- - Lions vs. Vikings score, live updates from Christmas: Detroit clinging to playoff hopes as Minnesota looks to play spoiler

Yahoo Sports Staff December 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM

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The second NFL game on Christmas Day features the second of three division rivalries on the slate as the Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions come in clinging to the slimmest playoff hopes, needing to win their final two games and get quite a bit of help in the process. For the Vikings, it’s simply about playing spoiler to a division foe and ending their season early.

Detroit (8-7) dropped a tough one to Pittsburgh in Week 16 with a controversial OPI call on Amon-Ra St. Brown that ended a Lions comeback effort. Now the Lions are in a must-win scenario these last two weeks as they fight for a third consecutive postseason berth. Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs in three consecutive years since the Barry Sanders era of the mid-1990s.

Despite the disappointing season and already being eliminated from playoff contention, the Vikings (7-8) still have the opportunity to finish the season with a winning record. They’ve already beaten Detroit once this year, and should Minnesota spoil the Lions’ Christmas, they’d be .500 for the first time since early November. After winning 14 games last season, the Vikings have been hampered by the injury bug in 2025, along with being surpassed by the rest of the NFC North.

How to watch Lions vs. Vikings on Christmas

Lions-Vikings start time: 4:30 p.m. ET Location: U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, MNTV channel, live stream: Netflix, NFL+

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Lions and Vikings face off on Christmas Day in Week 17:

Live2 updates -

Fri, December 26, 2025 at 4:15 AM GMT+8Kate MagdziukVikings' J.J. McCarthy out in Week 17 with hand injury

The Minnesota Vikings will once again be without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in Week 17 — this time, due to a fractured hand suffered in last week's win over the New York Giants.

With backup Carson Wentz out for the year, that puts rookie Max Brosmer in line for his second career start.

In his first, a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, he completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 126 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions, taking four sacks for a loss of 30 yards on the day.

Injuries have been the story of McCarthy's tenure so far in the league, missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury he suffered in the 2024 preseason. In 2025, he's started just nine games, having missed several games with an ankle injury and another with a concussion (Week 13), leading up to his latest injury.

Along with those injuries have come plenty of growing pains for the quarterback, playing in his first season of live action. He's completed just 57.3% of pass attempts this year for 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

- Fri, December 26, 2025 at 4:11 AM GMT+8Yahoo Sports StaffLions, Vikings announce Week 17 inactives

With less than 90 minutes remaining until the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings kick off on Christmas afternoon, each team has announced its Week 17 inactives for gameday.

Here’s a look:

Lions inactives -

OL Trystan Colon

OL Taylor Decker

DL Tyler Lacy

WR Dominic Lovett

S Avonte Maddox

OL Michael Niese

DL Mekhi Wingo

Vikings inactives -

QB J.J. McCarthy

QB Brett Rypien (Emergency 3rd QB)

RB Jordan Mason

LB Austin Keys

T Brian O'Neill

TE T.J. Hockenson

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Source: “AOL Sports”