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The Detroit Lions and their fans have been hoping the 2025 season would start off with something big for them.
Even star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was calling for a high-profile clash in Week 1.
For him, it was the first game of the NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now we know that won't be happening as it was revealed the Eagles would kick of the season with a matchup against an NFC East rival in the Dallas Cowboys.
Luckily for the Lions, it seems that may not mean the team is going to miss out on being part of an important matchup to begin the season.
In fact, they might even get to take on a division rival of their own.
In a May 12 social media post, "The Purple Persuasion" revealed that a source told them the Lions will meet the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 with the potential for it to be a primetime game.
SOURCE: Hearing the #Vikings are set to open the 2025 NFL season against the #Lions in week 1. Primetime game in-play.
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 12, 2025
Don't know if it's home or away, but reading the tea leaves, its a week 18 rematch at Ford Field AND a return to Michigan for J.J. McCarthy as QB1. pic.twitter.com/9Rhbzdlx4k
The last time these two teams met was the most important matchup of the 2024 regular season.
When the Vikings travelled to Ford Field in Week 18, the NFC North title was on the line and so was the top seed in the NFC. The loser would fall to the fifth seed.
The Lions ended up dominating the matchup, taking home a 31-9 win and their second consecutive division title.
When the Lions and Vikings meet, both teams will look very different from the teams in that matchup.
The Lions haven't changed their personnel much, but they'll be a whole lot healthier.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have overhauled their offensive line and will have J.J. McCarthy under center after an injury cost him his entire rookie season.
If this is the way the season begins, it will be a hugely important matchup to start their quest for a third consecutive division title and would be a pretty strong consolation prize after missing out on a Week 1 meeting with the defending champs.
More must-reads:
- Best fits for five notable NFL free agents
- Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
Brewers officially have a legit MVP candidate
On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to 11 games, and a key part of the team's momentum is a player who is in the National League MVP race. The red-hot Brewers entered Tuesday night facing one of the biggest threats to their winning streak, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Milwaukee torched Skenes for two home runs and four earned runs in 4.0 innings pitched. Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn added extra damage in the sixth inning with a three-run home run that increased Milwaukee's lead to 12-0. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Vaughn is in the NL MVP race after his home run on Tuesday night. "Andrew Vaughn suddenly in top 10 NL MVP discussion with another 3-run HR, giving him 32 RBI since joining the Brewers," Nightengale posted on X. "He is the gift that keeps on giving from the White Sox. They are about to go 24-4 since his arrival." Vaughn has helped the Brewers overrun and then take a commanding lead on the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Following their 14-0 win Tuesday night, the Brewers extended their lead to 7.5 games over the Cubs for first place. Vaughn is turning out to be a steal for the Brewers, as Milwaukee only gave up veteran pitcher Aaron Civale and cash considerations for the first baseman on June 13. While Vaughn might have a case to be in the top 10, he has much work before he becomes a legitimate contender for the NL MVP. Per FanDuel, Los Angeles Dodgers star slugger Shohei Ohtani leads the race with -20000 odds. Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber is second with +1800 odds. Those two players have been more consistent this season, whereas Vaughn has come on strong since leaving Chicago.
