Jahmyr Gibbs Hypes Lions vs. Vikings as ‘Cinema’ amid Week 18 NFL Playoff Picture

Andrew PetersJanuary 2, 2025

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The NFC North title is on the line this week as the Detroit Lions face the Minnesota Vikings in a clash of two of the best teams in the NFL.

There should be no shortage of excitement in the regular-season finale and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs described the matchup as “cinema,” per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

Gibbs said the Lions “know what’s at stake” but will prepare for the game just like “every other week.”

They might be preparing for the matchup like every other week, but it is much more than that for the Lions. A win would give Detroit back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1953 and 1954. The Lions could also earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and get a first-round bye in the playoffs with a victory.

Like Gibbs, Lions coach Dan Campbell expressed the excitement that comes with playing a high-stakes game to close out the season.

“This is what you’re in it for, man,” Campbell told reporters after Detroit’s win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. “You couldn’t write a better scenario. You couldn’t come up with this. The fact that both teams are sitting at 14-2 and it’s for the division and the No. 1 seed. It just doesn’t get any better than this. This is fairytale stuff.”

Many top teams around the league will get to rest their starters in Week 18. While that won’t be the case for the Lions and Vikings on Sunday, the two squads will get the experience of playing in a game that has a playoff feel to prime them for the postseason.