The Week 17 matchup between longtime NFC North rivals will be available exclusively on Netflix. Coming off a devastating Divisional Round loss to Washington last January, the Lions will be prominently featured by the league in 2025. Jared Goff and the Lions beat Minnesota twice during the 2024 regular season: A 31-29 Week 7 victory in Minnesota and a 31-9 Week 18 drubbing in Detroit. Goff combined to throw for 511 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in those games. Justin Jefferson, meanwhile, was limited to ten catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ 2024 games against Detroit.

The game will be played July 31 in Canton, Ohio, kicking off the league’s preseason schedule. The teams’ starters are (very) unlikely to suit up for this one; third and fourth stringers usually get a full evaluation in the first couple weeks of the preseason. It will be the first game for both the Bolts and the Lions since devastating postseason losses last January.

Morton, taking over for departed Detroit OC Ben Johnson — now Chicago’s head coach — said his prior experience with Goff would inform the direction of the team’s offense in 2025. “I think it’s big because it all starts with the quarterback,” said Morton, who worked as a Lions senior offensive assistant in 2022. “Just kind of knowing him — and when I was here, I was in the quarterback room. So, I have a feel of what he likes, what he doesn’t. That’s important as a play-caller.” Goff thrived under Johnson over the past two seasons: Only Brock Purdy and Josh Allen had higher drop back success rates, and only three QBs had a better drop back EPA than Goff. Morton is short on play calling experience; the Jets fired him after the 2017 season, his only year of play-calling experience. Whether Morton can continue putting Goff in favorable situations will loom large as the Lions enter 2025.

Like Sam Darnold before him, all of the regular season accolades, of which there were many, were undone with one playoff implosion. Goff’s 4,629 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 8.6 yards per attempt all ranked top-five in the NFL. He beat the button-pusher allegations with improved play under pressure and evaded the dome-merchant accusations by winning all three of his outdoor games. Despite improving across the board, none of the fancy stats came to save him when the Commanders rolled into town. With a second consecutive NFC Championship berth on the line, Goff proved the haters right with a nightmare performance versus Washington that featured three picks plus a lost fumble. Dan Campbell said last year that making it back to the NFC title game would be twice as hard. He was right then and he’d be right again if he said it after this game. Goff is expected to lose OC Ben Johnson to an outside promotion and DC Aaron Glenn is in the same boat. Goff is a sure-fire QB1 for fantasy purposes with Johnson calling the plays, but his departure will give Goff his greatest test as a Lion.