I believe Ford Field is one of the toughest places to play. Despite the home record this season, opposing offenses are going through hell in Detroit. Imagine trying to not only have to keep up with the Lions’ explosive offense but having to do so while 65,000 people are screaming at volumes akin to a jet engine.
If Ford Field is rocking, the Lions have a better chance to win this game, but if it’s a Viking invasion, or fans aren’t giving it their all, the Lions lose that advantage and make it an even playing field.