4 Maple Leafs Wild Card Players Heading Into 2025-26
Assuming they don’t fall off the rails, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be a strong team again in 2025-26. This is nothing new, as they’ve been one of the best teams in the NHL for several seasons and should be for years to come. While the Maple Leafs will continue to be competitive thanks to players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and even John Tavares, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any questions about the lineup. It’s uncertain what we can expect from several players on the roster, in terms of production and effectiveness, but especially these four Maple Leafs. Max Domi Max Domi’s tenure with the team has been up and down. He had a relatively productive 2023-24 season with 47 points, but only nine were goals. This past season, his production dipped to eight goals and 33 points, which is underwhelming for a player who has proven in the past that he can provide more offence. What makes Domi so important this season is that the Maple Leafs will need others to step up now that Mitch Marner is with the Vegas Golden Knights. It has also created new and better opportunities for players like Domi, who could be in for a big season if he is given more responsibility. Matias Maccelli Perhaps the most exciting Maple Leaf heading into the season is Matias Maccelli. The 24-year-old could be one of the best pickups of the offseason, after he was he was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in June for a draft pick and has a ton of offensive upside. The Finnish winger is just one season removed from a career-high 57 points (scored with the Arizona Coyotes). The Maple Leafs acquired Maccelli just days before moving on from Marner, a sign that he was added to help make up for the lost offence. Assuming he gets a legitimate top-six role and time on the power play, he could be better than expected this season. Dakota Joshua There aren’t many players with more to prove than Dakota Joshua. The 29-year-old fell out of favour with the Vancouver Canucks after signing a four-year extension months before the 2024-25 campaign began. He was limited to just 57 games last season, with a disappointing seven goals and 14 points. Joshua is capable of better numbers, as indicated by his 18-goal, 32-point campaign through 63 games in 2023-24. More importantly, however, is the physical edge and intimidating presence he adds to the Maple Leafs’ lineup. That said, Toronto will need him to rediscover his form to be effective this season. Easton Cowan Easton Cowan has a great shot at cracking the Maple Leafs’ lineup this season. The 2023 first-round pick is preparing to make the jump to the professional ranks after dominating in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights for the last three seasons. Assuming Cowan does crack the roster, he will likely be used in a top-six role given his offensive upside. His numbers in junior rankings prove his talent, and he could be a difference-maker as soon as this season. That said, his small stature could result in a bit of a learning curve for the 20-year-old winger. Exciting Times Ahead for the Maple Leafs Despite all the recent frustration, it’s easy to be excited for the Maple Leafs’ future. They have finally made some big and necessary changes after years of failure, and were able to bring in several pieces that could prove to be the solution. At the very least, they will be an exciting team to watch in 2025-26.
Bills agree to multiyear extension with Pro Bowl RB
The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with running back James Cook on a four-year contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal has a base value of $48M with $30M in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Cook’s $12M APY is the sixth-highest among NFL running backs, and his guarantees trail only Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty. He will now be under contract in Buffalo through the 2029 season. The Bills had been trying to extend Cook for most of the offseason. He publicly demanded $15M per year, and negotiations stalled in the spring. The two sides appeared to be making progress on several occasions, including when Cook showed up for mandatory minicamp and took the field at the start of training camp. However, Cook stopped practicing in early August, citing “business” as the reason and raising doubt that a deal would get done before Week 1. He returned to the field on Tuesday, a clear signal that he and the team were close to an agreement. Indeed, Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed that Cook ending his ‘hold-in’ was a show of good faith that helped get both sides back to the negotiating table. “Once we got him back on the practice field, we really worked hard,” added Beane (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). Cook, who turns 26 years old in late September, was drafted by the Bills with the 63rd overall pick in the 2022 draft. He spent his rookie year playing second fiddle to veteran Devin Singletary, but took over the starting job in 2023 with his first thousand-yard season, plus another 445 yards through the air to reach 1,567 yards from scrimmage on the year. Last year, he saw a slight downtick in both rushing attempts and receiving targets as part of an overall reduction in playing time. Beane said that the Bills still believe that Cook is “a three-down type player” despite playing just 48% of the team’s offensive snaps last year, down from 55% the year prior. “We think he could take more, but we also want to use our other weapons and keep him as fresh as possible,” continued Beane. “We think that’s the best utilization of him.” Keeping Cook fresh in 2024 allowed him to rank sixth among running backs in yards per carry last season. He also tied Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller of LAA Sports Entertainment, released a statement on his client’s behalf: “James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill. We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.” Cook is now the sixth Bills player to sign a multiyear extension this offseason, capping off an impressive string of signings for Beane and his front office. They made several tough decisions by cutting long-tenured veterans last offseason to free up cash and cap space to get their young core under contract. With that mission accomplished, the Bills will spend the next few seasons trying to get over the hump and finally bring a Super Bowl to Buffalo.
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