Detroit Lions fans hoping for more help in division race on Thursday night

DETROIT – Week 2 of the NFL season has arrived, and the Detroit Lions are hoping for a little more help in the NFC North race on Thursday night.

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a surprising loss in the opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Without Tom Brady at the helm, the Bucs have turned to Baker Mayfield, and with the Vikings playing at home, most expected them to win.

But Tampa Bay pulled off an upset, and as a result, perhaps the top threat to the Lions in the division race began the season one game behind.

On Thursday night, that hole could get a bit deeper. The Vikings are in Philadelphia to battle the defending NFC champion Eagles, who are currently a six-point favorite.

Nobody expects the Vikings to repeat their 13-4 record from a year ago, but could they still win the North at 10-7 or 11-6? Absolutely. So every single game helps.

Green Bay looks a bit more dangerous than anticipated after a blowout win at Chicago in Week 1, but it’s still unclear if that was more because Jordan Love is good or the Bears are still bad.

Either way, it would only help the Lions to see a fellow NFC North rival start off 0-2.