After dropping three of their last four contests, the Minnesota Vikings entered their Week 9 matchup in Detroit as clear underdogs. Facing the Lions, who had won five of six and were well-rested following a bye, the Vikings were pegged as 8.5-point longshots — a line that felt justified given their recent struggles.
On top of that, there was plenty of uncertainty surrounding rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The young signal-caller had missed five games due to a high ankle sprain and had only flashed potential in short stretches — most notably during the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s dramatic Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears. With all those question marks, it wasn’t surprising that few believed the Vikings could pull off an upset. In fact, all ten NFL Network analysts unanimously predicted a Detroit victory.
But when the game unfolded, the Vikings flipped the script. McCarthy led Minnesota to a 27-24 stunner, proving every one of those analysts wrong. And no one enjoyed that moment more than McCarthy’s fiancée, Katya Kuropas.
Taking to her Instagram Story after the final whistle, Kuropas posted a screenshot of the NFL Network’s unanimous Lions picks, right above a photo of McCarthy smiling on the sidelines. She added a smirking emoji for good measure — a subtle but unmistakable clapback.
As for McCarthy himself, he wasn’t flawless — completing just 56% of his passes and tossing his fourth interception of the season. Still, he made the big plays when it mattered. He threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter to give Minnesota an early 14-7 edge, added a nine-yard rushing TD in the third, and later sealed the victory with a clutch 16-yard completion to Jalen Nailor on third-and-five, allowing the Vikings to kneel out the clock.
Next up, the Vikings will return home to U.S. Bank Stadium to host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10. Despite the venue advantage, early odds list the Ravens as 3.5-point favorites.
Given what happened this week, it’s safe to assume both fans — and Kuropas — will be keeping a close watch on who the NFL Network analysts side with this time around.




