5Q: Can Lions Slow Down Justin Jefferson

Previewing Lions-Vikings matchup with Vikings beat writer.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18). / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are squaring off in what is being viewed as one of the biggest regular season games of all time. The winner claims the division and the NFC's top seed in the playoffs, while the loser will be forced to play a road game.

Will Ragatz covers the Minnesota Vikings for Vikings OnSI. He recently answered five questions from Lions OnSI to preview Sunday's regular season finale between the Lions and Vikings at Ford Field.

1. The Minnesota Vikings kept pace with the Lions all season and sit with a 14-2 record. What has led to their success?

Will Ragatz: A barrage of factors have come together and made this a special year for the Vikings. It starts with Kevin O'Connell, who has established himself as one of the best head coaches and leaders in the NFL. What he's been able to help Sam Darnold achieve this season has been truly remarkable, considering Darnold's track record coming into the year. It helps that the Vikings have weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson for him to throw to. Defensively, Brian Flores is a top-tier coordinator who has led one of the best units in the league to a season filled with sacks and takeaways. Much credit should go to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah; just about every move he made this past offseason has worked out wonderfully. The Vikings' free agent haul led by Darnold, Aaron Jones, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman is probably the best in team history. When you combine great coaching and locker room vibes with elite talent, anything is possible (as the Lions know themselves).

2. From the postgame reaction after beating the Packers, quarterback Sam Darnold is likely going to earn a long-term contract. Do you think Vikings should make him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL?

Ragatz: That's the million-dollar question heading into this upcoming offseason. The Vikings' original plan, once rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury, was to roll with Darnold for a year and then let him walk in the spring, turning things over to McCarthy. But Darnold has played so incredibly well that it's becoming difficult to see how they could just let him leave after a season like this. The important thing to remember is that it's not simply a Darnold vs. McCarthy decision, it's "Darnold on a big multi-year contract" or "McCarthy and oodles of cap space and a good compensatory draft pick (or a pick from a tag and trade scenario)". It's going to be a fascinating decision. Part of it may come down to whether Darnold considers taking a slight discount to remain in Minnesota versus chasing the biggest possible deal elsewhere. Like with Kirk Cousins last year, Adofo-Mensah may want him back, but only at a specific price point.

3. What makes coach Kevin O'Connell such a good coach?

Ragatz: He's got it all. It starts, really, with leadership and people skills. O'Connell has helped totally transform the Vikings' locker room culture from where it was at the end of the Mike Zimmer era. He's authentic and he's accountable and he's very good at getting his players to buy into his messaging. Beyond that, he's an outstanding offensive mind. From offseason scheme installs to game-planning and play-calling during the season, O'Connell is sharp. He's rightfully earned respect as a quarterback whisperer, but he gets the most out of players from the top of the roster to the bottom by building up their confidence and putting them in situations to succeed.

MORE: Lions Playoff Primer: Every Potential Wild Card Path Explored

4. What are 1-2 key matchups to watch this week between the Lions and Vikings?

Ragatz: It's tough to boil it down to 1 or 2 in a game with so many storylines and schematic battles, but it's usually smart to start with Jefferson when discussing any Vikings game. Will the Lions be able to slow him down at all? They've allowed him to go for at least 180 yards in each of the last three meetings between these teams at Ford Field, but they've also won all three of those games. If they put a lot of focus on limiting Jefferson, that could lead to more opportunities for Jones and Addison and Hockenson and Jalen Nailor.

When the Lions have the ball, it'll be all about the chess match between Flores and Ben Johnson. That battle has been won pretty decisively by Johnson over the past three meetings, so we'll see what kind of adjustments Flores makes. It's worth noting that the Vikings didn't have Cashman, their outstanding middle linebacker, in the first matchup between these teams this season. They're 13-0 when he plays, and his presence could help combat the dangers of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs over the middle of the field.

5. It all comes down to this game for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the NFC North division title. Who wins and why?

Ragatz: This one feels like such a toss-up. There's a very real case to be made that these are the two best teams in the NFL, so it's quite wild that one of them will be opening the playoffs on the road. The Lions are at home, but I'm giving a very slight nod to the Vikings based on the way they've been playing lately and some of the key injuries that Detroit has suffered. I think being without David Montgomery, Carlton Davis III, and Alim McNeill matters in this one when the margins are so small. Vikings win a 34-31 classic on Sunday night.