Detroit’s heavily favored at home, but Lions reporter John Maakaron explains why J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings might not be as overmatched as the odds suggest.

The 2025 season has been disappointing for the Minnesota Vikings. They have stumbled to a 3-4 record and are given no favors this Sunday when they head to Ford Field to take on the 5-2 Detroit Lions.

Throughout the Minnesota Vikings' transition from Kirk Cousins to the great unknown at quarterback, there was one big fear. The Vikings have always been

No pressure, J.J. McCarthy. It's just that, after your six-week absence due to a high ankle sprain, your third NFL start comes on the road, against a division rival that happens to be one of the very best teams in the league. Oh, and a loss would drop the playoff odds for your veteran-laden, supposedly win-now team from slim to minuscule.

"This isn't my first rodeo," Wentz said Wednesday. "I'm not an idiot. I know what I was signing up for going out there. Nobody was forcing me, pressuring me, any of those things. Everybody's handled this tremendously. Communication's been phenomenal from coaches, trainers, all the things. I knew what we were doing all along."

The Minnesota Vikings were all-in on developing quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season, after his rookie year was lost to injury, with the belief they could insulate him from some of the natural struggles of inexperience by surrounding him with a stacked veteran team and a savvy coaching staff.

The Minnesota Vikings have been pitched to make a trade for a former first-round quarterback after losing Carson Wentz to an injury.

Carson Wentz has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Wentz made five starts this season for the Vikings in relief of starting quarterback J.

It's been nearly 2 months since J.J. McCarthy helped lead the Vikings' rally against the Bears. Back from injury, he's now looking to recapture some of that magic.

The Minnesota Vikings need more quarterback depth after J.J. McCarthy, and trading for New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson could help.