The Lions beat the Vikings 31–29 in Week 7 as Jake Bates hit a field goal with 15 seconds left to win the game. On Monday night, the Lions played their starters against the San Francisco 49ers even though the game was essentially meaningless. Whether they won or lost, everything was going to come down to Week 18 against Minnesota.

The Detroit Lions are on a crash course for a winner-take-all game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 that will determine both the NFC North champion and No. 1 seed in the conference. Head coach Dan Campbell is excited and ready for the crucial game.