Neal: While Sunday vs. the Lions is BIG, a victory would set the Vikings up for far more

Detroit rusher Aidan Hutchinson is out for the season after breaking his left leg last week, which is a significant blow for the Lions. But it provides Darnold an opportunity to regain his upward trajectory against a weakened pass rush. There will be yards available through the air against a secondary that lacks depth. If defensive back Kindle Vildor steps onto the field, go right at him. We’ve seen his act with the Bears.

What’s that? The Lions scored 30 points in two meetings against the Vikings last season? Sure. But while the defense improved under Brian Flores in 2023, it was not operating at the level he expected. Credit General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for bringing in the players Flores wanted via free agency. Jonathan Greenard has been one of the biggest disrupters in the league this season. All Andrew Van Ginkel does is return interceptions for touchdowns. Flores has more to throw at Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The matchups and the matchups within the matchups make this appointment viewing. My favorite is the battle of coordinators between Flores and Johnson. I like Flores’ chances of winning this time. The other matchup will be Darnold against the Lions defense, a task that could be more complicated if Aaron Jones is unable to play. Yet the Vikings stand an excellent chance of winning if Darnold again proves they were right in signing him.

A victory over Detroit, on top of their victories over the Texans (5-1) and San Francisco (3-3 but tied for the NFC West lead), and there is your validation.

O’Connell’s return to Los Angeles makes for an easy pregame angle. The 1-4 Rams sure aren’t, as they have suffered a slew of injuries. The challenge here will be to take advantage of a banged-up Rams team. The return of wide receiver Cooper Kupp shouldn’t be enough to make up for the Rams’ shortcomings elsewhere.

Two wins away from 7-0. Two wins in five days would provide fantastic momentum, with upcoming games against Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee.