The Detroit Lions are currently enjoying a well-earned bye week, giving them a valuable opportunity to rest and regroup after an impressive start to their season. The break also allows their banged-up secondary to recover fully, even though the team managed to secure a dominant 24-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, October 19, despite missing several key defenders.
Though the Lions won’t take the field this week, attention is already turning toward their next matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. It’s been a roller-coaster year for Minnesota, entering their Week 8 contest versus the Los Angeles Chargers with a 3-3 record. One of the team’s biggest struggles has been at the quarterback position. After selecting Michigan standout J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings saw him miss the entire 2024-25 campaign due to injury. This season, he returned briefly but was sidelined again, forcing the team to rely on Carson Wentz as their starter.
Naturally, fans are wondering if McCarthy will be healthy in time to face the Lions. The answer could heavily influence the outcome of that divisional showdown.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Tuesday, October 21, that McCarthy—recovering from an ankle injury—participated in an on-field workout but “isn’t quite there yet.” He’s not expected to suit up for Minnesota’s Thursday, October 23, matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8.
However, O’Connell added that if the Vikings were playing on Sunday instead of Thursday, McCarthy might have been ready, suggesting the young quarterback could return for the crucial Week 9 battle against the Detroit Lions.
So, is McCarthy’s potential availability a positive or negative for Detroit? According to Colby Colwell of Detroit Jock City, it’s actually great news. The NFL analyst wrote on Wednesday, October 22, that based on McCarthy’s early play, “it’s not just good news—it’s great news.”
“Through two games, McCarthy has thrown two touchdowns against three interceptions, with a poor 58.5% completion rate, which certainly gives the Lions confidence,” Colwell noted. “Detroit was down four starting defensive backs on Monday night and still limited Tampa Bay’s offense to 58 total first-half yards, getting key efforts from players like cornerback Arthur Maulet, who made a statement performance with an interception.”
Wentz, meanwhile, hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. Per statistics from ESPN and Pro Football Reference, he’s totaled five touchdown passes and four interceptions with a 66.9% completion rate and 1,072 passing yards so far.
It’s hard to say which quarterback would pose a bigger challenge for Detroit. The real priority remains the Lions’ health—particularly in the secondary. If that group can return to full strength, Detroit could prove nearly unbeatable, no matter who’s taking snaps for the Vikings.
