The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings meet on Sunday afternoon as they battle for the early lead in the NFC North.

The Vikings (5-0) are the biggest surprise in the NFL. They are one of two remaining undefeated teams despite losing preseason first-round pick JJ McCarthy for the year. Sam Darnold got the offense off to a strong start and gave his own career new life. But it was really Minnesota’s defense that made the Vikings dangerous early. According to most statistical analysis, they were one of the top five units in the NFL, with defensive coordinator Brian Flores continuing his impressive career as one of the best defensive minds in football.

However, Flores will have his hands full this week. The Lions have put up 40 points in consecutive weeks. They are led by a deadly running game led by the duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Her efficiency on the ground has also helped improve Detroit’s passing game. Jared Goff has an array of weapons, including big-play machine Jameson Williams, who is off to a fantastic start in his third season.

Detroit’s defense may be the bigger story this week, however. Given last week’s devastating injury to Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions must find ways to continue to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Finding a 1-1 replacement for Hutchinson will be impossible, but that doesn’t mean Detroit will be hopeless at generating pressure.

Experience the first half of Lions vs. Vikings with us here. Just scroll down to the comments section and join the conversation. As halftime comes, look on the front page for our second half live chat.

See you at 1pm ET and GO LIONS!