A few months ago, few could have imagined the Minnesota Vikings as even a slight contender for this season’s Super Bowl. But with recent injury news surrounding several Detroit Lions players, the Vikings’ Super Bowl aspirations are now looking far more realistic.

On Monday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Lions starting defensive lineman Alim McNeill has torn his ACL, effectively ending his 2024 season.

Additionally, Detroit cornerbacks Carlton Davis (broken jaw) and Khalil Dorsey (broken leg) will miss the rest of the regular season, and running back David Montgomery could also be out for the year after suffering an MCL tear during the Lions’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

No Reason for Minnesota Vikings Not to Win the NFC North After Latest Detroit Lions Injuries

With the injuries to McNeill, Montgomery, Davis, and Dorsey, Detroit has now lost several key players to significant injuries this season, including edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, linebacker Alex Anzalone, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.

Given all of these setbacks, it’s harder to believe the Lions will finish the 2024 regular season as the NFC’s top seed and NFC North champions.

With an 11-2 record going into their Monday night game against the Chicago Bears, Minnesota now has a clear path to the NFC North title, and potentially the entire NFC. The Vikings don’t necessarily need to win all four of their remaining games; they could likely afford one more loss and still claim the division.

However, with the Philadelphia Eagles improving to 12-2 on Sunday, Minnesota’s best shot at securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC is probably by winning all four of their remaining games.

That being said, the Vikings’ chances of hosting at least one playoff game are significantly higher now than they were just 24 hours ago.